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Online Magazine: Edition 15

February/March 2007

Welcome to the Fifteenth Edition of the Online Magazine of the Thornleigh Seventh-day Adventist Church

Articles

Editorial

Youth for God

by Norman Tew

Since the last issue of the on-line magazine I helped at the 12th Gate Camporee (for more details see www.12thgate.org.au). This was an event planned for Pathfinders from all parts of the South Pacific area. Pathfinders are young people aged from 10 to 16, who are involved in training and outdoor activities.

There were over 6,000 Pathfinders (including their leaders) who attended from such countries as Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, New Caledonia as well as from Australia and New Zealand and some of the smaller island groups. The daily program included activities in the bush or in the water during the day with a worship program in the evening.

The worship program was planned with drama and a speaker around the theme of preparing to enter the 12th gate of the Heavenly New Jerusalem. This was a very effective program supported by a team of chaplains who did personal visitations with the young folk.

The speaker followed the theme that had been laid down, but he also kept in mind a statement written many years ago about young people serving the Lord in His church. It was written in the book "Education" on page 271, and is the concluding paragraph in a chapter on "The Life-work" in a section entitled "Character Building". It reads:

With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world! How soon might the end come--the end of suffering and sorrow and sin! How soon, in place of a possession here, with its blight of sin and pain, our children might receive their inheritance where "the righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever;" where "the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick," and "the voice of weeping shall be no more heard." Psalm 37:29; Isaiah 33:24; 65:19.

The speaker kept reminding the thousands of young people assembled before him, that they were part of the Lord's Army; that they needed to give their hearts and lives to Him; they needed to train themselves to serve Him; and they needed to be prepared to carry His Message to all around them, by life and word.

This is a message that we all need to heed, whatever our age, but especially for those who can look forward to many years serving the Lord.

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