AUSTRALIAN RESTORATION NEWS
- SEPTEMBER
AROUND AND
ABOUT THE CENTRE PLACE
By
High Priest Paul J. Gage,
of
Independence, Missouri
God's Blessings upon all
the Saints of Australia,
I trust
the good Lord God Almighty has been and continues to bless each of you in His
special way, as you go through each day. I doubt there is a person in the
world who does not have daily struggles in dealing with life. How
marvelous it is that we have Jesus Christ as our Savior, Shepherd, Light,
Life, and all the other names by which He is known. I love, so much, the
promise in DC 83:15 C. It tells us that there is no part of our lives that goes
without His watch care and protection. Also, angels around us to bear us
up.
Brothers
and Sisters, of all ages, don't ever forget how valuable and precious you are,
as one individual, to our Lord, Jesus Christ. He knows our every
struggle, doubt, fear, concern, etc. and is always true to His promise.
He was praying for each of us in John 17:20. As He was praying for the
disciples then, He prayed for you and me, because it says, " For them also
which shall believe on Me through their word." We know the
disciples, after Jesus ascended into Heaven, took the gospel to the world
and the Church was established in many areas, and the rest is history. We
belong to the Church of Jesus Christ today because someone shared the
same gospel they had received from another and so the gospel is now to us
in our day to share with all we can.
Jesus
came to save us from our sins, so He knew we would sin. Many times, we get down
on ourselves and feel unworthy. That is when we need to go to God in
mighty prayer and repentance and ask forgiveness for our sins. It is a
promise that when we sincerely repent, He will forgive us. I like the
scripture in Philippians 1 especially verse six. Read the whole chapter
and be revived in Christ. You can pull up the lyrics to this song on the net.
Look for "He who began a good work in you. "I also like I
Corinthians 10:13 for the promise of Jesus. Many people misquote this
verse by leaving off the last sentence. He shows us the way out of
temptation. That verse is the same in the King James Version as it is in the Inspired
Version, so no follower of Christ has to remain "lost," because
the "way out" is to run to Jesus.
The
reunion and camp season is history....His Story! Do you have a testimony of
"His Story?" Share it. The Pastors of Zion Summer preaching
series has also concluded. It ran from June 11- August 13. There were some
excellent sermons during the series as well as at the In-town reunion.
The one service was a youth service with a number of very good testimonies from
the youth about their camping experiences this past summer. Many services
were live-streamed and are available for viewing. The website is:
http://www.waldoavenuerestorationbranch.org.
Centre
Place Restoration School has started the fall session under the leadership of
Brother Dan Schoenemann. This is his eighth year. Enrollment is up, which
is great news. They have a matching fund program to continue upgrading
the facility. The sanctuary, pews and lighting are completed.
September
is a very important month, for the Church, because it was September 21, 1823,
that Joseph Smith Jr was visited by an angel and told about the plates,
from which came the Book of Mormon. You can find Joseph's testimony of
this marvelous experience in Church History, Volume 1, Chapter 2. This
would be a good time for each church member to review this part of our
history. If you don't have the Church History Volumes, you can pull it up
on CenterPlace.org and go to the library.
September
22-24, 20223 is the CRE Priesthood Assembly at the Kirtland Temple in
Kirtland, Ohio. Sessions will go from Saturday morning until Sunday
morning. There will be a three hour worship service in the Temple on
Saturday night and Sunday morning.
The
missionary groups are all still functioning . Local priesthood continue to
provide ministry for those Saints in their care.
May The Lord be Praised for all the
blessings we received that week! To God be the Glory! God bless and keep you til
we meet again.
RICHES FROM THE SCRIPTURES
By Elder Neil Kerswell, of Queensland,
Australia
Vol 5 Chapter 30 ~ Fullness of the Light of God
When do we share the fullness of the light of God with
people, especially those who do not know of the Restoration Gospel, is something we
must consider when sharing our testimony
with others. When I was a boy, I remember many times sharing about the church with children at school and every time I would
share the greatest of truths I was coming
to understand at the time, because they were the newest and most amazing things, I knew of to tell. Inevitably my friends who I
was talking too were either scared off
or thought maybe there was something wrong with their friend. Maybe you have done this at times. Thankfully I didn’t lose all my
friends who I shared with, but ultimately,
I had little success taking that approach. You may ask yourself what’s your track record with your approach? Has your approach
changed over the years as you have grown?
I was blessed to have about 4 of my early friends baptised
into Christ. God did this work
through everyone who attended Zions League and Church youth groups over the years, plus those who shared with them at church and
church camps once they attended. Ultimately, we can plant seeds
but God himself converts.
1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you
as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in
Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto
ye were not able to receive it, neither yet now are ye able.
3 For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you
envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as
men?
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul, and another, I am of
Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom
ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the
increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he
that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
Paul really brings out the truth here, even once converted
the people were fed milk spiritually because
they were not ready for meat. How much more are non-members worthy of this consideration also. You can see why my
early methods with school friends
had little or no success. I was blowing people away with truths I myself was
still coming to grips with. The
other point Paul is making is we must never take honour unto ourselves because we can plant Godly seed and water,
but it is God only who gives the increase and with whom all honour
should be.
I am still far from being a good witness for Christ and
have much to learn, maybe you are
similar. However, if I can share anything of worth it is this. If you become
aware God is opening an opportunity
to share about God with other people start praying in your heart and mind that God will open your
understanding to be sensitive to the state and need of that individual. So that you can be a witness who truly
plants seed and shares what is
appropriate and what will genuinely touch the soul without scaring them away or causing them to put up barriers which cannot
be overcome. There is great responsibility
and accountability, you can be the means of either closing or opening a person’s spirit to the living God. Sometimes we can be
aware God has opened an opportunity
to witness and through fear we do nothing, I believe we are accountable for these times as well. Imagine being on the other side
and having people say of us. You never told me.
May we be blessed throughout our lives, to have our
spiritual eyes open at all times. Is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ is my prayer.
Amen.
~ LIVING
HOPE ~
By Elder Murray Broughton, Kelvin View Branch, Euroa,
Victoria
1 Peter
1 V3-4
Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his
abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and
undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1 Peter
1 V19-25
But
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without
spot; Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was
manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that
raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope
might be in God. Seeing ye have
purified
your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of
the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass,
and all the glory of man as the flower of grass.
The
grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away; But the word of the
Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is
preached unto you.
1 Peter
3 V18-22
For
Christ also once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, being put to death
in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, that he might bring us to God.
For which cause also, he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Some of whom were disobedient in the days of Noah, while the
long-suffering of God waited, while the ark was preparing, wherein few,
that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even
baptism doth also now save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh,
but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ; Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God;
angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
1 Peter
4 V5-6
Who
shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
Because of this, is the gospel preached to them who are dead, that they
might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live in the spirit
according to the will of God.
Colossians
1 V10-20
That
ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every
good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all
might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and
long-suffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath
made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us
into the kingdom of his dear Son; In whom we have redemption through his
blood, even the forgiveness of sins; Who is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of every creature. For by him were all things created, that
are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they
be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were
created by him, and for him; And he is before all things, and by him all
things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church; who is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have
the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all
fullness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by
him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be
things in earth, or things in heaven.
A
Thought for the Month~ Nearing the Shore
Every minute is one minute closer to the kingdom of God. We
have no idea when the kingdom
arrives or when Jesus returns again, so we must always be striving to run the race with endurance, never giving
up. One lady who was swimming the
English Channel gave up; but when she got into the boat, she saw that the shoreline was only about a mile away. She
said that if she’d known that, she
would have kept going. The point being, we can’t stop. We don’t know the day of Jesus’ return. Keep fighting the fight of
good faith–we know the journey’s
hard, but we know the destination is certain (Revelation 22).
September
Birthdays
5th Ron
Mitchell, 9th Emma Moore, 14th Gwen
Whately, 23rd Roslyn Lakelin, 27th Lee
Churchill, 30th Joshua Kerswell.
Belated wishes to Jan
Mitchell for August 30th
Prayer
List
Jane
Broughton, James Bell, Carol Buyers, Menchie Bougan, Rey Maranan, Dawn Mackrell, John Nisber, Gwen Whately, Alma &
Janice Kerswell, Michael & Patty
Fulton, Gary Rowlatt, Ellen Shepherd, Olive Melling,
Ron & Janice Mitchell.
CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST - EUROA
RESTORATION BRANCH
Sunday 17th September
Sacrement Service at 10am
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 SEPTEMBER 2023
|
Sunday 3rd 9:45am MORNING CLASS
Elder Peter Churchill
10:00am PREACHING SERVICE Elder Danny
Archer
11:10am SACRAMENT
SERVICE Elder Peter Churchill and Elder Gary Melling Monday 4th 7:00pm PRIESTHOOD
MEETING
Wednesday 6th 7:00pm PRAYER MEETING
Elder Neville Churchill
Sunday 10th 9:45am MORNING CLASS
Elder Gary Melling
10:00am PREACHING SERVICE Elder Peter
Archer
11:10am CLASS Elder Neville
Churchill
Wednesday 13TH 7:00pm PRAYER MEETING
Elder Andrew King
Sunday 17th 9:45am MORNING CLASS
Elder Danny Archer
10:00am PREACHING SERVICE Elder Peter
Churchill
11:10am CLASS Elder Gary Melling
Monday 18th 7:00pm PRIESTHOOD
MEETING
Wednesday 20th 7:00pm PRAYER MEETING
Elder Danny Archer
Sunday 24th 9:45am MORNING CLASS
Elder Danny Archer
10:00am PREACHING SERVICE Elder Murray
Broughton
11:10am CLASS Priest Glenn
Kerswell
Wednesday 27th 7:00pm PRAYER SERVICE
Priest Glenn Kerswell
Sunday Oct. 1st 11:10am SACRAMENT
SERVICE Priest Glenn Kerswell
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.
