the church courier, january 2010

8/14/2019 The Church Courier, January 2010

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We've just finished celebrating the birth of our Saviour, and the year 2009 isabout to end! It went by extremelyfast, didn't it?? And a new year--2010

--is soon to begin! What will this new year hold for you? What do you want

to accomplish? What new year's resolutions are you making? Like so many

others, we make so many plans, even promises to ourselves, but it seems

most of them are never carried to completion. Hopefully that won't happen

again---maybe we'll carry out our resolutions!

But there's one resolution every single one of us should make, and carryout!! And that's to determine to live closer to the Lord and to His

truth! There's no greater resolution than that! Regardless of our plans, our

highest priority should be to put Christ first in everything, and, with His

help, make every adjustment to live in accordance with His will in all

things. Nothing is more important; in fact, everything else pales into insig-

nificance!

Yes, there are many things that must be done and taken care of. There are

many things necessary for our health and happiness. There are many things

that wrestle for our attention, and are important to everyday living.

But nothing else matters if we don't have a connection with the Saviour and

His truth! Whatever our work, plans, and hopes are, they are totally useless

without the endorsement of the Lord! Note what the wise man, Jeremiah,once wrote: "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His

compassions fail not. They are new every morning....Great is Your faithful-

ness."(Lam. 3:22,23) Did you notice that it's because of God's great compas-

sion we are still here! And His compassions are newevery morning! No

wonder His faithfulness is great!

In this new year let's make sure we put first things first! God is faithful be-cause of His compassion! Yours for allowing His compassion to continually

mold us, even remold us, Pastor and Sharon Webb

Page 2 The Church Courier


3/12

Vol. 11 Issue 1 Page

New Year Resolutions

If your New Year Resolution is

To forget about old mistakes and sins - Read Psalm 85:2, 1

John 1:9, and remember that He was taken our sins away

from us as far as the east is from west. Psalm 103:12

To stop being worried - Read Isaiah 26:3, 1 Peter 5:7, and

keep in mind that Jesus said, Dont Let your hearts be trou-

bled. Trust in God, and trust in me. John 14:1

To be brave. - Read Hebrews 13:8, Psalm 91:4-7, and be brave

Psalm 23.

To trust in God. - Read Psalm 138:7, Isaiah 42:16, and dont

ever forget the message of Isaiah 26:3, You Lord, give true

peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you.

Now that you know where you can find some advice to be able

to fulfill your resolutions you can be sure Jesus will bring satis-

faction to your life, because Those who want to do right more

than anything else are happy, because God will fully satisfy

them. Mathew 5:6


4/12


We have some new members

and we want to welcome

them, they are: Margaret

McCoon from St. Petersburg

SDA Church, Garret Williams

from Bethlehem SDA Churchin Clearwater. Also, Donald

and Carol Pigeon, and Mary

Poitier . Happy you are here!

Bible Quiz

According to Matthews gospel, KingHerod heard that wise men (astrologers)from an eastern land had come to Jerusa-lem to honor one they believed was bornking of the Jews. Herod was frightened

because he did not want any competition for his position or his power.

Herod told the wise men to return when they found the new king, andtell him where he could go to pay homage himself. Of course, Herodhad murder on his mind.

The wise men found the child, but what did they do afterward?

A. They immediately returned and told Herod where to find the child.B. They returned to their own country by another road (or way).C. They stayed in Bethlehem until Herod died.D. They returned to Herod, but gave him misinformation.

The answer can be found in Matthew 2:12.

Answer:B.Theyreturnedtotheirowncountrybyanotherroad(orway).


5/12

Think about it

God will never lead youwhere His strength cannot

keep you.-Barbara Johnson

If you're looking for a signfrom God to get back tochurch, this is it!

Dont let my car fools you,my treasure is in heaven.Bumper sticker

December baby was: Cynthia Cortes

Clue: Goldilocks?

Cynthia has beautiful curly blonde hair.

Our winners were: Nobody guessed!


PIXIE PIN-UPSDO YOU KNOW ME?

We want to thank Gary Grimesfor all the help he gave us duringmany months with his monthlyarticles. God Bless you!!


6/12


Jewelry in the Bibleby Juan Rivera

It has been said many times that the topic of jewelry is one that we should not waste our

time in. This is true in some ways. There are

other topics more important that deserve our

attention. Although when we study this topic we are exploring the nature of

the Christian life, the function of biblical principles and norms. Yes, jew-

elry is a detail, small perhaps, but it opens a wide area of study, because not

only does it confront us with our Savior, but also with a God who reclaimsauthority over every aspect of our lives.

I will present to you an in-depth study done by Dr. Angel M. Rodriguez

about the use of jewelry in the Bible and its implications for the members ofour worldwide church. We will let the bible texts speak for themselves.

Biased? Yes. This is written by a Seventh-day Adventist that accepts the

norms of the church on the use of jewelry as an ornament. However, we

need to state from the start that the acceptance of the Adventist norms inregards to the use of jewelry makes no particular contribution to our salva-

tion and it should not occupy the center of our lives. Christianity is based inthe person and the work of Jesus Christ on behalf of the human race and we

should not permit anything else to take this position. Only through Jesus

can we be accepted by the Father (John 14:6). Every doctrine and norm of

the church should contribute in some way to reveal the significance of thecross and to indicate its implications for the Christian life.

Among the fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventists, number 22

summarizes the position of the church in regards to the norm of personal

adornment: While recognizing cultural differences, our dress is to be sim-

ple, modest, and neat, befitting those whose true beauty does not consist ofoutward adornment but in the imperishable ornament of a gentle and quiet

spirit. This is explained a bit further in the church manual in the chapter

titled Standards of Christian Living. However, the Manual introduces

what appears to be an exception to the norm by permitting the use of a wed-ding ring in some countries where its considered imperative, having be-

come, in the minds of the people, a criterion of virtue, and hence it is not

regarded as an ornament. We will examine wedding rings in more detail inthis study. continue on page 9


7/12


We are so glad to have this talented lady in ourchurch, and many of us want to get to know her alittle better. Rebecca is the daughter of Pastorand Sharon Webb.

Q: What is your favorite Bible character? Why?

A: I have so many its hard to pick just one, but

when pressed, I would have to say David.Because as the Bible says, even though he did

so many things wrong, he was still a man

after Gods own heart. That gives me encouragement that no matter how

bad my choices or actions may be, I can still be called a woman after

Gods own heart.

Q: We know you sing and play the piano, what other talents would you like toshare with your Church family?

A: I LOVE telling the childrens story because I have always LOVED children.

Q: What is your favorite hymn and why?

A: Day By Day, it reminds me that no matter how bad things get and how

dreary it may seem, God is there giving me strength and taking me throughthings day by day.

Q: Do you have any pets?

A: No pets at the moment, but hopefully in the near future I will have a Chi-

huahua.

Q: What do you think our NPR Church can do to bring more people to knowJesus?

A: By being the people we are whether we are at work or just out and aboutdoing our errands.

Thank you Rebecca for letting us get to know you a little better, God bless!

Rebecca D. Morro


8/12


SunsetsSunsetsSunsetsSunsetsfrom: http://www.sunrisesunset.com/

calendar.asp

Jan 2 ......... 5:46 pm

Jan. 9 .......... 5:51 pmJan. 16 ....... 5:57 pmJan. 23 ....... 6:02 pmJan. 30 ...... 6:08 pm

Self-discipline and theChristian faith

A new year offers us the opportunityto make dramatic changes in thepractice of our faith as Christians.Making ourselves more disciplined,for example, especially in our spiri-tual life.

Self-disciplined Christians see to itthat they pray regularly and often.They will want to learn as much asthey can about the Bible, theowners manual which helps us un-derstand what God requires of us.Self-disciplined Christians will takeadvantage of learning opportunities

at their church. Lessons in theology,church history, Christian family liv-ing, operating a business alongChristian principles, etc. can bringenlightenment and guidance to us.Remember that Sabbath school isfor all ages and offers fellowship as

well as learning.

The letter to the Hebrews is very re-alistic when it points out that No dis-cipline seems pleasant at the time,but painful. It goes on to say, Lateron, however, it produces a harvest

of righteousness and peace forthose who have been trained byit. (Read Hebrews 12:7-11.) It isthat wonderful reward we shouldseek by deepening our spiritual life.

OUR CHURCHLorraine C. Wilson(Church member)

What a privilege to come to

our churchTo be with our Family of

God.

Our church is a sacred place

Where we draw closer to

Him.

How wonderful to worshipour Savoir

Who saved us from sin

through His grace.

So let us show respect andlove for our church

And be reverent in God's

holy place.


9/12

Vol. 11 Issue 1 Pag

Get out your calculator

Begin with 66, the number of books in theBible.

Add 13, the number of Pauls books in the New Testament. Add 7, the number of churches in Asia Minor (Revelation1:4). Multiply by 3, the Trinity. Multiply by 12, the number of tribes in Israel. Multiply by 12 again, for the Apostles. Add 600, Noahs age when the flood came. Add 3, for Noahs sons. Add 30 the age of Jesus when he began his ministry. Finally, add 33, the age of Jesus at his crucifixion. Now, press the equal sign, turn the calculator around andread the number upside down. Youll see the source for the

solution to all of lifes problems.

Jewelry in the Bible by Juan Rivera

Cont. from page 5

The fundamental issue that confronts the church today in regards to

jewelry is the supposed lack of biblical support. Traditionally we have used a lim-ited group of bible texts in order to support our position about the use of jewelry(e.g., Isa. 3:16-26, 1 Tim. 2:9-10, 1 Pet. 3:1-6), but we havent examined a signifi-cant number of other passages that are related with this same topic. Consequently,some of our sincere church members are confused and when they look for answers,they do not find them satisfactory. Therefore, it is indispensable that we consider

carefully the Biblical material.

Please join us online at www.nprsda.org/biblestudy/jewelry as we go in-depth into

this study. We will discuss jewelry in the Old Testament, jewelry in the New Tes-tament, implications for the church and potential dangers.---

If you have a topic that you would like to see an in-depth study, please let us knowby writing to us at [email protected] or contact Juan Rivera.


10/12


Support our SchoolSupport our SchoolSupport our SchoolSupport our School

Congratulate yourchild or grandchild

and/or advertise yourbusiness in the 2010

School Yearbook.

Time and spaces areTime and spaces areTime and spaces areTime and spaces arerunning out, last dayrunning out, last dayrunning out, last dayrunning out, last day

to reserve isto reserve isto reserve isto reserve is

January 15.January 15.January 15.January 15.

For more informationcontact the School

office, Church office orOmayra Rivera.

Church

bowling league

starting soon!!!

Brochures in the office.

NEW HOPE TV PROGRAM

Healing Hope, hosted byLonnie Melashenko of KetteringHealth Network, debuts and willair on January 2, 2010.

The first episode will air on Sat-urday, January 2nd. Each epi-sode will show (all times EST)Saturdays at 7:00 p.m., Mon-

day at 4:30 p.m., Tuesdays at7:00 p.m. and Thursdays at10:00 p.m.

"Healing Hope" features inter-views with Dr. Becky Wang-Scriven of Kettering Medical

Center in Dayton, Ohio; Dr.Kirk Chung, child psychiatrist atKettering Behavioral MedicineCenter; Dr. Tom Hardy ofGrandView Medical Center; Dr.Karl Haffner, senior pastor ofthe Kettering SDA Church;Chris VanDenburgh, Parish

Nurse Director for KetteringMedical Center; Dr. SteveSchmidt, surgeon and manymore.


11/12


This newsletter is

published monthly

by the NPR SDA

Church. If you

have any com-

ments to make

about the news-

letter, wish to

make a donation,

or wish to submit

an article, please

send it to thechurch or to us.

NPR Seventh-day Adventist Church

6424 Trouble Creek Road

New Port Richey, FL 34653727-848-4567 www.nprsda.org

Contact Us

Alexander Ortiz

727-365-2892

Omayra Rivera

727-372-0052

[email protected]

From the Editors

Winter just got here and

I saw one store already

selling beach summerclothes. It wasn't shock-

ing at all, I have seen

worst. Their job is to sell

and it doesn't matter

what, how or when.

I saw a commercial oncethat a store was selling

Christmas gifts on

September: they called

"Christmas in Septem-

ber". It was funny at the

beginning but suddenly

all the stores are doingthe same on every

single festivity or holi-

day.

I want to enjoy the win-

ter season: the cool

weather, the nice breeze,and cold nights. God

wants us to live a day at

a time and He is right.

Why worry now about

what to wear in the sum-

mer? Why worry in

September about aChristmas gift?

Please enjoy each day,

as each day is a gift from

God.

Alex Ortiz


12/12

NPRSeve

nthdayAdventistChurch

6424TroubleCreekRoad

New

PortRichey,

FL34653

the church courier, january 2010

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