Bulletin Announcements – 26 October 2014

• ‘Tea for a cause’: Strathfield 9am will be hosting a women’s event on 29th Nov! This high tea event aims to raise funds for children living in poverty. Tickets are $30/person with all funds raised being donated to Compassion Australia. Kirsty Kurilowicz will also be sharing a message on compassion. For tickets, please see Betty Wong or Joanne Cheng. For more information on Compassion Australia, please visit http://www.compassion.com.au.
• Children Ministry Announcement: Are you the one we are praying for? In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus said “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Our children in Sunday school are growing up. The classes are expanding too, to the point of overcrowding. We are praying and calling for new leaders and helpers to help our children growing up in Christ in our Sunday school classes. God has trusted us as a family to nurture them spiritually. Please contact Liza Mihardja or our deacons.

 

Ariel writes – a weekly Scriptural devotion:

I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding. (Daniel 8:27)

Daniel had a vision that was so real, so powerful, so overwhelming that it wore him out. It also appalled him! He saw terrifying animals that represented the kingdoms of the Medes and Persians (ram), and Greece (goat). The last animal, the goat, grew a horn which raged and overpowered God’s people, and even destroyed God’s temple. What is even more interesting is that Daniel experienced Scripture in a vision and then the angel Gabriel interpreted it for him but he still wrote; “it was beyond understanding.” Imagine the countless commentaries that have been written on this chapter and yet the very man who was there admits he didn’t quite get it. But O, how much more intelligent we are! How puffed up on knowledge, inflated with data, and bloated with learning, especially in this Information Age! Maybe a little humility is needed on our part when it comes to Scripture, wouldn’t you say? The truth is we don’t and can’t understand every bit of it. To claim otherwise is just a little bit arrogant. Yes, even foolish you could say.

 from Pastor Ariel