71 King Street Hamilton, Victoria. Bulletin & News. Sabbath December 12th, We WELCOME you to our Worship Services Today

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1 Issue No. 233 Taking the Three Angel s Messages to the whole world King Street Hamilton, Victoria Bulletin & News Sabbath December 12th, 2015 We WELCOME you to our Worship Services Today Song Service Sabbath School Church Service 9:45 am 10:00 am 11:30 am "The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah'" [ Jeremiah 31:31, NIV ]

2 ~ Upcoming Dates & Announcements ~ Welcome - We welcome Pastor Justin Bone to the pulpit today and and his family for Sabbath praise and worship. May God bless you and lead you in His truth always. Next Prayer Meeting - December 16th at 5pm Please join us each fortnight for prayer and a short Bible study. Let s always keep the communication channels to heaven open. Church Planning Meeting - There will be an event planning meeting this Sabbath after lunch with Pastor Bone to discuss future events for eg.: Recipe club, garage sale and other outreach ideas. and everyone who is interested is welcomed to attend. Special Prayer Request - Please pray for all those travelling on the roads this silly season as they endeavour to visit their relatives and friends, that by the grace of God and His travelling mercies, they should arrive away and home safely. Prayer Request - Please continue to pray for Rosemary Barker, Norman Tyack, John & Gloria Tyack, Suzi, Russell Wareham, Coral Aisbett, Roger Pearce, Peter Tyzack and family, Maria and John Franjic, Simon Novak, Francois s mother, The Recipe Club, Trevor from the fish shop, Barbara Trimnell from recipe club, Shaun, Grangeburn Office Supplies staff, and the young people searching for Christ in our town. Please give thanks to God for our answered and unanswered prayers as well. The ADRA Giving Tree - The ADRA Giving Tree is in our church foyer for those wishing to make a gift donation. See Krystal Morris for more details & gift catalogue. Combined Lunch - There will be a combined lunch this Sabbath, December 12th, and also next Sabbath, December 19th and Dec. 26th. December 26th - Grange Retirement Village visit with Paul Glover. Who Am I answer for last week s puzzle is: A River 2

3 ~ Further Reading ~ Matthew 8:5-13; 12:1-32; Luke 7:1-17; The Desire of Ages pp: ~ Memory Verse ~ Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. [ John 5:28, 29 ] ~ Bible Promises ~ Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. [ Matthew 5:48 ] ~ Reflections ~ Man will always justify his actions regardless of the consequences which is why sanctification is a work of a lifetime worked by the grace of God. In his own arrogance, man s will is bent toward sin and it is easier to give in to it than flee from it. Therefore there will always be a justified reason for his err in the sight of men. 3

4 ~ Adventist Review ~ MARANATHA STARTS WORK ON FIRST SCHOOL CAMPUS IN ANGOLA The Adventist high school will be able to teach 1,000 students a year. Posted November 30, 2015 By Adventist Review staff A group of Seventh-day Adventist volunteers with Maranatha Volunteers International has started construction on a large high school campus in Angola, the first of several schools planned for the African country. The school in Huambo, the second-largest city in Angola after the capital, Luanda, with a population of 665,000, will have 12 classrooms, an auditorium, and a capacity for 1,000 students a year, Maranatha said. The campus is located in a new section of Huambo that is being developed by the government, and this will be one of the first schools in the area, it said in a statement. Maranatha is a nonprofit Adventist-affiliated organization that coordinates the construction of urgently needed buildings with volunteers who seek a short-term mission experience. It is known throughout Africa and many other parts of the world for its One-Day School classrooms and One-Day Churches. But it also takes on longer-term projects, including the two-week expansion of a school in Panama and the two-week refurbishment of Milo Adventist Academy in the U.S. state of Oregon earlier this year. Its schools and churches have been known to help local Adventist communities flourish. 4

5 Huambo, formerly called Nova Lisboa (New Lisbon), was once known for its beautiful colonial architecture, but war destroyed nearly every part of the city. The new school, which will be owned and operated by the Adventist Church, will be officially called an Education and Evangelism Center. Maranatha did not say when the school would open. In addition to the school, Maranatha intends to construct 200 One-Day School classrooms throughout Angola. Maranatha has built One-Day Churches at more than 200 locations in the country since ~ Adventist Review ~ ADVENTIST CHURCH BREAKS NEW GROUND AT CUBA S AGRICULTURE AND CATTLE FAIR Church members share health tips and Christian music by holding an annual convention on the grounds of the fair. Posted December 1, 2015 By Inter-American Division staff The Seventh-day Adventist Church broke new ground in Cuba by providing free health checks and selling religious books and music discs at the country s largest annual trade fair in the capital, Havana. More than 500 Adventist health promoters, Bible workers, and lay evangelists participated in the International Agriculture and Cattle Fair, where they also held the Cuban church s fourth annual Adventist Bible Workers and Healthy Lifestyle Convention. This is an amazing experience for the church to be part of sharing the health message and a message of hope during this fair, said Aldo Perez, president of the Adventist Church in Cuba. The Inter-American Division s missionary magazine, Priorities, being distributed at the fair. (Cuba Union) He noted that the fair is recognized as the most important of its kind in Cuba because it features world-renowned experts. Trained health promoters conducted health screenings, presentations, massages, and 5

6 distributed hundreds of books during the fair, where hundreds more exhibitors showcased cattle and other animals, auctioned animals, held veterinary clinics, sold farming products, and shared the findings of genetic research. The Adventist Church was able to sell music discs and books because of recent changes to Cuba s economic policy that allows the church to have its own license to sell them, Perez said. During the fair, young people from various Adventist congregations in Havana also staged a series of Christian musical concerts. Sonia Garcia of the Cuban government s Religious Affairs Office thanked the Adventist Church for participating in the event and spoke of the importance of the church s health message. The church chose the fairgrounds for its annual convention this year because of the large available space for meetings and exhibits, and the conveniently located central location, said Dayami Rodríguez, communication director for the church in Cuba. This is the first event held outside of a church property to train and motivate laypeople for greater community impact, Rodríguez said. Previous conventions have been held in churches and focused more exclusively on evangelism. The event strengthens the impact that health fairs are having throughout our entire island, Rodríguez said. ~ Adventist News Network ~ COLOMBIAN CONGRESS HONORS ADRA FOR ITS DECADES-LONG CONTRIBUTION TO DISASTER RELIEF AND COMMUNITY BUILDING The Adventist Development and Relief Agency in Colombia is honored for its 25 years of providing disaster relief during the nation's worst tragedies. December 07, 2015 Bogota, Colombia Shirley Rueda/Inter-American Division Staff The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Colombia was honored 6

7 by the House of Representatives in Colombia for the more than 25 years of dedicated work in the country, during a special ceremony held at the Congress building in Bogota on December 1, House Representative Hernan Sinisterra Valencia thanked ADRA for its early role in providing assistance and humanitarian aid in the wake of one of the November 1985 mudslide that buried the town of Armero and claimed the lives of thousands. It is one of the worst tragedies in recent history in the country. This inspired me to give this recognition to ADRA, with the purpose to motivate them to continue working and helping the most needy people, said Sinisterra. For our part, we will continue to do what we can to continue expanding your humanitarian work, he added. Regresentative Sinisterra awarded the Order of Democracy Simon Bolivar Commanders Cross decree certificate and placed the medal on Gabriel Villarreal, ADRA Colombia s country director. Villarreal, who has been working with the Adventist agency for eight years received the honor on behalf of ADRA in Colombia and the Adventist Church. Today, we have been recognized for the work that until now has been done, and now this is a motivation to continue contributing to that peace that we all need in Colombia, said Villarreal. More than 100 church leaders and church member volunteers witnessed the ceremony. Senator Edinson Delgado said the recognition was given to ADRA after analyzing the contribution that it had done in favor of the communities in Colombia. The senator also referred to the role the NGOs will be able to play in the post-conflict process in the country. After achieving the signing of the end of the armed conflict, we want to achieve the integration of Colombians, said Senator Delgado. We have a country that gives opportunities to everyone and NGOs play a fundamental role and should continue contributing to building that new society, Senator Delgado added. The recognition of the government in Colombia is a first for ADRA Colombia and one that becomes a historic recognition in Inter-America and around the world, according to Wally Amundson, the recently retired ADRA Inter-America director. 7 Posing for a photograph from left to right: Wally Amundson, former ADRA Inter-America director, Juan Caicedo, president of the church in Bogota, Gabriel Villarreal, ADRA Colombia director, Representative Hernan Sinisterra and Senator Edinson Delgado. [Photo by Shirley Rueda, IAD Staff]

8 ADRA successfully carried out many good initiatives in Colombia, said Amundson, and cited projects like relocating displaced persons, training women head of households for income generating business, family home garden training, emergency and disaster response, and more. Colombia is a very special country with many different challenges and the fact that ADRA and its volunteers and professionals are always ready to respond to any situation is something that calls the attention of the government, said Amundson, who attended the ceremony. Amundson served as ADRA director for more than 23 years in Inter-America. I believe that ADRA made a great impact in the life of this country and this is why we are living in this historic moment around the world, added Amundson. ADRA was established in 1956 and currently operates 134 local offices around the world providing assistance when disasters strike and for the day-to-day implementation and management of regional programs. Lea mas: The ADRA Giving Tree is in our church foyer for those wishing to make a gift donation. See Krystal Morris for more details & gift catalogue. March 22nd 2016 HAMILTON CHURCH WEBSITE Website: Church Hamilton.sda.church@gmail.com Facebook: Mobile App: 8

9 ~ From the Spirit of Prophecy - Think About: ~ A Call To Stand Apart by (E.G. White) When Doing Everything Right Isn t Enough (chapter 5, pages ) Christ s words were verily to the ruler the invitation, Choose you this day whom ye will serve. Joshua 24:15. The choice was left with him. Jesus was yearning for his conversion. He had shown him the plague spot in his character, and with what deep interest He watched the issue as the young man weighed the question! If he decided to follow Christ, he must obey His words in everything.... {CSA 15.2} The ruler was quick to discern all that Christ s words involved, and he became sad. If he had realized the value of the offered gift, quickly would he have enrolled himself as one of Christ s followers. {CSA 15.3} He was a member of the honored council of the Jews, and Satan was tempting him with flattering prospects of the future. He wanted the heavenly treasure, but he wanted also the temporal advantages his riches would bring him. He was sorry that such conditions existed; he desired eternal life, but he was not willing to make the sacrifice. The cost of eternal life seemed too great, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions. 30 {CSA 15.4} His claim that he had kept the law of God was a deception. He showed that riches were his idol. He could not keep the commandments of God while the world was first in his affections. He loved the gifts of God more than he loved the Giver.... Thousands are passing through this ordeal, weighing Christ against the world; and many choose the world. Like the young ruler, they turn from the Saviour, saying in their hearts, I will not have this Man as my leader.... {CSA 15.5} The ruler s possessions were entrusted to him that he might prove himself a faithful steward; he was to dispense these goods for the blessing of those in need. So God now entrusts men with means, with talents and opportunities, that they may be His agents in helping the poor and the suffering. He who uses his entrusted gifts as God designs becomes a co-worker with the Saviour. He wins souls to Christ, because he is a representative of His character. 31 {CSA 15.6} 9

10 ~ For The Kids ~ 10

11 He Returns as Protector and Avenger of His Own And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him? Luke 18:7 ~ Weekly Devotional ~ At this time, when great light is shining forth from the Word of God, making dark mysteries plain as day, is the day of mercy, of hope, of joy and assurance to all who will be benefited thereby, to all who will open their minds and hearts to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness.... There are diligent students of the Word of prophecy in all parts of the world, who are obtaining light and still greater light from searching the Scriptures. This is true of all nations, of all tribes, and all people. These will come from the grossest error, and will take the place of those who have had opportunities and privileges and have not prized them.... We are now making our choice, and we shall soon discern between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.... From time to time the Lord has made known His manner of working.... And when a crisis has come, He has revealed Himself, and has interposed the working of Satan's plans. He has often permitted matters with nations, with families, and with individuals to come to a crisis, that His interference might become marked. Then He has let the fact be known that there is a God in Israel who would sustain and vindicate His people. When the defiance of the law of Jehovah shall be almost universal, when His people shall be pressed in affliction by their fellow men, God will interpose. The fervent prayers of His people will be answered, for He loves to have His people seek Him with all their heart, and depend upon Him as their Deliverer. He will be sought unto to do these things for His people.... The promise is, "The Lord will avenge his own elect, which cry unto him day and night." (Sons and Daughters of God Ellen G White - page 353) 11

12 ~ Sabbath Services ~ Service This Week Next Week December 12th December 19th Divine Service Pastor Justin Bone Bud Beaty Sabbath School Pastor Justin Bone Alex & Jenny Buckler ~ Sunset Times ~ Sunset Sabbath (Tonight) 8:47 pm DST Sunset Next Friday 8:51 pm DST This Week: Next Week: ~ Church Offering ~ Mission Extensions Local Church Budget ~ Church Cleaning ~ December 6th December 19th 2015 Coral Aisbett December 20th January 3rd 2015 Lee Family ~ Garden Maintenance ~ December 6th December 19th 2015 Volunteer Needed December 20th January 3rd 2015 Chen Lee ~ Church Website ~ Website : Hamilton.sda.church@gmail.com - Contact Details - Pastor Justin Bone