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M A R C H 2 0 1 4

“... Hallelujah! Thine the GLORY,

REVIVE us again.”

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Published quarterly by

Southern Africa Union Conference

2 Fairview Street, Bloemfontein, 9301

Tel: (051) 447-8271 | Fax: (051) 448-8059

www.adventist.org.za

Editor S.G. du Preez

Consulting Editors T. L. Letseli, T. M. Kunene

Layout and Design Firefl i Design Studio

+27 (0)83 459 7459

southern africa union conference directory

SAU OFFICERS

President T.L. Letseli

Secretary T. M. Kunene

Chief Financial Offi cer E.A. Odendaal

Financial Offi cer M. Mweemba

Assistant Financial Offi cer H.A. Langford

Assistant Financial Offi cer H. Munez

DEPARTMENTAL DIRECTORS

ADRA J.E. Netshifulani

Bible Correspondence School J.J. Julies

Communication/PARL S.G. du Preez

Education G.T. du Preez

Facilities V. Malunga

GC Auditing Service C.J. Haupt

Health/Family Life Ministries J.U. Negre

Information Technology W.C. Vermaak

Ministerial/PAKIA/Shepherdesses E. Baron

Stewardship P. Shongwe

MOWCS H.M.M. Engelbrecht

Personal Ministries/Adult Sabbath School/

Adventist Mission G. Reyneke

Publishing/Spirit of Prophecy G. Mweemba

Retirement/Pension M. Viljoen

SEDCOM & Trust Services A. du Preez

Women’s Ministries, Children, Sabbath School N.Z. Kunene

Youth Ministries P.R. Maligudu

LOCAL CONFERENCES

Cape Conference - P. R. Gelderbloem | President

PO Box 5961, Walmer, 6065. Tel: (041) 581-0100/1

KwaZulu Natal Free State Conference - M. C. Nhlapo | President

PO Box 740, Pinetown, 3600. Tel: (031) 700-5301

Lesotho Conference - P. M. Chobokwane | President

PO Box 714, Maseru, Lesotho. Tel: (00266) 31-2664

Namibia Field - M. S. Mukubonda | President

PO Box 2144, Windhoek, 9000, Namibia. Tel: (00264) 61 22-8140

Swaziland Conference - J. Mahlangu | President

PO Box 562, Manzini, Swaziland. Tel: (00268) 505-2617

Trans-Orange Conference - J. M. Mongwe | President

PO Box 46061, Orange Grove, 2119. Tel: (011) 640-3084

Northern Conference - D. C. Spencer | President

PO Box 75700, Garden View, 2047. Tel: (011) 616-6800

ISSN 019-5092

VOLUME 23 NUMBER 1 MARCH 2014

IN THIS ISSUEfrom the desk of the presidentRevival and Reformation – First Phase of the Evangelism Cycle p 3

Revival and Reformation Challenge – Worldwide Mission

to the Cities p 3

reflectionLet God Manage You p 4

I Have Prayed For Thee p 4

insightEASTER: Evil Practice or Evangelism Potential? p 5

sau news and reviewsMission to the Cities (Phase 1) p 7

Family Ministries: What Really Matters in Life… p 8

Children Learn What They Live p 9

Ministerial Department – Christian Integrity p 10

revived by his word

Bible Reading Plan 2014 p 11

children’s cornerLearning and Loving the Bible p 13

Signs of the Times – An Invitation to Subscribe p 15

mission spotlightTrue education - a missionary training p 16

kaleidoscope of revival and reformation - conferences and fields

UMkhanyakude Pathfi nder Club Shows the Way p 17

The Good News from Okandjatu, Namibia p 18

Prison Ministries: A Music Programme at Nigel Prison p 19

Dorcas Federation, Lesotho Conference – Caring and Giving p 20

spiritual focus“Scoundrels, Scrooges and Saints” p 21

life styleRemember the Sabbath – Sunset Calendar 2014 p 22

announcements Golden Wedding Anniversary – Congratulations! p 23

Birthday Wishes and Easter Blessings p 23

SOP Literature Request p 23

Reminder: Due Dates – Submissions for MARANATHA 2014 p 23

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

EDITORIAL NOTEDear ReadersMany people are in a state of panic because it seems as though there are just too many bad things that are happening in the world. The weather seems so “different” to what it was some years ago. Economic crises around the world and in our homes occupy our minds. Crime has increased. Diseases appear for which there seems to be no medical solution. The list seems endless... Amidst all the panic of this world, the Psalmist reminds us to “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). When we do this, the peace of God will fi ll our hearts. May you experience God’s peace which He longs to give to you.Ask God to send someone your way today with whom you can share this good news; by so doing, you will sow a seed of hope in that person’s heart.

SYBIL DU PREEZEditor

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from the desk of the president

REVIVAL AND REFORMATIONFirst Phase of the Evangelism Cycle

REVIVAL AND REFORMATION CHALLENGE Worldwide Mission to the Cities

As we embark on the “Mission to the Cities” in 2014, we would like to encourage all our administrators, pastors, and members to participate in the “Cycle of Evangelism”.

A “Cycle of Evangelism” is an evangelism tool for “Mission to the Cities”.

“Revival and Reformation” are in the fi rst phase of the “Cycle of Evangelism.” We encourage all our conferences and institutions to fully participate in spiritual preparation for mission. We can only invite others to connect to Jesus Christ when we, ourselves, are connected with/to Him.

The Psalmist’s prayer is very instructive and inspiring. He says,

“Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger

toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will

You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive

us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your

mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation.” (Psalm 85:4-7, NKJV)

Notice verse 7 of Psalm 85, “Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?” The Psalmist recognises a need for revival, but he is also aware that revival cannot be manufactured or organised, but can only come and be experienced as an answer to a prayer.

E.G. White echoes the prayer of the Psalmist thus,

“REVIVAL WILL COME ONLY IN ANSWER TO PRAYER. A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our fi rst work. There must be earnest effort to obtain the blessing of the Lord, not because God is not willing to bestow His blessing upon us, but because we are unprepared to receive it. Our Heavenly Father is more willing to give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him, than are earthly parents to give good gifts to their children.

But it is our work, by confession, humiliation, repentance, and earnest prayer, to fulfi l the conditions upon which God has promised to grant us His blessing. A revival need be expected only in answer to prayer.” (E. G. White, Selected Messages, Bk. 1, p. 121)

In summary, Mrs White says, “A revival need be expected only

in answer to prayer.” We can only receive revival when we

ask. The only condition to receiving revival is “Ask, and it will

be given to you; seek, and you will fi nd; knock, and it will be

opened to you.” (Matt. 7:7 NKJV)

We all need to join in the prayer of the Psalmist, and plead with God on our knees: “Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?”

Dr TL Letseli

SAU President

A well-known writer challenges us saying, “Who

among God’s professing people will take up this

sacred work, and labour for the souls who are

perishing for the lack of knowledge? The world must

be warned. Many places are pointed out to me as in

need of consecrated, faithful, untiring effort. Christ is

opening the hearts and minds of many in our large

cities” (Selected Messages vol. 2, p. 403).

“When we are able to see people through the eyes of

Christ, we will see them as souls and, both individually

and collectively, we will want to go where the souls

are... When Jesus saw the multitudes, He was moved.

He wasn’t moved to tears; He was moved to action...”

(J. Arrais, GC Ass. Ministerial Secretary: Elder’s Digest,

April/June 2013, p. 3).

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reflection

Let GOD Manage You!

I Have PRAYED FOR THEE

“And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us.”

- Psalms 90:17

God wants you to let Him manage you, that you may be a lovable Christian. The Lord would have the natural and hereditary traits of character come under the pruning knife. Look steadfastly unto Jesus, that you may catch His spirit and cherish the qualities of Christ-like character.

Then it will be recognized by all who have any connection with you, that you have learned of Christ His meekness, His affection, His tenderness, His sympathy. Never rest satisfied until you possess a loving and lovable spirit. Your words may come from the good treasure of the heart to strengthen, help, bless, and win all around you... Others catch your spirit. The seeds we sow will bear a harvest in goodness, patience, kindness, and love, or exactly the opposite. . .

Many, many need melting over. Be sound in principle, true to God, but do not manifest one stern, ungenial phase of character. God does not want

you to incur contempt by manifesting a disposition like a ball of putty, but He does want you to be in principle as sound as a rock, yet with a healthful mellowness. Like the Master, be full of grace and truth. Jesus was incorruptible, undefiled, yet in His life were mingled gentleness, meekness, benignity, sympathy, and love. The poorest were not afraid to approach Him; they did not fear a rebuff. What Christ was, every Christian should strive to be. In holiness and winsomeness of character He is our model...

We should all learn of Christ what it means to be a Christian. Let us learn of Him how to combine firmness, justice, purity, and integrity with unselfish courtesy and kindly sympathy. Thus the character becomes lovable and attractive. The beauty of holiness will disarm scoffers. . .

The heart must receive the divine current, and let it flow out in rich streams of mercy and grace to other hearts. All who would win souls to Christ must be winsome.*

*BIBLE UNIVERSE, Let God Manage You: 13 January 2014; (http://www.bibleuniverse.com)

“I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.”

- Luke 22:32

To every Christian comes the word that was addressed to Peter, “Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not” (Luke 22:31, 32). Thank God we are not left alone. This is our safety. Satan can never touch with eternal disaster one

whom Christ has prepared for temptation by His previous intercession, for grace is provided in Christ for every soul, and a way of escape has been made, so that no one need fall under the power of the enemy.

Satan is preparing many and strong temptations with which to assail the people of God. He is represented as walking to and fro like a roaring lion, seeking for some unguarded soul whom he may be successful in deceiving through his subtlety, and may finally destroy. We are not safe without Christ for a single step. But what comfort is treasured for us in the words, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not”! Satan does not sift chaff; it is the

wheat that he desires to have in his hands. Then let us take courage and pray at all times.

Christ offers our prayers to the Father, mingled with the merit of His sacrifice, and they come up before God as sweet incense. . . Whenever you are tempted to sin, remember that Christ’s eye is upon you, and that Satan desires to have you that he may sift you as wheat. Remember to send your petitions heavenward, and see Jesus making intercession for you. Send up an earnest cry to God, “Lord, save me; I perish”, and you will not be overcome; you will not enter into sin. Take your stand firmly on the words of Paul, and in the strength of Jesus say, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:37-39). *

*BIBLE UNIVERSE, I Have Prayed For Thee: 3 February 2014; (http://www.bibleuniverse.com)

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insight

EASTER: Evil Practice or Evangelism Potential?Easter eggs – attractive, tasty, mouth-watering, marshmellow-

fi lled Easter eggs! And, how can I forget those warm, delicious

hot cross buns? Yes, that’s just a small morsel of the “sweet

memories” I have of Easter as I was growing up, close to the

awesome grandeur of Table Mountain.

Where does Easter, this globally-celebrated annual holiday, come from? ¹ While the early Christians were fully aware of the Hebrew calendar in which the Passover was still observed by practising Jews, there is no direct

available evidence that they participated in any celebration of the day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which occurred on Passover weekend. It appears though, as noted in a mid-second century sermon attributed to Melito, Bishop of Sardis, that some type of resurrection celebration was already established approximately a century after the resurrection of Jesus. By the early fi fth century, when Socrates Scholasticus wrote his Historia Ecclesiastica, Easter was reported to be universally observed, though at different times, by the two major branches of Christianity, and this despite the fact that neither Jesus nor His apostles had enjoined the keeping of this or any other such festival.

Theologian and church historian George Reid notes: “Unquestionably the resurrection was of enormous importance to the apostolic church, for it fi gures prominently in the evangelistic messages from the apostles as recorded in the book of Acts.” ² Yet, “There is no suggestion that the resurrection made a new day holy. In the Bible is to be found only one holy day of the week, the Sabbath, formed as a part of the creation process by God Himself, and never suspended”. ³

While recognising that “Easter commemorates the

resurrection of Jesus,” Dr Reid points out that the actual

English word “Easter” originates “from the Anglo-Saxon Eostre,

the name of the [pagan] goddess of spring”. It was actually

only by the eighth century that this name came to

be applied to the commemoration of Christ’s

resurrection. So, how should a Christian

relate to such pagan association, and

any non-biblical customs connected to

Easter?

First, the question about the origin of a custom can be a major distraction, since many modern practices have antecedents in the ancient world, frequently from non-believers. For example, as noted in Scientifi c American, the 60-second minute and the 60-minute hour, as well as the 360-degree sphere of the globe “owe their divisions to a 4,000-year-old numeric system of the Babylonians.” Over time, meanings change. Similarly, for most Christians, Easter’s connection with the Anglo-Saxon goddess has been lost; the only remaining

Scripture-related signifi cance now associated with Easter is the resurrection of Christ (see John 20). Second, as author and pastor Martin Weber admonishes: “Let’s remember that Christ overcame the world, the fl esh and the devil. That victory happened on the cross — which actually had been the ultimate cursed pagan symbol.” Indeed, Roman crucifi xion was one of the most disgraceful methods of execution. Dr. Weber continues: “Yet He turned that cross into the symbol of our salvation, so that we read in the Bible: ‘God forbid that I should glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Gal. 6:14).” Weber then eloquently exclaims: “Amazing grace that triumphs over evil! God exercises His sovereign right of eminent domain, displacing the devil from pagan symbols and holidays and transforming them into memorials of His salvation.” Third, as has been observed, many people show up at church only twice per year: Christmas and Easter. While committed Christians should never compromise the fundamentals of biblical faith, every chance must be capitalized on to share Christ. As the apostle Paul stated: “When I am with the Gentiles . . . I fi t in with them as much as I can. In this way, I gain their confi dence and bring them to Christ. But I do not discard the law of God; I obey the law of Christ” (1 Corinthians 9:21, NLT). Easter provides one of the best opportunities to thoughtfully share, with the unchurched, the wonderful truths about Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and ministry in heaven. Fourth, remembering that Jesus shared a most vital Bible study with two of His followers on resurrection Sunday (as noted in Luke 24), it would not be inappropriate to have a relevant worship service, in which the practical, existential meaning of the resurrection can be examined, explored, and explained – that the Creator God is still in control of the universe; that He has overcome the devil; and that His followers are guaranteed the power of the Holy Spirit to live victorious lives by God’s abundant grace. Already, over the past several years, vibrant Christian congregations and

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insight

educational institutions in Australia, Europe, and North America have sought to creatively utilize the Easter weekend to communicate the magnificent eternal verities of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection – and with overwhelmingly positive results. This affirmative approach to Easter is in fundamental accord with the basic manner in which one of the pioneers of Adventism recommended believers relate to Christmas – “It can be made to serve a very good purpose.” Even a Christmas tree “may be made a great blessing. . . . Shall we not have such a Christmas as Heaven can approve?” In view of this pragmatic, yet principle-based attitude, let’s ponder the possible deeper significance of the hot cross bun, and the Easter egg, while acknowledging the many different ways in which Easter is observed among Christians. According to Wikipedia, the hot cross bun is traditionally eaten on Good Friday, “with the cross standing as a symbol of the Crucifixion.” “Easter eggs symbolize the empty tomb of Jesus: though an egg appears to be like the stone of a tomb, a bird hatches from it with life; similarly, the Easter egg, for Christians, is a reminder that Jesus rose from the grave, and that those who believe will also experience eternal life.” In brief, as Reid reminds us, “Easter and its surrounding events can lend themselves to evangelistic outreach. . . . Wherever there is opportunity to

advance the message of Christ without compromising biblical truth, the ‘wise as serpents, harmless as doves’ counsel of Christ is appropriate [see Matthew 10:16].” Let us joyfully glory in the cross and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ!

¹ Sources for this article include material from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Easter; and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_customs; retrieved 30

January 2014.

² See https://adventistbiblicalresearch.org/materials/theology-festivals/note-about-

easter; retrieved 9 June 2011.

³ Ibid.

4 See http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-time-division-days-hours-

minutes/; retrieved 30 January 2014.

5 See http://outlookmag.org/should-adventists-ignore-easter/; retrieved 30 January

2014.

6 See http://christianity.about.com/od/glossary/g/crucifixiondefi.htm; retrieved 30

January 2014.

7 See http://www.atoday.org/article/1109/news/2012/april-headlines/hundreds-of-

adventist-churches-plan-easter-events-this-coming-weekend; retrieved 30 January

2014.

8 See http://www.whiteestate.org/issues/christmas.html; retrieved 30 January 2014.

9 See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_cross_bun; retrieved 31 January2014.

10 See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_egg; retrieved 30 January 2014.

Prof. Ron du Preez

D.Th. (Unisa)

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sau news and views

MISSION TO THE CITIES Through the Cycle of Evangelism (Phase 1)

As emphasised in the last issue of this publication, 2014 is the year of focus in the Southern Africa Union Conference territory in thirty-three cities in the seven Conferences. If the diagram below is studied, you will see that the fi rst phase coming up in 2014 is REVIVAL.

This diagram has been designed for our Southern-Africa

circumstances, which takes into account school holidays

and public holidays. In most cases the summer holidays

start very early in December and end mid-January, so, the

Personal Ministries Council will meet once a month to guide,

rally and coordinate all departments and members in their

church in playing their part in evangeliving throughout the

year.

Here are some ideas and suggestions with possible resources

STEP 1: REVIVALREVIVAL: “A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our fi rst work.” Christian Service, pg. 41

DATE: February This step lasts a month and focuses the church’s attention on the essential aspects of revival & vital aspects of spiritual growth.

POSSIBLE EVENTS:* Revival week; * Prayer emphasis; * Fasting & Prayer Weekend; * Teaching the church and individuals how to fast and pray, etc.

GOAL: To pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in each church and on every member, as well as on the communities (softening the hearts) that will be entered into later on. It is also to create an atmosphere of prayer and spiritual revival within the church family by lifting the spirituality of the individual member, and thus the spirituality of the entire church.

RESOURCES:

Communion with God; Preparation for Latter Rain & other materials that can be used as well as material from websites such as www.tendaysofprayer.org.

IMPORTANT!

enhancing the participation in this phase

get advice and resources for each department of the church

to add value to this phase of the Cycle of Evangelism.

May congregations, individual members and our communities benefi t tremendously because of the rain of the Holy Spirit in February and beyond! Ask daily for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, because your life will never be the same again.

Ps. Gideon Reyneke

SAU Director: Sabbath School, Personal Ministries & Adventist Mission

Department

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A vacationing American businessman standing on the pier of a quaint coastal fi shing village in southern Mexico watched as a small boat with just one young Mexican fi sherman pulled into the dock. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fi n tuna. Enjoying

the warmth of the early afternoon sun, the American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fi sh.

“How long did it take you to catch them?” the American casually asked.

“Oh, a few hours,” the Mexican fi sherman replied.

“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fi sh?” the American businessman then asked.

The Mexican warmly replied, “With this I have more than enough to support my family’s needs.” The businessman then became serious, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

Responding with a smile, the Mexican fi sherman answered, “I sleep late, play with my children, watch ballgames, and take siesta with my wife. Sometimes in the evenings I take a stroll into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, sing a few songs...”

The American businessman impatiently interrupted, “Look, I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you to be more profi table. You can start by fi shing several hours longer every day. You can then sell the extra fi sh you catch. With the extra money, you can buy a bigger boat. With the additional income that larger boat will bring, before long you can buy a second boat, then a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fl eet of fi shing boats.”

Proud of his own sharp thinking, he excitedly elaborated a grand scheme which could bring even bigger profi ts, “Then, instead of selling your catch to a middleman you’ll be able to sell your fi sh directly to the processor, or even open your own cannery. Eventually, you could control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this tiny coastal village and move to Mexico City, or possibly even Los Angeles or New York City, where you could even further expand your enterprise.”

Having never thought of such things, the Mexican fi sherman asked, “But how long will all this take?”

After a rapid mental calculation, the Harvard MBA pronounced, “Probably about 15-20 years, maybe less if you work really hard.”

“And then what, senior?” asked the fi sherman.

“Why, that’s the best part!” answered the businessman with a laugh. “When the time is right, you would sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.”

“Millions? Really? What would I do with it all?” asked the young fi sherman in disbelief.

The businessman boasted, “Then you could happily retire with all the money you’ve made. You could move to a quaint coastal fi shing village where you could sleep late, play with your grandchildren, watch ballgames, and take siesta with your wife. You could stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play the guitar and sing with your friends all you want.”

The moral of the story is: Know what really matters in life, and you may fi nd that it is already much closer than you think.Author Unknown

Inspirational Thought

A New Year for Being a Marriage Keeper

Well, here we are at the beginning of another new year. Are you excited for the possibility to have 365 brand new unspoiled days ahead of you?

But we’ve had a lot of diffi culty in our personal lives too that has left us looking back, glad to see the past year end and are praying for a new year --a new beginning! What about you? Are you looking for a new beginning in 2014?

As we enter into this New Year let’s focus on what really matters --our commitment to each other, and to growth --even if our partner is resistant to the idea right now. Dr. William Doherty offers, what we believe, is the best perspective for our marriage this year. It comes from the book, ‘Take Back Your Marriage.” He wrote:

“Marriage with the long view comes with the conviction that nothing will break us up, that we will fi ght through whatever obstacles get in our way, that if the boat gets swamped we will bail out. We believe that we will recalibrate our individual goals if they get out of alignment, that we will share

FAMILY MINISTRIESWhat Really Matters in Life...

sau news and views

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sau news and views

leadership for maintaining and renewing our marriage, and that we will renovate our marriage if the current version gets stale. We believe that if we fight too much or too poorly we will learn to fight better, that is if it is no longer good we will find a way to make it good again, that we will accept each other’s weaknesses that can’t be fixed, and that we will take care of each other in our old age.

“This is the kind of commitment is not just made once, but over and over through the course of a lifetime. We cling to it during the dark nights of the soul that come to nearly every marriage, times that when the love is hard to feel but the promise keeps us together.”

Now, if you’re in a marriage that feels like you’re “swamped,” or your goals are out of alignment, or you’re fighting too much, or it feels stale like you can’t go on another day, let alone another year, we’d like to offer 31 time-tested, fool-proof principles that you can apply that can definitely improve your relationship.

If you take just one principle per day and apply it over the 31 days of January you’ll begin to see dramatic changes in yourself and your “long-view” of marriage. By the way, the reason we know they’re “fool-proof” is because they’re from the Bible. These are the “ONE ANOTHER” principles and any time we apply them to our marriage, the outcome can only be good for One Another.

Thirty-One ONE ANOTHER’S:

Day 1: Love one another deeply (1 Peter 1:22)Day 2: Greet one another with a kiss of love (1 Peter 5:14; 1 Corinthians 12:16)Day 3: Do not deceive one another (Leviticus 19:11) Day 4: Live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16)Day 5: Don’t judge one another (Romans 14:13)Day 6: Accept one another (Romans 15:7)Day 7: Teach and admonish one another in all wisdom (Colossians 3:16)Day 8: Wait for one another [be patient] (1 Corinthians 11:33)Day 9: Care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25)Day 10: Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)Day 11: Be Kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32) Day 12: Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13)Day 13: Be compassionate towards one another (Ephesians 4:32)Day 14: Encourage one another (Hebrews 3:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:11)Day 15: Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21)Day 16: Bear with one another (Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13)Day 17: Stimulate love in one another (Hebrews 10:24-25)Day 18: Offer hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9)Day 19: Minister gifts to one another (1 Peter 4:10)Day 20: Be clothed in humility toward one another (1 Peter 5:5)Day 21: Don’t slander one another (James 4:11)Day 22: Don’t grumble against one another (James 5:9)Day 23: Confess your sins to one another (James 5:16)Day 24: Pray for one another (James 5:16)Day 25: Fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7)Day 26: Don’t be puffed up against one another (1 Corinthians 4:6)Day 27: Carry one anthers burdens (Galatians 6:2)Day 28: Honour one another (Romans 12:10)Day 29: Prefer one another (Romans 12:10)Day 30: Comfort one another ( 2 Corinthians 1:4)Day 31: GOD’S PROMISE: But if we love one another, God lives in us (1 John 4:12)

Well, that’s the best way we can think of starting a new year and becoming

a Marriage Keeper, which David Gushee says is “preserving, caring for and honouring marriage.” We believe that as you apply these principles we’ll hear even more stories of the great things God is doing in marriages around the world this year and beyond. We encourage you to do so. We hear a lot about marriages going wrong, it would be great to hear about good things that you are doing in your marriage with God’s help.By Steve and Cindy Wright

Encouragement and Counsel to Husbands

Husbands should study the pattern and seek to know what is meant by the symbol presented in Ephesians, the relation Christ sustains to the church. The husband is to be as a Saviour in his family. Will he stand in his noble, God-given manhood, ever seeking to uplift his wife and children? Will he breathe about him a pure, sweet atmosphere? Will he not as assiduously cultivate the love of Jesus, making it an abiding principle in his home, as he will assert his claims to authority? Ellen White, Adventist Home p117.

Health Tip for the Family

Healthy Fats Release More Salad Nutrients Low-fat salad dressings may limit the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients.Purdue University fed randomized healthy subjects three identical salads with 3g, 8g, or 20g of canola, soybean oil, or butter. Blood samples taken up to 10 hours later revealed that participants consuming higher amounts of fat had absorbed more carotenoids than those using less oil. The monounsaturated fatty acid rich canola oil tended to enhance the absorption of these nutrients. Positive Tip: To maximize the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients, salad dressings containing canola or olive oils are probably best.By Dr Fred Hardinge

Children Learn What They Live

If a child lives with criticism, He learns to condemn.If a child lives with hostility, He learns to fight.If a child lives with ridicule, He learns to be shy.If a child lives with shame, He learns to feel guilty.If a child lives with tolerance, He learns to be patient.If a child lives with encouragement, He learns confidence.If a child lives with praise, He learns to appreciate.If a child lives with fairness, He learns justice.If a child lives with security, He learns to have faith.If a child lives with approval, He learns to like himself.If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, He learns to find love in the world.

By Dorothy Law Nolte

Compiled by Dr. J Negre

SAU Director: Family / Health Ministries

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MINISTERIAL DEPARTMENTChristian Integrity

Some months ago

I read an internet

article written by John

MacArthur in which he

relates the following story:

“The Rockdale County High School Bulldogs basketball team of Conyers,

Georgia, had won their first-ever state championship in March of 1987, beating all their opponents towards this momentous achievement. After eighteen years of coaching the team without a championship, coach Cleveland Stroud was clearly and obviously ecstatic.

But a few weeks after this championship game, coach Stroud was doing a routine review of the grades of his players when he discovered that one of his players had failed some courses, rendering the player academically ineligible for the basketball team.

The struggling student was by no means a factor in the team’s victory. He was a player who pitched up for games but hadn’t actually seen any playing time all season. During one of the semi-final matches, with the team leading by more than 20 points, coach Stroud wanted to give every player an opportunity to participate. That player played in the game for less than 45 seconds. He had scored no points. His participation had in no way affected the outcome of the game. But it was, technically, a violation of state eligibility standards.

Coach Stroud was in a distressing predicament. If he revealed the infraction, his team would be disqualified and stripped of their championship. If he kept quiet, it was highly unlikely anyone outside the school would ever discover the offense.

Yet the coach realized that at the very least, the player involved was aware of the breach of rules. It was also possible that other students in the team knew and thought their coach had purposely ignored the eligibility guidelines. But more important still, coach Stroud himself knew, and if he deliberately tried to keep the facts from coming to light, his greatest coaching victory would be forever tainted with an ugly secret.

Coach Stroud said, from the moment he discovered the violation, he knew what he had to do. He realized that his team’s championship was not as important as their character. “People forget the scores of basketball games,” he said. “They don’t ever forget what you’re made of.”

He reported the infraction and forfeited the only state championship his team had up till then ever won.

What followed was evidence that both coach and team won a far more important kind of honour than they forfeited. They kept their integrity intact and gained an immeasurable amount of trust and respect. The coach was recognized with numerous teacher-of-the-year, coach-of-the-year, and citizen-of-the-year awards, as well as a formal commendation from the Georgia State Legislature. A few years later he was elected to Conyers City council. He was right. People who would have long ago forgotten about the Bulldogs’ victory in the state championship have never forgotten about coach Stroud’s integrity.”

A dictionary definition of integrity is “to adhere to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty”. In the book UNCHRISTIAN, David Kinneman and Gabe Lyons challenge us that to live with integrity is to start “with being transparent”. To live with integrity would therefore imply that we live transparently by valiantly exposing the Christial ethical principles we live by. We live where others can judge the soundness of our characters and where the faith and larger community can ascertain the honesty of our hearts.

Paul also counsels Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in deportment, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” Why do we need to live with integrity? To set an example of Christian living. Paul is counselling Timothy specifically in the context of being an example of the believers. Show us how those who belong to Christ behave. Paul could also have said it as one of my favourite writers’, in writing to ministers, points out that “teachers of the truth must be wise…very careful of their words and actions…who will not give the least sanction to low standards of living.” (GW 127)

While we find ourselves more entangled in a culture which seems to know more of the theory of religious requirements but whose relative practice leaves much to be desired of Biblical spiritual reflection, we need to be reminded that our most important influence comes in the midst of our everyday relationships, making the words of Paul to Timothy even more pertinent, “but be thou an example”.

Paul makes it unequivocally clear to me in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 that it is vital to guard our moral and ethical integrity: for the sake of our testimony. For our testimony is what our behavior and our words say about God; “You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” We therefore need to consider that through our integrity, or lack of it, we bring glory or dishonour to God, and we either become a channel of grace or an obstacle of grief.

Whenever we are tempted to adapt our ethical principles for convenience’ sake, let us consider the high cost to our testimony and that influence to the growth of His kingdom.

Pastor E. Baron

SAU Director: Ministerial Department / PAKIA / Shepherdesses Association

sau news and views

11

revived by his word

2014 Bible Reading Guide

January ‘14

1 - Ps. 1472 - Ps. 1483 - Ps. 1494 - Ps. 1505 - Prov. 16 - Prov. 2 7 - Prov. 3 8 - Prov. 4 9 - Prov. 510 - Prov. 611 - Prov. 7 12 - Prov. 813 - Prov. 914 - Prov. 1015 - Prov.11 16 - Prov. 1217 - Prov. 1318 - Prov. 1419 - Prov. 1520 - Prov. 1621 - Prov. 1722 - Prov. 18 23 - Prov. 1924 - Prov. 2025 - Prov. 2126 - Prov. 2227 - Prov. 2328 - Prov. 2429 - Prov. 2530 - Prov. 2631 - Prov. 27

February ‘14

1 - Prov. 282 - Prov. 293 - Prov. 304 - Prov. 315 - Eccl. 16 - Eccl. 27 - Eccl. 38 - Eccl. 49 - Eccl. 510 - Eccl. 611 - Eccl. 712 - Eccl. 813 - Eccl. 914 - Eccl. 1015 - Eccl. 11 16 - Eccl. 1217 - Songs 118 - Songs 2 19 - Songs 320 - Songs 421 - Songs 522 - Songs 623 - Songs 724 - Songs 825 - Isaiah 126 - Isaiah 227 - Isaiah 328 - Isaiah 4

April ‘14

1 - Isaiah 372 - Isaiah 383 - Isaiah 394 - Isaiah 405 - Isaiah 416 - Isaiah 427 - Isaiah 438 - Isaiah 449 - Isaiah 4510 - Isaiah 4611 - Isaiah 4712 - Isaiah 4813 - Isaiah 4914 - Isaiah 5015 - Isaiah 51 16 - Isaiah 5217 - Isaiah 5318 - Isaiah 5419 - Isaiah 5520 - Isaiah 5621 - Isaiah 5722 - Isaiah 5823 - Isaiah 59 24 - Isaiah 6025 - Isaiah 6126 - Isaiah 6227 - Isaiah 6328 - Isaiah 6429 - Isaiah 6530 - Isaiah 66

March ‘14

1 - Isaiah 52 - Isaiah 63 - Isaiah 74 - Isaiah 85 - Isaiah 96 - Isaiah 107 - Isaiah 118 - Isaiah 129 - Isaiah 1310 - Isaiah 1411 - Isaiah 1512 - Isaiah 1613 - Isaiah 1714 - Isaiah 1815 - Isaiah 19 16 - Isaiah 2017 - Isaiah 2118 - Isaiah 2219 - Isaiah 2320 - Isaiah 2421 - Isaiah 2522 - Isaiah 2623 - Isaiah 2724 - Isaiah 2825 - Isaiah 2926 - Isaiah 3027 - Isaiah 3128 - Isaiah 3229 - Isaiah 3430 - Isaiah 3531 - Isaiah 36

May ‘14

1 - Jer. 12 - Jer. 23 - Jer. 34 - Jer. 45 - Jer. 56 - Jer. 67 - Jer. 78 - Jer. 89 - Jer. 910 - Jer. 1011 - Jer. 1112 - Jer. 1213 - Jer. 1314 - Jer. 1415 - Jer. 15 16 - Jer. 1617 - Jer. 1718 - Jer. 1819 - Jer. 1920 - Jer. 2021 - Jer. 2122 - Jer. 2223 - Jer. 2324 - Jer. 2425 - Jer. 2526 - Jer. 2627 - Jer. 2728 - Jer. 2829 - Jer. 2930 - Jer. 3031 - Jer. 31

June ‘14

1 - Jer. 322 - Jer. 333 - Jer. 344 - Jer. 355 - Jer. 366 - Jer. 377 - Jer. 388 - Jer. 399 - Jer. 4010 - Jer. 4111 - Jer. 4212 - Jer. 4313 - Jer. 4414 - Jer. 4515 - Jer. 46 16 - Jer. 4717 - Jer. 4818 - Jer. 4919 - Jer. 5020 - Jer. 5121 - Jer. 5222 - Lam. 123 - Lam. 224 - Lam. 325 - Lam. 426 - Lam. 527 - Ezekiel 128 - Ezekiel 229 - Ezekiel 330 - Ezekiel 4

12

2013 Bible Reading Guide

revived by his word

July ‘14

1 - Ezekiel 52 - Ezekiel 63 - Ezekiel 74 - Ezekiel 85 - Ezekiel 96 - Ezekiel 107 - Ezekiel 118 - Ezekiel 129 - Ezekiel 1310 - Ezekiel 1411 - Ezekiel 1512 - Ezekiel 1613 - Ezekiel 1714 - Ezekiel 1815 - Ezekiel 19 16 - Ezekiel 2017 - Ezekiel 2118 - Ezekiel 2219 - Ezekiel 2320 - Ezekiel 2421 - Ezekiel 2522 - Ezekiel 2623 - Ezekiel 2724 - Ezekiel 2825 - Ezekiel 2926 - Ezekiel 3027 - Ezekiel 3128 - Ezekiel 3229 - Ezekiel 3330 - Ezekiel 3431 - Ezekiel 35

August ‘14

1 - Ezekiel 362 - Ezekiel 373 - Ezekiel 384 - Ezekiel 395 - Ezekiel 406 - Ezekiel 417 - Ezekiel 428 - Ezekiel 439 - Ezekiel 4410 - Ezekiel 4511 - Ezekiel 4612 - Ezekiel 4713 - Ezekiel 4814 - Daniel 115 - Daniel 216 - Daniel 317 - Daniel 418 - Daniel 519 - Daniel 620 - Daniel 721 - Daniel 822 - Daniel 923 - Daniel 1024 - Daniel 1125 - Daniel 1226 - Hosea 127 - Hosea 228 - Hosea 329 - Hosea 430 - Hosea 531 - Hosea 6

October ‘14

1 - Micah 62 - Micah 73 - Nahum 14 - Nahum 25 - Nahum 36 - Hab. 17 - Hab. 28 - Hab. 39 - Zeph. 110 - Zeph. 211 - Zeph. 312 - Haggai 113 - Haggai 214 - Zech. 115 - Zech. 2 16 - Zech. 317 - Zech. 418 - Zech. 519 - Zech. 620 - Zech. 721 - Zech. 822 - Zech. 923 - Zech. 1024 - Zech. 1125 - Zech. 1226 - Zech. 1327 - Zech. 1428 - Malachi 129 - Malachi 230 - Malachi 331 - Malachi 4

September ‘14

1 - Hosea 72 - Hosea 83 - Hosea 94 - Hosea 105 - Hosea 116 - Hosea 127 - Hosea 138 - Hosea 149 - Joel 110 - Joel 211 - Joel 312 - Amos 113 - Amos 214 - Amos 315 - Amos 4 16 - Amos 517 - Amos 618 - Amos 719 - Amos 820 - Amos 921 - Obad. 122 - Jonah 123 - Jonah 224 - Jonah 325 - Jonah 426 - Micah 127 - Micah 228 - Micah 329 - Micah 430 - Micah 5

November ‘14

1 - Matt. 12 - Matt. 23 - Matt. 34 - Matt. 45 - Matt. 56 - Matt. 67 - Matt. 78 - Matt. 89 - Matt. 910 - Matt. 10 11 - Matt. 1112 - Matt. 1213 - Matt. 1314 - Matt. 1415 - Matt. 15 16 - Matt. 1617 - Matt. 1718 - Matt. 1819 - Matt. 1920 - Matt. 2021 - Matt. 2122 - Matt. 2223 - Matt. 2324 - Matt. 2425 - Matt. 2526 - Matt. 2627 - Matt. 2728 - Matt. 28

December ‘14

1 - Mark 12 - Mark 23 - Mark 34 - Mark 45 - Mark 56 - Mark 67 - Mark 78 - Mark 89 - Mark 910 - Mark 1011 - Mark 1112 - Mark 1213 - Mark 1314 - Mark 1415 - Mark 15 16 - Mark 1617 - Luke 118 - Luke 219 - Luke 320 - Luke 421 - Luke 522 - Luke 623 - Luke 724 - Luke 825 - Luke 926 - Luke 1027 - Luke 1128 - Luke 1229 - Luke 1330 - Luke 1431 - Luke 15

13

children’s corner

LEARNING AND LOVING THE BIBLE

JOSHUA DIES(JUDGES 2:7-10)

“And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres,

in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.”

JUDGES 2:8-9

14

children’s corner

MEMORY VERSE:“You have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you,

for the LORD your God is He who has fought for you.” JOSHUA 23:3

TRUE OR FALSE:1. “The people served the LORD all the days of Joshua.” JUDGES 2:7

TRUE OR FALSE

2. And the people served the LORD “all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua.” JUDGES 2:7

TRUE OR FALSE

CIRCLE THE CORRECT WORDS:3. They “had seen all the (GREAT, SMALL) works of the LORD which He had done for Israel.”

JUDGES 2:7

4. “Now Joshua the son of Nun, the (SERVANT, ENEMY) of the LORD, died when he was one

hundred and ten years old.” JUDGES 2:8

FILL IN THE BLANK:5. “And they buried him within the borders of _________ inheritance.” JUDGES 2:9

CIRCLE THE CORRECT WORD:6. “When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after

them who (DID, DID NOT) know the LORD.” JUDGES 2:10

TRUE OR FALSE:7. The next generation knew the work which the LORD had done for Israel. JUDGES 2:10

TRUE OR FALSE

UNDERLINE THE CORRECT ANSWER:8. “And they buried him within the borders of his inheritance...” JUDGES 2:9

a. at Timnath Heres

b. in the mountains of Ephraim

c. on the north side of Mount Gaash

d. all of the above

FILL IN THE BLANKS:9. “When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after

them who _______ _______ know the LORD.” JUDGES 2:10

TRUE OR FALSE:10. The next generation knew the work which the LORD had done for Israel. JUDGES 2:10

TRUE OR FALSE

15

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16

TRUE EDUCATION A Missionary Training

“True education

is missionary

training. Every son

and daughter of God

is called to be a missionary;

we are called to the service of God and our

fellow men; and to fi t us for this service should be the object

of our education. “

Training for Service

This object should ever be kept in view by Christian parents and teachers. We know not in what line our children may serve. They may spend their lives within the circle of the home; they may engage in life’s common vacations, or go as teachers of the gospel to heathen lands; but all are alike called to be missionaries for God, ministers of mercy to the world.

The children and youth, with their fresh talent, energy, and courage, their quick susceptibilities, are loved of God, and He desires to bring them into harmony with divine agencies. They are to obtain an education that will help them to stand by the side of Christ in unselfi sh service. Of all His children to the close of time, no less than of the fi rst disciples, Christ said, “As Thou has sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world” (John 17:18), to be representatives of God, to reveal His Spirit, to manifest His character, to do His work.

Our children stand, as it were, at the parting of the ways. On every hand the world’s enticements to self-seeking and self-indulgence call them away from the path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord. Whether their lives shall be a blessing or a curse depends upon the choice they make. Overfl owing with energy, eager to test their untried capabilities, they must fi nd some outlet for their super-abounding life. Active they will be for good or for evil. Gods Word does not repress activity, but guides it aright. God does not bid the youth to be less aspiring. The elements of character that make a man truly successful and honoured among men – the irrepressible desire for some greater good, the indomitable will, the strenuous application, the untiring perseverance – are not to be discouraged. By the grace of God they are to be directed to the attainment of objects as much higher than mere selfi sh and worldly interests as the heavens are higher than the earth. With us parents and as Christians it rests to give our children right direction. They are to be carefully, wisely, tenderly guided into paths of Christ-like

ministry. We are under sacred covenant with God to rear our children for His service. To surround them with such infl uences as shall lead them to choose a life of service, and to give them the training needed, is our fi rst duty. “God so loved ... that He gave.” Gave His only-begotten Son,” that we should not perish, but have everlasting life. “Christ ... hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us.” If we love we hall give. “Not to be ministered unto, but to minister” is the great lesson we are to learn and to teach.” (Johns 3:16; Ephesians 5:2; Matthew 20:28).

Let the youth be impressed with the thought that they are not their own. They belong to Christ. They are the purchase of His blood, the claim of His love. They live because He keeps them by His power. Their time, their strength, their capabilities are His, to be developed, to be trained, to be used for Him. Next to the angelic beings, the human family, formed in the image of God, are the noblest of His created works. God desires them to become all that He has made it possible for them to be, and to do their very best with the powers He has given them. Life is mysterious and sacred. It is the manifestation of God Himself, the source of all life. Precious are its opportunities, and earnestly should they be improved. Once lost, they are gone forever.

Before us God places eternity, with its solemn realities, and gives us a grasp on immortal, imperishable themes. He presents valuable, ennobling truth, that we may advance in a safe and sure path, in pursuit of an object worthy of the earnest engagement of all our capabilities.

God looks into the tiny seed that He Himself has formed and sees wrapped within it the beautiful fl ower, the shrub, or the lofty, wide-spreading tree. So does He see the possibilities in every human being. We are here for a purpose. God has given us His plan for our life, and He desires us to reach the highest standard of development.

He desires that we shall constantly be growing in holiness, in happiness, in usefulness. All have capabilities which they must be taught to regard as sacred endowments, to appreciate as the Lord’s gifts, and rightly to employ. He desires the youth to cultivate every power of their being, and to bring every faculty into active exercise. He desires them to be good and to do good, laying up a heavenly treasure for the future life.

...The highest of all sciences is the science of soul saving. The greatest work to which human beings can aspire is the work of winning men from sin to holiness. For the accomplishment of this work, a broad foundation must be laid. A comprehensive education is needed – an education that will demand from parents and teachers such thought and effort as mere instruction in the sciences does not require. Something more is called for than the culture of the intellect. Education is not complete unless the body, the mind, and the heart are equally educated. The character must receive proper discipline for its fullest and highest development. All the faculties of mind and body are to be developed and rightly trained. ..... True education includes the whole being. ...By the wondrous workings of His grace, we are to be made complete in Him.”

EGW: THE MINISTRY OF HEALING, pp. 395-399

mission spotlight

17

UMKHANYAKUDE PATHFINDER CLUB Shows the Way

kaleidoscope of revival and reformation conferences/fields

On the eastern and southern borders of Mozambique and Swaziland lies the UMkhanyakude Seventh-day Adventist district (in KZN), under the leadership of Ps X.D Mthembu. Pathfinders from all over the UMkhanyakude district kick-started their festive

season in an unprecedented way. From the 8th to the 15th of December, while most people were packing their bags getting ready to go on their holidays, UMkhanyakude Pathfinders gathered together for a district Pathfinder camp, held in the Jozini area. Ithemba lamasiso (spear-headed by Nombuso Vilane) is a non-profit organisation NPO, which reaches out to orphans, vulnerable children, and youth in the community in general. The Pathfinder camp was in collaboration with the Ithemba Lamasiso organisation, where about 50 non-Adventist young people aged from 5yrs to 19 yrs from Ithemba Lamasiso attended the Pathfinder camp, with the objective of introducing God in an unprecedented way.

Another objective was to illuminate that the Pathfinder programme is not designed to benefit the church only but also the community. This is why the UMkhanyakude Pathfinders organised this camp, and invited non-Adventist junior and senior youth from all walks of life around the UMkhanyakude district communities. This was done in the first week of December, mainly because December is the apex of festive season. This is the time when people are planning their ways of spending the festive holidays. Some of our young people (both inside and outside the church) do not survive the festive season. This camp set out to help our young people get ready to face the festive season in a God-fearing and responsible manner. During the camp, they were taught about substance abuse, sex before marriage, teenage pregnancies, the importance of education, and God-fearing

characters. This was to help young people in temperance, with characters strong enough to swallow the festive season rather than being swallowed by it. This is also because the church recognises that these young ones are our future pilots, doctors, engineers, lawyers, leaders, chartered accountants, pastors, church, elders and so on.

Among the guest visitors who attended the camp was Dr

Unangoni Jeremiah, who taught the importance of abstinence

and temperance. She accentuated the short-term and long-

term consequences of not abstaining.

During the camp, the campers did about 14 Pathfinder honours and 8 Adventurer awards. One of the Pathfinder honours that were done was about community service. This honour teaches about the importance of community service and reaching out to those in need, and living for others. The requirement for the completion of this honour was to plan, organise, and complete a community service project, targeting a certain need that the community has. The campers managed to get hold of an incalculable number of toys donated by a local business man. Since the toys were not new, the campers had to prepare them by cleaning and packing them. They donated them to the local Siyanakekela Creche and Mzinyeni Creches.

About 30 of these young, non-Adventist people who attended, pledged that they would be glad to join the family of God. Praise Him!

Pastor X D MthemboSDA Church, UMkhanyakude District

Dr. Unangoni Jeremiah taught health principles.

Adventurers received their certificates. Here they are with Pastor XD Mhetambhu, Nomvuso Vilsane and

Simphiwe Mbamali.

Simphiwe Mbamali with the Pathfinder group.

Elder Dlamini from Jozini, taught the youth to play the drums.

Sr. Zanele Gowense (in Adventurer uniform), addressing the community...

The Pathfinder group donating toys to the Siyanakekela Créche and Mzingeni Chréche From left: Ps. Mthembu,

Elder Dlamini and Simphiwe Mbamali.

18

kaleidoscope of revival and reformation conferences/fields

THE GOOD NEWS of Okandjatu, Namibia

God said, if we don’t want to do His work He will command

the stones to do it (Luke 19:40).

On the 17th October 2013, I, Pastor Hesekiel Ndahangwapo, went to Okondjatu with Elder Isaac Martin to conduct a Bible study in response to a phone call from one of our church members, Miss Kunondjo. Okondjatu is about 200 km south-east of

Otjiwarongo, Namibia. This is a Herero-speaking area. Since I do not speak Herero and no one there understands Oshiwambo (my language), Sister Kunondjo had to interpret my English sermon into Herero. We have very few church members in this entire people group. We found people waiting for our arrival, and I gave a sermonette as an introduction; then most of the time was available for questions. For each question I let them read the answer from the Bible, and this convinced them and gave them courage to follow the truth. They began surrendering themselves to God, and 16 people gave their lives to Christ immediately.

The following week I returned and conducted an intensive evangelistic campaign. By the end of the week the number of converts had increased to 27.

There is a need for Herero Bibles and materials to build a shelter for a church,, and any support, since they are new in every aspect. They asked for the removal of the previous signboard giving the name of the church as “Fire Church”, and replaced it with “Okondjatu SDA Church”. The picture shows the removal of the signboard by Pastor H.Ndahangwapo, standing with the previous Pastor Benhard Karita, the founder of Fire Church, inside the present shelter were they worship, beside the altar.

Next is the story of Pastor Benhard Karita of Fire Church narrating to us how it came into existence. He grew up in a Pagan Church since childhood. The worship of fi re is very important to the Herero people.

Pastor Benhard’s Story

A light came out of light and a man appeared to me and said: “Benhard, Go and spread my word”. This penetrated deep into my heart. I woke up,

then went out to our pastor that same night. I knocked and he opened. I told him what had happened. He said, “Go back and pray”. This incident happened again, and I answered, “I am too young, Lord”. Again I went to the pastor, but he gave me no idea or support. Time passed by, and this kept on troubling my soul. I fi nally discussed the matter with my wife; then I went to Omongwa, which is approximately 300 km from Okondjatu. There I found people very hungry for God’s word. People were smoking, drinking, stealing, killing one another. I started praying for them, and preached as well. People started fl ocking in day by day in, very large numbers. There I saw and understood a bit of my calling, and it encouraged me. After my praying for them, many became healed and changed their sinful ways, and they felt good. It was amazing!

Several times I called the pastor to inform him of the situation, but I did not get help. Eventually I came back home. I told them (the church), but there was no encouragement or any support. It was very discouraging. Later I went to Tsintsabes, part of Tsumeb - the same story. I did not know what to do or whom to phone. I came back to Okondjatu, then asked myself, “What shall I do?” I decided I would not go back to that church; I was going to establish my own church based on that dream I had, a big fi re like a burning bush, and I even named that church “Fire Church”.

Because this was God’s plan, He prepared a woman called Kunondjo to help; we met to discuss a few things. The following Sunday she came to visit us during worship service. We asked her to offer a prayer for us, and we were all touched by her prayer and asked her more about Christianity. We were surprised to hear her talking about Sabbath; we thought Sunday was the Christian Sabbath. She promised to call her pastor, and we said we were ready to listen to him. After she left we spoke among ourselves: “From where is that man, and what kind of church is this, that we have never heard of? Let’s wait for the heretics”.

We waited. On the appointed day the man came. Even earlier, just after the introductory sermonette of less than eight minutes, we were already half-converted. He encouraged us to ask any questions, provided they were religious. We were amazed that for any question we asked he would tell us to “Open your Bible to this book, chapter, and verse”. Within one hour people started to say, “Pastor, I want to be a member of your church”, and all who were there gave themselves to Christ, including our pastor. The plot

These are the 27 people who were baptized holding their baptismal certifi cates. The two pastors and the Personal Ministries Leader of Otjiwarongo Church,

Elder Lumbasi (middle), as they together hold the removed sign board.

19

kaleidoscope of revival and reformation conferences/fields

PRISON MINISTRIESA Music Programme at Nigel Prison

Pieter Badenhorst.Yolanda Badenhorst.

of the church belonged to our pastor, and he donated the church plot, plus his house plot, for they are one, and there is already electricity. It is now for us to offer him something, for he has another plot nearby to go and settle on.

Pastor Hesekiel Ndahangwapo’s Tears

Many of us claim to be Christians; that means being Christ-like, but we are fi ghting blindly or fi ghting an unknown enemy. We do not put God fi rst, neither practise faith. In the discussion with Pastor Benhard, I ask about his level of education. He said, “I grew up on a farm, that is all” (no schooling). I nearly shed tears, I asked myself - a man of this kind can do this, form a church and maintain it this way; “Woe unto many of us” Luke 19:40.

The environment in which these people live is impoverished, considering that the whole country is affected by drought and that the Herero depend mainly on animals. The animals are dying from inadequate grazing. If you give one person 5kg of maize meal, within seconds you will see a plateful running to the neighbours – being whole-heartedly shared, If you give one a piece of meat, the same happens. This I have never seen or experienced before, except from reading in the Bible, in Acts 4:32-37. This transformed me into serving God and sharing His love more than ever before, and, for more information, visiting our Okondjato SDA members. Thanks, and may our good Lord bless you all.

Pastor Hesekiel Ndahangwapo

District Pastor: Otjiwarongo, Namibia

On Sabbath, 30 November, 2013, Pieter Badenhorst held a lovely music programme at the Nigel Prison for the inmates. He was assisted by his wife, Yolanda, and his father-in-law, Leandré Moolman of the Rhynfi eld Church.

The programme was well-attended, and had a positive impact on the audience. The prison authorities were highly appreciative of the involvement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church at the Nigel Prison.

Praise HimEstelle du Toit

SDA Church, Springs

20

kaleidoscope of revival and reformation conferences/fields

Dorcas Federation, Lesotho Conference CARING AND GIVING...

Christ’s ministry on earth was more humanitarian than just teaching and preaching. It is with this understanding that the Lesotho Conference Session, in November 2011, gave the Conference a target of 20,000 souls to be reached for the Master in meeting people’s felt

and observed needs. With this goal in mind, and being driven by Christ’s mandate to reach all creatures with the Gospel of His love, the Dorcas Federation of Lesotho has reached 13,850 people in the country since January 2012. Recently, on the 7th December 2013, the Dorcas ladies undertook an outreach mission at Qacha’s Nek District (South-Eastern District of the Kingdom of Lesotho), where 80 families were recently devastated by rainstorms that left many of the people homeless, no clothing, no food, and without proper sanitation. On that day 330 people were given groceries, which included a 12.5kg bag of mealie- meal, 2 1litre bottles of cooking oil, a 1kg box of washing powder, bath soap, canned fish, body lotion, bags of dried-mixed vegetable soup, a 1kg bag of sugar, and a

packet of candles. All of this was in their attempt to alleviate the suffering of the people.

The Dorcas Federation was blessed by the presence of the Minister of Social Welfare and Development, the Honourable Mrs ‘Matebatso Doti. Also present was the President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pastor Paul Chobokoane. 72 ladies and 7 gentlemen from different churches in the Lesotho Conference travelled over 300km to witness the occasion on this day, and to be of service to the community.

May the Lord bless the ladies and gentlemen of the Mountain Kingdom country, as they continue to be the salt and the light of the world.

Mrs ‘Makabelo Iketleng Makhatsane

President, Dorcas Federation, LC

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I

have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will

know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13:34-35

21

spiritual focus

“Scoundrels, Scrooges AND SAINTS”

Many titles have been given to the story Jesus told of the man who was robbed, and badly beaten, and then fi nally found and helped by a Good Samaritan (Luke10:30). We have heard many talks, sermons and interpretations of this tale.

Here is another version of the story Jesus told, identifying three categories of people in the story.

The fi rst category represents the thieves in the story. These are people who think they can take what belongs to others. They have a sense of entitlement. They take things that belong to others because they have the power to do so through circumstances down here on earth, and leave their victims hurting and dying. We usually associate this type of behavior with criminals, and shall therefore call them scoundrels.

Have we ever thought that there are many scoundrels in respected positions in society, corporate business boardrooms, state offi ces and ecclesiastical positions, who take things from people by force and leave them hurting? These are those who exploit the vulnerability of the skilled or unskilled unemployed, the foreigner, the needy student, and the powerless child or adult. These are those who underpay vulnerable people. These, because of their positions of power, extort from the powerless. These are they that disregard and disrespect the dignity of others because they have the power to do so. They love things and use people. These are all scoundrels.

The second category represents the indifferent priest and Levite. These are people who think that what belongs to them they can keep for themselves, despite the needs of others. “If you don’t take care of yourself, who will?” they ask. “God helps those who help themselves”, they say. We call them stingy, scrooges. These are respected people in society, whose professions raise expectations that they will come to the aid of the oppressed, the hurting and the dying. These are the people whose positions and professions demand that they do something to stop corruption, exploitation

and abuse. But these are the people who sadly think only of themselves and their own needs. They use their positions to accumulate things, safety and security for themselves. These are often people who practise good and healthy lifestyles. They are good, but good-for-nothing. These are all scrooges.

Thank God for the third category represented by the Samaritan in the story, the brave who risk their own safety in a dangerous environment to stop and come to the aid of the oppressed, abused, hurting and dying in society, regardless of who they are or where they come from. They believe that what is theirs belongs to God, and they must share it. They believe that God takes care of them, and will continue to do so even when they give the last they have to those in need. They use things and love people. These are the saints.

These are courageous people who wholeheartedly intervene, and make sure that the intervention restores the victim, if possible, to full recovery.

These are generous people, who do not spare themselves or their means to help the helpless, the powerless, the hurting and the dying.

Without these people many will continue hurting and many will die. People are hurting physically, emotionally and spiritually. People are killed physically, emotionally and spiritually. The scrooges can sometimes do more damage than the scoundrels.

One day a scoundrel climbed a tree. He wanted to see Jesus. Jesus saw him. Jesus knew he was a scoundrel. Jesus had lunch at his home. The scoundrel became a saint (Luke 19:5).

Only Jesus changes scoundrels and scrooges into saints. He still does it today. He sees who we are. Let us spend time with Him, and allow Him to make us saints every day.

Ps PR GelderbloemPresident – Cape Conference

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REMEMBER THE SABBATHSunset Calendar 2014

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upon Christ’s death and resurrection, and the

signifi cance of these for His followers.

Fifty years ago, on 12 January, 1964, Carel and Elize (néé Richards) Neuhoff were married in the Klerksdorp Seventh-day Adventist church. Pastor Carel Birkenstock performed the ceremony.

Two children were born from this union. Gerhard, their eldest son is the headmaster of SDA Bluehills College, Lismore, NSW, Australia. Edwin is stationed in London, and is employed by Parexel as a respiratory neuroscientist.

They are also the proud grandparents of three grandchildren.Their secret? They are best friends, do everything together, and put God fi rst in their home and lives. We praise God that this union, “For better or for worse ..”, became better. “Happy the home when God is there, And love fi lls every breast.”

Urma Williams, Loerie Park, George

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Selected Messages Book 1 (1958), page 121