Participants:
Series Code: LIN
Program Code: LIN000017A
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00:19 Funds had been raised by Sabbath school members
00:22 in California to send the missionary team 00:24 down to Australia. 00:25 The intention was to open the work in Australia, 00:28 for God had additional plans in store. 00:31 Headed by S. N. Haskell the team stopped here 00:34 in New Zealand for four to five days 00:37 on route in 1885. 00:40 Impressed by the friendliness of the people 00:42 and noting the libraries in town, 00:45 Haskell commented 00:46 that the people must be interested in learning 00:49 and would therefore make good prospects 00:51 for learning Bible truths. 00:58 After settling in Melbourne, he decided to return to America 01:01 and stopped off in New Zealand on the way. 01:04 He had heard of the group of Sunday keeping Adventists 01:07 and found accommodation with Edward and Lizzie Hare. 01:11 They introduced him to others in the area 01:13 and he held some meetings over the course of a few weeks. 01:17 Breaking the evangelistic rule, 01:19 he presented the Sabbath on the first night 01:21 and the second coming on the second night. 01:24 They were convinced and encouraged him 01:26 to visit the rest of the Hare family 01:28 who live north in Kaeo. 01:35 Deciding not to return to the US, 01:38 he stayed with the Hare family in Kaeo, 01:40 about 250 kilometers north of Auckland. 01:44 This area is rich in religious history 01:47 with the Methodist, Anglican, 01:48 Catholic and Seventh-day Adventist Churches 01:51 having roots in the area. 01:53 Here he met the patriarch of the family, 01:55 Joseph Hare, an Irish Orangemen 01:58 who along with his family live in the house 02:00 on the mount behind me. 02:02 He also met his son Robert, 02:04 and both of them were preachers. 02:06 Haskell was invited to speak 02:08 and spoke for three consecutive Sundays 02:10 along with evening meetings 02:12 and also holding Bible studies during the day in the home. 02:21 The Hare family decided to keep the Sabbath. 02:24 And this chemist behind me would end up 02:26 being one of the first church buildings that they met in. 02:29 Robert the son had a difficult decision to make. 02:32 He was engaged to be married. 02:34 The house had been built, the furniture had been ordered, 02:37 but his bride to be objected to his new beliefs. 02:41 It was marriage or the Sabbath, 02:43 she wouldn't convert and he wouldn't compromise. 02:47 The marriage was off and he left for America 02:50 to study for the ministry at Healdsburg College. 02:59 Haskell returned in 1886, 03:01 and ran a two week evangelistic series, 03:04 and before he left he organized 03:06 the Kaeo Seventh-day Adventist Church, 03:08 the first in New Zealand on the 23rd of March 1886. 03:14 Haskell sent a good report to the General Conference 03:16 and requested an evangelist be sent. 03:20 The choice was 28 year old A.G. Daniells, 03:23 who would later go on to be the longest serving 03:26 General Conference president. 03:28 A.G. Daniells brought with him a 15 square meter marquee 03:32 that was pitched here in this park 03:35 along with a pedal organ and together with his wife 03:38 lived in a tent on sites. 03:48 A.G. Daniells would lead 03:49 the first evangelistic tent series in Auckland 03:52 and drew large crowds. 03:54 And at the end of 17 weeks of meetings, 03:57 a Sabbath school with 78 members was started. 04:01 Later on, a small wooden church was built on Mackelvie Street 04:05 with 67 charter members 04:07 and the first service took place 04:10 on the 15th of October, 1887. 04:13 This was the first church built in the southern hemisphere 04:17 and still stands today 04:18 as part of the Ponsonby Seventh-day Adventist Church. 04:28 Robert Hare would soon return 04:30 from the USA with his American bride, 04:33 Henrietta Johnson 04:34 and thrust himself into the work here. 04:37 A few years later, a conference would be formed 04:39 and the work would progress to the South Island 04:42 with S.N. Haskell amongst others 04:44 starting the church there as well. 04:47 A few years later, 04:48 the conference was split into two in 1915. 04:51 A college was also started at Longburn on the south part 04:55 of the north island. 04:57 When Ellen White was in the South Pacific, 04:59 she spent some time here helping to establish the church 05:03 and spoke at the first New Zealand camp meeting 05:06 and also began writing on the life of Christ 05:09 while she was down here. 05:17 And so the stop on the journey to Australia turned into 05:20 a lot more than just a few days rest. 05:23 God had bigger plans than just rest and relaxation. 05:27 S. N. Haskell's return journey to America 05:30 never materialized then and instead the church 05:33 was birthed here in this beautiful country. 05:36 Sometimes we have big plans that we want God to accomplish. 05:39 And whilst that's good to have, 05:41 we must always be open to God turning things around 05:45 and remember as Isaiah says that 05:47 His ways are higher than our ways. 06:09 Ellen White's work in Australia 06:10 and New Zealand was largely a pioneering work. 06:14 S.N. Haskell and his team had arrived 06:16 several years earlier 06:17 but much of the work was yet to be done. 06:20 Here in this new country, 06:22 they would go into unentered field, 06:24 open schools, churches, 06:26 sanitariums and publishing houses. 06:29 The membership was small but the vision was big. 06:32 Ellen White had mentioned Australia 06:34 as early as 1874 when she wrote, 06:37 "The message will go in power to Oregon, 06:40 to Europe, to Australia." 06:43 At the age of 64, 17 years later, 06:46 she would arrive here in Australia. 06:48 The original team had originally docked in Sydney 06:51 but they would end up settling here in Melbourne 06:54 and the city is really the birthplace 06:56 of Adventism in Australia. 07:04 This was also where Ellen White first settled when she came. 07:07 In mid 1892, she sent a message 07:10 to the conference president A.G. Daniells 07:12 that a school needed to be started 07:14 for the education of the youth. 07:16 This message was both welcome and also troubling. 07:20 How could a membership so small 07:21 and poor in worldly goods accomplish this? 07:24 They started the Australasian Bible School 07:27 in two rented houses on St. George's Terrace 07:30 on St. Kilda Road. 07:32 In their first term they had between 25 and 50 students, 07:36 later on the school would grow 07:38 and a third house would be added. 07:40 Later on, the school would move north to Cooranbong 07:43 but its roots lie here. 07:51 Early on the publishing work was started 07:54 and a building on the corner of Rae and Scotchmer 07:57 served as both accommodation and publishing house. 08:01 The first copy of the Bible Echo 08:03 and Signs of the Time 08:05 was published in January of 1886. 08:08 Later on, they would purchase a property here on Best Street 08:12 for 1400 dollars 08:13 and a three storey building was erected. 08:16 The publishing house would stay here 08:18 until it would move in 1905 to Warburton 08:21 where it remains to this day. 08:24 Our early pioneers 08:25 sought to use the best means of communication 08:28 to share the message 08:30 and this was integral to the strategy of the church 08:32 as it planted in new areas. 08:40 Here in the Edinburgh gardens they also held 08:43 the first tent meetings that would later on 08:46 lead to the first Adventist Church 08:48 in the southern hemisphere, 08:49 the North Fitzroy Seventh-day Adventist Church. 09:00 Another work that started early on was a health food company, 09:04 this was known as Sanitarium Health Foods 09:07 and started in 1898 on Clark Street 09:10 in Northcote, Melbourne. 09:12 Ellen White strongly encouraged this as well as 09:14 the later move of the company from Melbourne to Avondale 09:18 so that the college students could work there. 09:20 Today Sanitarium Foods 09:22 is one of the largest health food companies 09:24 in the world 09:25 and is widely recognized throughout Australia 09:28 for its wide range of products, 09:30 in particular, its flagship product Weetabix. 09:42 The financial support given by Sanitarium 09:45 to the work of the church is aligned with the instruction 09:48 Ellen White gave about the health food work 09:50 that it is God's gift to His people 09:53 and the profits are to be used 09:55 for the good of suffering humanity everywhere. 09:58 This is perhaps the best illustration 10:00 of this close working relationship 10:02 anywhere in the world. 10:12 And so the work of the church 10:13 started in a comprehensive fashion, 10:16 evangelism, church planting, 10:19 education, a health food company, 10:21 a publishing house and the sanitarium. 10:24 There were many dimensions to the church in its early days 10:27 despite only having a few members. 10:30 They work hard and sort of follow the counsel 10:33 that God had given them, 10:34 even though they only had a little bit of funds. 10:38 Sometimes today, I think we are too constrained 10:41 by our circumstances 10:43 and if the plan is manifested the same hesitancy 10:46 that we often have, 10:47 I wonder if the work would ever have got going. 10:51 God is looking for people today, 10:53 who will step out in faith, 10:55 who will follow the counsel that He has given 10:57 and seek to accomplish great things in these times 11:01 in which we're living. 11:31 The work had begun in Melbourne 11:33 and the school was growing, 11:35 but the council had been given 11:36 that this was not to be a permanent location 11:39 and they were to move out of the city 11:41 into the countryside. 11:43 A search committee was appointed 11:45 but it was tough going. 11:47 The cost of suitable land 11:48 was too high for a small constituency 11:51 of only 1000 members, and in many places 11:54 they did not want a school on their land. 11:57 Eventually, they found a 1500 acre property 12:01 in Cooranbong, New South Wales 12:03 offered at a very reasonable price 12:05 of 14 shillings per acre. 12:12 After inspecting the soil, they were disappointed. 12:16 Some of the soil was good, but some was poor 12:18 and sandy and the committee was split, 12:20 some in favor and some opposing. 12:23 Ellen White was invited to review the land 12:25 and after two days of inspection and discussion, 12:28 she suggested that they pray 12:30 and ask God to give assurance 12:32 that it was the right location. 12:34 As they knelt to pray, Ellen White was impressed 12:36 to pray for the healing of one of the members present 12:39 who was rapidly declining with tuberculosis. 12:42 After they prayed, 12:44 Elder Stephen McCullough said that 12:45 he had felt a feeling passed through his body 12:48 like an electric wave. 12:50 Ellen White said, "The Lord is here. 12:52 This is the evidence that it is the right place." 13:00 Also a few days before she visited the property, 13:03 she had a dream 13:04 where she saw a freshly turned furrow 13:07 and two men examining the soil. 13:09 They said this is not good land, 13:12 the soil is not favorable. 13:14 Ellen then looked up and saw her angel. 13:17 He said, "False witness has been borne 13:19 against this land." 13:21 He then went on to explain the science of the soil. 13:30 As the days and weeks passed on, 13:32 some of those present began to weaken 13:34 and question the quality of the soil. 13:37 And so it was proposed to get a government inspector 13:39 out to look at the soil. 13:41 Mr. A.H. Benson inspected the soil 13:44 and later on over dinner, 13:46 he commented that the soil was useless 13:49 and there will be better of forfeiting their deposit 13:51 than going ahead with the purchase. 13:54 He said that if a bandicoot or a small rabbit 13:56 was to cross this particular tract of land, 13:59 he would find it necessary to carry his lunch with him. 14:07 After he wrote his report, it was shown to Ellen White, 14:11 to which she replied, 14:12 "Is there not a God in Israel to inquire of 14:15 that we must go to the God of Ekron." 14:17 She went on to tell the brethren 14:19 that they could continue looking for a new site 14:21 if they wanted to, and if they found something 14:23 suitable to show her, 14:25 but her heart was at peace with the current location. 14:28 The leaders decided 14:30 to move ahead with the purchase. 14:31 The next challenge was to find the money and to build. 14:40 The first building built was literally out of the land 14:44 and it was a small dormitory, dining room and kitchen. 14:47 Short on funds, they asked 14:49 for volunteers to finish the work. 14:51 And amongst those who responded 14:53 was S.N. Haskell and his wife Hetty. 14:56 Working at night, one would hold the candle 14:59 while the other would drive in the nails. 15:01 Ellen commented that the women worked 15:03 until the hands blistered 15:05 and they would rub vaseline on, so they could continue working. 15:08 And thus the college was built amidst toil, 15:11 sacrifice and hardship by the new 15:14 and small church in Australia. 15:23 April the 28th, 1897, so the first day 15:27 for the Avondale School for Christian workers, 15:29 and they started 15:31 with four teachers and 10 students, 15:33 rising to 60 by the end of the first term. 15:36 Truly it can be said, 15:38 who has despised the day of small things? 15:41 Despite the small number of students and staff 15:44 this school would go on to have a huge impact 15:47 in the South Pacific and key to the many missionaries 15:50 who went to the surrounding islands. 15:53 In 1911 the name would change 15:55 to the Australasian Missionary College, 15:57 and in 1964 the name 16:00 would change again to Avondale College. 16:07 The school was built on land 16:09 that the government deemed to be unusable. 16:12 And yet this prediction proved to be untrue. 16:15 God always knows best and allowing Him 16:17 to lead in our decisions whether that's personal 16:20 or church wide is always the best way 16:23 even when it seems to make no sense to us. 16:27 May we be sensitive to His Spirit 16:29 and able to tell His voice as He leads us. 16:36 When I was growing up, if you wanted to study history 16:39 or do research on a particular topic, 16:41 there was really only one option 16:43 that we had and that was to read a book. 16:45 And I never really used to like reading that much. 16:48 So we decided to create a resource 16:50 that will translate this written information 16:52 into the language of today. 16:56 My name is Adam Ramadan. And my name is Clive Coutet. 16:58 And we are the cofounders of Lineage Journey. 17:01 Back in 2016, I was reading a Great Controversy 17:04 and I was really struggling 17:05 to find any relevant video resources 17:07 that I could use to aid me in my study. 17:09 So I decided to approach Adam about the possibility 17:11 of making some videos on the Reformation. 17:14 So we started filming in the end of 2016, 17:17 and in 2017 we released 48 videos 17:20 that covered the period of the early church 17:23 all the way through to the end of the Reformation. 17:26 Then in 2018 and 2019 17:28 we released another 52 episodes on church history. 17:31 These have now been viewed all over the world 17:34 in over 100 countries 17:36 covering about 50 different languages 17:38 and we have over 3 million views online. 17:41 These videos have been used as a resource 17:43 in both secular and Christian schools 17:46 as well as several church denominations 17:48 across the globe using Bible studies, 17:51 study groups, 17:52 as well as play to the general congregation. 17:54 They also make a great online evangelistic tool 17:57 where people aren't able to share them, 17:58 and we've seen them go into countries 18:00 that we ourselves can't go, 18:01 countries that are Muslim countries 18:03 where the Christian message cannot go. 18:05 One of the challenges we have, though, 18:07 is that amongst our team of almost 10 people, 18:09 we are all volunteers on this project, 18:11 sacrificing our time, our effort and energy 18:14 in order to make these resources together. 18:16 Just to put things into perspective, 18:18 each Lineage episode as well as the filming 18:21 takes an additional two to three days 18:23 in post-production. 18:24 That is a lot of time and sacrifice 18:26 that this team has made 18:27 in putting 100 episodes together. 18:29 So we need to raise the funds 18:31 to cover the cost of the filming 18:32 as well as the continued production costs 18:35 that come after that. 18:37 So for as little as $1 a month, 18:39 you can help us to expand 18:40 this ministry to create new resources 18:42 to reach more people across the world. 18:45 Thank you for visiting this page 18:46 and taking the time to watch this video. 18:48 We really appreciate that. 18:50 Thank you for your support of the ministry so far. 18:52 And we ask that you would prayerfully consider 18:55 being a partner with us on this Patreon page. 18:58 May God bless you. 19:00 And we ask that you continue to keep this ministry 19:02 and our future plans in prayer. 19:21 When the land was purchased for a new school in Cooranbong, 19:25 the vision was to sell some of the land surrounding it 19:28 to families associated with the school. 19:30 In order to show her faith in the project 19:33 Ellen White was the first to negotiate for land, 19:36 for a home, garden and orchard 19:38 and show 16 hectors or 40 acres. 19:47 This home once built would be her place of residence 19:51 from 1896 to 1900. 19:54 While the home was being built, 19:55 Ellen White stayed on site to ensure that 19:58 it was done correctly but also to help out, 20:01 helping to clear the land, driving her own two horse team 20:05 and planting trees all at the age of 68. 20:14 Establishing a home in the bush wasn't easy 20:17 and it took a lot of hard work to get the land 20:20 from what it looked like on arrival 20:22 to what it looks like today. 20:24 Kangaroos and other wild native animals 20:27 roamed freely 20:28 and it was necessary to get a good watchdog. 20:31 Tiglath Pileser was named after an Assyrian king 20:35 who had a reputation 20:36 for being cutthroat and ruthless. 20:39 Ellen loved the climate here saying that 20:41 it was beautiful and the best that she had experienced. 20:45 Due to the frequent sunshine 20:47 she named this particular home Sunnyside. 20:54 The stories that happened here in this house 20:57 and in this area are many and her influence was great. 21:01 Not just as a church leader but also as a community leader. 21:05 There is one instance where children in the area 21:09 were stealing clothing off the washing line. 21:11 Rather than letting the authorities deal with it, 21:14 Ellen White went around to the houses 21:16 and arranged the whole sewing classes 21:18 with the mothers, 21:19 teaching them how to better their lives. 21:22 Her faith was not just theoretical, 21:24 but it was practical, demonstrating the love of Jesus 21:28 to those whom she met. 21:34 One of the most significant accomplishments of our time 21:37 here in this house 21:38 was a completion of the masterpiece, 21:40 the Desire of Ages. 21:42 This book starts with the birth of Jesus 21:45 and goes through to His ascension 21:47 and records in vivid detail using the best language 21:51 possible every aspect of Jesus' life. 21:54 Taken advantage of the pleasant climate 21:56 here at Sunnyside some of this book 21:58 was written under a tree outside. 22:01 This book has changed countless lives over the years, 22:05 other books that were completed during her time here 22:08 are Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing 22:10 and Christ's Object Lessons. 22:18 One of the pioneer evangelists in Australia, 22:21 Pastor J.B. Conley spoke how once 22:23 when his family was in a time of need, 22:26 Ellen White immediately harnessed her horse 22:29 and went and visited them. 22:31 She brought fruit from her own garden 22:33 as well as encouraged them. 22:35 Numerous other individuals and families also experienced 22:39 Ellen White helping them out during her time here. 22:47 Ellen White's time in Australia 22:49 would have a huge impact on the church 22:51 here as a comprehensive foundation 22:53 and structure was put in place. 22:56 However, she never lost her passion 22:58 for helping people out and demonstrating practically 23:01 the love of Jesus in her neighborhood. 23:04 Unfortunately, too often too many of us 23:06 have been introduced 23:08 to Ellen White through the words, 23:09 Ellen White says, followed by a rebuke or a counsel. 23:12 But the Ellen White who lived here 23:14 always saw to reflect Jesus practically in all she did. 23:19 May we get to know this side of Ellen White as well. 23:21 And may we reflect Jesus in our lives 23:24 wherever we may be. 23:45 Nathaniel Faulkhead had a good reputation 23:47 as a businessman. 23:49 And so soon after he was baptized 23:50 in 1886 or 1887, 23:53 he was named the treasurer at the Echo Publishing House. 23:56 His work was good and the results were favorable. 23:59 However, there was another side to him. 24:01 He was also a prominent member of the Masons 24:04 and several other secret organizations. 24:07 And saw no reason why he needed to resign 24:09 from these organizations 24:11 when he became a Seventh-day Adventist. 24:13 However, his interest 24:15 in the work of God began to fade 24:17 and his friends were concerned for his spiritual wellbeing. 24:24 Soon after Ellen White arrived in Australia in 1891, 24:28 she was given a detailed vision 24:30 of the situation here at the Echo Publishing House 24:33 and wrote the entire vision out including a testimony 24:36 from Nathaniel Faulkhead which was 50 pages in length. 24:40 Something told her at that time 24:41 not to send it though as it would not be accepted. 24:44 Soon after this J.H. Stockton, 24:47 a fellow worker asked Nathaniel what he would do 24:50 if Ellen White had a testimony for him. 24:52 He replied, "Well, 24:53 it would have to be pretty strong 24:55 for me to believe that it came from God." 25:03 Not long after this Nathaniel dream 25:06 that the Lord had prepared a message for him 25:08 through Sister White. 25:09 And so the next time he saw her, 25:11 he asked her if she had a message for him. 25:14 She was tired and said that 25:16 she would share it with him later, 25:17 but he insisted and so in spite for her fatigue 25:20 she shared the 50 page testimony with him. 25:23 As she was doing so, 25:25 she made signs and gestures 25:27 that only members of a Masonic lodge knew. 25:30 Nathaniel interrupted her 25:32 and asked her if she knew what she was doing. 25:34 And if she had done anything unusual, 25:36 she said no. 25:43 She spoke on and made another sign 25:45 that she later said her attending angel 25:47 made her do. 25:49 Nathaniel turned pale, 25:50 he had only learned this a few days previous 25:53 and it was known to only six people 25:55 in the whole of Australia. 25:57 There was no way a woman could know the sign. 26:00 As she continued the conversation, 26:02 she made another sign. 26:03 And Nathaniel remembered the conversation 26:06 he had had with J.H. Stockton a few days previous 26:09 and he was fully convinced 26:11 that this testimony was from God. 26:20 Finally, after speaking for more than three hours, 26:23 God prevailed and Nathaniel surrendered everything to Him 26:27 and made a vow which he kept 26:28 that he would resign from all the secret societies 26:31 that he was a member of. 26:33 God used perhaps the most unlikely thing 26:35 to capture this man's attention and reach through to his heart. 26:39 God meets us where we are in ways 26:42 that will grab our attention but maybe not someone else's. 26:45 Today, we might not have 26:47 a living, breathing, live prophet 26:49 but we still have God's inspired Word 26:52 and His Holy Spirit still speaks to our heart. 26:55 May we be sensitive, 26:56 may we heed the admonitions in the scriptures 26:59 and may we listen to the Holy Spirit 27:01 when He speaks to us in a still small voice. |
Revised 2020-04-02