Australian Restoration Newsletter March 2026Around and about the Centre Place
By High Priest Paul Gage, Independence, Missouri
G’DAY to all the wonderful and lovely Saints in Australia. As the year marches on, we continue on our march toward Zion. Though the army of the Lord, at this point, is deployed in many places around the world, it is of great comfort and assurance to know that our Mighty God knows where each “soldier” is and what they are doing.
We have been blessed with another mild Winter, so far this year and spring is certainly just around the corner, as we say. Sometimes early Spring weather plays a trick on nature and the trees start to bud and flowers bloom only to get caught in a late Winter storm. The adversary also likes to try to trick the army of the Lord into becoming relaxed or complacent in our service. As the one song says, “We can never cease the conflict, till the summons home be heard. We have all, for life enlisted, in the army of the Lord.” Truly, God is Marshalling His Army and each of us must be ready at all times.
Part of our duty as soldiers in the Lord's army is to share the good news of Jesus whenever, wherever, and with whoever we can because HE is the only answer for the problems of the world. We are commanded, in Ephesians 6:10-20 to put on the whole armour of God. That is so vital in our spiritual survival, because we do not have access to any armour with which to battle satan, except God's armour. Take time to read that
scripture again, and especially note verses
18-20. A lady once asked God how often she should ‘put on’ this armour. God told her at least, every 24 hours. May the Lord be with you and bless you in your daily march toward Zion.
As we move into the Spring and Summer, many events and activities will be taking place. Retreats for all ages, branch activities, events at Center Place Restoration School and so many more activities.
Palm Sunday is 29 March 2026. That was a glorious day for Jesus, though very few recognized Him as the long awaited Messiah. Jesus says in Luke 19:44 “Because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” We, in our day and time must make sure we do not miss the time of our visitation.
The missionary groups continue to function and the next issue of Tidings of Zion will feature testimonies from several who have made mission trips to Africa, the Philippines and other places. There is always time to receive news from Australia.
God bless you all with Love in Jesus' Name.
Fulfillment of unfulfilled prophesies
Adapted from Voice of Warning, 1886, pg.35-39 Continued… Jesus Himself said to the Jews:
“Behold your house is left unto you desolate, For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he
that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Matthew 23:38, 39
Then, and not until then, will the covenant be renewed with Israel, And even when the Apostles enquired saying, “Wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” The Savior said that it was not for them to know the times and seasons, which the Father had put in His own power; but they were to receive power, and bear witness of Him, etc.; as much to say, “That work is not for you, mine Apostles, to accomplish, but it shall be done in the Lord’s own time, by whom He will; but go ye, and do the work I have commanded you.”
Isiah, in speaking of this covenant, tells us, that it should make their seed known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people, and cause all that see them, to acknowledge them, that they are the seed that the Lord hath blessed – Isa 61:8, 9.
Now we know that it is a question which can only be decided by revelation, whether the aborigines of America are the seed of Jacob or not; and there has been much controversy concerning the location of the ten tribes, and who they are; but the new covenant will reveal these things, and will leave their seed among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people. But O, how different was the effect of the covenant made eighteen hundred years ago in its effects upon Israel; it cast them off in unbelief, and caused all that have seen them or heard of them ever since to acknowledge that they are the seed the Lord hath cursed. When the covenant is renewed in the last days the Lord will bring them into the bond of the covenant, by manifesting Himself to them face to face. Let me enquire how does God make a covenant with the people in any age? The answer is, by communicating His will to them by actual revelation; for without this, it would be
impossible to make a covenant between two parties. In order to illustrate this subject, let us bring an example and see how we make covenant with each other. For instance, a young man wishes to enter into a covenant of matrimony with a young lady, but deprive him of the privilege of revealing his mind to her, cut off all direct communication between them, and a covenant could never be made; and so it is with the Almighty. He never did enter into a covenant with his creatures, without revelation; and He never can do it. In short, whenever He made covenant with the people, where a whole people were concerned, he included in the covenant, the priesthood, offices, and authorities, together with the ordinances and blessings which pertain to His covenant; and so will He do at this time. Whenever the new covenant is established, it will organise the kingdom of God with all its offices, ordinances, gifts and blessing, as in days of old; but more of this when we come to speak of the kingdom of God. But, says the inquirer, what need have we of the renewal of a covenant which has never been broken? If the Lord made a covenant in the days of the Apostles, called a new covenant, why should that covenant still be renewed again, seeing it is in full for until it is broken by one party or the other? This is an important inquiry, involving the fate of all Christendom in its decision; we must therefore be very careful to make the decision perfectly plain, and the proof easy to be understood. That there was a new covenant made between God and His people, in the days of Christ and His Apostles, we will not deny; and if that covenant never has been broken, it must be in the force till the present day, and consequently there is no need of a new one. It therefore remains for us to prove that the covenant has been broken – completely broken, so that it is not in force, either among Jews or Gentiles, having lost its offices, authorities,
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powers and blessings, insomuch that they are no where to be found among men. In order to do this, we must examine what were its offices, authorities, powers and blessings, and then see whether they are still known to exist.
We read that its offices consisted of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers, all inspired, and set in the Church by the Lord himself, for the edifying of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, etc. And they were to continue in the Church, wherever it was found, until they all come to the unity of the faith, and unto the measure of the stature of a man in Christ.
Secondly, the gifts of the Spirit, which some call supernatural, were the powers and blessings which pertained to that covenant, wherever it existed, among the Jews or Gentiles, so long as the covenant was in force. Now, I would ask the whole of Christendom, or any of its sects or parties, if they have Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers, inspired from on high, together with the gifts and blessings of the Holy Spirit, which pertain to the gospel covenant? If not, then the offices and powers of that covenant have been lost. And it must be through the breaking of that covenant, that they were lost; for in this way the Jews lost these privileges, when they were handed to the Gentiles. And Paul told the Gentiles, in Romans eleventh chapter, that if they did not abide in His goodness, they would fall as the Jews had done before them. But in order to prove by further demonstration, that the gospel covenant has been broken, by Jew and Gentiles and all people, so as to be no longer in force, I shall quote Isiah.
“Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. Ant it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master;
as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower, as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for the Lord hath spoken this work. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; BECAUSE THEY HAVE TRANSGRESSED THE LAWS, CHANGED THE ORDINANCE, BROKEN THE EVERLASTING COVENANT. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left: Isiah 24:1-6.
In these verses we discover a like calamity awaiting priest and people, rich and poor, bond and free, insomuch that all are to be burned up but a few, and the complaint is that the earth is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the law, changed the ordinance, and broken the everlasting covenant. Now, this could not be speaking of any other than the covenant, ordinances and law of the gospel, made with the people in the days of the Apostles; because, however any former covenant may have been broken, yet all the inhabitants of the earth excepting only a few, were never destroyed by fire, for having broken any previous covenant; but this destruction is to come by fire as literally as the flood in the days of Noah; and it will consume both priests and people from the earth, and that too for having broken the covenant of the gospel, with its laws and its ordinances, or else we must get a new edition of the Bible, leaving out the 24th chapter of Isiah.
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Now, having settled this question, I trust the reader will see the need of a new covenant, in order to save the few that are not to be burned.
To be continued…
Christ tempted of Satan By Elder Murray Broughton, Pastor of Kelvin View Branch, Euroa, Victoria
Luke 4:1-11 And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
4:2 And after forty days, the devil came unto him to tempt him. And in those days, he did eat nothing; and when they were ended, he afterwards hungered.
4:3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
4:5 And the Spirit taketh him up into a high mountain, and he beheld all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
4:6 And the devil came unto him and said unto him, All this power will I give unto thee, and the glory of them; for they are delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will, I give them.
4:7 If thou, therefore, wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
4:8 Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord, thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
4:9 And the Spirit brought him to Jerusalem and set him on a pinnacle of the temple. And the
devil came unto him and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence;
4:10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee; and in his hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
4:11 And Jesus, answering, said unto him, It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord, thy God.
Satan tempted Jesus, he will tempt us, he is a liar from the beginning, he cannot give what he says, it’s not his to give. Jesus says it is written. Let us study Thy word.
The Scattered Saints
Ministry to the Philippines
7 January 2026 - 4 February 2026
Murray and Delma Broughton left Australia on the 7th and arrived in Manila on the same day. They stayed with Brother Ernie and Sister Ludia for one night, and left early morning to travel to Agno, Pangasinan, which was about 6 and a half hours away. In the evening, they sang hymns which were new to the Saints they visited. Br Murray continued with sermons, studies, prayer and testimony meetings, and classes.
Elder Frank Sheppard from Maine USA arrived in Manila on 17 January and ministered to the Saints until 25th, flying home on the 26th. Elder Julius Candido took a week off work and accompanied Br Frank, serving also as a translator. Brother Ernie drove the missionaries from place to place and returned Br Julius to his home. Br Julius later rejoined the others to serve as translator while working during the night, resulting in a great tiredness which he endured for Christ. Deacon Joel Natino assisted as a translator also. Br Murray served the sacrament of the Lord’s supper every Sunday morning, and held an evening study, class, and sermon. The
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last sacrament of the Lord’s supper was in Antipolo, with the members from Puerto Galera, Trece Martires, and Baclaran.
The attendance grew in numbers in Agno and in Antipolo. On their last sacrament, Br Murray spoke on Samuel the Prophet, then the sacrament was held with the assistance of Br Julius. There were 12 members in attendance. Br Murray was so happy to see members and non
members come to the services - some who hadn’t come in a long time. He welcomed all with open arms, knowing the joy of the Lord and our Father in heaven.
The youth also enjoyed volleyball with Br Fank, and the talent night was enjoyed by all.
Thanks to Sister Delma Broughton for her help in Sunday School, Br Frank for help with the Youth, and Br Murray for the help with the Senior Youth. Thanks to Br Julius, Br Joel, many thanks to all who came, and thanks to God for the guidance, ministry, visits, prayers and administration.
May we all continue, remain, and endure to the end. God be with you till we meet again.
Hidden truth behind Easter
A “flaxen cord” is a metaphor from 2 Nephi 11:94 describing how temptation and sin start subtly and weak—like a single, thin strand of flax—but, if ignored, are braided into strong, unbreakable “chains of hell”. It represents the deceptive, gradual progression of evil habits or sinful entanglements.
Has the flaxen cord of tradition changed throughout time and woven into our years traditions that we do not recognise as Christian?
Semiramis, wife of Nimrod and ancient Babylonian Queen, was creating a mystery religion, and with the help of Satan, she set herself up as a goddess. Semiramis claimed that she was immaculately conceived. She taught that the moon was a goddess that went through a 28-day cycle and ovulated when full. She further claimed that she came down from the moon in a giant moon egg that fell into the Euphrates River. This was to have happened at the time of the first full moon after the spring equinox. Semiramis became known as “Ishtar” which is pronounced “Easter”, and her moon egg became known as “Ishtar's egg.” Ishtar brought forth a son named Tammuz and he was noted to be especially fond of rabbits, and they became sacred in the ancient Babylonian religion, because Tammuz was believed to be the son of the sun-god, Baal. Tammuz, like his supposed father Nimrod, became a hunter. When Tammuz was killed, Queen Ishtar told the people that Tammuz was now ascended to his father, Baal, and that the two of them would be with the worshippers in the sacred candle or lamp flame as Father, Son and Spirit. Ishtar, who was now worshipped as the “Mother of God and Queen of Heaven”, continued to build her mystery religion.
Has paganism infiltrated contemporary Christian traditions?
Prayer List
Janice Mitchell, Jan Kerswell, Alva Robinson, Neville Broughton, Murray and Delma Broughton, Julius Candido, Ruth and Greg Mackrell, Kimberly Exron, Jock, Ray, Reg Davis, Rey Mararan, Gennie Ewert, Neville and Del Churchill, Noel Rowlatt. Graeme and Caroll Byers.
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March Birthdays
Melissa Game 5th; Noel Rowlatt 7th; Lauren Game 15th; Charise Morris 17th
Activity schedule for March 2026
Kingston Restoration Branch
17-19 Juers Street, Kingston, QLD
Pastor: Elder Peter Churchill
Phone 0429 542 010 (AEST)
Sun 1st 8:45AM MORNING CLASS (At church) Elder Gary Melling 9:00AM PREACHING SERVICE
Elder Danny Archer
10:10AM SACRAMENT SERVICE
Elder Gary Melling
Mon 2rd 6:30PM PRIESTHOOD MEETING
Tue 3rd 6:30PM COTTAGE MEETING Elder Peter Churchill
Wed 4th 6:30PM PRAYER MEETING Elder Neville Churchill
Sun 8th 8:45AM MORNING CLASS (Online only) Elder Peter Archer 9:00AM PREACHING SERVICE
Elder Neville Churchill
10:10AM CLASS
Elder Danny Archer
Tue 10th 6:30PM COTTAGE MEETING Elder Peter Churchill
Wed 11th 6:30PM PRAYER MEETING Priest Glenn Kerswell
Sun 15th 8:45AM MORNING CLASS (Online only) Elder Neville Churchill 9:00AM PREACHING SERVICE
Elder Peter Archer
10:10AM CLASS
Elder Peter Archer
Mon 16th 6:30PM PRIESTHOOD MEETING
Tue 17th 6:30PM COTTAGE MEETING Elder Peter Churchill
Wed 18th 6:30PM PRAYER MEETING Elder Peter Churchill
Sun 22nd 8:45AM MORNING CLASS (Online only) Elder Peter Archer 9:00AM PREACHING SERVICE
Elder Murray Broughton
10:10AM CLASS
Elder Peter Churchill
Tue 24th 6:30PM COTTAGE MEETING Elder Peter Churchill
Wed 25th 6:30PM PRAYER MEETING Elder Gary Melling
Sun 29th 8:45AM MORNING CLASS (Online only) Elder Neville Churchill 9:00AM PREACHING SERVICE
Elder Gary Melling
10:10AM CLASS
Elder Gary Melling
Tue 31th 6:30PM COTTAGE MEETING Elder Peter Churchill
Wed 1st 6:30PM PRAYER MEETING Elder Peter Archer
Sun 5th 8:45AM MORNING CLASS (At church) Elder Neville Churchill 9:00AM PREACHING SERVICE
Elder Danny Archer
10:10AM SACRAMENT SERVICE
Priest Glenn Kerswell
If you would like to attend online, please email Elder Danny Archer at danny@inbeta.org.
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