Christian Life Issue 38 September 2016 by Initiate Media

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SEPTEMBER 2016 • Issue THIRTY-EIGHT • www.mychristiandaily.co.nz

TRAINING God’s Call To Train Preachers page 03

FAMILY FIRST Gender Ideology Should Be Kept Out Of Schools page 08

PROMISE KEEPERS Who Are Your Friends? page 14

“The search for identity in my Maoriness never satisfied my soul’s craving for truth and the meaning of life; it never brought peace to my heart; it didn’t heal my marriage; it didn’t give me hope or a purpose.” Blood Brothers page 06

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SEPTEMBER 2016

03. God’s Call To Train Preachers 06. COVER: Blood Brothers 08. Gender Ideology Should Be Kept Out Of Schools 10. Local News 12. Faithfulness Is The Key To Being A

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TRAINING

God’s Call To Train Preachers Langham Preaching is developing a preaching movement which reaches many thousands of local pastors in the majority world. DR PAUL WINDSOR talks to MARIE ANTICICH about this global ministry. Above: Dr Paul Windsor with friends from India and Pakistan

s international director of Langham Preaching, Paul Windsor is having an influence on grass roots churches by training and mobilising hundreds volunteers who in turn are training thousands of pastors and lay preachers in dozens of countries. The former Laidlaw College lecturer and principal of Carey Baptist College and his wife Barby are currently touring New Zealand hosting chaat (traditional Indian street food)

evenings, and meeting with former students and supporting churches. What do you do in a nutshell? “I train preachers to preach the Bible,” says the veteran preacher who leads the work globally. “I’m doing that by building leadership teams in South America, Africa, Europe and Asia. It’s challenging trying to build close teams by Skype and email,” he adds. Now based in Asia, Paul is responsible for

training and mobilising local co-ordinators who host preaching clubs for local pastors and train ministry leaders in various ways. For example, last May he helped launch a new movement among India’s 100 million Telugu-speaking peoples, with 60 pastors from 10 different church networks attending a week-long seminar. Langham holds Level 1, 2 and 3 seminars over three consecutive years, and partners with local co-ordinators to form preachers’

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TRAINING

“Pastors learn to teach the Bible with authority and relevancy and this bears fruit, multiplies and transforms whole families and communities. One well-trained church leader can help hundreds of new believers understand and apply God’s Word to their lives.” clubs where clusters of pastors can gather to practice their skills, pray, critique and keep each other accountable. “Most local pastors are rural, poor and relatively uneducated, and so it’s a grassroots, mother tongue work,” says Paul who speaks through a translator wherever he goes. “The focus is on practical, biblicallybased training so that local pastors and lay leaders can study and teach God’s Word and shepherd their flocks to grow in Christ.” These preaching movements are having a considerable influence on the growth of grass roots churches. Almost daily reports are heard of congregations and communities being changed, new ministries started and pastors catching the vision and passing their training on to others. Why is preaching so important? “In the New Testament, God gives the church two mandates – one is for missions and bringing people to faith, and the other is for maturity, discipleship and growing people deeper in Christ,” says Paul. “Preaching is still the prime way God’s word comes to most people, and so training and mentoring pastors to study and teach God’s Word helps their flock grow in Christ. Maturity comes as people listen to God’s word and obey it, and they’re encouraged to do personal Bible reading and join a study group.”

Why preaching clubs? “I’ve been teaching on preaching in seminaries for 28 years, but I think what we’re doing in Langham improves on that because we promote the regular practice of preaching through the clubs and equipping local trainers to pass on those skills. “My own preaching improved when I started training others how to preach, because when you’re a trainer you have to think through why you’re doing what you’re doing. To really change, you need to practice what you’re learning and teach other people. “Pastors learn to teach the Bible with authority and relevancy and this bears fruit, multiplies and transforms whole families and communities. One well-trained church leader can help hundreds of new believers understand and apply God’s Word to their lives.” A Pen Portrait Originally Paul planned to follow in his father into medicine, but he wasn’t accepted for medical school. His father, Ray Windsor was a highly skilled cardio-thoracic surgeon who helped pioneer the world’s first open-heart surgery at Greenlane Hospital in Auckland. In the early sixties, Ray moved to India with his wife Gwen and their five children under eight. “Dad set up a high-powered cardio thoracic unit, but it didn’t really work out,” Paul recalls. “A senior nurse said: ‘India doesn’t need high-powered units – we need

help with community and rural medicine.’ “Dad had a career conversion and returned from furlough to found the Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA), the world’s first indigenous medical mission, which he quickly passed on to Indian leaders. When I’m travelling in India 45 years later, everyone knows about EHA. Dad then became international director of Interserve.” Paul boarded at Woodstock, an American school in the Himalayas until he was 17 and his parents decided to send him back to NZ to do his seventh form year to enhance his prospects of studying medicine. “It was the hardest time in my life,” he reflects. “I missed out on my American school graduation and I missed getting into medicine, although my exam marks were good enough. At that time they were affirming the importance of women and a female friend got in with lower marks than me.” Two weeks later Paul experienced a clear call to pastoral ministry. “Sitting at an evening service at Mt Albert Baptist Church, I unmistakably heard God call me into a preaching and pastoral ministry. From that February evening onwards my life was focused on training to be a pastor and that later narrowed into being a preacher.” After three years at Auckland University, he did a further three years at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. Barby was doing her undergraduate studies at Wheaton College nearby.

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TRAINING

“God was calling Barby and I together,” says Paul. “She’s from an American missionary family and we grew up together, but our relationship developed over five years of handwritten aerogrammes – we never met or talked on the telephone.” Paul and Barby were married in Chicago in 1982, aged 22 and 21 respectively. He finished his seminary training and they came to NZ and were called to a Baptist church in Invercargill, and started their family of five children. “We were settled in Invercargill for the long haul,” says Paul, but at 30 he had a visit from two elderly saints, J.O. (Oswald) Sanders and his friend Norman McIntosh. “J.O. said to me: ‘It’s time for you to paint on a broader canvas.’ He was saying: ‘You need to move on. Don’t get comfortable.’ It was a difficult decision, but Paul eventually decided on a career change and went to Laidlaw (then Bible College of New Zealand). Within 18 months he was teaching preaching, having picking up Ian Kemp’s preaching class when he retired. “We had some amazing

“If you’d told me when I was 25 and pastoring a little Baptist church in Invercargill that 30 years later I’d be directing a global ministry founded by John Stott and training people across many cultures, I’d have laughed. I wouldn’t have thought it was possible I still pinch myself – I’m so privileged to be doing this work.”

ABOUT LANGHAM Langham Preaching is part of Langham Partnership, a global fellowship launched in 1971 by the late Dr John Stott who was rector of All Saints Church in Langham Place, London, hence the ministry name. Initially, Dr Stott formed a trust to provide scholarships for young students from developing countries to study at British universities, and return to teach at seminaries in their own countries. Later he formed a literature trust and assigned all his writing royalties to fund books for students, pastors and theological libraries. Langham Preaching was formed in 2002 to equip Christian leaders to preach God’s word with depth and maturity. Today Langham Partnership has three integrated programmes, Langham Scholars, Langham Literature and Langham Preaching, and ministers in 66 countries.

years at Laidlaw–sometimes we had 95 students in preaching classes – and then I picked up the course at Carey. My great joy was classroom teaching and travelling around the country doing weekend seminars,” he recalls. While principal of Carey, Paul became a board member of Langham and in 2008 was appointed regional co-ordinator for Langham Preaching AsiaPacific. After moving to Asia in 2013, he became international director of Langham Preaching. More recently he has taught homiletics at South Asia Institute for Advanced Christian Studies (SAIACS) in Bangalore, and Barby has been dean of women and families. The Road to Emmaus in Luke 24 is his favourite Bible story: “Jesus is preaching a sermon to just two people, explaining how the Old Testament relates to him – I love the way that he spoke to their minds and their hearts began to burn.” What challenges do you face? “Separation from family–we have three grandchildren now and try to come home each year. But I

find tremendous joy in building friendships with people from all around the world. “Now that I’m doing similar work to Dad at Interserve, I have huge admiration for his giftings. I really miss talking to him. He died five years ago, 13 days after John Stott – whom I met three or four times. Dad and John Stott were my heroes and by far the biggest influences on my life. What a heritage!” He recounts one of John Stott’s statements: “The secret of preaching is not mastering certain techniques but being mastered by certain convictions.” Paul Windsor looks back on his long career in preaching with some incredulity. “If you’d told me when I was 25 and pastoring a little Baptist church in Invercargill that 30 years later I’d be directing a global ministry founded by John Stott and training people across many cultures, I’d have laughed. I wouldn’t have thought it was possible I still pinch myself – I’m so privileged to be doing this work.”

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WELLINGTON 16-17 September | AUCKLAND 7-8 October Subscribe to receive your daily Christian news at www.mychristiandaily.co.nz | 5

TRUE STORY

BLOOD BROTHERS JANET BALCOMBE catches up with exMongrel Mob gang leader, TUHOE ‘BRUNO’ ISAAC In his iconic memoir, True Red, Tuhoe says, “No societal system was going to change the Mongrel mind”, and describes his incredible journey from a killer of men to a fisher of men. So how did he exit the Mob with his life after serving the dog for decades, to lay it at the feet of his true master—and what’s he doing now? Patrick Tuhoe Isaac was born in Wairoa in 1954, the eighth of thirteen children to parents of Ngai Tuhoe and Ngati Kahungunu descent. His dad was an ex-serviceman with the 28th Maori Battalion, his mum a devoted and hardworking woman. When a friend of the family regularly sexually molested young Tuhoe, he was forever changed and lust became a major stronghold in his life. At 15 Tuhoe moved to Auckland and trained in sheet metal. By 16 he was in Sydney’s Paramatta Prison doing three months hard labour on an assault charge, then he

This page top left: Tuhoe today; Tuhoe as President, Taumaranui; Opposite page top: Tuhoe with the True Red team, Brad Haami and Billy McQueen; Inset: Queenstown ministry

returned to NZ and prospected for Mongrel Mob Wellington Chapter. There was only one rule in the Mob—the ‘rule of lawlessness’ and their mandate was to be Public Enemy Number One. Mobsterism meant adopting every aspect of the dog they worshipped in character and habit to the max to offend and alienate them from a system that had failed in its duty of care and was dead to them. Debauchery, depravity and violence bound the boys together and they lived and died under the colour red which symbolised the blood spilt by the brothers. Tuhoe was one of the founders of the King Country chapter and he moved quickly through the ranks gaining respect. But he was rebellious and impossible to control even by Mob standards, and survived assassination attempts from Mob and Black Power alike. The one constant during his lags (prison terms) was the love and support of Tuhoe’s sister, Juliana who regularly visited him, prayed for him and even gave him a Bible in Paremoremo Prison. Tuhoe took it, even though to read was seen as weak, and to read a Bible, a crime almost punishable by death. Although he thought her faith was a load of rubbish, he respected her faithfulness to her God, and to him—and still does to this day. The death of beloved friend and leader, Porky, hit Tuhoe hard and a stirring began in his spirit as God began to call him many years before he was to leave the Mob. Although Tuhoe was now so far removed from society that all prospect of a normal life was inconceivable, his desire was for reformation of Mob mentality to include a work ethic with which to build a better life and stronger families within the gang. “I tried to promote a culture of change for Mobsters so they could become normal citizens no longer defined by a culture of crime and violence before they became stuck in a putrid swamp, unable to emerge from the excrement dogs love to wallow in.” Tuhoe became chairman of four chapters at once (Auckland, Rogues, Notorious and King Country) and revelation strengthened that his brothers deserved more than to die

6 | Christian Life Issue Thirty-Eight September 2016

young from alcohol or utu (revenge) but he knew the Mob could never become successful if they remained caged in a prison of their own minds. Tuhoe set up a trust and worked with government agencies to set up work schemes and access programmes for gang members who wanted a better life. To help them he had to change himself, but found he was powerless to climb out of the primordial slime that smothered him. In 1986 Tuhoe organised the infamous Ambury Park national Mob convention in Auckland where he planned to float the idea of a national presidency with himself at the head to take the Mob from a gang to a movement for a more positive future. He invited then Prime Minister Robert Muldoon along with key community leaders to attend to show they were serious about becoming credible members of society, which in itself went against everything the Mob stood for. Days before the Ambury Park convention, which was to go so wrong, a man of God from Grapevine magazine, Ian Dunwoody, came to visit Tuhoe under the guise of doing a story, but no doubt praying for divine intervention. Tuhoe gave Ian some Mongrel Mob t-shirts and off he went, no doubt praying hard. Interestingly, the convention turned to custard before Tuhoe could present his plan for national president after a local woman was savagely raped even though Tuhoe had imposed a moratorium on crime that weekend. Facing the presidents after the public fiasco had died down, Tuhoe unwisely floated the national presidency idea but escaped with his life after voluntarily laying down his patch, at the ultimate low point of his Mob career. Co-founder of several chapters and leader of many, he was now stripped of respect and turned to his Maori culture to find identity, meaning and purpose. With his body covered in every image of Mobsterism, Tuhoe completed his moko, however it did nothing to change his dark heart and soul. “The search for identity in my Maoriness never satisfied my soul’s craving for truth and the meaning of life; it never brought peace to my heart; it didn’t heal my marriage; it didn’t give me hope or a purpose.” One day while in great anguish of soul, God spoke to Tuhoe in the shower with a vision of prison bars and a long tunnel with a white light at the end. “You’ll never get clean like that My son, only My love and My Word will clean you, direct you and save you. Return to Me or return to prison. I have a plan and purpose for your life.” Conforming no longer to the culture of this world and being transformed by the renewing of his mind began, but it was to be a long road. Tuhoe returned to the vomit of the dog, finding out the hard way there is no other way but Jesus. Dog is God spelled backwards

TRUE STORY

“I’ve killed the lion, killed the bear, cut the giant’s head off, and now the Father has put me on the highways and byways of New Zealand.”

and is the opposite of everything Jesus represents. While Tuhoe was still backslidden he was visited by ex-Black Power leader Phil Paikea and ex-Mob Francey Kara, who prayed for him. Within six months Tuhoe had recommitted his life to the Lord and in 1992 attended Amorangi Bible School, Pukekohe in the heart of Black Power territory. There was no going back.

Tuhoe’s base is still Pukekohe and he acknowledges the support of his home church, Pukekohe Baptist, but God has him ministering in Queenstown where he attends City Impact. “I’ve killed the lion, killed the bear, cut the giant’s head off, and now the Father has put me on the highways and byways of New Zealand.” Tuhoe has travelled around the country forty times in the nine

years since True Red was released, sharing the love of Jesus and ministering reconciliation. This brother is still true red, bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ and his life demonstrates much everlasting fruit. He is working on his new book, putting his family first and staying close to his Father.

Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV) A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Visit truered.co.nz for a copy of True Red or to contact him.

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FAMILY FIRST

A major new report just published in the journal The New Atlantis challenges the leading narratives that are being pushed in New Zealand schools and even some preschools regarding ‘gender identity’. Our children are being indoctrinated with the message “Gender refers to how you identify, someone can identify as male, female, in between, both, or neither.” The PPTA has told secondary schools that “Gender identity refers to what a person thinks of as their own gender, whether they think of themselves as a man or as a woman, irrespective of their biological sex”, and that schools must not only recognise these forms of diversity, but affirm them. The Human Rights Commission has published guidelines to recognise the rights of children as young as five to use the changing room, play in the sports team, and even share bunkrooms on school camps that match their ‘gender identity’. But this 143-page report discusses over 200 peer-reviewed studies in the biological, psychological, and social sciences, documenting what scientific research shows, and concludes that some of the most frequently heard claims about gender identity are not supported by scientific evidence. For this reason, ‘gender identity’ ideology should not be freely promoted in our New Zealand schools,” Key conclusions from the report are: • The belief that gender identity is an

Voice for Life, New Zealand’s largest voluntary prolife organisation – with branches all over the country, has been building a culture of valuing human life from the moment of conception to natural death for more than 40 years. Our members have been committed to peaceful advocacy on behalf of the most vulnerable and invisible members of our communities. We promote support, education, and sensible researched-based solutions to facilitate our goals, knowing that this is a long-term effort that can be reached by incremental change with widespread public support.

GENDER IDEOLOGY SHOULD BE KEPT OUT OF SCHOOLS ‘TRAPPED IN THE WRONG BODY’ NOT SUPPORTED BY SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE innate, fixed human property independent of biological sex—so that a person might be a ‘man trapped in a woman’s body’ or ‘a woman trapped in a man’s body’—is not supported by scientific evidence. • Only a minority of children who express gender-atypical thoughts or behaviour will continue to do so into adolescence or adulthood. There is no evidence that all such children should be encouraged to become transgender, much less subjected to hormone treatments or surgery. The report is co-authored by Dr. Lawrence Mayer and Dr. Paul McHugh. Mayer is a scholar-in-residence in the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University and a professor of statistics and biostatistics at Arizona State University. McHugh, whom the editor of The New Atlantis describes as “arguably the most important American psychiatrist of the last half-century,” is a professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and was for 25 years the psychiatrist-in-chief at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. The researchers say, “We are concerned by the increasing tendency toward encouraging children with gender identity issues to transition to their preferred gender through medical and then surgical procedures.” But as they note, “There is little scientific evidence for the therapeutic value of interventions that delay puberty or modify the secondary sex characteristics of adolescents.” The report reviews rigorous research showing that “only a minority of children who experience cross-gender identification will continue to do so into adolescence or adulthood.” Policymakers should be concerned with

Further Reading • http://www.thenewatlantis.com/docLib/20160819_TNA50SexualityandGender.pdf • “Boys Girls Other: Making Sense of the Confusing New World of Gender Identity” https://www.familyfirst.org.nz/research/gender-2015/

8 | Christian Life Issue Thirty-Eight September 2016

how misguided school policies (such as the InsideOut programme in New Zealand) might encourage students to identify as girls when they are boys, and vice versa, and might result in prolonged difficulties. As the report notes, “There is no evidence that all children who express gender-atypical thoughts or behaviour should be encouraged to become transgender.” Mayer and McHugh call for honest, rigorous, and dispassionate research to help better inform public discourse and, more importantly, sound medical practice. This is a timely and significant scientific report. ‘Transgender’ is an adult and ideological term. If a child is saying they are ‘transgender’, it is because someone has put that label on their gender dysphoria for them. Dr McHugh has previously said that gender dysphoria is not a problem of the body but the mind, and that “we psychiatrists would do better to concentrate on trying to fix their minds and not their genitalia.” In the school setting, girls have a right to privacy, especially in situations where they feel particularly vulnerable, like a toilet, changing room or showers. But schools are being pressured in to accepting gender ideology by groups such as the Human Rights Commission and Rainbow Youth who try and tell schools and families that the so-called right of an individual to use the toilet and changing room and bunkroom that conforms to his or her ‘gender identity’ takes precedence over modesty and safety. It’s time that Ministry of Education placed priority on scientific evidence and sound medical practice, rather than bowing to ideology and special interest groups pushing an agenda. These issues are very personal and deeply felt and we must have empathy for the young people and families involved - but it is unwise to allow emotions - regardless of how deeply felt - to drive the decision and policy-making process related to such issues, especially in our schools. We must take a sober understanding and appreciation of what the leading scholars and clinicians have to tell us on these issues. Their voices should be heard more clearly and strongly than the various advocacy groups of any stripe” particularly as they impact our children.

Bob McCoskrie is the National Director of Family First NZ. Visit www.familyfirst.org.nz for more information on how you can become involved.

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LOCAL NEWS

OneWeekend with OMS OneWeekend* is an awesome time to find out about missions. Answer the questions such as: is it for me; what could I do; what about finances; what are the barriers? Enjoy great food, great company and learn from OMS missionaries. Discover what exciting opportunities can open up for you and what God can do with your life. Interactive, fun, and practical, all in a relaxed setting. Dare to let God loose in your life and see what He can do. Start your journey today! See us at our OMS

stand at Promise Keepers and see our ad in the classified pages for more details. One Mission Society serves in over 70 countries to see the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread. There are many opportunities and ministries such as evangelism, human trafficking prevention, camping ministry, construction, radio, teaching, discipling, medical, sports, short term mission trips and more.

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Fathers and Abortion – by Bernard Moran

Earlier this year, we passed the milestone of 500,000 babies aborted since the first clinic opened in New Zealand in1974. The children aborted that year would now be aged 42…had they

been allowed to live. You can imagine how the loss of 500,000 Kiwi lives has resulted in an aging population. But there is also another factor that is never talked about: the silent, unknown

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10 | Christian Life Issue Thirty-Eight September 2016

fathers whose babies were aborted. Some didn’t know their wives or girlfriends were pregnant when they slipped away for an abortion. Others went along because they thought it was a woman’s choice. Some did their best to save their child, but discov-

ered that under the law, the birth father has no rights. If you are the father of an aborted child and it weighs on your mind, please know that God does forgive and heal. If you are attending a Promise Keepers conference this month and this item means something to you... get prayer while you’re there.

Visit our website: www.voiceforlife.org.nz and find out about our national conference coming up in Hamilton (30th September-2nd October).

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LOCAL NEWS

Life Recovery Trust: Doers of the Word Ali and Denise Tuariki’s, Life Recovery & Enabling Ministry, has donated over 1,000 Bibles to the needy— and plan to donate many more. It’s in the darkness that the light shines the brightest, and Ali would know… it was in prison that he found Jesus Christ for himself. He now spends his time reaching out and discipling God’s lost children and blesses them with a Life Recovery Bible. Ali started carving (pictured right) in Rarotonga at age 9 and sold them to help the family survive. His natural talent means he can carve anything, and he carves by hand, not machine. Ali takes orders on commission to raise

money for Bibles for Life Recovery & Enabling Ministry to donate. With the help of those who have donated to the Ministry over 1,000 Bibles have been donated to various prisons (used for Christian courses within prisons), into the Mental Health sector, to new Christians, into police cells, addiction services and youth courts, supported accommodation and many other places. This humble husband and wife team and their Life Re-

covery Bibles are changing the lives of so many. If you would like to help support this ministry you can order a cross or commission a carving, or simply make a donation. The crosses are $80 + postage. You can contact Denise on 022 0874 955 or 46knee@gmail.com

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CHRISTIAN LIVING

BY TAK BHANA In Yellowstone National Park, in America, there’s a geyser that shoots boiling water about 170 feet into the air every 65 minutes. There’s no guesswork, no hanging around waiting and hoping, you can have complete confidence in this geyser, and hardly surprising, it’s called, “old faithful”. Would we want to be called “old faithful”? Well, not for blowing our stack every 65 minutes, and most of us could give the “old” part a miss! But faithfulness is a key quality for every Christian, especially for the “second mile” Christian. How can we do something that’s over and above the call of duty if we haven’t first of all faithfully fulfilled the duty? The Bible is clear that we should be

fully committed to God, prayer, marriage and family, giving and finances, serving God, indeed to everything, big and small, that He has put into our lives. In most churches there are probably members who would almost give their right arm if they were permitted to preach, lead the worship, or sing a solo. If the pastor asked such a person to do that I’m sure they would be incredibly faithful to prepare, and they would turn up, rain hail or shine. But the real test of faithfulness is not how we handle something special, rather it’s whether we faithfully turn up every Sunday, rain hail or shine, when we’re not doing anything special. Jesus lived with unwavering commitment and faithfulness from go to whoa. In

Matthew 16:21, near the end of His life, He told His disciples He was going to Jerusalem where He would be arrested, beaten, and crucified. Then he said, “I’m still going”. Jesus went all the way, and on top of that He went the second mile. He went where no man has ever been before or will ever go again. The religious leaders mocked, “He saved others” they said, “but he can’t save himself.” Well they got that right, it was Him or us, He sacrificed His own life in order to pay the costly ransom for our souls. He who was sinless died on behalf of the sinful, being made sin in fact, cut off from God in the worst hours of His life, alone in death, going the extra mile to the bitter end. His is a hard act to follow, sometimes we

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www.titoki.org.nz

12 | Christian Life Issue Thirty-Eight September 2016

need a little reminder. A WW2 chaplain was ministering to a dying young soldier. He asked the soldier if he had a message for his mother. “Yes, tell her I’m dying happy”. Is there anything else? “Yes, write to my Sunday school teacher and tell her I’m dying a Christian and I’ve never forgotten her teaching”. The soldier died and the chaplain wrote the letters. The Sunday School teacher replied. “Last month I resigned from Sunday School because I felt it wasn’t doing any good. But as soon as I had taken that faithless step I got your letter telling me that my teaching had won a soul to the Lord. Now I’m going to keep teaching and this time I’ll be faithful to the end”. A sad message from a soldier turned a teacher into a faithful extra miler. In terms of finances the second miler is not necessarily the biggest giver, but the one who is consistently faithful and honest. We probably think that if we won a million dollars we’d joyfully give the tithe to God. That would be the case if we joyfully give the tithe of the $300 or the $100 we have here and now. But if we don’t faithfully tithe on the small amounts then the Bible says we won’t faithfully tithe on the big amounts either. God sees our faithfulness in little things as

evidence that we will be faithful in big things. The extra mile Christian tithes on his $10. There is no cheap and easy route to growing the fruit of faithfulness, the currency we use to buy those costly seeds includes things like tithing and giving, dependability, prayer, perseverance and honesty. It pays to keep in mind that these costly seeds yield good fruit, which merit a rich reward in heaven. Unbeknown to a girl in a certain job, she was going to be given a significant pay rise, but before her bosses could tell her about it she rang in sick. There’s nothing wrong with ringing in sick if you really are sick, but this girl wasn’t, she just wanted the day off to do some shopping. As it happened someone from the office saw her out shopping and her pay rise was immediately cancelled. Faithfulness and commitment are easy when everything’s going smoothly, but they’re tested in adversity, just ask anyone who’s been married for more than two weeks! They’re tested when we’re tempted to lie and cheat, in the humdrum routine of daily life, and so on. We need ruthless integrity to pass the tests, being prepared to put ourselves out to go the extra mile, letting go our rights, considering others, and sticking with it when

the going gets tough, in a word, faithfulness. Many centuries ago Pompeii was destroyed when Mt Vesuvius erupted. Since then the remains of lots of people have been found in the ruins, some huddled together, some in deep vaults where they had fled hoping to find safety. But do you know where they found a Roman sentinel? They found him standing in the city gate where he had been placed by his captain, standing with his weapon in his hand. There, while the earth shook and writhed beneath him, there while floods of ashes and fiery debris and lava rained down on him, he stood at his post, and that’s where he was found a thousand years later. He did it for a Roman Commander. How long will we stand our ground? How far will we go for the Lord or Lords and the King of Kings?

Tak Bhana is the Senior Pastor of Church Unlimited. He has a radio and television program called Running with Fire, which broadcasts in New Zealand and other nations. His church also produces a magazine with the same name which is distributed in 70 countries, and he has written a book titled “Wired for the Supernatural”.

NZ Author wins International Book Award The book Small Beginnings by Dennis R. McLeod has won the Christian Inspirational section of the Bookvana Book Awards 2016 In his book McLeod shares his lifetime journey of growing up in a home with no love to a 15-yearold and stepping out in life feeling the world was against him.

“Small Beginnings” is the story of the journey that started when – unbeknownst to him – God took him as a 15-year-old and started training and equipping him for the future. He went from being a soldier to a teacher and then into the mission field in several parts of the world and now an award-

winning author. “Many young and not so young people are lost in this world” McLeod says. “I believe this book will encourage all people, no matter their age, that there is a beautiful world out there. All they need to do is allow God to open their eyes to see His beauty

Can you help a family become independent?

and everything else will fall into place.” Further details see www. smallbeginnings.org.nz Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and also at most Christian Book Shops

Family sponsorship has helped this

Moldovan family get on their feet. They now have a mini-farm, with livestock to feed themselves and sell at the market. By sponsoring a family in Moldova, you can give them a start and enable them to break the cycle of poverty and unemployment. Your payment of $45 per month helps provide monthly food and hygiene parcels, clothes, shoes and school supplies.

By investing in a family, you can empower them

TO BECOME A FAMILY SPONSOR, PLEASE CONTACT US 0800 469 269 nzadmin@mwbi.org

to become self-sufficient so they can look to the future with hope. mwb.org.nz

Taking help and the Good News to the poor of Eastern Europe Reg. Charity No. CC37218

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“Who here would die for their friend?” A group of men from Mt Eden prison were asked this question recently. Immediately three hands shot up and the men loudly proclaimed that they would die for a friend.

hese men in a gang culture were ready to sacrifice themselves for their friends. The strength of their commitment to each other was profound and moving. How do men in the church build friendships that create this level of commitment? Most Christian men do not even have a male friend who they could phone at 2:00am in a crisis. Real friends will stick by you though any crisis. They are the kind of people you can rely on and trust. But how do we find these friends? How can we cultivate friendships that go beyond just “Hi mate” to “I’ve got your back” and you know they will do whatever it takes to stand with you? In 2014 Peter’s son Brayden was receiving medical treatment for Crohn’s disease. Then he caught a virus that began damaging his heart. Peter immediately flew from Palmerston North to be by his son’s side on the Gold Coast. While he was there Brayden went into cardiac arrest, flat-lining! They shocked him three times but as his heart had stopped for between 3-5 minutes, brain damage was a real possibility. Peter had been away from his Christian walk for 14 years. Through divine appointments he reconnected with an old friend, now a pastor on the Gold Coast, who prayed for Brayden. God moved powerfully; Brayden survived and there was no brain damage! As a result of this experience Peter recommitted his life to Christ. On his return to NZ, he joined Advance Church, but equally importantly, he joined their men’s group under the inspirational leadership of Shane Clement. Brayden later had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) unit in his

heart to help with the damage caused by the virus. In 2016 Peter was advised that Brayden required more surgery as he had recorded three dangerous heart rhythms. But this was a different Peter from 2014. He went back to be with his son in Australia with the surety that God was in control and with the support of his men’s group. The operation was performed by the same surgeon who had previously operated on Brayden. When he opened Brayden up, he was absolutely amazed. He could hardly believe it because there he found a heart that was fully functional and in as-new condition. Peter’s miracle-working God had been there before the surgeon! Peter said, “I knew the brothers were supporting me and their prayers were over me. This is why I never miss the men’s group, it is so important to me!” The men’s ministry at Advance Church, which Peter’s group is a part of, has been re-energised since they got involved with a resource for churches, called 3+1 Church Alliance. This is a new initiative by Promise Keepers (PK) that is changing the face of men’s ministry in churches across New Zealand. It is helping men connect with each other and create solid friendships. It provides the tools necessary to help connect men in the local church and community in a way that has not been seen or experienced before. Peter and his leader Shane value the support of PK. Shane said, “I have found working with Promise Keepers encouraging and supportive, giving a clear passage for the men in this nation”. 3+1 is not just about a single event but an intentional series of activities that gather

14 | Christian Life Issue Thirty-Eight September 2016

men in a way that builds connection and grows friendships. A church is encouraged to develop a calendar with 3 local events for the men in their church. The +1 is the opportunity for men to attend an annual PK event where everything is already organised for them. They just need to show up, prepared to be impacted by the power of God. The three local events can also include any or all of the PK live webcast men’s breakfasts. These events make it possible for any church in NZ to have international and top quality speakers at their local breakfast. Their men can join up with more than 1000 other men throughout the country who are also participating and interacting online. Men gathered at breakfast events watch the speaker on the big screen, then they can text in their questions for a live Q&A at the end, before finishing with small group discussion and prayer. These men’s breakfasts have proven to be a great way to invite men, in and outside the church, to get to know one another and then use that momentum to springboard into a regular men’s group. So far this year there have been three Livestream breakfasts held, including Porn & Pancakes with XXX Church founder Craig Gross from California; The Map to Biblical Manhood with David Murrow from Alaska; and Something in the Water - What’s Influencing You? with Michael Murphy from Australia. Churches can also access these Livestream recordings afterwards, and screen them at a date that suits their own calendar. This development has taken church events to a higher level, allowing even novices to produce a high quality event for their community. Veterans in ministry appreciate

PROMISE KEEPERS

it also. Jono Smith of Frontline in Kerikeri puts it this way, “The Livestream breakfasts have been fantastic. Anyone wanting to start a men’s ministry, this is the easy way to do it”. Another huge development in 2016 is online men’s groups which train men to lead men’s groups via Skype video. Ashley signed up for a five-week course but then his employer, Fonterra, sent him to China for four weeks on assignment. That was not a problem and Ashley never missed a session, videoing in three times from China. He says, “I appreciated the support and prayers of the group of Christian brothers. Guys need support and help with accountability”. Since finishing the group Ashley has stated, “Promise Keepers is encouraging. They know men and what motivates them. With their help I have seen our men’s group grow in numbers”. Let’s get on and invest in friendships we can count on.

Ashley in Beijing - still participating in the online men’s group

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PROGRAMME GUIDE October 2016

shineplus.co.nz

Details up to date at time of printing. For up-to-date 24-hour programme information go to shinetv.co.nz

SUNDAY 5:00 6:00

Living Truth: Charles Price

MONDAY P

Lakewood Church: Joel Osteen

Hour of Power: Robert Schuller

8:00

Harvest TV Rotorua: Dave and Jill Moore

8:30

Running with Fire: Tak Bhana

6:30 7:00 7:30

9:00

In Touch: Charles Stanley

TUESDAY P

Living Truth: Charles Price

WEDNESDAY P

THURSDAY

Turning Point: Dr David Jeremiah

FRIDAY

Lakewood Church: Joel Osteen

Quick Study with Ron Hembree (Mon-Fri) Harvest TV Rotorua: Dave and Jill Moore

Superbook

6:30

Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew

Adventures in Booga Booga Land

Superbook

OK TV

Blello.tv

OK TV

7:00

Blello.tv

Friends and Heroes

OK TV

Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew

Superbook

Adventures in Booga Booga Land

7:30

OK TV

Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew

Paul the Little Missionary

Friends and Heroes

Adventures in Booga Booga Land

Buzz and Poppy

8:00

Impact for Life: Peter & Bev Mortlock

Word For You: Terry & Jayne Calkin

LIFE TV: Paul de Jong

Running with Fire: Tak Bhana

Life Questions: Jeff Vines

Blello.tv

8:30

Paul the Little Missionary

9:00

Friends and Heroes

9:30

10:30

Destined to Reign with Joseph Prince (Mon-Fri)

Songs of Praise

The Exchange

Turning Point: Dr David Jeremiah

Noon

LIFE TV: Paul de Jong

Precious Memories

100 Huntley St

Christian World News

Coop Dreams

12:30

Monumental

Creation Magazine Live

The Revolutionary Life

Jesus: The Game Changer SERIES

Everytown Downunder

13:00

The Restoration Road

13:30

Give Me An Answer

FEATURE:

See adjacent or go to shinetv.co.nz for more detail

17:30 18:00 18:30

Living Truth: Charles Price

Turning Point: Dr David Jeremiah

Joni & Friends Colour in Your Life

FEATURE:

LivingTruth: Charles Price

Blello.tv

Adventures in Booga Booga Land

OK TV

Friends and Heroes

19:30

Songs of Praise

100 Huntley St

Word For You: Terry & Jayne Calkin

Christian World News

Turning Point: Dr David Jeremiah

Noon 12:30

Global Leadership Summit 2015

The Lads TV

Superbook

Buzz and Poppy

Leading the Way: Michael Youssef

P 16:00

Paul the Little Missionary

Friends and Heroes

Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew

Colour in Your Life

P 16:30

Rhema Worship (Mon-Fri)

Studio 5 SERIES

D 17:00

Full Circle (Mon-Fri)

Creation Magazine Live

D 17:30

The 700 Club (Mon-Fri)

Lakewood Church: Joel Osteen

LIFE TV: Paul de Jong

Coop Dreams

Everytown Downunder

FEATURE:

Leon Fontaine

Studio 5 SERIES Jeni: Seeking the Extraordinary

See adjacent or go to shinetv.co.nz for more detail

P D D

SERIES

The Exchange

Destined to Reign with Joseph Prince (Mon-Fri)

Midnight

Harvest TV Rotorua: Dave & Jill Moore

00:30am

Precious Memories

1 am

Songs of Praise

1:30am

Colour in Your Life

The Catholic Guy: Bruce Downs

Give Me An Answer

Derek Prince

Hillsong TV

Harvest TV Rotorua: Dave & Jill Moore

Quick Study with Ron Hembree (Mon-Fri) P

20:00

D 21:30

22:00

Turning Point: Dr David Jeremiah

Lakewood Church: Joel Osteen

Hour of Power: Robert Schuller

22:30

The Mark Gungor Show

LIFE TV: Paul de Jong

Creation Magazine Live

Lakewood Church: Joel Osteen

Overnight until 4:30am - Rhema Worship (Sun-Sat)

A Shine viewer says... “My 8-year-old grandaughter and I happened on Shine by accident. A movie was on - we watched, no swearing, sex, etc, I was hooked, we’ve been addicts ever since. She will even check the channel out without me encouraging. Thank you Shine.” 16 | Christian Life Issue Thirty-Eight September 2016

19:30

Brought to you by

SERIES

23:30

Living Truth: Charles Price

See adjacent or go to shinetv.co.nz for more detail

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Enjoying Everyday Life with Joyce Meyer (Mon-Fri)

Preaching

N News

C Children E

M Music

Entertainment

23:00 23:30 Midnight

D 00:30am P M

18:30 19:00

FAMILY FEATURE:

SERIES

Bayless Conley

18:00

21:00

The Catholic Guy

FEATURE:

See adjacent or go to shinetv.co.nz for more detail

15:30

20:30

SERIES

Global Leadership Summit 2015

Life Questions: Jeff Vines

FEATURE:

Boy’s Passage, Man’s Journey

See adjacent or go to shinetv.co.nz for more detail P

Running with Fire: Tak Bhana

In Touch: Charles Stanley

15:00

Planetshakers TV

Leading the Way: Michael Youssef

14:00 14:30

13:30

SERIES

Your Best Life

Unlocking the Bible: David Pawson

See adjacent or go to shinetv.co.nz for more detail

23:00

13:00

FEATURE:

SERIES

D 11:30

See adjacent or go to shinetv.co.nz for more detail Boy’s Passage, Man’s Journey

See adjacent or go to shinetv.co.nz for more detail

SERIES

FEATURE:

22:30

2 am

Kingdom Connection

Hour of Power: Robert Schuller

See adjacent or go to shinetv.co.nz for more detail

22:00

11:00

Studio 5

FEATURE:

Y 10:30

Lakewood Church: Joel Osteen

SERIES

See adjacent or go to shinetv.co.nz for more detail

Life fm Presents

Jesus: The Revolutionary Life D The Game Changer D FEATURE:

The Restoration Road

10:00

FEATURE:

See adjacent or go to shinetv.co.nz for more detail

In Touch: Charles Stanley

Precious Memories

21:30

Brian Houston @ Hillsong TV

FEATURE:

See adjacent or go to shinetv.co.nz for more detail

Leading the Way: Michael Youssef

The 700 Club (Tue-Fri)

20:00

Answers with Bayless Conley

Enjoying Everyday Life with Joyce Meyer (Mon-Fri)

19:00

21:00

Full Circle (Mon-Fri)

Impact for Life: Peter & Bev Mortlock

20:30

Leon Fontaine

The Restoration Road

15:30

17:00