Issue No. 129 Hamilton Seventh-Day Adventist Church 71 King Street Hamilton, Victoria WEBSITE http://hamilton.adventist.org.au Bulletin & News Sabbath December 14th, 2013 We WELCOME you to our Worship Services Today Song Service Sabbath School Church Service 9:40 am 9:50 am 11:15 am And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. ( Revelation 14:6, 7 )
~ Upcoming Dates & Announcements ~ Next Prayer Meeting - December 18th 2013 at 5pm Combined Lunch - There will be a combined lunch next Sabbath, December 21st Dudley House will be joining us for the final presentation of his three part series.. January 19th - Church Working Bee - On Sunday January 19th, there will be a working bee at the church to help maintain it. All members are requested to keep this day free so they can help out. Contact Fanny Bates for more information. Thank you to all those who came and helped out yesterday. Recommended Reading - A booklet called " Transparency and Accountability" has been placed in the Church Library. This is from the General Conference and it gives guiding principles for all leaders in the church. It is recommended reading for anyone in leadership positions. See Joan Ruthven to borrow it. Maintenance Rosters - These have been changed for the period from December 22nd 2013 until January 12th 2014. Families listed for duty rosters, please check the updated roster emailed to you on Friday 13th December, otherwise contact Shaun via church email or call him on 55719593 to have a copy emailed /sent to you. Thank you. Holiday Prayers - Many church member s will be away over the next few weeks. Please remember to pray for all those who will be travelling this silly season as well as those not travelling. Praise God for His great mercies toward all men... HAMILTON CHURCH WEBSITE Website: http://hamilton.adventist.org.au/ Church Email: Hamilton.sda.church@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hamiltonsdachurch.victoria And our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/hamilton-seventh-day-adventist-church-victoria- Australia/131093766957623
~ God s Little Book of Prayer ~ Claim the victory! ' Be prepared! Once we determine that prayer is important, our spiritual battl4es begin; But be comforted: for the battle is not ours! [ 1 Samuel 17:47 ] ~ Memory Verse ~ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. [ Proverbs 9:10] ~ Bible Promises ~ When my father and my mother forsake me, then Yahweh will take me up. [ Psalm 27:10 WEB ] ~ God s Little Book of Encouragement ~ There are anxious times for us all. There are times of weakness; But in those times, God carries us. ' Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. [ 1 Peter 5:7 ] ~ Solution to Bulletin Puzzle No. 18 ~ The leftover letters spell the phrase: As for me and my house we will serve the lord
~ Adventist News Network ~ ADVENTIST PRESIDENT OFFERS CONDOLENCES AT PASSING OF MANDELA Seventh-day Adventist Church President Ted N. C. Wilson released the following statement regarding the passing of statesman Nelson Mandela: The global Seventh-day Adventist Church joins the people of South Africa and the world in mourning the loss of Nelson Mandela. His life of forgiveness and reconciliation served as a light in a world that too often lives in the shadow of reprisal, anger and malice. May all reflect on his important efforts to bring people together in peace. What a joy that we can also be part of that process as we are reconciled to God and each other by the grace of Jesus Christ, the Prince of peace. We offer our sympathy and condolences to the Mandela family and the citizens of South Africa. Ted N. C. Wilson President General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
~ Adventist Review ~ ADVENTISTS PROVIDE AID IN MIDWEST TORNADO AFTERMATH Some members lose homes, but church-related damage minimal. Posted December 11, 2013 Seventh-day Adventists in Illinois and Indiana, two states hardest hit by massive tornado outbreaks on November 17, 2013, are cleaning up and helping their neighbors in the aftermath of the twisters that hit several communities. The storms cut a wide path and killed a total of eight people, media reports indicate. Those reports say as many as 55 tornadoes had been confirmed for the November 17 outbreak, with a twister a half-mile wide having struck Washington, Illinois, in the central part of the state, carrying a force of EF4, indicating wind speeds between 166 to 200 mph, the second-highest rating for a tornado. According to those same reports, Illinois had never before seen an EF4 tornado in November, which is generally the end of the tornado season. SORTING FOOD: Volunteers at an Adventist Community Services warehouse near Washington, Illinois, sort food and other supplies for tornado victims. No Seventh-day Adventist churches were reported damaged by the storms, and while at least two church members in Peoria, Illinois, lost their homes (another member s home sustained damage), there were no reports of serious injury among church members in the area. According to initial reports, the Illinois Conference Adventist Community Services unit has gone to Washington, Illinois, where the greatest damage occurred. A disaster response team established a distribution warehouse in response to the tornado damage, in anticipation of relief supplies arriving via truck convoys. In Indiana that conference s Community Services team has delivered meals ready to eat, clothing, and toiletries to the Kokomo, Indiana, area. Adventist Community Services personnel helped manage a warehouse operation.
~ Adventist Review ~ Eat Your Vegetables When I was younger, I hated vegetables (cut to shot of parents nodding incessantly). Naturally, the green ones were my least favourite among the wide array of barely edible plants. But I certainly didn t discriminate; I hated the dark-green broccoli florets and light-green (or whatever colour they are) Brussels sprouts equally. Most evenings I was faced with a real dilemma: In order to get dessert, I had to eat my vegetables. The problem was the part about actually eating my vegetables. So I devised a few clever tricks to scam the system. Now, this may be too much information, but one of the things I used to do was to take a big bite followed immediately by a drink of water. You guessed it: The greens ended up, not in my stomach, but in the blue plastic cup that concealed my deviant behaviour. I m not sure I actually tricked my parents. Perhaps they were either impressed with my resourcefulness or just too disgusted to call me on it. Overall, my mom tended to take a more proactive approach to the subject. It was like she was campaign manager for broccoli and cauliflower. She loved to rattle off such stuff as Jimmy, you re a growing boy; you have to eat your vegetables. Or my personal favourite: Your body is the temple of God; make sure you treat it right. I m sure my mom wasn t the first parent to quote 1 Corinthians 3:16 to guilt her kids into eating vegetables. Over the years I ve used the sentiment to inspire myself to exercise, rest, and, yes, eat my vegetables. But I recently discovered a deeper meaning behind those simple words. God s Real Sanctuary What would you say if someone asked you when the sanctuary first appears in the Bible? Until a couple weeks ago I would probably have pointed to the wilderness tabernacle constructed by the children of Israel. But that s too narrow a view. We re going to do a quick Bible study, so stay with me. We know from both the Bible and the writings of Ellen White that God had an intimate relationship with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In fact, right after the Fall God was walking in the garden, looking for His friends (Gen. 3:8). Eden,
not the tabernacle in the desert, was the original sanctuary. We know this because in Exodus 25:8 God commanded Moses to construct a sanctuary so He could dwell among His people. That structure, in addition to foreshadowing the plan of salvation, provided a way for God to be with His people. Although sin forced a change in how this was accomplished, the tabernacle, in a sense, restored the Eden experience. Although the sanctuary changed form three times in the Old Testament, the purpose remained the same: to provide a dwelling place for God on earth. But these buildings were meant only for a time. In John 1:14 the apostle says that Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us (KJV). In New Testament Greek the word for dwelt means to have one s tent, i.e., to tabernacle. Jesus was the true sanctuary, superseding any physical structure. That s why He referred to His body as the temple in John 2:19. After Jesus death the dynamic between God and humanity changed forever. There was no longer a need for an earthly Temple with a courtyard, seven-branched candlestick, and Most Holy Place. As Jesus prepared to ascend to heaven, He gave His followers a better way to connect with Him: the Holy Spirit. I don t know about you, but this has given me powerful perspective on Paul s words in 1 Corinthians 3:16. There s no longer an Old Testament tabernacle, and Jesus isn t walking in the flesh. But He s still here, living among us, living in us. When we allow the Holy Spirit into our lives, you and I become God s dwelling place, His home on earth. Our bodies are His sanctuary. Preserving God s temple should be our constant focus and affect every choice. And, yes, that probably means we should all eat more vegetables.
~ Amazing Facts ~ The U.S. flag is a deeply respected symbol of the nations freedom, which is why there is a code of etiquette for handling it: It should not be dipped to another person or be used in decoration, advertising, or on a non-military uniform. It should remain clean, no part should touch the ground, and it should be received with open arms. (Usflag.org) An interesting archaeological note is that many pagan buildings were also layered with three colours. Eg: The city of Ur, Abram s original home, were moon worshippers and the ziggurat in the city s centre, is similarly laden. The first stage was black, the second, red and the third blue to represent the dome of heaven. Many of the world s flags today have pagan origins ~ Food For Thought ~ "I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Revelation 18:1, 2, 4. {GC 603.1} This scripture points forward to a time when the announcement of the fall of Babylon, as made by the second angel of Revelation 14 (verse 8), is to be repeated, with the additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the various organizations that constitute Babylon, since that message was first given, in the summer of 1844. A terrible condition of the religious world is here described. With every rejection of truth the minds of the people will become darker, their hearts more stubborn, until they are entrenched in an infidel hardihood. In defiance of the warnings which God has given, they will continue to trample upon one of the precepts of the Decalogue, until they are led to persecute those who hold it sacred. Christ is set at nought in the contempt placed upon His word and His people. As the teachings of spiritualism are accepted by the churches, (604) restraint imposed upon the carnal heart is removed, and the profession of religion will become a cloak to conceal the basest iniquity. A belief in spiritual manifestations opens the door to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, and thus the influence of evil angels will be felt in the churches. {GC 603.2}
~ Bulletin Crossword Puzzle No. 74 ~ Topic: The Bible No. 12 All Clues from the King James Version 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 13 10 11 R E T U R N 9 14 15 16 17 18 19 Created by Ruth O Dempsey 12 20 www.crosswordweaver.com ACROSS 2 Potters mud (Dan 2:35) 4 A Territory (Josh 12:18) 6 Even til Even (Matt. 6:11) 7 Mule or donkey (Gen 22:3) 9 Frozen water (Job 38:29) 10 Legs of (Dan 2:33) 13 One tenth (Num. 18:26) 16 Christ is this (2 Sam. 22:3) 17 Thighs of (Dan 2:32) 19 To try (2 Pet. 1:15) 20 sent me (Exo. 3:14) DOWN 1 Head of (Dan. 2:32) 2 Redeemer (Rev. 22:21) 3 A prophet (Ezra 5:1) 5 Arms of (Dan 2:32) 8 Transgression (John 5:14) 11 Remit (Matt. 10:16) 12 Egyptian ruler (Exo. 1:11) 14 A family of (Num. 26:36) 15 To look for (Isa. 31:1) 18 Legal Rules (1 Tim 1:8)
~ Weekly Devotional Message ~ December 14th Victory Brings Joy to Heaven I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Luke 15:7 Satanic agencies are always warring for the mastery over the human mind, but the angels of God are constantly at work, strengthening the weak hands and confirming the feeble knees of all who call upon God for help. The promise to every child of God is, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened" (Matthew 7:8).... The Lord has had true-hearted men and women, those who have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice. They have not swerved from their integrity. They have kept themselves unspotted from the world, and they have been led by the Light of life to defeat the purposes of the wily foe. Will human beings now act their part in resisting the devil? If they will do this, he will surely flee from them. Angels, who will do for you what you cannot do for yourselves, are waiting for your cooperation. They are waiting for you to respond to the drawing of Christ. Draw nigh to God and to one another. By desire, by silent prayer, by resistance of satanic agencies, put your will on the side of God's will. While you have one desire to resist the devil, and sincerely pray, Deliver me from temptation, you will have strength for your day. It is the work of the heavenly angels to come close to the tried, the tempted, the suffering ones. They labor long and untiringly to save the souls for whom Christ has died. And when souls appreciate their advantages, appreciate the heavenly assistance sent them, respond to the Holy Spirit's working on their behalf; when they put their will on the side of Christ's will, angels bear the tidings heavenward. Returning to the heavenly courts, they report their success with the souls for whom they have ministered, and there is rejoicing among the heavenly host. --Review and Herald, July 4, 1899. (Maranatha Ye Shall Receive Power Ellen G White - page 357)
~ Sabbath Services ~ Service This Week Next Week December 14th December 21st Divine Service Pastor Justin Bone Dudley House Sabbath School Peter Tung Chen Lee Duty Deacons Tony Bates Chen Lee ~ Sunset Times ~ Sunset Sabbath (Tonight) 8:49 pm Sunset Next Friday 8:53 pm This Week: Next Week: ~ Church Offering ~ Conference - New Church Buildings Local Church Budget ~ Church Cleaning ~ December 8th - December 21st Coral Davis December 22nd - December 28th Tung Family December 29th - January 11th TBA ~ Garden Maintenance ~ December 8th - December 21st Trevor Aisbett December 22nd - December 28th December 29th - January 11th Peter Tung TBA ~ Church Website ~ Website : http://hamilton.adventist.org.au/ Email : Hamilton.sda.church@gmail.com - Contact Details - Pastor Justin Bone 04 3973 4368