22 July 2010
Vol 73 No 2
$2
Print Post Approved
No 34918100419
David Cook Chalks Up 25 Years At SMBC,
New Roberts-Dale Campus Opened
ON SATURDAY 29 MAY, 350 people attended a service of
thanksgiving to celebrate the 25th anniversary of David and
Maxine Cook’s ministry as Principal of Sydney Missionary
and Bible College, and the official opening of the new
Roberts‐Dale Campus.
The Chairman of the College Board, Geoff Deane, hosted
the afternoon. Stuart Coulton, Administrative Vice‐
Principal, spoke warmly about the ministry of David and
Maxine over the years. Reflections on David’s 25 years as
Principal were given by former students Jenny Salt and
Leon Stead, as well as current student, Gus Robinson.
John Chapman then preached from Romans 8, emphasis‐
ing God’s sovereignty, and His working in all things to make
us into the likeness of Jesus.
Anthony Brammall, Academic Vice‐Principal, provided a
history of Fred Roberts and Stan Dale after whom the new
adjunct campus is named. The college community was very
honoured and encouraged to have some family members of
Fred Roberts and Stan Dale in attendance.
John Dykes, Board member, challenged those present
with the need for $2.1m to help fund this new development.
With great thanksgiving to God, the campus was official‐
ly opened by Geoff Deane. Guests toured the new buildings
and enjoyed warm fellowship over afternoon tea.
David and Maxine Cook.
Gus Robinson pays tribute to the Cooks
HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE with Alison King
Nungalinya Moving
Forward
NUNGALINYA College in Casuarina,
NT, has a lot to celebrate including the
re‐accreditation of the college as a
Registered Training Organisation and
a flourishing set of modules in literacy
and theology. Good news for the ex‐
panding student base is that additional
courses have been added to the cur‐
riculum to keep up with student num‐
bers. In fact the college has experi‐
enced record student numbers for the
Certificate III in Theology and Ministry.
The college is progressing towards a
new Certificate II in Indigenous Min‐
istry by the end of this year. As the
students progress so does the college.
They are pleased to see the boost in
confidence gained by the students as
they study and the increased commu‐
nication between people from diverse
communities while studying at
Nungalinya.
Evangelisation Society of Australia is
pleased to welcome a new Board
member, Russell Wheatland. Russell
and his wife Lyn have three children,
Tim, Sarah and Emma.
An electrical engineer, Russell is
working for SP AusNet, the major elec‐
trical power company in Victoria. He
manages the Diagnostic and High
Voltage Testing group. Russell and his
family attend Suburban Baptist Church
in Hoppers Crossing, Vic, where he
serves as a deacon.
He brings with him Board experi‐
ence from Heathdale Christian
College, a college with over 1,200 stu‐
dents and 150 staff, where he focused
on risk management and strategic
planning. As a Board member Russell
hopes to serve the ESA community in
several capacities as they seek the
direction the Lord in relation to prop‐
erty, facilities and future ministry pos‐
sibilities.
ESA Camping, one of the ministries
of ESA, has four camps running over
the next three months. These include a
Rock‐Climbing Camp and some Youth
Camps at Halls Gap and Lake Tyers.
See www.esa.org.au for more informa‐
tion.
A ʻFirstʼ For CMS Australia
DR Tim and Mrs Catherine Walker,
with William and Hannah, have been
approved by the Board of Church
Missionary Society Australia as CMS
missionaries to serve in Rwanda. Tim
and Catherine are about to finish their
training at St Andrew’s Hall in
Melbourne.
Tim will teach at a university in
Butare, in the south of Rwanda, and
work as a physician. Catherine will ini‐
tially spend her time caring for their
children, but in the longer term will use
her skills as a teacher.
Tim and Catherine will be the first
CMS‐A missionaries to serve in
Rwanda long‐term.
They have had a heart for the coun‐
try since visiting there about ten years
ago.
l Christine Bird has recently started
working with CMS Victoria as a
Pastoral Care Worker.
Christine, formerly a missionary in
Nepal with her husband David, brings
with her a passion for mission and car‐
ing for those involved with CMS
Victoria.
MAF’s New Newsletter
MISSION Aviation Fellowship has launched a new newsletter entitled FlightPath
to keep readers up to date with news and events between editions of MAF News
magazine in March and September. The first issue has news about their work in
East Timor and Arnhem Land, and how the SBS Documentary Team used MAF in
the Congo. Also find out how MAF assisted Harrison Ford in Hati. For more infor‐
mation contact MAF on 1800 650 169 or [email protected]
OMF workers in the news include
Philip and Mary Aung. Philip is having
a short home assignment. Mary was
not able to join him on this visit as she
does not have a visa. Pray for her visa
application.
Steve and Deanne Cook are taking a
semi home assignment, reducing their
ministry load and catching up with
their partnership team.
Simon and Meg Crittle are having
encouraging results in their Melbourne
Japanese Church ministry, especially
amongst Japanese women. Pray that
the church can run family friendly
activities that will attract husbands
and fathers.
Tim and Sally Cross in South East
Asia have had their visas renewed but
for a shorter period. Pray for their lan‐
guage learning and their day by day
interaction with people in the commu‐
nity.
Jim and Linda McIntosh are about to
begin term three at the JO Fraser
Centre in Thailand. Term two was very
difficult but has set some good things
in place for the future.
SIM Australia has appointed Mathew
Hongai as its first missionary from
Papua New Guinea. A graduate of
Christian Leaders Training College and
Principal of a rural Bible school, he is
currently raising a prayer and financial
support team for the challenging min‐
istry in East Asia. Pray that his team
and visa will be in place for him to
leave in November.
Interserve currently has Partners and
ON Trackers (short termers) serving in
Nepal, Thailand and Central Asia. Pray
that they would be safe and wise as
they trust God in this time of unrest.
Pray also that they would be a support
to their local friends.
Christian Media Australia recently
held their AGM and announced their
Board for the coming year. The Board
is: Phil Edwards, President; Nathan
Brown, Vice President; Nathaniel
Garvin, Secretary; Kim Wilkinson,
Geoff Bentley and Andrew Baartz. To
receive their Squawk: News email
newsletter, contact:
[email protected]
Pray For The Church In Iraq
Pray for the Christian minority in Iraq.
The Church is on the brink of extinc‐
tion as persecution forces Christians to
flee to neighouring countries. In 1990
the Christian population was 1.5million
and is perhaps as low as 400,000.
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Two
‘STRIVING TOGETHER FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOSPEL ...’
CRMF Meets New Challenge
FOR many years Christian Radio
Missionary Fellowship has worked
closely with Mission Aviation Fellow‐
ship in Papua New Guinea. HF radios
placed by CRMF in the remotest areas
provide vital communication and MAF
provides the air transport to reach into
those areas where not even a track
exists, so that their working together
has saved many lives.
Today CRMF also provides HF radio
email, solar power units and training in
basic electronic skills for people living
and working in remote places – techni‐
cal skills widely sought after in a coun‐
try which badly needs this expertise.
But as a small mission there was
only so much CRMF can do. So from 1
July, CRMF in Papua New Guinea is
integrating with MAF Int Asia Pacific,
opening doors for recruitment and
support around the world and enabling
them to extend their areas of ministry.
CRMF in PNG will still be trading under
the name of CRMF with its own Board,
working autonomously but in coopera‐
tion with MAFPNG. The work present‐
ly done by the CRMF support office in
Australia will eventually be integrated
into MAF to avoid duplication.
Making Theological Education
Accessible
In liaison with MAF Learning Technol‐
ogies, CRMF is also beginning a new
ministry to give pastors and church
workers access to theological training
and resources.
Bryan Matthew, CRMF PNG Sales‐
Purchasing Manager, shares some of
his thoughts about how this will be of
benefit to his people:
‘Over the past 15 years I have come
to realise that many missionaries have
returned to their home countries. This
has left the local churches and mis‐
sions with an infrastructure initially set
up by missionaries but now they have
been left to fend for themselves.
‘In one denomination, only about
25% of 450 pastors have had Bible
College training, leaving 75% with no
formal Bible training of any kind. This
may also be the case in other Christian
Mission and Church organisations.’
Bryan Matthew on the job at CRMF PNG
Small Return Rate
Bryan said that potential Christian
workers and trainee pastors from re‐
mote and isolated communities face
many difficulties in receiving good bib‐
lical training. A lack of finances, the
necessity to relocate to a town where
colleges are located, and the fear and
uncertainty of such a move all make
training unlikely. Then, even for those
who achieve this, many graduates do
not return to rural areas but prefer to
remain in urban areas once they have
been trained.
This means that untrained pastors,
mission and church workers struggle to
keep the church running both physical‐
ly and most importantly, spiritually.
Bryan continues, ‘Personally, the
prospect of being involved in a min‐
istry which will alleviate some of these
problems means a great deal to me.
With the vast resources available,
CRMF can be a real blessing to those in
the remote locations who are in need
of spiritual resources and information.
‘Many pastors in remote areas face
an ongoing spiritual battle. We don’t
hear a lot about the killings and accu‐
sations of witchcraft practices and
innocent lives being lost in remote vil‐
lages. But these happen, and many of
those lives lost do not have Jesus
Christ as their Lord and personal
Saviour. In‐depth teaching will en‐
hance local communities, with their
pastors better equipped to deal with
these issues.’
Supplying A Need
‘Most pastors ministering in remote
communities lack any biblical teaching
resources. Many have only a Bible, no
commentaries or any other material to
help them in their ministry.
‘We pray that through combining
our resources with MAF Learning
Technologies, CRMF can become a
blessing to people in remote rural
communities with this ministry for a
long time to come.’
CRMF is a well established mission
organisation with over 55 years of
technical ministry and experience in
Papua New Guinea. It has a wealth of
local knowledge, especially in the
remote parts of PNG, together with
highly developed technical skills in
information technology, communica‐
tions systems and networks.
Bryan believes that CRMF has a lot
more to offer in terms of Christian
ministry, and through this new out‐
reach ministry can help equip pastors
and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ
through modern technologies within
PNG and even beyond.
‘Of course we can’t achieve this
without personnel,’ he says, ‘and we
need extra staff to facilitate this, espe‐
cially someone with IT skills, as well as
a constant need for people with tech‐
nical skills in electronics and others
with skills in administration.’
If you would like to help CRMF to
reach out to pastors and church work‐
ers in remote areas of PNG, please
contact them at PO Box 39, Box Hill,
VIC 3128. Phone: 03 9890 2338. Email:
crmf‐[email protected]
For more information check out our
web site: www.crmf.com
– Sheila Stewart, CRMF
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Three
CURRENT COMMENTS – CLIFFORD WILSON
Who’s Too Tough On Boats?
WE read that 70% of people think that
the new PM is tough in her boats poli‐
cy. Many people regard the whole
thing as a Liberal issue and that John
Howard could never really get on top
of it.
Tony Abbott has promised a return
to the Howard era, and that doesn’t
seem to have won voters’ approval. In
fact the only winners seem to be the
Greens who are surging ahead. One
heading says, ‘Labor’s primary vote is
leaking to the Greens’.
I read another report a few days ago
which very sensibly made the point
that there is no solution to the prob‐
lem of the boat people. They are
human beings and we are said to be
the ‘lucky’ country, with many coming
from impossible living conditions at
great sacrifice to themselves, only to
end up in quite unacceptable living
conditions here.
Christians should have sympathy for
the boat people, many of whom are
hard working and would make good
citizens. However, they are jumping
the queue, and it is reasonable to think
that they should be denied easy entry
to this country.
It is a sad situation. Let’s pray for
real wisdom for our leaders as they
face a virtually impossible situation but
with practical problems having to be
faced. Of course we must welcome
everybody who is a genuine seeker for
an acceptable way of life.
As I say, let’s keep praying that the
Lord will give real wisdom to our
national leaders.
Would A Bill Of Rights Help?
Queen’s Counsel Julian Burnside was a
vocal critic of the way the Howard
Government treated asylum seekers,
and now he suggests that, ‘a Bill of
Rights will certainly provide some abili‐
ty to prevent the excesses that we saw
in the details of what went on in
detention centres during the Howard
years’. Clearly neither Labor nor the
Co‐alition knows the answer. Certainly
we need to show Christian love for
refugees, but this whole issue should‐
n’t simply be a point scoring exercise
for either party.
What A Wonderful Reunion
There are those two little girls Krishna
and Trishna reunited with their biologi‐
cal mother. They were amazingly sep‐
arated after being joined before birth.
It was virtually a miracle when both
children were saved, and then
appeared to progress normally. No
wonder we read that their Bangladeshi
parents were ‘overwhelmed to see
their daughters walking and talking for
the first time’. It was also good to read
that apparently these lovely twins had
a very quick sense of a relationship
with their mother. Our medical staff
are to be congratulated and we thank
God for the wonders of modern day
treatments such as this.
She’s Apples, Mate!
Edna Spurway has reached the ripe old
age of 100 and she is very definite that
the major reason is that the common
apple has helped her reach this ripe old
age. She was asked what her secret
was and she said, ‘It is obviously good
genes and lots of apples of course’.
Mrs Spurway is the great grand‐
daughter of Maria Ann (‘Granny’)
Smith whose famous apple was creat‐
ed in a suburban Sydney orchard over
140 years ago. She obviously believes
that an apple a day keeps the doctor
away. Good on you Edna. I’ll keep eat‐
ing apples for a while yet.
Defending Ourselves In Outer Space
Those who follow prophecies about
the end times know that our Lord
referred to the role of the Sun in those
times still ahead of us. What did our
Lord mean? I thought of that as I read
a report which tells us that ‘new
images of a massive asteroid could one
day help Earth defend itself from
destruction’.
We are then told that the European
spacecraft Rosetta has flown through
the asteroid belt between Mars and
Jupiter at 47,800kmph. The asteroid
measures 134 km in diameter and the
statement is clearly made that this
could help Earth defend itself against
rogue asteroids. I have no firm opin‐
ions about some of these things but I
do know that we are surrounded with
evidences that should cause us, as our
Lord Himself stated, that when these
things begin to happen we should look
up because our redemption draws
nigh. (Luke 21.28) I fervently pray,
‘Even so, come Lord Jesus.’ In so many
areas there is confusion and calamity
all around the world. The wonderful
hope of the Christian is that surely the
day will soon be here when the Prince
of Peace will be welcomed by those
who follow Him.
BOOKS OF THE MONTH
Do you want to understand the Bible more? Do you want to grow in your faith?
Dr Clifford Wilson and New Life offer a series of monographs to help you.
THIS ISSUE:
Jesus The Master Counsellor and The False Trials Of Christ.
Available online at: www.nlife.com.au for $7 each or in
Hard copy from: New Life,PO Box 457, Mitcham, Vic 3132
[email protected] for $12 each inc GST, plus $2.50 postage and handling.
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Four
VOLUME 73
NUMBER 2
22 July 2010
ISSN: 1033-7903
FOUNDER:
Eric J. Daley (1910-1992)
EDITORIAL TEAM:
Rev Dr Bob Thomas
Dr Clifford Wilson
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(All letters to New Life please).
SERVING
THE
CHURCH
FOR
73
YEARS
How Well-Meaning Christians Can Love People To ‘Death’!
UNFORTUNATELY, many within the Church unwittingly fall for a common tactic of atheists,
because they are scared that the God of the Christian faith would be caricatured as an unloving,
judgmental Creator. To portray God as irrelevant and out of touch in a politically correct world we
hear statements like, ‘If God is a God of love why doesn’t He love homosexuals?’ Or, ‘If God is all‐
knowing He would understand why some need to have abortions.’
These are fallacious arguments, a diversion from the core issue, and the core issue, the one that
really cuts to the chase, goes back to Genesis. That is, if God is Creator, He has the perfect right to
say what happens with His creation. He made it; He owns it; He sets the rules! (And yes, He does love
us – see below). This highlights why the creation issue is the key cultural battleground today. The
skeptics hope that the Church will avoid dealing with the creation issue by getting them to see it as
non‐essential and divisive. They readily recognize that the weak underbelly of the Church – the all‐
embracing ‘liberal’ sections of it – are so eager not to cause offence that they unwittingly buy into
this anti‐God agenda (see creation.com/foxes‐crying–foul‐in‐the‐henhouse for examples of this), or
capitulate completely by embracing evolution.
Who Is Really Being Divisive?
Many leaders in modern church phenomena like the ‘Emergent’ movement, if asked a straightfor‐
ward question like, ‘Is homo‐sex a sin?’, will wriggle about and often proffer an explanation of 1
Corinthians 6.9 that sounds like it’s from the new ‘Non‐inspired, Double Speak’ translation of the
Bible to avoid the plain obvious meaning of such passages (lest we cause offence). The motive might
be well‐meant, trying to avoid being divisive. But how many realise that those who do not accept the
Scriptures in the plainest, straightforward way, ie the way that the authors intended, are actually the
ones that are being divisive – particularly when it comes to the book of Genesis. If we retreat from a
plain and honest understanding of the foundational meaning for the entrance of sin, death and our
need for salvation, then the Bible, and the Gospel itself, is up for grabs for any interpretation one
desires on any other subject. After all, if the truth does not begin in the first book, where does it
begin?
No Relevance
The liberal all‐inclusive notion is that God ‘loves’ all sinners (as in, will not judge all sinners, ie all who
are outside of Christ). This actually has the opposite effect of what those well‐meaning evangelical
churches and leaders desire. If the humanistic worldview says evolution is ‘real’ science, therefore
Genesis is wrong, there is no Creator, so there is no need for a Saviour and thus, one can make up
one’s own rules about life. There was no real first Adam, so no point to the ‘last Adam’ (Jesus). For
most, if evolution is true then what’s the point of going to church? The caricature is actually well
founded if the church does not believe what it is supposed to believe!
To find the origin of sin and define what it means one has to go back to Genesis. The New
Testament points back there (Romans 5.12). Sin is rebellion from the Creator (and is the way the
majority of the world lives its life today, justified somewhat by evolution). Subsequent to the events
in the Garden of Eden, the law was given that we might realise our offences and more importantly
who we are offending. If inclusivity is at the expense of not pointing out that sin offends the Creator,
then how will people ever understand that they are sinners and that they need to be saved?
It’s Not Complicated
The Gospel is not hard to understand. We live in a sin‐cursed fallen world; we are all going to die and
there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Is God a God of love? Absolutely! ‘… God demonstrates
His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5.8). And
Christ is God’s own Son – the Creator of the universe. But it won’t make a lot of sense if we don’t
refer people back to the foundational reasons they need to be saved. And if we don’t, then we risk
‘loving’ people into a Godless eternity. ‘For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the
world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him’ (John 3.17). Let’s similarly ‘love’ our
neighbours by telling them the truth of creation.
– Gary Bates, CEO, (US) Creation Ministries International
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Five
CELEBRATING ...
Tyndale College Celebrates 15 Years
TYNDALE College (The Australasian
Open Theological College, Inc) recent‐
ly celebrated its 15th anniversary at
the annual Graduation and Confer‐
ence, held at the Hunters Hill Congre‐
gational Church in Sydney.
A specialist provider of theological
training via Distance Education,
Tyndale College faculty and students
gather in Sydney during the last week‐
end in June each year for the annual
event, a combined conference and
graduation service.
Wide Variety Of Topics
Faculty members are invited each year
to present papers on theological or
biblical subjects of interest, and then
invite questions and responses from
the audience.
This year papers were presented on
a range of topics, including: Interpret‐
ing Scripture Through Experience; Water
Baptism: Why Do Christians Differ So
Much?; Doing Theology For The People
Of God: The Writings Of J.I. Packer;
Hymn Writers Of The Ancient Church:
Thoughts And Comparisons; and From
Maintenance To Mission In A Time Of
Transition: How To Truly Be God's
People In The 21st Century. In keeping
with the aims of the college, several of
the papers provoked sustained and
robust discussion!
New Life editor Bob Thomas was
this year’s Keynote Speaker, on the
theme: Telling The Old, Old Story In
The Brave New World. Bob's Bible stud‐
ies and musings and his preaching at
the Hunter's Hill Congregational
Church on Sunday morning struck a
chord with all in attendance.
At the Saturday evening graduation
service two students received their
awards, Johannes Lawrence from
Swan Hill, Vic, who received the
Associate Certificate in Theology, and
Rodney Pearce, currently resident in
the USA, who achieved the College's
exit award in absentia, the Scholar in
Theology. On the strength of Rodney's
education with Tyndale College, he
was recently accepted into a Master of
Divinity program with the Master's
Seminary, California.
Major Ian Thomason (centre) inducted as Director of Tyndale College
Notably, both of 2009's Scholar in
Theology graduates are currently
involved in advanced theological stud‐
ies with the South African Theological
Seminary. 2011 anticipates the pre‐
senting of further Associate Certificate
in Theology, Licentiate in Theology
and Scholar in Theology awards.
Staff Changes
The 2010 Tyndale College Graduation
and Conference marked the occasion
of the retirement of two pivotal and
founding figures in the life of the col‐
lege: the Rev Dr B. Ward Powers as
Director, and the Rev Leonard Kings‐
ton as Registrar.
Ward will be remaining with the
College as the Dean of both New
Testament and Ethics, but will be
devoting greater time towards scholar‐
ship, with several books currently in
publication or planned for publication
in the near future. Leonard has retired
in order to devote greater time to his
family. Our prayers go with him, and
his valued input and vision for the col‐
lege will be sorely missed.
Major Ian Thomason, a tutor for the
past eight years, was invested as the
second Director of Tyndale College at
the conclusion of the Graduation
Service.
At a challenging time for theological
training throughout Australia, Tyndale
College strives to continue to meet the
needs of a niche market: the delivery
of rigorous education and training in
biblical and theological studies by
Distance Education to lay Christians.
Details of the courses available with
Tyndale College can be accessed from
the College's website:
www.tyndalecollege.org.au
– Ian Thomason
Morling Movements In Pastoral Studies
MORLING College Sydney has great pleasure in announcing the appoint‐
ment of Rev Keith Mitchell to take up the role of Lecturer in Pastoral and
Practical Studies, a position vacated by the recent retirement of Dr John
Reid. Keith Mitchell’s appointment commences this month.
Keith will work closely with Rev Dr Graham Hill in providing education
and leadership in the formation of Christian ministers. This will include the
development in students of such skills as pastoral care, local church leader‐
ship, deep Christian spirituality, and pastoral prayer.
Keith has served in various Baptist Churches for the past 17 years, most
recently finishing up as the Senior Pastor at Erina Community Baptist
Church. Keith has also done some part‐time lecturing at Morling in the
areas of Theology and Counselling, and is currently completing his Master
of Adult Education through the University of Technology, Sydney.
Keith’s pastoral experience has helped to shape his knowledge, which he
will pass on to students. As a graduate of Morling College, Keith hopes to
share his experience and knowledge with future graduates.
Morling is committed to raising up a generation of students equipped to
take God’s Word to God’s world.
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Six
‘NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN ...’
1657 Hand-Written ‘Windows’ Bible
– Long Before The Computer
THE Polyglot is one of 20 Bibles, each
with a fascinating history, that are on
display for one short week in Parra‐
matta, Western Sydney. These Bibles –
the oldest dating back to 1495 – are
part of the Bible Society’s Heritage
Bible Display taking place from 19‐24
July at St John’s Anglican Cathedral.
The display is being held in conjunc‐
tion with the Macquarie 2010 Bicen‐
tenary. A number of the Bibles were
part of a lending library that Elizabeth
Macquarie, wife of then‐Governor
Lachlan Macquarie, established in 1817
to meet the spiritual needs of the
colony. These and other rare copies of
the Bible are now part of the Bible
Society’s Heritage Bible Collection
housed in Canberra’s St Mark’s Library.
Early Edition Of Vulgate
Visitors to the Parramatta Display will
be able to see a 1495 Latin Vulgate
from the century of the invention of
the printing press. There are also his‐
toric English texts including a 1551
Tyndale and a 1607 Geneva Bible as
well as the magnificent Polyglot Bible
(pictured) from 1657, which remark‐
ably presents its hand‐written content
in several ‘windows’ on the page – in
the ancient languages of Hebrew,
Greek, Latin, Syriac, Ethiopic and
Persian.
‘Beginnings’
A Commentary And 24
Studies On Genesis 1‐11
Written by Greg Goswell,
Old Testament Lecturer,
Presbyterian Theol Coll,
Melbourne
$19.50 + $2.50 postage
Available from PTC Media on
0400 880 515
684 Elgar Rd Box Hill North
Vic 3129
The 1657 Polyglot Bible
The Heritage Bible Display also fea‐
tures historic Chinese Bibles (including
an 1856 Chinese Wenli), and Bibles
from Russia, Assam and Tahiti. Of par‐
ticular interest are Bibles in Australian
Aboriginal languages (1864) and Bibles
which belonged to famous Australians
such as the first Governor General,
Lord Hopetoun.
John Harris, Passionate Curator
Over the years, historian and transla‐
tion consultant Rev Dr John Harris has
been the Bibles’ passionate curator,
and has played a leading role in efforts
to salvage each of these special copies.
In recognition of his efforts he received
the Elizabeth Macquarie Award from
the Governor of NSW, Professor Marie
Bashir, at the display’s official launch.
‘The significant unifying feature of
these Bibles is that they are now
Australian,’ says John Harris. ‘Some
were brought here. Some originated
here. Some were associated with
important Australian events. But all
are part of Australian history and part
of our national heritage. It is vital to
future generations that their beauty
and significance is never lost.’
The most fragile Bibles are kept in a
temperature‐controlled room at St
Mark’s in Canberra, but more needs to
be done for the entire collection. The
Bible Society has limited resources to
preserve this treasure from the rav‐
ages of time and the environment, and
counts on donations from those who
recognise the collection’s incredible
significance. Events like the Heritage
Bible Display help to raise funds for
their preservation, and a gold coin
donation at admission is appreciated.
The Heritage Bible Display is on
from 19‐24 July at St John’s Cathedral,
Parramatta. Public viewing of the dis‐
play begins at 3pm on 19 July. More
details are available at:
http://www.biblesocietynsw.com.au
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Seven
GOOD NEWS FROM ABROAD
Next Generation Christian Leaders At Ukraine Festival
Commit To Live And Serve
YOUNG Next Generation
During the festival 27 excellent nation‐
Christian leaders celebrated
al speakers challenged these young Chris‐
God's faithfulness and the
tian leaders to be more pro‐active, more
strategic success of this wonder‐
progressive and more effective in terms
ful non‐formal training program,
of their outreach in their communities on
and re‐dedicated their lives to
behalf of their churches. Each day cen‐
be servants of God at the first‐
tred around different themes from praise
ever international School
to discovery and then commitment.
Without Walls Festival in
Rakhuba says that School Without
Ukraine.
Walls
leaders, who'd travelled from very
Sergey Rakhuba addresses School Without
With the theme A Time to
difficult
circumstances in places like
Walls participants
Live – A Time to Serve, more
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan at the height
than 520 participants from the US, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, of violence and tension between the two nations, displayed
Moldova, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and India, gathered from
an amazing unity of purpose: ‘The young people were unit‐
17‐20 June in Irpen, Ukraine for this historic event.
ed around the same idea with one voice. They were so
‘I had a chance to be part of this wonderful festival that
determined that despite of any challenges we have, they
Russian Ministries/ Association for Spiritual Renewal hosted would continue pushing.’
for young graduates and students of our School Without
On one of the days, participants looked at the theme of
Walls program,’ said Russian Ministries' Senior Vice
discovery, including discovery of their relationships with
President Sergey Rakhuba. ‘Participants came from 12
God, fruitful and strategic ministry and discovery of God's
countries, including some from the US and India, to spend
fullness. Organisers were overwhelmed on the second day
four days together to celebrate God's faithfulness, plan for
when half of those in attendance responded to the chal‐
new ministry projects and to analyze the reality that all of
lenge to sign up to short term ministry trips in remote
them are working in today in advancing the Gospel, in the
places such as Arctic Siberia, villages on the Mongolian bor‐
fast changing political landscape and economies where they ders and war‐ torn Northern Caucasus to bring the Gospel
are reaching out.’
there.
– Peter Wooding, Europe Bureau Chief for ASSIST
Love Kampala Festival Will bring
Christ's Love To Uganda
LATE in September, evangelist
Andrew Palau heads to Uganda for his
Love Kampala Festival. Though it is
several months away, 740 churches are
already preparing Kampala through a
Season of Service. Tim Robnette, with
the Luis Palau Evangelical Association,
says: ‘Churches working together in [a]
unified effort have first begun to love
their city by deeds of kindness and
reaching out to the poor. They'll share
the Gospel through their deeds in
almost 20 projects across the city.
Then, culminating on the last weekend
of September in the capital, we'll have
a large festival. And during the week,
we'll have outreaches to the universi‐
ties. We'll be going into schools and
doing programs.’
Robnette says they're already see‐
ing the churches unite to share Christ:
‘We're looking forward to the churches
being able to present the Gospel of
Jesus in a unified, loving and clear
fashion.’ Pray for staff and churches
involved in the festival and for recep‐
tive hearts.
Short‐Term Team Sees
Breakthrough In France
EVER thought of France as a key coun‐
try for evangelism? Karen Langstraat,
with Greater Europe Mission, says min‐
istry there is vital. ‘France is really a
melting pot of cultures from all over
the world, but most particularly from
North African countries. So if you
reach France, you reach the world.’
Two GEM teams recently went to
France to help renovate a church in a
suburb of Lille and to do outreach.
‘The church is in a city of 21,000 people
which has a Muslim population of up to
45%. It's the only Bible‐believing
church in the city; it has about 35 to 40
believers in the congregation.’ In a city
with an obvious need for the Gospel,
the outreach team did prayer walks,
handed out tracts, surveyed university
students, and even hosted an open air
music festival. Several people ex‐
pressed curiosity about Christ, and the
church was encouraged. Pray for
revival in France.
Scriptures Will Help Preserve A
Nation
AN audio Scripture project is underway
for the Native American Winnebago
tribe in the Midwest USA. Audio
Scripture Ministries recently obtained
the copyright for the Ho‐Chunk Nation
New Testament from a man who
wanted to preserve the translation for
future generations. So far, only the
book of Mark has been recorded in this
language.
Ask God for wisdom in finishing and
distributing the project. There is still a
need for funding the project, both in
audio and in print.
(These three stories are from Mission
Network News, whose website is
www.mnnonline.org
– Ed)
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Eight
GETTING THE WORD OUT
England’s First ‘Black’ Bishop To Visit Melbourne
BISHOP Michael Nazir‐Ali, soon to visit
Melbourne, was the first ‘black’ dioce‐
san bishop in the Church of England –
at least that’s what one UK newspaper
called him. ‘Black’ wasn’t the right
word, since Dr Nazir‐Ali was born in
Pakistan, but it did convey the shock
many Britons felt in 1994 on hearing
that a non‐white would lead the
Rochester Diocese in Kent. One
woman standing outside the cathedral
told a reporter, ‘I do hope the new
bishop’s a Christian!’
Bishop Michael is indeed a Christian,
with a biblical faith he first professed
as a teenager. He also has several doc‐
torates and a deep understanding of
Islam. His father was born a Muslim,
but later converted to Christianity – an
act which these days could result in
death. Bishop Michael has spent sever‐
al years in dialogue with key Egyptian
Muslim scholars, seeking a way
through the current tensions without
compromising truth.
He points out that modern Islam is
as diverse as modern Christianity – but
radical extremist Islam is on the rise.
He saw it happen in his native Pakis‐
tan, as General Zia began to impose
sharia law in 1986 and both Muslims
and Christians suffered.
Bishop Michael spoke out, but suf‐
fered for it, and eventually found
refuge in the UK. ‘Two decades later’,
he says, ‘I am seeing the same things
happening here. Christians in Britain
are not allowed to express their faith in
ways that people of other faiths are
allowed to do.’
He has retired from Rochester in
order to minister to the wider church.
This year’s Melbourne visit is part of
that calling.
How do we respond to Islam and
the many Muslim refugees who are
flocking to our shores? And how do we
respond to the rise of aggressive secu‐
larism, which seeks to relegate faith to
private practice behind closed doors?
These are some of the issues Bishop
Michael Nazir‐Ali will address at a 1.30
pm seminar for pastors and others at
the 1330 Auditorium in Scoresby,
Melbourne, on Friday 17 September,
and a public forum in the same venue
at 7.30 pm that evening.
Booking is essential – phone
FamilyVoice Australia on 1300 365 965
for further details.
MECO MIDDLE EAST TOUR
9-27 OCTOBER 2010
THE dates have been set for The
Geneva Push's 2010 National
Conference: 6‐8 December.
The key speaker will be Don Carson,
along with a great range of experi‐
enced church planters.
The Geneva Push will also be run‐
ning In The Chute – ACT, an opportuni‐
ty for potential church planters to have
their plans and characters assessed by
Geneva Push’s crack team of
Australian coaches.
Under the leadership of Al Stewart,
The Geneva Push is a ministry of help
for church planters.
For more details go to:
www.thegenevapush.com
or contact:
The Geneva Push
Level 4, 5 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000.
• Where did Jesus spend His first Christmas?
• Where did Jesus get baptised?
• How about a winding walk down Straight Street?
See these – and much more –
on MECO’S October 2010 tour of Syria, Jordan, Israel,
Egypt.
Meet genuine 21st Century Christians
continuing 2000 years of service.
Travel with MECO’s Richard Coombs
(mission leader) plus a bunch of Aussies
and Kiwis for the time of your life.
Cost: $5490
– a pretty good price for all of the above!
(includes airfares, accommodation, entrance
fees and most meals.)
For further information:
MECO, PO Box 136, Kerrimuir
Victoria 3129
Phone: 03 9898 0077
Email: [email protected]
www.meco.org.au
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Nine
PERSECUTION WATCH ...
‘Remember those in prison ... and those who are
mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.’
(Hebrews 13.3)
In The Aftermath Of Uganda Bombing ...
SIX United Methodists from Pennsyl‐
vania were injured and a Ugandan pas‐
tor killed on 11 July as they gathered
with others to watch the World Cup
final match at an Ethiopian restaurant
in Kampala, Uganda.
At least 74 people were killed and 71
injured in the bombings at that restau‐
rant and the Kyadondo Rugby Club. A
Somali militia, al‐Shabab, is suspected
of being behind the terrorist attacks,
according to news reports.
The church members were part of a
14‐member team from Christ Com‐
munity Church in Selinsgrove, Pa.
Eight of the team members already
had returned home after completing
work at a mission project in Uganda.
On 12 July, the team reported the
death of Pastor Peter Mutabazi on its
website. ‘Please pray for his wife Alice,
five children, Bwaise Pentecostal
Church and the LifeCare School,’ the
posting said. ‘We
deeply mourn this
loss.’
After learning about
the bombings, more
than 75 church mem‐
bers came to the sanc‐
tuary to pray, said the
Rev Kathleen Kind,
pastor of the 500‐
member congregation.
Another vigil was
planned at 7.30 pm 12
July. ‘It will be a very
Members of United Methodist volunteer team from
informal opportunity
Pennsylvania in June. – Photo by Sue Heintzelman.
to be in prayer,’ she
involved in the bombing would come
said. The pastor said the news about
home. ‘We’re still waiting on confirma‐
the bombings came as a ‘huge shock’
tion on our folks being medevaced,’
to the congregation, which was con‐
she explained. It was hoped the team
cerned about everyone affected there.
members would be airlifted to a trau‐
But, she added, ‘we believe in a God
ma centre in Johannesburg, South
who hears our prayers and is faithful.’
Africa.
Kind was not certain when the six
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH!
Freedom Celebrations In The Body Of
Christ
WHILE Americans celebrated Indepen‐
dence Day, the JESUS Film Project
says they're not the only ones marking
freedom. A group of 41 JESUS film
workers were imprisoned in an Asian
country for spreading the Gospel. In
the face of stark circumstances, they
continued to boldly proclaim their faith
in prison and many responded. Even‐
tually the government released the
group, although several must continue
to report to the police monthly for two
more years. Please continue to pray for
their protection.
Christian Children Singled Out
In Turkey
There's a saying in Turkey: ‘To be
Turkish is to be Muslim’. That's why
Turkish Christians are often misunder‐
stood and ridiculed for their decision to
leave Islam. Rody Rodeheaver of
International Needs Network says: ‘It's
a secular society, but never forget
there is this strong tie to being a
Muslim. Christian children often take
the brunt of this ridicule, as they must
attend Islamic classes at schools. It
forces them to be singled out [and] to
be subjected to bullying by other stu‐
dents. They are embarrassed often by
teachers.’ Many youth want to leave
the country as soon as they're old
enough. To discourage this and
strengthen their faith, IN Network is
currently holding summer camp.
Rodeheaver says: ‘It's our purpose as
an organization to work very hard at
helping to disciple the children and
young people because they will
become the leaders of tomorrow.’
Plight Of Christian Students In
Pakistan
PAKISTAN'S minority Christian stu‐
dents are facing serious challenges in
their academic studies.
According to an article by Aftab
Alexander Mughal of the Minorities
Concern of Pakistan, students are
encountering problems because of
their minority status and faith.
MCOP said the curriculum is biased
and students have been routinely fac‐
ing discrimination by their teachers
and Muslim classmates.
MCOP said on 28 May, about a
dozen heavily armed men attacked a
Christian religious leader, Pastor
Mubarak Masih, and his family. The
incident occurred when the pastor's
nephew Shaid, 13, declined to recite
the Quran in a government school in
the city of Smundri in Punjab province.
Although the pastor reported to the
police, MCOP said authorities did not
take action against the Muslim teacher
who forced the Christian student to
read the Quran.
MCOP said students from religious
minority communities are forced to
study the national curriculum, which
strongly emphasizes the nation's dom‐
inant religion (Islam).
– Jeremy Reynalds, ASSIST
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Ten
DIGGING AND DELVING ... with Clifford Wilson
Is The Old Testament Real History?
I AM often asked if the Old Testament
is real history, and it has occurred
again in the last few days. The answer
is that it is indeed real history, but that
does not mean to say that it follows
the style of European presentations.
The Bible is an Eastern book, and it
comes from ancient and not modern
times. However, I often say that it is
the world’s most accurate history text‐
book, and I can go from Genesis to
Revelation and give evidence to show
that the Bible is indeed a remarkably
accurate book, both as to its presenta‐
tion of doctrine and its historical
framework. I will illustrate from just
one chapter: 2 Kings 19.
There is a well known poem that
starts with these words,
‘The Assyrian came down
like a wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming
in purple and gold.’
This famous poem is about an attack
by the Syrian King Sennacherib against
the Israelites. When we go to that
chapter there are many statements of
interest. For instance, it uses the
expression, ‘not an arrow …’ Clearly
there was very great concern amongst
the Israelites because of the threat
from the Assyrian King Sen‐nacherib,
but God assures them through the
prophet Isaiah that not so much as a
single arrow would be shot into the
city (verse 32).
That prophecy of Isaiah seems to be
impossible, for those Assyrians were
exceedingly strong – they had become
the greatest power in the East. Yet the
word of the Lord was clear and in this
chapter we learn that on that very
night the Lord smote many thousands
Sennacherib
of Assyrians.
From other ancient writings it
seems possible that the Lord’s meth‐
ods were a plague which broke out in
the ranks of the Assyrians. No matter
what the means were, the fact is that
the Assyrians were overcome, and not
even one arrow was shot into Jerus‐
alem at the time – just as Isaiah said.
It becomes clear that Sennacherib
‘Can The Theory Of Evolution
Survive The Attack Of Science?’
This booklet by David Holden is a free download at:
www.defenceofthefaith.org
did not write this up as a defeat.
Ancient rulers did not write up defeats
but found some aspect in which they
could glory. Thus we find on one
recovered cylinder that he boasted, ‘as
for Hezekiah the Jew, I shut him up in
his walled city, like a bird in a cage.’
The Assyrian Sennacherib could not
dislodge Hezekiah, the King of Israel,
so instead he boasted that he impris‐
oned him – and that is typical of the
Assyrian style!
A Very Comfortable Cage!
The fact is that God saw to it that
Sennacherib’s intentions were thwart‐
ed. Hezekiah of the Jews was relatively
comfortable and safe in that so‐called
cage of Jerusalem!
Once again we are reminded of the
accuracy of the Bible which in all its
part is God’s Word of Truth. While we
are hesitant to give statements that
would seem to be exaggerations it is a
fact that very often archaeologists find
that incidents which were once
thought of as being little more than
national legends are in fact historical
incidents. These are even referred to in
the records of neighbouring peoples –
as we see in this particular case.
There are other aspects of this story
which again remind us that Bible
records repeatedly are historical docu‐
ments. This very chapter is truly set
against the background of the times of
the Assyrians. Thus in verse 28 we read
about prisoners having hooks in their
noses, and bridle ropes in their lips.
This is an accurate description of the
cruelty that the Assyrians showed to
those they conquered.
There are many authentic pictures
from Assyrian excavations which show
hooks in the noses of captives and bri‐
dles in their lips. The Assyrians were
shockingly cruel to their prisoners of
war and treated them as slaves. Often
a rope was literally passed through a
man’s lips, and if he did not come
when his master called him he would
possibly have his lips pulled out, or his
nose pulled off. Shocking? Yes, but it is
all true.
But wait, there’s more – and we’ll
write about this again in the next issue.
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Eleven
‘GOD MOVES IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY ...’
An Amazing Encounter!
THE workers of Asian Evangelistic
Fellowship, as a rule, do not attempt to
‘convert’ people … they simply point
people to Christ in the ten countries
where they work. Some of these peo‐
ple come from very religious back‐
grounds while others have no religion
at all. This is the account of one amaz‐
ing encounter ...
As a young man, Joseph, from
South Asia (like so many of his peers)
travelled to nearby cities to seek a bet‐
ter life.
One day he was travelling by bus to
a big city. Early in the morning the bus
stopped for breakfast. After breakfast,
as he began to walk back to the bus,
he was approached by three people
who started to talk to him about Jesus.
They asked him if he had ever read
the New Testament. ‘No!’ he retorted
firmly, as he believed he already had
sufficient for all his spiritual needs. He
soon got into an argument with the
men about things like, ‘Is the Bible
really the Word of God?’ and ‘Is Jesus
really the Son of God?’
During their discussion, the men
shared with him some Bible verses,
such as John 3.16 and John 5.24.
However as the argument got more
and more involved, Joseph forgot all
about the bus he was travelling on. To
get away from the men he reluctantly
took some tracts and a New Testa‐
ment.
Joseph Missed The Bus
It was at that moment he remembered
the waiting bus and ran towards it,
only to discover it had departed with‐
out him. He was boiling mad, as his
luggage was on the bus.
After some time, another bus travel‐
ling on the same route came along and
he urged the bus driver to try to catch
up with the first bus. However he was
told that it was not possible. ‘We can’t
go fast because this is a very hilly area,
there is a speed limit and there are
many sharp curves,’ the driver said.
About two hours later the bus
stopped in a traffic jam. Everyone got
down off the bus to find out why it had
stopped. They were told that a bus had
fallen into the valley and everyone
onboard had been killed.
When Joseph heard about it he
realised that it was the bus he had
missed. He was shocked and couldn’t
believe his ears. Then he realized that
he had narrowly escaped death.
With that shock he got back into his
bus and kept on asking: ‘Why did God
save me?’
A Chain Of God‐Incidences
His thoughts turned to the people who
made him miss his bus, and all the
words which they shared flowed back
into his mind. If they hadn’t met him
he would have been on that bus and
died, but because they shared the
Gospel with him he had been saved
from death.
That night, at dinner in his hotel,
the TV news was being shown and the
accident was reported. The names of
the dead were displayed on the screen.
He was really shocked to see his own
name listed.
He than shared his story with the
man sitting at the table opposite him.
Initially the man was incredulous. ‘Are
you the only person who was to be on
that bus and escaped?’ he asked.
Joseph then explained about the
three people whom he met and told
him about Jesus and salvation. When
the man heard this, he was very happy
because he was also a follower of
Christ.
He invited Joseph to his house and
shared more about Jesus Christ and
salvation. He cleared up so many of
Joseph’s doubts. The talk went on till
about midnight after which Joseph
accepted Jesus Christ as his personal
Saviour. The man then took him to his
prayer fellowship.
From that day on Joseph started
worshipping the Lord Jesus. Sometime
later, Joseph returned home, but when
his parents learned he had accepted
the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour, he
was kicked out of the house and beat‐
en severely.
Later he shared his testimony at a
fellowship meeting. A few days after
that, one of the sisters in the fellow‐
ship invited Joseph and his friends to
her home where he met a young lady
who had had a dream in which God
had spoken to her about Joseph.
Ultimately that sister became Joseph’s
wife.
A New Ambition
Joseph’s ambition is: ‘As long as I
have breath I want to share the grace
of God to others.’
– From Harvest Asia, the Quarterly
Newsletter of Asia Evangelistic
Fellowship International Inc.
Their website is: www.aefi.org.au
A Dayʼs March Nearer Home
J. Graham Miller
Autobiography
(Banner of Truth)
This volume about a former
Principal of MBI will delight
all who knew Graham Miller
and benefitted from his ministry.
$33.50 + $9.50 postage
Available from PTC Media on
0400 880 515
684 Elgar Rd Box Hill North Vic
3129
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Twelve
LAUSANNE GATHERING MOMENTUM
Top Aussies Cape Town Bound
THE Australian contingent to
Lausanne III in Cape Town 2010 is
made up of a top team.
John Anderson, the former Deputy
Prime Minister; Tim Mander, ex Rugby
League ref and CEO of the fast‐grow‐
ing SU Queensland; and Gordon
Preece, director of the recently‐
launched Ethos, the Evangelical
Alliance Centre for Christianity and
Society, are high profile members of
the Australian delegation to the
Lausanne Conference 2010.
Cape Town 2010, held in collabora‐
tion with the World Evangelical
Alliance, will bring together 4,000
leaders from more than 200 countries
to confront critical issues – other world
faiths, poverty, HIV/AIDS, persecution,
among others – as they relate to world
evangelization.
The 60‐strong Australian delegation
also includes Baptist evangelist and
church planter Michael Frost; Ross
Clifford, Principal of Morling College;
and Daniel Willis, CEO of the Bible
Society NSW.
High profile Bishops Stuart Robin‐
son (Canberra‐Goulburn), Glenn Davies
(North Sydney) and Stephen Hale
(now Vicar of St Hilary’s, Kew) are also
part of the team. Denise Austin of
AlphaCrucis College represents the
Pentecostals and John Dickson repre‐
sents the Centre for Public Christianity.
Others include Kirk Franklin, CEO of
Wycliffe Bible Translators Int; Tim
Silberman who is organising this year’s
Reachout conference on mission in
Sydney; Mark McCrindle, the market
researcher behind Jesus. All about Life;
researcher Philip Hughes. Jim Wallace
from Australian Christian Lobby brings
a high profile voice to the delegation.
The Australian group has many
young faces, with five under 30 years
old and another 13 under 40. One of
these is Andrew Chin, Youth Pastor of
Wesley International Congregation.
(His Boss, Keith Garner, the Superin‐
tendent of the mission is going too).
Sarah Plummer, Chaplain at St Paul’s
Grammar in Cranebrook NSW, will be
another new face.
In all, the selection committee has
come in with 71% of participants under
50.
This conference, to be held in
October, is the third Congress on
World Evangelisation. Billy Graham
sponsored the first in Berlin in 1966. At
Lausanne in 1974 the term ‘unreached
people groups’ was first used.
John Stott headed a committee
responsible for the Lausanne
Covenant, a call to mission. It argued
for the place of social action alongside
evangelisation – and that’s still a hot
topic.
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Thirteen
IT SEEMS TO ME ...
Take A More Positive Stance
On Islam
MUSLIM suicide bombings, kidnap‐
pings, and attacks on Christians have
plagued the news. It seems as though
every day there are more reports of
Muslims reaching out in anger, all in
the name of Mohammad. The question
is, why?
Many Christians have no idea. The
30 Days Muslim Prayer Focus calls
Christians to make a deliberate effort
to learn about, pray for, and reach out
to Muslim neighbours across the street
and around the world. Especially in the
climate of Islamic terrorism, The 30
Days Muslim Prayer Focus is an effec‐
tive tool to help Christians be more
prayerful and Christ‐like.
The 2010 Edition of The 30 Days
Muslim Prayer Focus contains daily
readings that focus on various topics,
people groups and geographical areas
of the Islamic world, followed by prac‐
tical prayer points. It also features
informative background articles and
resources for further study and
involvement.
Islam's holiest month, Ramadan,
begins on 11 August. In co‐operation
with WorldChristian.com, Mission
Network News would like you to have
a copy of the 19th edition of The 30
Days Muslim Prayer Focus, so you can
pray every day to see Muslims come to
know Christ.
For a gift of $US5 or more, I'll send
you a copy of The 30 Days Muslim
Prayer Focus to help you learn and pray
for the Muslim world. Go to:
ACL Applauds ISPs For
Filtering Child Porn
Burqa Used To Defame Police
The announcement by leading Internet
Service Providers to voluntarily block
child pornography is proof positive
that ISP filtering is achievable and an
important part of protecting children
online.
The Australian Christian Lobby also
welcomed the Government’s detailing
of transparency and accountability
measures to ensure that ISP filtering
did not have unintended consequences
for freedom of speech.
‘The decision by Telstra, Optus and
Primus to voluntarily block a list of
child abuse URLs shows great corpo‐
rate responsibility and proves that ISP
filtering is practical and can be part of
the solution to the scourge of overseas
websites hosting material that is
abhorrent to the values of most
Australians as expressed through our
classification laws,’ ACL’s Chief of Staff
Lyle Shelton said.
THE Rev Fred Nile MLC, Leader of the
Christian Democratic Party in the NSW
Legislative Council, has raised concern
that cultural clothing from the Middle
East is being used for political purpos‐
es in NSW, the latest case bringing the
NSW Police Force into discredit.
Mr Nile raised the issue during ques‐
tion time in the NSW Upper House
after a Police officer was recently
referred to the Anti‐Discrimination
Board for requesting female driver Ms
Karnita Mathews, to pull over, take a
breath test and remove her burqa to
identify herself. Ms Mathews alleges
the officer assaulted her in an attempt
to forcefully remove the garment.
An onboard camera in the Officer's
patrol car apparently shows those alle‐
gations to be false.
So Fred Nile asked the Treasurer,
representing the Minister for Police, a
question without notice: ‘Is it a fact
that two weeks ago a New South
www.MNNonline.org/support/donate
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your copy. And, as you give, you're
helping Mission Network News tell the
stories of God using people just like
you to reach the lost for Christ.
MNN needs your financial support
now more than ever. Your gift will real‐
ly help us stay on the air and on the
internet providing information you
can't get anywhere else – information
that's helping you and others effective‐
ly know where and how to get involved
in outreach around the world.
– Greg Yoder, Executive Director,
Mission Network News,
[email protected]
Wales police officer stopped a vehicle
in the western suburbs being driven by
a woman wearing the full‐face cover‐
ing burqa who would not allow him to
identify her from the photograph on
her car licence?
‘Is it a fact that the woman would
not co‐operate and has now made a
complaint, accusing the police officer
of harassment?
‘What is the outcome of this case?
‘Has the woman's complaint been
proved to be vexatious and false?’
The Hon Eric Roozendaal replied: ‘I
thank the member for his question,
which I will refer to the Minister for
Police.’
l Rev Fred Nile has introduced legisla‐
tion into the NSW Parliament which
would have the effect of banning face
coverings which prevent the proper
and lawful identification of persons
wearing it.
Matthew 7.8
ʻFor everyone who asks receives, and the seeker finds; to him who knocks it is opened.ʼ
Inserted by Ivan Bell
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Fourteen
FOR THE YOUNG ONES:
NEW LIFE –22 July 2010 – Page Fifteen
BOOKS WORTH READING
A Heart-Warming, Triumphant Story
Warmth And Honesty – Thank You
For Being My Father, Anne Doloras
Perera, Castle Publishing.
Meet Anne Perera. She is a very special
person. You will be struck immediately
by her warmth, and her ability to con‐
nect quickly and easily with you. Spend
more time with her, and you soon dis‐
cover you are in dialogue with some‐
one of deep faith and compassion,
someone who will put her considerable
abilities at your service with sensitivity
and charm.
So it is not surprising that she is just
about to set off for Tanzania as a
worker with Volunteer Service Abroad.
She will be using her knowledge and
skills in the fields of nutrition and food
technology to help poorly nourished
Africans.
Even if you have not met Perera
face‐to‐face, you can meet her in this
book. She began writing it 25 years
ago, soon after her stepfather’s death.
Her own father died when she was
six months old, and her mother re‐
married 12 years later. Perera writes in
moving terms of how her hatred of her
stepfather gradually turned to love.
Perera is a strong woman. She
needed to be to achieve what she has:
fighting her way up the educational
ladder in Sri Lanka; heading off to the
United States to pursue her doctoral
studies while her fiancé took up
employment in Mozambique (neither
of them sure how they would meet
again); eventually marrying, and barely
subsisting on the income of one schol‐
arship; choosing, with her husband, to
take up teaching appointments in
Brazil when six months into her preg‐
nancy; giving birth three months later
surrounded by Portuguese‐speaking
hospital staff.
The first 78 pages of the book give
the main story – the story not only of
the author’s relationship with her step‐
father, but also of the network of rela‐
tionships which have shaped her life.
This is where, with warmth and hon‐
esty, Perera bares her heart. Then fol‐
In The Steps Of Jesus, Peter Walker,
Lion.
LION never ceases to amaze me with
the volume of top quality books they
produce. In the Steps of Jesus is anoth‐
er of these books, which meets all the
high standards we have come to ex‐
pect from the publishers of The Lion
Handbook To The Bible, The Lion Atlas
Of Bible History, The One‐Stop Bible
Guide and The Lion Encyclopedia Of
Christianity.
Peter Walker, a New Testament lec‐
turer at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford, UK,
has led many tours of the Holy Land,
and his knowledge of where Jesus
walked, may have walked and proba‐
bly didn’t walk is incredible.
Divided into 14 chapters, each deal‐
ing with one location in the Gospels,
the book naturally starts with Bethle‐
hem, progresses to Nazareth and on to
the River Jordan, finally reaching
Jerusalem, Golgotha, the tomb, and
the Emmaus Road.
To fully understand the strengths of
this book it is necessary to dissect a
chapter.
Chapter 13: Golgotha And The Tomb
deals with the pivotal moments in
Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.
It begins with Luke 23.33‐39, 42, 44‐
47, chosen because Luke was the only
non‐Jewish Gospel writer and was
writing for a non‐Jewish audience.
Walker then deals with crucifixion as
a form of punishment, and archaeolog‐
ical evidence which backs the Biblical
account, before painting Jesus as an
innocent rebel.
Walker explores Luke’s perspective
of the cross before quoting Luke 23.50‐
53. The next section of the chapter is
headed The First Easter, and Luke 24.3‐
9,11,12 is referenced.
Then it’s on to the section entitled
Golgotha Today. There are several the‐
ories of its location. Walker unpacks
them all and points out that its exact
location is not important – it’s what
occurred at Golgotha that is.
Walker explores the Mount of
Olives, the Garden Tomb and the
Garden of Gethsemane as they are
now, and interprets the many changes
that have occurred on the sites over
lows a lengthy pictorial section, with
full annotations. This fills in some of
the 25 years since her stepfather’s
death. Most of that time has been
spent in New Zealand.
We are also introduced to kavi poet‐
ry, some in Sinhalese script. This is not
the usual autobiography. The title of
the book gives the clue.
It is Perera’s tribute to her step‐
father. Meet a man whose patient,
long‐suffering love eventually won the
heart of an angry girl, and set her free
to become the woman God designed
her to be.
– David Burt,
in Challenge Weekly,
New Zealand’s Christian Newspaper.
Thank You For Being My Father
is published by Castle Publishing,
who may be contacted at:
[email protected]
or: www.castlepublishing.co.nz
the centuries.
There are also plentiful sidebars,
exploring tangents, and a bevy of
beautiful full‐colour photographs and
paintings, but probably the best fea‐
ture is the itinerary for the would‐be
traveller at the end of each chapter.
I enjoyed this book immensely and
learned much about the world Jesus
physically inhabited, which is a neces‐
sity in understanding the Bible and
how it relates to us today.
To sum up: this book is a great aid
to exegesis and hermeneutics.
– Chris Gardner
Donations
Make A Difference!
Call Alison On
03 9890 3377
To Donate
And Help Extend
And Maintain
Our Ministry!
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Sixteen
SERVING IN MISSION – THROUGH SPORT ...
SIM – Reaching Youth For Christ
TRIPP Johnston and Brian Davidson
and their families were convinced that
sport could be a powerful tool that
churches and church planters could use
to build bridges to youth and their
families. SIM leaders shared this belief
and the potential of the Sports Friends
Ministry was first tested in Ethiopia.
Sports Friends set about imple‐
menting its vision of training and
equipping Ethiopian Christian leaders
to use sport for intentional church
planting, evangelism and discipleship
ministries. The goal was to create a
national sports ministry movement,
yielding great Kingdom results.
Sport is a universal language that
crosses over the boundaries of race,
tribe, class, age and religion that so
easily divide us and hinder the
advancement of the Gospel. Children,
youth and young adults are playing
soccer, volleyball, basketball and other
games in virtually every Ethiopian city
street and country meadow. Sport is a
magnet for young people!
Sports Friends is currently working
with over 2,000 churches or church
planters in Africa and Asia. They have
started sports ministry programs
which together have over 58,000 youth
involved as participants. As a result,
thousands of youth are coming to faith
in Christ each year. Thousands more
are being mentored and discipled by
trained sports ministers who serve as
‘life coaches’.
Coach As Life Influencer
Pride, selfishness, anger, swearing,
cheating, fighting – these are a few of
the ugly attitudes and behaviours we
see in sports. It is pretty much the
same in every country and in every cul‐
ture. Sport reveals our character – and
often it is not a pretty picture! Sports
Friends teaches Christian coaches to
view such situations as ‘teachable
moments’.
Sport provides a great environment
for a coach to discuss with his players
important character issues and life les‐
sons about self control, respect for
authority, honesty, teamwork and
commitment. These discussions natu‐
rally transition to the truths of the
Bible. In 2009, Sports
Friends trained over
2,500 coaches and sports
ministers to invest their
lies to positively influence
a generation of youth in
Africa and Asia.
A Coach’s Testimony
‘I was picked by my
church to take the Sports
Friend training to
become a sports minister.
After the training, I took
one soccer ball and start‐
ed playing with some
children in my communi‐
ty. Each day more chil‐
dren came, and I built
relationships with them
and with their families.
‘I became like a father
to some of them, or an
uncle. Other people in
nearby communities
started hearing about it
and they came and asked
me to come to their vil‐
lages and be with their
boys and girls. It kept growing and
growing. I had to find more leaders
and coaches to help me. Now I have
been a full‐time sports minister for
three years, and I have 24 leaders and
426 children in the sports program.
God is doing many wonderful things in
the lives of these children.’ Testimony
of Negussie in Ethiopia.
Rescuing Kids From The Streets
One African church is ministering to
homeless youth who have no family,
no clothes beyond what’s on their
back, and no place to sleep at night
except on the streets. They don’t go to
school, and they must beg and forage
for food. Their life is as difficult as you
can possibly imagine.
The church uses soccer to draw the
kids off the streets into a situation
where they can get to know them and
develop a relationship. Their goal is to
know them, love them, and help them
gain a better footing in life. While soc‐
cer draws the youth and keeps them
engaged, the church has an entire
wholistic ministry approach. They have
four levels of support and assistance
available for the youth.
The youth earn each level of sup‐
port based upon their continued par‐
ticipation in the church’s programs.
The first level of support is a bar of
soap and access to the church’s show‐
er/hose so the kids can wash them‐
selves and their clothes. Next is a
shoeshine kit to teach the kids how to
work and make some money. The
third level of support is a place to live.
Lastly, the church provides the oppor‐
tunity and funding for kids to get back
into school.
Kids are being rescued from the
streets and given a new foundation – a
home to live in, an opportunity to go
to school, a new sense of their
immeasurable worth and value in
God’s eyes, and a new Christian family
to share life with. This church exempli‐
fies how God is using the powerful
platform of sports ministry and the
faithful, loving service of His people to
transform lives and strengthen com‐
munities.
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Seventeen
‘HERE’S WHAT I THINK ...’
Are You In The Battle?
IT IS amazing how much the Bible
speaks about the walk of the believer
as being a life of battle. And it is equal‐
ly amazing how many believers are
either oblivious to these battles wag‐
ing around them, or how they want to
opt out of these fights altogether.
The truth is, living in a fallen world
in which God and Satan strive for the
souls of men, how can we expect any‐
thing other than relentless and fero‐
cious battle? Yet many believers live as
if there is no such struggle going on.
They seem far too much at home in
the surrounding world, and thus know
little about the battles taking place all
around them.
Yet Scripture is full of language des‐
cribing the life of the believer as one of
constant warfare, battle and fighting.
The believer’s walk in a hostile world is
not meant to be a picnic. It is a battle‐
ground, and anyone seriously discharg‐
ing his duties as a follower of Christ will
testify to the hardships of battle.
We are clearly told in the New Testa‐
ment that our battles are spiritual in
nature, fought in the heavenlies. But a
powerful spiritual foe provides as much
opposition and antagonism as any
earthly enemy can. Thus we must be
just as serious in our spiritual struggles.
Two new books which I just bought
speak to this very issue. The first book
is an expository commentary on 1
Samuel. Written by John Woodhouse
of Moore Theological College, Sydney,
it is a collection of 49 sermons on the
book. It is part of the helpful series put
out by R. Kent Hughes called Preaching
the Word.
Writing of the battle Saul had with
the men of Jabesh, Woodhouse says:
‘Christian evangelism has this in com‐
mon with Saul’s conflict: the enemy is
real. Precisely because the enemy in
this case is not a physical enemy, evan‐
gelism cannot and must not be physi‐
cally violent. However, we do not take
the Gospel into a happy marketplace,
selling an idea to eager customers.
There is an enemy. An evil enemy. An
enemy hostile to God, God’s purposes,
and God’s people.
‘The enemy has an army: unbelief,
godlessness, pride, ignorance, sin. And
the proclamation of the Gospel is a war
against the enemy and his forces. Do
not forget that the war is not a worldly
war. Our weapons must be the
weapons of righteousness – and no
other. But do not think that what we
go to do can be painless.
‘Have you noticed how often the
New Testament employs military and
warfare language and images for the
proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ? ... The proclamation of the
Gospel is war. As we take the word of
Christ to an unbelieving world, we go
to do battle.’
The Ethics Of The Pastoral Epistles
The second reference to this battle
motif is found in a new book on the
theology of the Pastoral Epistles.
Andreas Kostenberger and Terry
Wilder edited Entrusted With The
Gospel, and one of the essays looks at
The Ethics Of The Pastoral Epistles.
‘We might notice the cost that these
letters attach to being a Christian’, our
authors write, ‘especially for someone
‘ Glorious Things –
A Protestant’ s Guide
To London’
What to look for and how to find places
associated with people and events which
shaped Protestant Church History,
compiled by Rev Bob Thomas.
Available from: PTC Media,
684 Elgar Rd, Box Hill North 3129.
Cost: $6.60+$2.20 p&p.
(Please make cheque payable to PTC Media)
who leads. That is, the Pastoral
Epistles imply that ministry entails
almost constant struggle against false
doctrines, false disciples, and cavalier
disobedience ... Accordingly, the aspir‐
ing country‐club Christian gets no
encouragement from these letters, to
say nothing of the others.’
The Pastorals especially emphasise
perseverance in the face of adversity
and opposition: ‘No‐one escapes it for
long, and highly visible members of
the church – people like Paul, Timothy,
and the overseers who follow them –
will suffer disproportionately, no mat‐
ter how kind, gentle, and respectable
they might be. These themes line up
exactly with what Paul says elsewhere
about following Christ ... We have a
charge to keep, guarding a trust given
to us. The task will seldom be easy, but
it will always be wonderful.’
Numerous other texts could be
appealed to here. But these should suf‐
fice to remind us that any theology
which says the Christian life is a life of
leisure and ease is not biblical.
Throughout the Bible we find that the
walk of the believer is a struggle, a bat‐
tle, and a contest, with many obstacles
and hindrances in our way.
Indeed, there are many enemies,
many barriers, and many threats to the
fruitful faith life. But the good news is
we are promised divine assistance as
we endure these struggles and face
these battles. And just as importantly,
we are assured of final victory in the
days ahead.
Given how important these themes
are, I take it that it was more than
mere co‐incidence that I happened to
buy these books and flip open to the
pages that I did. It was a good remind‐
er to me of some vital biblical truths,
and something which we all need to
recall and take to heart.
So, off to battle!
– Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
[email protected]
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Eighteen
BREAKPOINT ... CHUCK COLSON’S COMMENTS
Books Worth Reading
– The Colson List
THERE’S nothing like a good book,
and I’m going to share my own list of
recent ‘must‐reads’ with you.
First is Joker One by Donovan Camp‐
bell. This book by a fellow Christian
and Marine officer brilliantly captures
the bond among men who have
trained together and fought together,
a bond that makes them willing to die
for one another. The parallels with the
Gospel are unmistakable.
Another military‐themed book is
The Coldest Winter: America and the
Korean War by David Halberstam. This
is an unforgettable work that encom‐
passes the major figures, decisions,
and battles of that war, as well as the
perspectives of individual soldiers who
were caught up in it.
Next is Glenn Sunshine’s Why You
Think The Way You Do. Glenn, a good
friend of mine and excellent scholar,
gives an overview of history that helps
us understand the impact of world‐
views on culture, for good and for ill.
Then, let me recommend Tim
Keller’s book Prodigal God. It’s a book
that, when I read it, really changed my
whole view of that parable. Keller
helps us understand it in a whole new
light. He shows how the real target of
the tale is the older son who thinks
he’s got it all together, and how ‘Jesus
challenges what nearly everyone has
ever thought about God, sin, and sal‐
vation.’
I think any parent with a daughter
ought to read James Dobson’s Bringing
Up Girls. Girls today are under tremen‐
dous cultural pressure to grow up too
fast and to let themselves be used and
devalued. Parents need to equip them‐
selves to fight for their daughters
against the lure of this sick culture, and
this is a great book to help them do
just that.
One of my favourite classics is a
short novel called The Tenth Man by
Graham Greene. This amazing tale of
cowardice and courage in a German
prison camp during World War II isn’t
as well known as some of Greene’s
other works, but it deserves to be. It
has some profound things to say about
sacrifice and second chances.
Finally, let me give a brief mention
to Mary DeMuth, whose Life in
Defiance trilogy I’ve talked about twice
before. She’s now wrapped up that tril‐
ogy with Living in Defiance, the
poignant story of a battered wife who
has to learn to understand God’s love
for her. Mary also has a stunning new
memoir, Thin Places, chronicling how
God helped her in her own struggle to
overcome the sexual abuse of her past.
Now it’s your turn. Come on over to
BreakPoint.org. You’ll be able to
download my recommended reading
list and some of the classics that we
recommend on a regular basis, and
you can purchase them from our book‐
store at ColsonCenter.org or
BreakPoint.org. Remember, come to
our blog, The Point, where you can
share with us and the BreakPoint audi‐
ence your recommendations for good
reading.
Copyright (c) 2010 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. ‘Breakpoint With Chuck Colson’ is a radio ministry
of Prison Fellowship Ministries. Prison Fellowship Australia National Office: PO Box 525, Toongabbie NSW. 2146.
Phone: 02 9896 1255. Email: [email protected]
ACL Backs Calls To Stop Children Being Groomed For Gambling
THE Australian Christian Lobby has backed calls from anti‐
gambling campaigners for children to be stopped from
accessing ‘pokie‐like’ arcade games in clubs and hotels.
ACL Chief of Staff Lyle Shelton says that the social costs
of problem gambling are huge and it is scary to think that
efforts are being made to groom a new generation of prob‐
lem gamblers. ‘It is abhorrent to think that a new training
ground is being established to school children from an early
age to become addicted to gambling,’ Mr Shelton said.
‘There can be no justifiable reason to have children using
arcade games with gambling features such as prizes, spin‐
ning wheels and bright lights in close proximity to poker
machines. The ACL supports calls from anti‐gambling cam‐
paigners such as Nick Xenophon and Tim Costello for gov‐
ernment action to ensure kids can’t play these games – and
particularly not near poker machine venues.’
Mr Shelton also urged the Federal Government to take
action on the recommendations contained in the recently‐
released Productivity Commission report. ‘The Productivity
Commission report revealed that Australians spend about
$19 billion a year on gambling and that the cost to problem
gamblers was between $4.7 billion and $8.4 billion a year.
These are alarming figures and there is a stark need for
stronger measures to combat problem gambling.’
New Life Needs YOU!
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Uphold Us In Prayer v Encourage Others To Subscribe v Advertise With Us
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Nineteen
POSITION VACANT
HOLIDAY GUIDE UK
LONDON B & B.
Private home: self-catering, ensuite, QS bed,
TV, fridge, m/wave, c/htg. Easy city access.
Reasonable rates.
Rachel Allen, 10 Beecroft Rd, Brockley,
London SE4 2BS.
Ph/fax: 0011.44.20.8694 6538.
Email: [email protected]
The Highbury Centre, London, UK.
Christian guesthouse on
quiet private road.
Discount for f/t Christian workers.
Email:
[email protected]
Website: www.thehighburycentre.org
DO YOU
REMEMBER?
Peace Child
Who Moved The Stone?
Through Gates Of Splendour
Mr Jones Meet The Master
Daily Light In His Steps
Ben Hur The Robe
Dear And Glorious Physician
ALL THESE AND MORE
ARE AVAILABLE AT
New Life Books &
Archaeology,
44 Dublin Road,
Ringwood East.
Mon-Sat, 10am-2pm.
Phone John: 03 9893 4521 a.h.
The ‘Jubilate Choir’
Together With
‘Selah’ Of Oxley College
And Various Artists
Present An Evening Of Music
At ‘The Highway’ Apostolic Church
1330 Ferntree Gully Road Scoresby
(Melway 72H7)
21 August 2010 At 7.30pm
$15 pp; $30 fam; $12 conc.
Tickets are available by ringing:
Harold & Janneke Dykstra on
03 9700 2378
Peter & Alice Krins on
03 9735-5334
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Twenty
WORSHIP WITH US
POSITION VACANT
COMING TO
WESTERN AUSTRALIA?
Come to Scots Church
Fremantle,
90 South Terrace
(next to Fremantle Markets)
Reformed and Evangelical
10am and 5pm Sundays
12:30 pm Wednesday
Lunch Time Worship
Also at Southern River,
Bletchley Park Primary
School, Balfour Road
9:00 am Sunday
Rev Stuart Bonnington
08 9398 1304
[email protected]
Visiting Melbourne?
Join us at
St Kilda Presbyterian Church
cnr Alma Rd/Barkly St
Every Sunday 11am and 7pm
Rev Bob Thomas
Phone 0417 592 646
Youʼre welcome at ʻThe Church on
the Hillʼ – a Friendly, Caring, Biblebelieving Christian Fellowship
New Life Now Available Electronically
FOR over 70 years, New Life has come to subscribers and readers through the post or Christian book shops,
but we can now offer an alternative way of receiving New Life – by email. The email edition contains an additional four pages of news and views we canʼt fit into the print edition, subscribers receive it a few days ahead
of the print edition, and it costs half the price!
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CHRISTIAN RADIO
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96.3 Rhema FM has been broadcasting
The Reality of Life in Jesus Christ
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Tune in for the latest in Christian music
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For your free program guide: Ph 03 5241 6550
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NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Twenty One
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NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Twenty Two
UPCOMING EVENTS:
CHILD EVANGELISM FELLOWSHIP
requests prayer for the Teaching
Children Effectively Level 1 Course
being conducted at the CEF Head‐
quarters at Regents Park, Sydney, for
ten Thursday nights from 22 July. Pray
that there will be a good response
from those who want to be more
effective in their ministry to children,
and that once trained, they might be
led of God to start Good News Clubs.
Contact CEF at www.cefaus.org.au
to find out more.
OMF (OVERSEAS MISSIONARY
FELLOWSHIP) offers is an opportunity
to hear about the work of OMF in Asia
on Saturday 7 August from 9.30am to
12.30pm at the OMF office, 44 Rutland
Rd, Box Hill. Light lunch is available for
a $4 donation. Please RSVP for the
lunch if possible. The speakers will be
Philip Aung and Dave Sutherland, both
workers in Thailand. For more infor‐
mation phone 03 9898 9922 or email:
[email protected]
REFORMED THEOLOGICAL
COLLEGE at Waurn Ponds, Geelong,
Vic will be holding a preaching work‐
shop on 23,24 September. The Guest
Speaker will be Dr Ian Smith, Principal,
Presbyterian Theological Centre,
Sydney. He will be speaking on
Preaching Luke And Acts, The Parables,
Miracles And Mission.
BIRTH NOTICE:
Aaron Benjamin PEARCE.
Paul and Anthea Pearce are thrilled to
announce the safe arrival of the
newest addition to our family, Aaron
Benjamin, born 8 July by caesarian
section, and weighing in at 11lb 12oz
(5.34kg).
Paul and Anthea are very grateful to
God for this blessing, and pray that
Aaron will grow up to know and love
the One who made him.
Aaron is a brother for Jeremy,
Bethany and Zach, and the latest
grandchild of Len and Wendy Pearce
and Willem and Pam Vandenberg.
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NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Twenty Three
What A Blessed Country We Live In!
‘MY few weeks in Togo made me real‐
ize how fortunate we are to live in
Australia,’ says Fremantle nurse Jacqui
Smith.
She spent three weeks in the West
Africa nation, working among a crew
of 450 onboard the world’s largest
charity hospital ship Africa Mercy.
‘The time I spent there reinforced
two things for me,’ she says. ‘One is
my resolve to return to Africa to help
the people who live in some of the
world’s poorest nations. The other is
the recognition of our living in a coun‐
try where we never have to worry
about the availability of healthcare
services.’
Jacqui heard about the work being
done by volunteers serving with Mercy
Ships from a presentation made at a
nursing conference. ‘I have always felt
that I wanted to do some kind of vol‐
untary aid work. At the time of hearing
about what goes on aboard the Africa
Mercy with its six operating theatres
and 78‐bed hospital I sensed that the
opportunity was the right time to take
advantage of it. I made contact
through the charity’s website and filled
in the application form. I have to admit
I had never heard of Togo before mak‐
ing my application and had to look it
up on a map.
‘Then it was off at my own expense,
in keeping with all other volunteers, on
the flight to Togo. After working for 30
years in operating theatres, I felt it
would be a shame to let all that experi‐
ence go to waste after I retired. My
time onboard was spent assisting with
a variety of operations aimed at cor‐
recting disability, deformity and blind‐
ness.’
Jacqui says living on the ship provid‐
ed a very safe environment, but going
into town and through the country
made her very aware that many who
live in Africa are extremely poor. ‘The
great thing about what I was involved
in was to see the results in patients
Jacqui Smith – counting her blessings
who had been forced to live with
health problems for many years. Some
conditions were life‐threatening or so
disfiguring that they had been ostra‐
cized by their families and communi‐
ties. It was wonderful to watch the
faces of patients who could now see
themselves without disfigurement.
Local doctors were also being trained
onboard so they could provide more
help in the hospitals of Togo. The only
downside to the whole experience was
the recognition that my eight‐month
assignment by Mercy Ships to Togo
this year was not long enough to help
the huge number of people still requir‐
ing surgery.
‘Every Friday there is a ceremony
called “Celebration of Sight”. It’s a
time when those who have received
free eye surgery, mostly removal of
cataracts, have a celebration and give
thanks to God for restoration of their
sight. They sing and dance. Some tell
their stories of what life was like
before surgery, how they came to be
on the big white ship, and what life is
like now that they can see again.’
Mercy Ships is a global charity that
has operated hospital ships in develop‐
ing nations since 1978 providing free
health care and community develop‐
ment services to the forgotten poor.
Following the example of Jesus, Mercy
Ships brings hope and healing to the
poor. Working in partnership with local
people, Mercy Ships empowers com‐
munities to help themselves. The
result is a way out of poverty.
The emphasis is on the needs of the
world’s poorest nations in West Africa,
where the world’s largest charity hos‐
pital ship Africa Mercy provides the
platform for services extending up to
ten months at a time. Mercy Ships
works on land‐based projects in Sierra
Leone in partnership with other organ‐
isations, while teams also work in sev‐
eral nations of Central America and the
Caribbean. Mercy Ships Australia, one
of 14 international support offices is
based on the Queensland Sunshine
Coast.
– www.mercyships.org.au
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Twenty Four
NEW LIFE EXTRA– Breakpoint ii
Reflections On The Oil Spill
Restoring The Created Order
A commentary delivered by Prison Fellowship
President Mark Earley.
THE greatest environmental catastrophe in US
history seems to be a never‐ending nightmare.
Ever since the explosion at the Deep Water
Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, things seem
to have gone from bad to worse. And watching
the disaster day to day is heartbreaking: From the
lives lost in the explosion, to family livelihoods
shattered, to the destruction of wildlife and their
habitats.
People are angry. Very angry. Angry at BP.
Angry at the President and the administration for
the way they responded. Environmentalists are
angry at the oil companies. Others are angry at
environmentalists, who back regulations that
force the oil companies to drill in deeper waters.
And, as I found out recently, many are even tak‐
ing out their frustrations on those who are
responding ... who are trying to contain and clean
up the mess.
One of our BreakPoint Centurions sent us an
email describing the situation. He’s involved in
the clean up efforts. ‘On two separate occasions,’
he writes, ‘police had to be called out because
protesters were attacking the responders who
were cleaning the beaches ... Responders (these
are Coast Guard, EPA, state employees, volun‐
teers) have all been threatened and denied servic‐
es in some communities along the Gulf.’
While frustration, anger and lashing out, are
very human responses to tragedy, I am saddened
that some responders are on the receiving end.
So I want to share the thoughts of our
Centurion as to why so many of these responders
are doing what they do. Here’s what he wrote,
and I hope it inspires you:
‘I would humbly suggest,’ he writes, ‘that the
responders are demonstrating the God‐given
commission to be stewards of this world. The
individuals who are responding are putting their
lives at risk in the heat ... Many of them have
gone through a minimum of 40 hours of training
(to just be around the oil), and those who are res‐
cuing wildlife have gone through even more train‐
ing. Those who are involved in response are dev‐
astated to find dead wildlife and to see the soiled
shores and marshes, because they are personally
invested in defending and cleansing these pre‐
cious resources.
‘When our world was covered with the toxic
coating of Sin, Jesus came down into the midst of
it to cleanse and restore the world to the way it
ought to be.
‘I saw a powerful picture today of a pelican
being released in a part of Florida that is far from
the spill. It was an amazing and beautiful thing to
see this cleansed being free once more.
‘At this point,’ he concludes, ‘so many people
are numb at the pictures of the devastation ... but
the unappreciated sacrifices that I see each day
inspire me and inspire my faith in Christ because I
see people sacrificing their time and talents to
restore the created order and to defend the birds
of the air, fish of the sea and beasts of the field
from the very impacts of this deep undersea oil
volcano.’
Well, all I can add to that is, ‘Amen!’ As we pray
for all those who are suffering loss of life and
livelihood as a result of the oil spill, let us remem‐
ber as well to pray for those men and women who
are working so tirelessly to contain and clean up
the damage, and to restore God’s beautiful creat‐
ed order.
Copyright (c) 2010 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted
with permission. ‘Breakpoint With Chuck Colson’ is a radio
ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries. Prison Fellowship
Australia National Office:
PO Box 525, Toongabbie NSW. 2146.
Phone: 02 9896 1255.
Email: [email protected]
NEW LIFE – 22 July – Page Twenty Five
NEW LIFE EXTRA
Malagasy Pastors, Journalists Under Threat
CHURCH leaders in Madagascar have urged for
continued prayers for the safety of clergy and
journalists caught up in recent political violence as
unrest continues in the capital Antananarivo.
Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar
(Presbyterian) General Secretary Rev Lala
Rakotoarisoa said FJKM pastors who were forced
into hiding when violence erupted in May are yet
to be able to return home because the situation is
still unsafe.
Mr Rakotoarisoa said: ‘There is no change with
this situation in Madagascar at the moment. The
pastors who went into hiding are fortunately still
safe in their different places. But those journalists
who are in jail with two other pastors – because
they are workers at the FJKM Radio – are still
being kept in jail.
‘In general, daily life is not safe. There is a lack
of security. For that, we keep on having daily
prayer meetings in one particular church.’
Chaos broke out in Antananarivo on the after‐
noon of 20 May when a gun battle flared up
between military forces and a rebel police faction
during a politically charged demonstration.
The conflict resulted in the death of several
members of security forces and a number of civil‐
ians. The team from Radio Fahazavana, which is
run by the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar,
were formally charged with threatening state
security during violent clashes between rival secu‐
rity forces on 20 May. The radio station has been
shut down by the government.
Council for World Mission has condemned the
arrests and called for the journalists to be
released.
Mr Rakotoarisoa added: ‘We as Christians are
trying to challenge the whole situation in faith,
and we are most grateful to God our Heavenly
Father, because of the kind support in thoughts
and prayers that we have received.
‘On behalf of my colleagues at the FJKM
national church office, I would like to say many
thanks to all members of CWM, for being close in
mind and heart. May God's grace be with us all,
wherever we are and in whatever situation we are
living.’
Special Prayer Request for Southern Sudan Referendum
Dear Friends Of Sudan,
AS you all know, communication within Southern Sudan is
an extraordinary challenge because of the lack of mail, e‐
mail and telephone service in most areas. As a result of an
exceptional effort, the Presbyterian Church of Sudan has
arranged for a prayer for the referendum in Southern Sudan
to be conducted in all of its services this Sunday (18 July).
Following the service their pastors will lead the congrega‐
tion around their church building in an action that brings to
mind the Lord's response to Joshua's march around the
walls of Jericho.
This referendum provides the people of Southern Sudan
the opportunity to choose between unity or separation from
the traditional nation of Sudan – Northern Sudan.
If you are not among those praying at church in Sudan,
please add your voices and those of as many as you can
invite. Pray for Sudan on 18 July!
‘God of the ages, we have known hunger; we have expe‐
rienced violence; and we endured trouble and toil. Through
it all, You have been with us, sustaining us, supporting us,
bringing us thus far on our journey. Remind us and all our
people of Sudan of Your presence as the day for the upcom‐
ing referendum in South Sudan draws near. Touch us by
Your grace that we might live in hope. Guide our church
that we may witness boldly and faithfully to the Good News
of Christ’s Gospel of love during this time. Lead the citizens
of our country to become well‐informed as we prepare to
make critical choices that will have far‐reaching impacts. Fill
our hearts anew with your Holy Spirit so we may turn from
all forms of violence. Inspire us to honour, respect, and care
for one another. Guide our leaders, our brothers, our sisters,
and ourselves to plan and hold a referendum that is free and
open and honest. As we exercise our vote, may we do so in
safety and may we clearly speak our will. May our voices be
heard and the results of the election honoured by all. God
who does new things, open us and all the people of Sudan
to new possibilities for shaping our lives and our country.
God who creates and loves a diverse human family, help us
transform long‐time animosities and seek the well‐being of
all. God who establishes justice, give Sudan courage to chal‐
lenge injustice and to work together to build a Sudan in
which all have enough to eat, blessed peace prevails, and
justice rolls down around our country. We pray in Jesus'
name. Amen.
May God hear our prayers!
In His Service,
Bill Andress, Sudan Advocacy Action Forum
Joshua 24:15b
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Twenty Six
NEW LIFE EXTRA:
Nearly 70,000 People In Dominican
Republic And Puerto Rico Place Their Faith
In Jesus Through 'My Hope' Billy Graham
TV Project
AFTER months of preparation, Christians across
the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico this year
opened their homes for meetings and witnessed
more than 69,000 people make commitments to
Jesus Christ through the My Hope TV outreach.
The programs culminated in a combined total
of more than 59,000 home events in March and
April, which included a TV program featuring a
sermon from Billy or Franklin Graham and a per‐
sonal testimony from the host.
In the Dominican Republic, 55,391 people made
commitments to Christ, with 13,797 doing so in
Puerto Rico. Altogether more than 5,500 churches
from across the evangelical spectrum were
involved in the projects.
Equipped with evangelism training and filled
with a passion for the Gospel, the Dominican and
Puerto Rican believers opened their homes as
part of My Hope, a ministry of the Charlotte, NC‐
based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The
projects were the largest evangelism outreaches
in the history of both the Dominican Republic and
Puerto Rico.
‘These faithful Christians took a bold step in
inviting their friends and neighbours to their
homes, and God truly worked through their
efforts and prayers,’ said Bill Conard, director of
international ministries for BGEA.
‘Projects like this show that evangelism is not
only for pastors, but for anyone who longs for
those around them to experience the hope and
love found only in Jesus Christ.’
Conard said: ‘Collecting results from all church‐
es often takes weeks, and we just recently
received the final numbers from Puerto Rico.
During that time follow‐up efforts were made to
help new believers become involved in a local
church body and thereby grow in their faith.
‘We've been so encouraged by the stories
we've heard. One small, 70‐member church in
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, held 11 home meetings
as part of My Hope. Of the 71 who attended the
gatherings, 62 made commitments to Jesus
Christ – most of them first‐time decisions.’
Since My Hope began in 2002, such projects
have been implemented in 50 countries.
Upcoming projects this year will take place in
Malawi and four sensitive countries in Asia.
Preparations are beginning for 2011 for potential
My Hope outreaches in Portugal, Spain, Haiti and
select African countries.
– Michael Ireland,
Chief Correspondent,
ASSIST News Service
WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO GOD’S CALL TO SEEK HIM
WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND?
To ignore His promise and disobey His command is to flsh your fist in Godʼs face and
to seal your appalling fate forever. To believe His promise and obey His command is to
discover for yourself that ʻthe free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lordʼ
(Romans 6.23).
Then seek Him now, confess your sin and your need of salvation, and ask Him to
enable you to turn from sin and to put your trust in Jesus Christ, the One who is ʻthe
true God and eternal lifeʼ (1 John 5.20).
NEW LIFE – 22 July 2010 – Page Twenty Seven
NEW LIFE EXTRA
Churches And Schools Protected Thousands Of
Youngsters From Human Trafficking
During World Cup
THOUSANDS of children in South Africa have
been protected from human traffickers during the
Football World Cup thanks to holiday clubs set up
by the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.
The Holiday Club program, developed by
HOPE Africa* in co‐operation with Scripture
Union and The Ultimate Goal, has seen churches
and schools using their facilities to provide chil‐
dren with a safe space to go and activities to keep
them occupied.
The clubs have been very popular with children
during their long school holiday, extended to
cover the duration of the World Cup. With the
help of hundreds of young volunteers, more than
5,000 children enjoyed play and life skills educa‐
tional programs, as well as meals provided by
NGO school feeding programs. Some clubs were
able to set up screens to show football matches
so that children were not tempted to try and trav‐
el to stadiums in the cities.
‘As the World Cup went on we were hearing
more and more about the reality of human traf‐
ficking in our country,’ said Archbishop Thabo
Makgoba, the Primate of the Anglican Church of
Southern Africa. ‘Against a backdrop of thou‐
sands of extra tourists visiting South Africa, the
media has been filled with stories from people
with personal experiences of this horrible crime
against humanity. There have been reports of
missing children and the country has been on high
alert. This is why this initiative has been so impor‐
tant.’
As the Holiday Club program drew to a close,
the Anglican Church of Southern Africa promised
to continue to work against trafficking. HOPE
Africa, together with the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Southern Africa and other church bod‐
ies, has undertaken a Stop Human Trafficking
project to mobilise the faith sector in joining local
and global efforts to combat trafficking and raise
awareness through the media. The project will
also train 300 key community activists in South
Africa and Namibia and provide safe spaces for
victims of human trafficking.
Trafficking is a problem globally with an esti‐
mated 1.2 million children trafficked each year for
labour, sexual and other forms of exploitation.
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime,
human trafficking is the fastest growing means by
which people are enslaved, and the fastest grow‐
ing international crime. South Africa’s current
laws make it particularly difficult to prosecute
those involved.
A Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in
Persons bill was submitted to South Africa’s par‐
liament last March but has not yet passed into
law.
The Stop Human Trafficking project is one of
the initiatives featured in the latest edition of the
International Anglican Family Network’s thrice‐
yearly newsletter. Under the heading The Family
and Trafficking the newsletter highlights efforts in
many other parts of the Anglican Communion to
raise awareness, safeguard those who are vulner‐
able to trafficking, and support the survivors of
this modern form of slavery.
Please feel free to forward this edition of New Life
to your friends with the recommendation that they
subscribe by contacting Alison on 03 9890 3377,
email: [email protected]
NEW LIFE – 22 July – Page Twenty Eight