Schofields Church, Sydney, Australia
On a cold winter’s Sabbath morning, our hearts felt very warm with the joy of Christian love as we worshipped our wonderful Heavenly Father.
During the Divine Service, Brother Larry and Sister Tanya Ah-ching made their public declaration that they would like to be rejoined with God’s people and were fellowshipped into the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement Schofields Church.
The opening scripture reading was found in Ephesians 5:25-27: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
Brother Matthias Thiel took the first part of the Divine Service by highlighting the importance of being in the fold, not wandering around alone, and also hearing, knowing and distinguishing the voice of the true Shepherd and following Him.
Time was then given to Larry and Tanya to express their thoughts. Sister Tanya chose to read a poem, “A God of Hope” by M.S. Lowndes as it best described their experience, how thankful they are to the Lord for being with them throughout their Christian journey. Larry and Tanya left the Reform Church with heavy hearts, having in mind to be of help to others. They both shared how their experience away has been a huge learning curve; they always believed that the Reform Movement was the true church of God, and during their time away, their faith was made stronger by the trials they had to face. They also shared how happy they are now to take this stand. Brother Matthias then welcomed them back and extended the righthand of fellowship into the body of Christ.
Brother A C Sas had a short sermon on the Church being the body of Christ and Christ being the head of the body. He brought the analogy of how the human body works, having many individual members fit together to make a whole body, this representing the church. The General Conference representing the heart, pumps out spiritual life sending literature around the world and in return treating problems that are brought back to it. There is no life unless the head, which is Christ, isconnected to the body. When one of the members suffers, then the whole body is affected and suffers. The body can live without some parts, but a member of the body cannot live without being connected to the body; it must be nourished, otherwise it will certainly die.
After the service, everyone was given opportunity on their way out, to greet Brother and Sister Ah-ching. It was truly a wonderful day, and we praise God for this blessed occasion.
Matthew 16:19: “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
