Heart to Heart
Pastor Richard Wright
In my personal devotions one morning I came across a comment
on the passage of scripture found in Matt. 12:48. The verse says, "He that
rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word
that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day"
It is the word of God that judges. The fact that the contemporaries of Christ had heard from Him the truth concerning His identity and His mission left them without excuse. They could not claim ignorance to the requirements for salvation. If they had not heard the truth, they would not have been responsible (see Matt. 9:39-41). It is the same with us today. A great responsibility is placed by God on those of us who have heard the good news of Christ. Speaking of us, listen to this comment from Vol 5, Pg 1026 of the S.D. A. Bible Commentary. "They, (that’s us), may ridicule and even despise sermons, but will find to their sorrow at last that they must give an account of what they have done in view of what they have heard." What might that be? "This is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ." I John 3:23.
In the new year, 2001, I would encourage all to have a deeper understanding of God’s word, for all to study more each day, for a closer relationship with Christ our Lord and Saviour. We are all without excuse. It is only that relationship with Him that will get us into His kingdom. Jesus is waiting to hear from us and to talk to us. Let us, each one, make that our goal for 2001.
Rhonda Yap’s Favorite Scripture and Why
Romans 8:28—And we know that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. KJV
"This verse is important to me as so many times you go through trials and struggles and often wonder why. Its sometimes later that you realize the reason why it worked out the way it did and that it was for a special purpose."
Note
The Woodstock SDA Church & “The Lamplighter” on the World Wide
Web? Check it out at …
www.hodsonhome.com/woodstocksda
Starting this month each new Newsletter that is mailed is “archived” online so you can look up old articles you want to read again.
There is also an up-to-date church calendar that you can check anytime. If you want something added to the calendar pass the info along and it will be added within 24 hours!!
So...what do YOU want to see on our church’s website. Email the editor at fchodson@hodsonhome.com with your ideas.
That’s What I Learned In This School
William Snow III
Forestdale SDA School Principal
Many of you enjoyed the school Christmas cantata on Dec. 2
& 3. We very much enjoyed performing it for you. A special word of thanks
for Winnie Hodson and Patti Yates are in order. They come up many, many weeks to
help us get ready. Their time and effort is appreciated!
Our new playground equipment has arrived and is installed. Each of you that sponsored a student in the walk-a-thon last year had a part in helping as well as those who purchased magazines the last two years. Our Home and School leader,Tracie Mason, worked with the staff and ordered a horizontal ladder, parallel bars, a three place pull up bar station and a plastic slide, which we hope will be part of our new playhouse this spring. Frank Hodson and the ninth graders will be working on that. The first three pieces of equipment have been mounted and the concrete has been poured. Ken and Kim Gadway were a big help here. They helped swing pick axes breaking up frozen ground, digging holes and finally arranging for concrete from P&K concrete. Many of the students (and staff) got some hands on, no pun intended, experience working with frozen ground. This spring we will finish landscaping with dirt and woodchips. Thanks to all.
On the lighter (whiter) side, we have had two snow days. The first one caused us to miss our Christmas program with Ledgeview. (Sorry Ledgeview) and the second delayed the Christmas party-still students and some staff continue to pray for snow! We say "let it fly from the sky!"
Jim & Goldie are very active as our Bible lab coordinators. They have several programs that we are actively involved with . We appreciate their ministry.
Tammy Duguay has been coming in almost daily to work with the 9th graders on Algebra. This has been a tremendous help for each of the 9th graders. Their class is going very well this year. Thanks Tammy!
Each of the rooms have been very busy and working hard. Some of you have been helping. Whether it was being a volunteer, financial help, or your prayers, your thoughts and assistance is appreciated.
I hope that each of you enjoyed a happy and peaceful holiday season. It is my prayer that each of you will receive the full blessings that the Lord has in store for you and that each of us will in turn share some of those blessings with others in this new year!
Quote
"The teachers in the home and the teachers in the school should have a
sympathetic understanding of one another’s work. They should labor together
harmoniously, imbued with the same missionary spirit, striving together to
benefit the children physically, mentally, and spiritually, and to develop
characters that will stand the test of temptation."
E.G.White (Counsels to
Parents, Teachers, and Students, pg.157—last paragraph)
 |
Happy, Glad, Rejoice, Joy The open hands pat the chest several times with a slight upward motion. |
 |
Saturday or Sabbath (The hand to the right) Fist makes a “S” and then travels in clockwise motion. |
Note
I was reading the story of Joash, the boy king, to our children the
other night and came upon an idea. Joash used to walk through the temple with
his Uncle Jehoiada and look at the hole ridden walls of its structure. When he
became king he devised a plan to financially obtain the funds to fix those
precious walls. He had a trunk made with a hole drilled in the top. When the
worshippers came to the temple they would drop coins in the trunk. Those “coins”
were used to rebuild the walls of the temple. I felt impressed to share this
with you as I feel we have a need for new siding and possibly other structural
needs for our church building. This is simply a thought I’m sharing as
collecting “coins” could add up very quickly and accumulate for the benefit
of taking care of the Woodstock house of God. Just a thought I felt impressed to
share. Lamplighter Editor
A Defining Moment
Justification: The act or process or state of being declared right with
God.
BREAD OF THIS WORLD
Kathy Cranney’s Patties
Mix together and set aside
2 eggs beaten
1 C oatmeal
1 shredded raw potato
1 envelope Lipton onion soup
1/3 cup nuts chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp basil
1 Tbs oil
Fry on grill, Serve on sandwich buns
THE BREAD OF LIFE
“I tell you the TRUTH, whoever believes has ETERNAL LIFE”.
John 6:47
Bible Brain Teaser
Find 17 books in the Bible located in the paragraph below.
I ONCE MADE A REMARK ABOUT THE HIDDEN BOOKS OF THE BIBLE. IT WAS A LULU. KEPT PEOPLE LOOKING SO HARD FOR THE FACTS. AND FOR OTHERS IT WAS A REVELATION. SOME WERE IN A JAM, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE NAMES OF THE BOOKS ARE NOT CAPITALIZED. BUT THE TRUTH FINALLY STRUCK HOME TO NUMBERS OF READERS. TO OTHERS IT WAS A REAL JOB. WE WANT IT TO BE A MOST FASCINATING FEW MOMENTS FOR YOU. YES, THERE WILL BE SOME REALLY EASY ONES TO SPOT. OTHERS MAY REQUIRE JUDGES TO HELP THEM. I WILL QUICKLY ADMIT IT USUALLY TAKES A MINISTER TO FIND ONE OF THE 17. AND THERE WILL BE LOUD LAMENTATIONS WHEN IT IS FOUND. A LITTLE LADY SAYS SHE BREWS A CUP OF TEA SO SHE CAN CONCENTRATE BETTER. SEE HOW WELL YOU CAN COMPETE. RELAX NOW. FOR THERE REALY ARE THE NAMES OF 17 BOOKS OF THE BIBLE IN THESE SENTENCES. (ONE PREACHER FOUND 16 BOOKS IN 20 MINUTES. IT TOOK HIM THREE WEEKS TO FIND THE SEVENTEENTH ONE.)
I’ve yet to find them all. Enjoy! Lamplighter Editor
Who am I?
Clue #1: I go by my nickname, not my given name, almost always
Clue #2: Proverbs 4:23 is my favorite Bible verse
Clue #3: My pet peeve is "dirty teeth"
(answer in February newsletter)
A Historical Perspective
In just a century and a half the Seventh-day Adventist Church has grown from a
handful of individuals, who carefully studied the Bible in their search for
truth, to a world-wide community of over eight million members and millions of
others who regard the Adventist Church their spiritual home. Doctrinally,
Seventh-day Adventists are heirs of the interfaith Millerite movement of the
1840s. Although the name "Seventh-day Adventist" was chosen in 1860,
the denomination was not officially organized until Ma y 21, 1863, when the
movement included some 125 churches and 3,500 members.
Most of the thousands who had joined the movement, left it, in deep disillusionment. A few, however, went back to their Bibles to find why they had been disappointed. Soon they concluded that the October 22 date had indeed been correct, but that Miller had predicted the wrong event for that day. They became convinced that the Bible prophecy predicted not that Jesus would return to earth in 1844, but that He would begin at that time a special ministry in heaven for His followers. They still looked for Jesus to come soon, however, as do Seventh-day Adventists yet today.
From this small group who refused to give up after the "great disappointment" arose several leaders who built the foundation of what would become the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Standing out among these leaders were a young couple--James and Ellen G. White -- and a retired sea captain named Joseph Bates.
This small nucleus of "Adventists" began to grow -- mainly in the New England states of America, where Miller's movement had begun. Ellen G. White, a mere teenager at the time of the "great Disappointment," grew into a gifted author, speaker and administrator, who would become and remain the trusted spiritual counselor of the Adventist family for more than seventy years until her death in 1915. Early Adventists came to believe -- as have Adventists ever since -- that she enjoyed God's special guidance as she wrote her counsels to the growing body of believers.
In 1860, at Battle Creek Michigan, the loosely knit congregations of Adventists chose the name Seventh-day Adventist and in 1863 formally organized a church body with a membership of 3,500. At first, work was largely confined to North America until 1874 when the Church's first missionary, J. N. Andrews, was sent to Switzerland. Africa was penetrated briefly in 1879 when Dr. H. P. Ribton, an early convert in Italy, moved to Egypt and opened a school, but the project ended when riots broke out in the vicinity.
The first non-Protestant Christian country entered was Russia, where an Adventist minister went in 1886. On October 20, 1890, the schooner Pitcairn was launched at San Francisco and was soon engaged in carrying missionaries to the Pacific Islands. Seventh-day Adventist workers first entered non-Christian countries in 1894 -- Gold Coast (Ghana), West Africa, and Matabeleland, South Africa. The same year saw missionaries entering South America, and in 1896 there were representatives in Japan. The Church now has established work in 209 countries.
The publication and distribution of literature were major factors in the growth of the Advent movement. The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald (now the Adventist Review), general church paper, was launched in Paris, Maine, in 1850; the Youth's Instructor in Rochester, New York, in 1852; and the Signs of the Times in Oakland, California, in 1874. The first denominational publishing house at Battle Creek, Michigan, began operating in 1855 and was duly incorporated in 1861 under the name of Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association.
The Health Reform Institute, later known as the Battle Creek Sanitarium, opened its doors in 1866, and missionary society work was organized on a statewide basis in 1870. The first of the Church's worldwide network of schools was established in 1872, and 1877 saw the formation of statewide Sabbath school associations. In 1903, the denominational headquarters was moved from Battle Creek, Michigan, to Washington, D.C., and in 1989 to Silver Spring, Maryland, where it continues to form the nerve center of ever-expanding work.
Notable Web Link
www.tagnet.org
TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE
Thoughts expressed by Pastor Morris Venden
I used to think that the way to be a Christian was to try hard to live a
good life, and that if I had any time left over to read the Bible and pray a
little bit, it would make God feel good! It wasn’t until much later I
discovered that the relationship with God is the entire basis of the Christian
life. That’s where it’s all at. It is not an option. It is not something
that we can choose to take or leave. It is the entire basis of the Christian
life. And not until I realize and accept that premise am I going to do
everything in my power, by God’s grace, to find a meaningful communication
with God. There is going to be no such thing as your having a relationship with
God and your knowing God unless you spend time together. It’s just that
simple. My dad used to tell the story of the man who trained his horse not to
eat. It was more economical that way. But just when he got him trained, the
horse died. Of course, this was the logical conclusion. I might be able to go
along living on the “camel’s hump” for a period of time, but if I do not
eat physically, sooner or later I’ll end up in a little heap on the sidewalk
and that will be the end of it. The person who has experienced the joy of coming
to Christ and who has become a Christian may be able to go for a little while
without taking time to feed his soul, but sooner or later he’s going to end up
spiritually in a pitiful little heap on the sidewalk. When we study the life of
Jesus, you find that often He was in communion with His Father. The early
morning or the evening hours would be spent in prayer, that He might gain power
for His work. If it was necessary for Christ, how much more necessary it must be
for us to spend time with God
Letter From A Friend
Seasons Greetings to all Woodstock members and congratulations to all
December birthday people. Irwina celebrated hers by picking up a state drivers
license at the DMV. Our first 2 weeks brought us 3 days and nights of heavy
rain. Sunny days have followed since, with cool nights and mornings. We have
seen no snow or ice. We wish the school children of Woodstock could watch them
harvest the huge fields of cotton with huge machines. Everything is done
mechanically with only a few men at work.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a closer walk with Jesus!
Monte &Irwina Smith
9411 S. 33rd Ave.
Laveen, AZ 85339
Poem
So here we are in Arizona!
by Irwina Smith
We left the fall colors of beautiful Maine
To take off through the sky on the fast flying plane.
In Phoenix we landed
At the end of our flight
The city is huge
And the warm sun so bright
Well, now the best part of all
When overlooking the crowd,
Was seeing the pretty face of our daughter
And her husband so proud.
Onces hugs and kisses were O’er
Into their vehicle we went
And were soon at our door.
Note
Let us feel free to come before God’s throne. Here there is grace. And we
can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it. Hebrews 4:16
IN MY HUMBLE OPINION
Words & Comments by Christie Hodson, Lamplighter Editor
God, Are you out there? To a Christian this question seems ridiculous to
ask. The term Christian in its context appears to be contradictory to such a
thought of God’s non-existence. Often Christians feel a sense of frustration
when the thought of God’s existence is examined in black and white. For it
seems to believe in God being there one has to go into a gray area of belief.
Thus the entrance of faith. (“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see” Heb. 11:1) In our tangible & ultra
informative world it’s the things we can touch & be informed about that
give us the most clear picture, but I have to wonder where does that leave room
for faith or for spiritual growth. One would certainly love to know all about a
candidate before voting for him, know all about a job before applying, and know
all about the bible so as to not feel inadequate in a Sabbath school study. Such
circumstances put us in an area of vulnerability. An area not too popular to our
egocentric selves but to an area I believe one has to get to understand the true
test of faith. Philip Yancy in his book, “Reaching for the Invisible God”,
states that “Christian leaders have shown an impulse to pin everything
down, to reduce the behavior and doctrine to absolutes that could be answered on
a true/false test. Significantly I do not find this tendency in the Bible. Far
from it. I find instead the mystery and uncertainty that characterize any
relationship, especially a relationship between a perfect God and fallible human
beings. ”(p92) Having the faith to go to God in prayer, and trusting you’re
being heard is difficult.. Prayer to many is their link to some sense of reality
of faith. The scriptures being the other. But with our bibles getting dusty and
our prayers often offered with subconscious conditions its no wonder our faith
weakens amidst the pressures of proving an absolute belief for the existence of
God. We seem as if to be waiting for the “Breaking News” story from CNN that
would confirm all our doubts that Jesus Christ is real, tangible, alive and on
his North American ministry tour. Though the option of faith seems the most
difficult the most confusing, the most unfair, the most naïve pathway to take.
In reality it’s the avenue that enhances spiritual growth, continues the
journey and restores the freedom a religion seems to have kidnapped through its
attempt to profess the absolute truth. “If God merely wanted to make his
existence known to every person on earth; God would not hide. However the direct
presence of God would inevitably overwhelm our freedom, with sight replacing
faith. God wants instead a different kind of knowledge, a personal knowledge
that requires a commitment from the one who seeks to know him.” *(P117) 1
John 3:1 states that when he (God) comes “we will see him as he is”.
What a great day that will be. As the year 2001 begins I challenge us all to
examine what might seem obvious to many, with honesty & freedom of thought
so as to strengthen our commitment to what we believe. Not simply waiting for
the right circumstances, the direct messages from God, the words in the
scriptures interpreted word for word. May we welcome the challenges of faith.
May we realize that in our church “a fully formed belief is not a ticket
for admission” *(p46) but that it’s the mysteries, doubts &
challenges that we embrace on our journey toward faith in Christ that will bring
us the closest to each other & our father in Heaven. May God bless your
journey and may you come to know that asking difficult questions, facing doubts
head on, realizing the freedom of choice you were given, will help you realize
the journey of faith is far more rewarding than having the clear cut definition
of everything. Enjoy the mystery of faith, the search for the truth, and the
reality of spiritual freedom.
Excerpts included from * “Reaching for the Invisible God” by Philip Yancy ; References marked in bold letters above.
Who You Are
Lyrics By Christian Recording Artist—Nicole Nordeman
I was certain that I knew you At the tender age of 12. You’d so often
been described by those, who said they knew you well. Dark and rugged in your 30’s,
with a smile as bright as your robe. Every teacher, every preacher with the very
best intent, Found new ways to hide the mystery, Replaced by common sense. And
to know you was to keep you in my pocket. So easy to hold. I know I can’t
explain you. I would not even try to. And yet its clear that you are here beside
me. I marvel and I wonder. So near and somehow still so far. What makes you who
you are? It is easy to insist, on what is packaged and precise, and dismiss the
clear suspicion. That you’re bigger than we’d like.
It is tempting to regard you as familiar, in so many ways. I’ve tried to draw these lines around you. A definition or an absolute, but I could not be satisfied with black and white. There is so much more. There is so much you. It’s a mystery. It’s a mystery to me.
This page is the calendar. A better link to January's most current calendar can be found HERE.
Closer to God
The young man had lost his job and didn’t know which way to turn. So he
went to see the old preacher. Pacing about the preacher’s study the young man
ranted about his problem. Finally he clenched his fist & shouted, “I’ve
begged God to say something to help me. Tell me preacher, why didn’t God
answer?” The old preacher, who sat across the room, spoke something in reply.
Something so hushed it was indistinguishable. The young man stepped across the
room, “What did you say?” he asked. The preacher repeated himself but again
in a tone as soft as a whisper. So the young man moved closer until he was
leaning on the preachers chair. “Sorry” he said. “I still didn’t hear
you.” With their heads bent together, the old preacher spoke once more. “God
sometimes whispers,” he said, “so we will move closer to him”. This time
the young man heard and he understood. We all want God’s voice to thunder
through the air with the answer to our problem. But God’s is the still small
voice. The gentle whisper. Perhaps there’s a reason. Nothing draws human focus
quite like a whisper. God’s whisper means I must stop my ranting and move
closer to him, until my head is bent together. with his. Then as I listen I will
find my answer. Better still, I find myself CLOSE TO GOD.
Note
Nice chatting with all of you. I have a lot to learn in my job as newsletter
editor but I pray you’re patient with me. If you would like to send any
newsletter submissions for consideration or any comments to the Editor, I can be
reached at fchodson@hodsonhome.com or PO Box 469 Oxford, ME 04270. I want as many
of our church family as possible (near or far) to be involved! Thanks so much.
Sincerely,
Lamplighter Editor—Christie Hodson
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