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South Pacific Record4.4 hi% and Adventist World Survey /Pima % raj FR Publication of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific Division VOL. 92, NO. 2 January 24, 1987 ti cc 0 0 CD O CO vi -c 2? a) 17) 0 U) te. Why eg Children from Victoria Park School in Western Australia recently assisted in the Adventist Appeal. In two and a half Gr to: hours, children from Grades 5 and 6 knocked on 700 doors and came home with $210. Pho EDITORIAL ... Southan, I Ai hvo k..a pLd. Pacific Record Killing the Prophets Official Paper of the SOUTH PACIFIC DIVISION OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH Editor JAMES COFFIN AN ALARM CLOCK that is unable was John the Baptist. After all, they Associate Editor GARY KRAUSE to make a noise is useless. But every were cousins and both devoted their Assistant Editor JOY TOTENHOFER Editorial Secretary GLENDA FAIRALL morning at 6.30, I devoutly wish for lives to teaching the good news of the Advisers: such a clock. kingdom. John felt unworthy even to Senior Consulting Editor A. H. TOLHURST My alarm is loud and legalistic. It untie Christ's sandals. Christ said that Consulting Editors Correspondents: screams at me without shame. At first I John was the greatest person ever Division R. L. Coombe tried ignoring it, then reasoning with it, born. Avondale College J. T. Banks Sydney Adventist Hospital B. Sodeman and finally verbally abusing it. At times John was not a popular preacher Trans-Tasman Union I even threaten violence. But all my with some people—particularly the Trans-Australian Union R. H. Baird Jewish religious leaders. He was not a Regional Reporters: strategies fail. Central Pacific G. E. Christian Even while lying in a warm, regular speaker on the Israeli Greater Sydney R. K. Brown synagogue circuit and was not in- North New South Wales L. J. Laredo comfortable bed, I know that it tells the North New Zealand D. D. Blanch truth—I do have to wake up, get out of terested in running for any "Man of the Northern Australia L. G. Robinson bed, and go to work. But I still groan Year" award. Papua New Guinea M. Darius South Australia G. W. Watson and murmur against it. As I listen to its John had an irritating habit of calling South New South Wales R. W. Townend uncompromising message, I mutter, the Jewish religious leaders a "gener- South New Zealand R. E. Granger South Queensland R. G. Douglas "This is a hard saying; who can hear ation of vipers." The Romans were not Tasmania A. Walshe it?" spared either. The prophet told Herod Victoria E. I. Totenhofer Western Australia G. W. W. Drinkall The Apostle Paul warned young he was living in sin. As a result, John Western Pacific L. Solomon Timothy of people with "itching lost his head. That's one way of Local Reporters: Church Communication Secretaries ears," unable to "endure sound silencing an alarm clock. doctrine." I think he was referring to And it has also been a popular Annual subscription—post paid: people like me. method. Christ had a high regard for All areas covered by the South Pacific Division $A18.00 Just as I don't enjoy having my the prophets, but He also loved those Other countries $A31.00 alarm tell me the truth every morning, who tried to silence them: "0 Air Mail postage rates on application so there are many other things I do not Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the Order direct from the Signs Publishing Company. Warburton, Victoria 3799, Australia. like to hear. For example, if a good prophets and stone those sent to you, All copy for the paper should be sent to The Editor, RECORD, Signs Publishing Company, Warburton, friend were to tell me that I was how often I have longed to gather your Victoria 3799 unkind, unloving and insensitive, I children together, as a hen gathers her Editorial Office: Phone (059) 66 5781. Printed weekly for the Division by the Signs Publishing would feel most uncomfortable. chicks under her wings, but you were Company, Warburton, Victoria. There is a certain appeal about an not willing." Matthew 23:37, NIV. alarm that would say quietly at 6.30 When I was punished at school, my DIRECTORY am: "I am programmed to yell at Gary teacher emphasised the moral, SOUTH PACIFIC DIVISION OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH now. But I know he really doesn't want therapeutic effect of the cane, and t48 Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga, NSW 2076. me to wake him so early. I will give him President Walter R. L. Scragg Secretary A. H. Tolhurst a gentle hint in half an hour. I will Treasurer W. T. Andrews speak softly, and if he doesn't Associate Secretary V. B. Parmenter John lost his head. Associate Treasurers 0. S. Mason stir—give him another hour or two." W. H. Stokes That's one way of Field Secretary A. J. Ferch Such an alarm would suit my "itching Administration Projects Director M. G. Townend Archivist and Statistician R. E. Clifford ears." silencing an alarm Auditor G. J. Bland Associate Auditors E. N. Hokin There is also a certain appeal about clock. M. E. Mitchell E. J. Moffitt friends who say good things about you. E. E. Robson K. E. Watts People tend to associate with others Departmental Directors who give them such positive rein- assured me that the pain he felt was Church Ministries A. E. Birch Associates A. B. Gane forcement. comparable to mine. I was never really R. L. Hodgkinson B. K. Craig The Lord is a gentleman who knows convinced. P. R. Jack Assistant L. R. Chester how to make people feel good. But He But when the Lord says that His Communication, Public Affairs also knows that at times a strong, strong words are for our eternal good, Religious Liberty R. L. Coombe Education G. F. Clifford straight message has to be given. The we can believe Him. The writer to the Associate H. T. Irvine Assistant A. C. Reye Lord loved the rich young ruler and Hebrews says, "Do not lose heart Food Services D. C. Myers Health and Temperance D. E. Bain knew what he needed. So He asked when he rebukes you." Hebrews 12:5, Associate G. Rowe Ministerial Association A. D. C. Currie him to give away all that he owned. NIV. Publishing J. T. Knopper When the Lord chooses to remind us Trust Services A. W. White Only then could the young man follow. ADRA Executive Director G. A. Laxton But this was a hard saying and he of the truly important matters—such Associate W. Peter Truscott Christian Services for the Blind E. C. Lemke walked away sorrowful. Christ's as justice, mercy and faithfulness—it is words rang in his ears like an alarm foolish to try to silence His alarm clock. clocks. One of the Lord's closest friends Gary Krause. 2 SOUTH PACIFIC RECORD, JANUARY 24, 1987 SCIENTIFIC REFLECTION "World Enough, and Time" MALCOLMFORD Evolutionists would have us believe that on the fluid conveyor belt of time, components of cell structure danced into meaningful combinations. "HAD WE BUT world enough, and do not exist. They could not exist is supposed to have preserved useful time" is the opening line of Andrew because the changes would require mutations; yet it is a well-known fact Marvell's famous love poem. In this such complex genetic and structural that mutations are usually harmful to poem he shows his superb gift for transformations that the original life their host organism. distilling the essence of the paradoxi- forms would have been incapacitated. As A. Koestler points out in Janus: A cal elements of timeless and impulsive And any slight structural additions Summing Up: "You cannot have an love, compressing them into pure would have become useless because isolated mutation A, preserve it over poetry. they would have been only partly an incalculable number of generations But there have been others, less developed. A crude analogy for those until mutation B occurs in the same poetical, but equally obsessed with who are mechanically minded would lineage, and so on to C and D. Each what could be achieved with vast be a car constructed of "plastic" single mutation would be wiped off the periods of time. Marvell's sensual love materials that could evolve and allow slate before it could be combined with might span the gamut of historical time particular components to change their all the others. They are all interdepen- from "ten years before the Flood . design characteristics. dent within the organism—which is a till the conversion of the Jews." Yet functional whole, not a mosaic. The this is but a second compared to the Natural selection is doctrine that the coming together of all evolutionists' aeons of time expressed requisite changes was due to a series of in strings of indeterminate ciphers. supposed to have coincidences is an affront not only to They would have us believe that on preserved useful common sense but to the basic the fluid conveyor belt of time, moving mutations; yet principles of scientific explanation."2 through the nebulous influence of mutations are usually Yes, time has, for the past 100 and chance, the electrochemical compo- more years since Darwin, seemed to be nents of cell structure danced into harmful to their host. the great ally of the evolutionists. meaningful combinations. What could not be achieved within Those who accept Biblical creation In their book Evolution From Space vast periods! The Darwinians and see the whole, relatively sudden, act Sir Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wick- neo-Darwinians have had more than completed within a literal six-day ramasinghe reveal glaring problems their share of "time" and "world period—"and it was very good." with the neo-Darwinian theory of enough" of scientific adulation to It was Darwin who conceived the evolution.

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