Welcome to Hope Baptist Church

Sunday 16th of February 2020

531 Elizabeth Dr Sunbury Service Sundays 10:30am today

www.hopebc.org.au

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of

the scriptures might have hope”. Romans 15:4

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Hymn Of The Month

At The Cross

Author: Isaac Watts Year: 1674-1748

Scriptures: Gen 32:10, Isa 53, Zech 12:10, Luke 23, Rom 5:6-12, Rom 12:1, Gal 2:20

1 Alas! and did my Saviour bleed, and did my Sovereign die!

Would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?

REFRAIN

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light and the burden of my heart rolled away, it was there by faith I received my sight

and now I am happy all the day.

2 Was it for crimes that I have done, he groaned upon the tree?

Amazing pity! Grace unknown! And love beyond degree!

3 Well might the sun in darkness hide, and shut his glories in,

when Christ, the mighty maker, died for man the creature's sin.

4 But drops of grief can ne'er repay the debt of love I owe.

Here, Lord, I give myself away; 'tis all that I can do.

Author: Isaac Watts Isaac Watts was the son of a schoolmaster, and was born in Southampton, July 17, 1674. He is said to have shown remarkable precocity in childhood, beginning the study of Latin, in his fourth year, and writing respectable verses at the age of seven. At the age of sixteen, he went to London to study in the Academy of the Rev. Thomas Rowe, an Independent minister. In 1698, he became assistant minister of the Independent Church, Berry St., London. In 1702, he became pastor.

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Order of Service

Welcome

Announcements

Hymn Of The Month – At The Cross (129)

Prayer Time

Hymn– Onward Christian Soldiers 181

Reading – Romans 10:12-21

Sermon – Was Found of Them That Sought Me Not

Hymn – In The Sweet By And By 504

A word on The Word “The basic structure of Christian theology is simple. Its very teaching should be taken from the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as being the words of the prophets and apostles spoken on the authority of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, the Saviour of sinners.”

- CorneliusVanTil

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Sermon Notes Was Found Of Them That Sought Me Not

Provoked To Jealousy (Rom 10:19, Rom 10:12, Dt 32:20-21, Js 4:4-10, 2 Cor 11:1-4, Exo 34:14) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………… … ………………….…………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Angered By A Foolish Nation (Rom 10:19, Mt 20:1-16) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………….…………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Found of Them That Sought Me Not (Rom 10:20, Rom 1:16 & 2:10, Mt 10:5-6, ref Acts 7:38, Rom 6:25, 1 Cor 2:7-8, Rom 3:10, Ps 14:1-3, Isa 9:13, Hos 7:10, Isa 55:6) …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Disobedient and Gain Saying People (Rom 10:19-21, Mt 23:37, Lk 19:37-44, Zech 9:9, Ps 118:22-26) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

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176 Words.

“My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies

have forgotten thy words.”

(Ps 119:139)

It is difficult to imagine having enemies if people remembered the words of the

Lord. None who consider love to the Lord and love to our neighbours, could also conceive of a world with enemies, the zeal experienced by the Psalmist is in reflection of this reality.

We cry from the housetops to a world that has forgotten the words of the Lord, we see the ravages of human depravity and confusion of minds, the fears and the tumultuous anxieties threatening our own sanity, and we cry out that the Word of the Lord, in all its hope and tender mercies, might be remembered, but far too often this call is ignored.

The world wonders why we are so frustrated by their refusal to return to the Word of the Lord, how much more so those who are called by his name? As a pastor it is difficult for me to comprehend why it is that the answers so plainly put before my flock, respecting the wonderful joy contained in the scriptures, is too often ignored.

Pr Edi Giudetti ___________________________________________________________________________

A Proverb For Memory

“The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.”

Proverbs 13:9

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The Word Of Hope

END “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Genesis 6:13)

“And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.” (Exodus 12:41-42) “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Ps. 61:2).

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom. 10:4).

“receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (I Pet. 1:9).

“Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end” (Ps. 119:33).

“And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely” (Rev. 21:6).

GOLDEN THOUGHT Jesus said, “I am Alpha and Omega,the beginning and the

end.”

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…If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food… (James 2:14-16)

SaveGod'speoplefromstarvation–plagueoflocustsdevastatingcropsinAfricaandAsia

14 February 2020

“This was worst attack I ever seen in my life, like a flood of locusts, travelling and eating everything on its way,” said Ramoo. The 61-year-old farmer depends on seasonal vegetable and biannual cash crops, including tomatoes and sugar cane for income to support his family of five, but locusts have destroyed everything.

Thousands of Christian farming families are facing famine after millions of locusts caused catastrophic loss to spring crops in Sindh district, one of the poorest rural regions of Pakistan.

The immense swarm of desert locusts, considered the most destructive migratory pest on earth, entered into the agricultural belt in November 2019. Originating from breeding grounds in West Africa, the devouring insects can migrate at alarming speeds, travelling up to 150km a day, aided by prevailing winds.

Ramoo's household is struggling to survive on barely half his usual income after the locusts destroyed his crops, just before harvest

30,000 acres of farmland ravaged

Like most Christian farmers, Ramoo is a “sharecropper” and receives only 50% of the income his crops make, with the rest going to his landlord. But with at least 50% of the precious rice and tomato crops devoured by the swarm just before the harvest, his income has been halved again. Ramoo’s family will have to survive on only £30 this month.

The plague of the pests, on a scale almost unheard of in Pakistan, has ravaged around 30,000 acres of land. At least 50% of wheat, rice, tomatoes, sugar cane and other crops have been destroyed. The cotton crop – an essential cash crop for Christian farmers – has also been devastated.

Normal pest control methods useless to save crops

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Father-of-six, Tulsi, explained how he struggled in vain to protect his crops. “We used drums (dhool), and other noisy sounds to get rid from those insects, but before leaving there was only straw in field but no leaves. Even in the areas where the rice crop was about to be harvested, were severely damaged,” said Tulsi.

Christian farmer, Tulsi, desperately tried to drive the locusts away from his rice crops, but the insects devoured everything in their path

Traditional manual control methods, such as pesticide spraying by hand and ground clearing, are nearly useless in the face of such a huge infestation, that few farmers have seen in their lifetimes.

Desperate farmers selling precious livestock to survive

Farmers have simply been unable to save their crops. Many have also been forced to sell their livestock, a precious asset, and household possessions to buy food and other basic family needs. Some are so desperate that they are leaving their land in search of scarce labouring work.

Thousands of Christian families are now living on only one basic meal a day and malnutrition is rife, especially in children and nursing mothers.

Even a small swarm of desert locusts of just a square kilometer can consume as much food in one day as 35,000 people

Prime Minister Imran Khan has declared a national emergency and the government is trying to contain the locust infestation with aerial spraying, so that crops can be planted safely for the next growing season.

Local church leaders have contacted Barnabas, asking us to help 700 of the most badly affected and vulnerable Christian farming families, now at risk of starvation, to survive until the next harvest in three months’ time.

Food crisis looming in East Africa

The ravenous locust swarms have already swept across East Africa, with a devastating impact, before spreading north to Yemen, Iran and now Pakistan. Thousands of Kenyan Christians facing food shortages in the badly hit Pokot region have just sent an urgent call for help to Barnabas.

Please help them to survive until the harvest comes.

$50 will provide a hungry Christian farming family with a staple food pack including flour, rice, dahl (lentils), sugar, tea, and salt, to last one month.

If you would like to make a donation in Australian dollars call the below number or go to the link below.

Telephone If you prefer to telephone, dial: (07) 3806 1076 or 1300 365 799 https://barnabasfund.org/au/donate/00-1313/LPB%2002/20

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Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice (Philippians 4:4)

Commandments of God “At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed; they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.” (Number 9:23)

THE lessons in this verse involve the orders for man, the obedience by man, and the overlooked by man.

Orders for man. Our verse today is filled with orders for man. Three times the

phrase “commandment of the LORD” is found in our verse and once the phrase “charge of the LORD” is found. This verse is about the orders for the Israelites as they traveled through the desert. They were to have their lives filled with God’s orders just as our verse is filled with God’s orders. God wants to rule our life, and He should. When we try to rule our life by ourselves, we make a real mess of things in a hurry. We need to let God so fill our life with His orders that every area of our life is ruled by Him. Of course, that does not appeal to many folk. They want to run their own life and do their own thing. But when Israel did that they got in real trouble, and so will anyone else.

Obedience by man. Three times in this verse we have evidence of Israel’s obedience. They “rested,” they “journeyed,” and they “kept the charge of the LORD.” This is the way life should be lived. Obedience should characterize our conduct. When it does we can expect Divine blessings just as Israel experienced Divine blessings. But when disobedience replaces obedience, we forfeit the blessings of God.

Overlooked by man. The first commandment mentioned in our verse is one that men often overlook. It is the command to rest. When we think of Divine commandments, we generally think of action, not of rest. But God commands both. We need time to rest and recharge our batteries. We live in an age of speed; and, unfortunately, this has rubbed off on most of our schedules and we find ourselves engaged in an endless round of activity. Jesus told His disciples to come apart and rest awhile (Mark 6:31). Times have not changed. We still need rest. You can do more when you have adequate rest periods than if you do not rest at all.1

1 John G. Butler, Daily Bible Reading: Sermonettes, (Clinton, IA: LBC Publications, 2004), 2:47.

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See then that ye walk circumspectly… Ephesians 5:15

Drop the cash ban. Let’s keep legal tender legal

Robert Carling

12 FEBRUARY 2020 | SPECTATOR When does the end justify the means? One answer to that question comes in legislation currently snaking its way through the federal parliament that will, if enacted, ban the use of cash to pay bills of $10,000 or more. The bill has passed the House of Representatives but not yet the Senate, and there are reports of concern with it among Coalition ranks.

Any modest member who is concerned is right to be. As is so often the case, this is a draconian measure that sacrifices our economic freedom on the altar of some high-minded regulatory goal. This time it’s to make the black economy, money laundering and tax evasion more difficult.

We should be concerned about such erosion of economic freedom and individual liberty more generally because these are characteristics of the most successful societies and economies. Individuals and enterprises responding to undistorted price signals and low taxation in a setting of light regulation and the rule of law will not only enjoy greater personal fulfilment but also make a greater contribution to a productive and innovative economy.

It is true that the details of the planned cash ban are not quite as lurid as some ‘fake news’ reports suggest. You will still be able to withdraw any amount from a bank account (or deposit it), and the ban will only apply to transactions with businesses – it will not apply, for example, to a cash gift from one person to another. It is also true, however, that some of these let-outs will rely on ministerial regulations rather than the legislation itself – and it’s much easier to change regulations down the track than it is to change legislation.

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But wherever the ban applies, it will unquestionably encroach on economic freedom. Many people still prefer to use cash even when online bank transfers, direct debits, BPay, eftpos, PayPal and so on have made non-cash means of payment much more convenient and efficient (and sometimes unavoidable). An innocent preference for cash should not be put in the same bucket of illegality as money laundering and tax evasion.

It takes a certain absolutist way of thinking to conclude that cash’s potential to facilitate unacceptablepractices justifies government in banning it regardless of the collateral damage to economic freedom. The same kind of thinking has led to plastic bag bans, cumbersome bottle deposit/refund schemes, minimum prices for alcoholic drinks and a recent suggestion that the blood alcohol limit for drivers be lowered to zero.

It is not even clear that the cash ban will contribute much to its stated objective.

At least the cap — at $10,000 — is being set high enough that it will not be an inconvenience for many bona fide transactions. However, as there is no provision to index the cap to inflation it will gradually become lower in real terms and therefore more of a constraint on people’s freedom of choice. A future government may also find it likes the cash ban approach so much that it decides to tighten the screws by lowering the nominal dollar cap.

For these reasons, the current proposal may well be just the beginning of a slippery slope to lower and lower caps and ultimately a cashless economy — a ‘big brother’ world in which the anonymity and privacy of cash are lost forever.

It would be best not to even start down that path. The authorities have enough tools to tackle money laundering and tax evasion without doing so.

Every note in your pocket carries the declaration “legal tender throughout Australia.” Let that continue to mean exactly what it says, without a caveat that says “unless too many of them are bundled together.”

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Announcements and Things to Come

Studies and Encouragements.

• Communion, 1st Sunday Each Month 10am. • Prayer meeting / Bible Study every Wednesday evenings 7:30pm, see Pr

Edi. • Birthdays:

o Adam Brereton 7th February o Mabel Kereopa 17th February

• Kings Kids, 1st and 3rd Friday each month, Next date is 21st February 7pm. • Getting Deeper Studies 2nd Sunday Each month, 1pm ish • Apt To Teach. Sat, 22nd February 6:30am, located at Church. Includes breakie, see

Pr Edi. • Ladies Bible Study Tuesday 18th February 1:30pm, Natalie Uscinas home.

See Maria

• Prayer & Praise List

Missionaries (Babia Family) Sunbury Government Christian Persecution. The Gospel to Friends/Family