From: Monique Hummel Australian Restoration Newsletter July 2023 Issue Good afternoon I hope this email finds you all well. Attached is the July 2023 Issue of the Australian Restoration Newsletter. Thank you to the people who have generously donated their time to putting it together. If you would like to contribute something or know of someone who would like to receive it, please let me know. With love from Your Sister in Christ, +++++++++++++++++++++ AROUND AND ABOUT THE CENTRE PLACE By High Priest Paul J. Gage, of Independence, Missouri Our love and greetings to the Lovely Saints in Australia, All types of facilities, businesses, schools etc are back to what things were like before covid. However, this may be the “calm before the next storm.” It is possible that the world will never return to “normal,” whatever normal is or was. As always, with the world and people in general, everything seems to be in a great commotion or as we are told in II Thessalonians 2:11 “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” The lies of the adversary and his many helpers have people so confused they don’t know what they are. This will most likely continue until Jesus comes in His Glory as is mentioned in verse 9. We are reminded, once again in the Kirtland message from last September, of the parable of the “Ten Virgins.” Matthew 25:1-12. The Conference of Restoration Elders (CRE) is busily engaged in planning future activities. This includes another trip to Kirtland, Ohio September 22-24, 2023. The Pastors of Zion (POZ) Summer Series goes from June 11- August 13, 2023. Doug and Judy Smith are in the USA at this time and Doug will be preaching on June 25, 2023 Services are held each Sunday evening at Waldo Avenue Restoration Branch/CPRS and are live streamed. Recent missionary trips have been made to Africa, England, and Germany. As you know, Elder Andrew King and family will be in Australia for three months beginning in late June 2023. CPRS has concluded its 31st year. Its history now spans from 1992-2023. We are now into the full swing of camps, retreats, reunions and various Branch outings. Summer has begun. The CRE, POZ and Saints around the Centre Place extend our love and sympathy to the Saints of Australia in the loss of Brothers, David Hardwick, Norm Melling, and Roy Schubert. God Bless. ++++++++++++++++ RICHES FROM THE SCRIPTURES Vol 5 Chapter 28 - To Be Righteous On Friday the 16th June 2023 I did the service for the Memorial Service of Norman Melling. I was thankful to all who shared with the Eulogy and Tributes about Norman’s life it was a wonderful coverage, helping everyone who attended to feel close to him. I chose 4 Scriptures for the Ministry of Comfort and Hope, and referred to another. I won’t share all but would like to share some as they blended together beautifully on the day. Alma 19:42 Now concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection. We are told here that all people whether they are good or evil, when they die, their spirits are taken home to God who gave them life. When we face God we receive a Preliminary Judgement and those who are Righteous are received into a happy state called Paradise, a place of rest, and peace that is free of troubles cares and sorrow. This would be a truly wonderful place to be, what a blessing. The wicked on the other hand are cast into outer darkness, where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth and this because of their own iniquity, having followed the will of the Devil. What a contrast of habitations. Let’s remember when Jesus was Crucified on the cross with two Criminals. Matthew 27:45 Likewise also the chief priests mocking with the Scribes and elders, said, He saved others, himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. Jesus had no sin and had committed no crime, his charges were false because of the wickedness of the Jews. There was however two Criminals being crucified at the same time as Jesus who had committed crimes. Doing the same as the chief priests and scribes, the first man being crucified, made fun of Jesus too. The second man rebuked the first saying Dost thou not fear God, you are under the same condemnation, whereas Jesus had not sinned and was just. The second man then desperately asked for Christ to save him. Unlike the Scribes and Pharisees and the first man, the second man didn’t ask to be saved from the cross. By taking a more humble approach, standing up for Jesus and admitting he and the first man were sinners, the second man’s request was answered in the great promise made by Christ “this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise”. This really was a prize/blessing, we have already touched on what Paradise is, it’s very special. The amazing thing here is that the 2nd man has been considered Righteous through the merits of Jesus Christ in the 11th hour of his life. We know this because we have already read that only the Righteous have access to Paradise. The next scripture is about a man named Alma who made fun of the church and its members, leading many away from the truth. Meanwhile his parents and the church were praying for him to change for good. This led to an angel appearing before Him and some others, causing such fear because of sin that Alma became unconscious. Mosiah 11:185 And it came to pass after they had fasted and prayed for the space of two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength, and he stood up and began to speak unto them, bidding them to be of good comfort: During his time of being unconscious God was doing a marvellous work in Alma. At first Alma was filled with Guilt, Anguish, suffering and wished he could cease to exist, this is a lot like unto those we read about earlier who were cast into outer darkness. At some point Alma remembered the words of his father which spoke about Jesus Christ. Then Christ Appeared unto him and forgave him. Alma was Born of God. Changed from his carnal and fallen state to a state of Righteousness. Alma like the 2nd man on the cross was now a changed man, repentant, humble, and redeemed of God. Alma would go on to become one of the greatest teachers/preachers in his day and no doubt received a place in Paradise. No doubt it is better to believe in God early in life, fine tuning your life over a lifetime. However there is provision to help people that are in the eleventh hour of their lives or who have done much damage to the church. I hope you have enjoyed reading these scriptures and that you have got something out of it. May God Bless you and keep you is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. +++++++++++++++++++++ Satan, the Devil, the Deceiver, the Liar What he has done, what he is doing, where he is going? Genesis 3:7-11 And Satan put it into the heart of the serpent, for he had drawn away many after him; and he sought also to beguile Eve, for he knew not the mind of God; wherefore, he sought to destroy the world. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden. And he spake by the mouth of the serpent. And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which thou beholdest in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die; for God doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it became pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make her wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. Genesis 5:6 And Cain loved Satan more than God. Genesis 6:50 Behold, Satan hath come among the children of men, and tempteth them to worship him; and men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, and are shut out from the presence of God. Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! Matthew 4:1-10 Genesis 3:5 Yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive, and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice. 2 Timothy 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; +++++++++++++++++ The Scattered Saints ~ A Story of Faith Mutilated for Her Faith…But Not Forsaken After a year of discipleship, Maissa was ready: she was going to proclaim her Christian faith to her conservative Muslim family and be baptized. But nothing could’ve prepared her for the persecution that would arise from that decision. Maissa’s brother and nephew responded to her profession with violent rage. They mutilated her face with a knife, leaving her unrecognizable. They beat her until she lost consciousness, locking her in a room with minimal food for weeks. |
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At this point, it would have been easier, and much safer, for this new convert to renounce her faith and return to Islam. If this was only the beginning of persecution, what else would she endure? But Jesus had a hold on Maissa…He was not going to let her go. Enduring Persecution with Christ Faithfully clinging to the Cross, our brave sister continued to endure her family’s wrath. The wounds on her face were just starting to turn to scars when she was baptized, surrounded by her brothers and sisters in faith. Persecution, and the suffering it resulted in, could’ve been the end of Maissa’s walk with Christ. But instead, she saw it as an invitation to fellowship with the One who was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. When she was raised from the waters of baptism, she fully accepted the healing that Christ alone paid for by His wounds and has since led multiple women—including her two sisters—to faith! Love Your Persecutors When our Field Ministry Team learned what happened to Maissa, they immediately reached out to rescue her from the grip of her persecutors. But God was already at work, using Maissa’s Christlike love for her enemies in unimaginable ways… Our brave sister remains under the same roof as the men who took a knife to her face in rage. She breaks bread with them, and occasionally receives some insults for her Christian faith. She has no intention of leaving her family. How? In the face of Maissa’s radical grace and forgiveness, the anger that led her brother and nephew to such horrific acts of violence has dissipated. They are by no means supportive of her conversion, but they are quietly perplexed. What kind of love could enable Maissa to genuinely forgive them, and not seek any sort of revenge? Could this miraculous change really be Jesus Christ, turning a harsh, hard-hearted soul into one full of peace and light? Helping Our Persecuted Sister Rebuild Her Life Maissa is earning a meager wage harvesting fruit during the summer months in Lebanon, barely making enough to eat. Because of her faith and country’s growing economic crisis, finding an income to cover even the necessities has been near-impossible. Our Field Ministry Team is coming alongside this young, passionate believer, assessing her needs and providing pastoral care as she rebuilds her life in the wake of persecution. Despite the trauma and suffering of Maissa’s journey, her perspective is inspiring: “I was imprisoned and forced to stay home. I was beaten and forsaken by my family. The Lord did not forsake me, however, nor did you.” ++++++++++++++++++++ Missionary Trip to the Philippines May 6th, We left Melbourne at approximately 2:30am heading for Manila, an 8 hour flight, then on to Agno Pangasinan, arriving at about 9:30pm Philippine time, 11:30pm Australian time and stopped for dinner along the way. We thank God for watching over us as we travelled and shared the Gospel and for a safe return home. +++++++++++++++++++ INFORMATION TO THE EDITOR We welcome contributions to the Australian Restoration Newsletter and will endeavour to include all articles received. Contributions to the Australian Restoration News should be submitted by the 20th of each month and can be sent to Email Address: mlhummel1@bigpond.com Postal Address: 33 Bassett Crescent, Gawler East, South Australia 5118 or by calling or text messaging Mobile Number: 0428 298 466. Editor ~ Monique Hummel CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST - KINGSTON RESTORATION BRANCH 17-19 Juers Street, Kingston, QLD. Pastor: Elder Neville Churchill. Phone 07 3848 8209 ACTIVITY SCHEDULE FOR JULY 2023 Sunday 2nd 9.45am Family Worship Class Elder Danny Archer 10.00am Preaching Service Elder Neville Churchill 11.10am Sacrament Service Priest Glenn Kerswell and Elder Gary Melling Wednesday 5th 7.00pm Prayer Service Elder Peter Archer Sunday 9th 9.45am Family Worship Class Elder Gary Melling 10.00am Preaching Service Elder Murray Broughton 11.10am Class Elder Neville Churchill Monday 10th 7.00pm Priesthood Meeting Wednesday 12th 7.00pm Prayer Meeting Elder Neville Churchill Sunday 16th 9.45am Family Worship Class Elder Gary Melling 10.00am Preaching Service Elder Peter Churchill 11.10am Class Priest Glenn Kerswell Wednesday 19th 7.00pm Prayer Meeting Priest Glenn Kerswell Sunday 23rd 9.45am Family Worship Class Elder Peter Archer 10.00am Preaching Service Elder Danny Archer 11.10am Class Elder Gary Melling Monday 24th 7.00pm Priesthood Meeting Wednesday 26th 7.00pm Prayer Service Elder Peter Archer Sunday 30th 9.45am Family Worship Class Elder Peter Archer 10.00am Preaching Service Elder Gary Melling 11.10am Class Elder Neville Churchill Everyone is welcome to join our services online at any time. If you, or anyone you know would like to participate, please email Elder Danny Archer at; danny@inbeta.org to register. Information on how to connect will be sent to you. Please note, you must have access to the internet for this service. July Birthdays and Daphne Schubert on the 26th. Prayer List |
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