GOOD NEWS newspaper by Duncan Williams

S O O D N E W G www.goodnews-paper.org.uk

OPRAH WINFREY

MARCH 2018

KAKA: Signing off with thanks See page 8

BEAR GRYLLS

Oprah sings hymn ‘I surrender all’ on TV show

Survival expert can’t survive without prayer

See page 3

SOLVING THE PRISON CRISIS Alcoholic, atheist criminal transforms into vicar and helps thousands of inmates to go straight THE UK’s prisons are bursting at the seams, and countless new projects by governments over decades have failed to cut re-offending rates. Yet the answer is staring us in the face: the Christian faith has an exceptional track record of changing criminals into law-abiding citizens. When GQ magazine reported on the success of the Christian Alpha Course in prisons in 2014, it said it was “so powerful that it’s transforming the most brutal inmates.” One man who knows this all too well is Rev Paul Cowley. The reoffending rate for UK prisoners is estimated to be as high as 78 per cent, yet the Christian programmes that Paul recommends have cut re-

By ANDREW HALLOWAY & DUNCAN WILLIAMS

offending rates to as low as 18 per cent! If the authorities were not so politically correct, such a clear solution would be embraced, funded and promoted by government in every prison. Instead, it is the unsung hero of the justice system. Paul knows what he is talking about. He once served time himself. Brought up on one of the roughest estates in Manchester by alcoholic parents, he left school at 15, ran away from continued on page 4

GOOD NEWS for a change!

Page 2 GOOD NEWS March 2018

THE WRITE ANGLE From the Editor’s desk...

Tots’ top questions ACCORDING to new research, children ask parents an average of 73 questions a day!

Led by child psychologist Dr Sam Wass, British researchers polled 1,500 parents across the UK for British toy retailer Tots Town. The top four questions that little children ask are all about life’s origin, death and God: 1. Why do people die? 2. Where did I come from? 3. What is God? 4. How was I made? Parents will no doubt answer questions 2 and 4 with a child-friendly explanation of sex. But knowing about ‘the birds and the bees’ doesn’t really answer these fundamental questions, which are more about who made us and who we are than about the mechanics of biology. The first question will probably also be answered with a physical explanation like, “Because we get old and our bodies wear out”, but a deeper explanation would centre on what is the point of life if we die anyway.

Questions are good In fact, all the top four questions are pretty much those that adults ask themselves about life – but frequently fail to discuss for fear of being labelled ‘religious’. No wonder Jesus said: “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). We shouldn’t suppress our questions about life – because we need to know the answers. Most parents turn to Google for help with kids’ questions, which isn’t ideal, because you get a selection of answers, from which you will naturally choose the easiest answer or the one you like – not necessarily the one that’s right. And Wikipedia isn’t much help on spiritual questions – it’s notorious for editorial bias on some subjects. So if you really want to know the answers for yourself or for your children, turn to the answers given by the one who knows all about us. God created us and knows us better than we know ourselves, and has given us all the answers to life’s greatest questions in the Bible. If you’ve never read the life of Jesus and what he really said, see the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Bible. You owe it to yourself to find out why a third of the world’s population believes that Jesus is the Answer. GOOD NEWS

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Published monthly by the Good News Fellowship UK, registered charity no. 1167287, in association with the international family of Challenge newspapers. Issue no. 203. Please note that some stories in Good News may be unsuitable for children.

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MIRACLE MAN How a man called Miracle lives up to his name

CHIBUIKE Miracle Maduforo’s middle name sums up his life: he has overcome disability to become a motivational speaker and entrepreneur. He told Good News: “I have a visual impairment, but I never let anything get in the way of my dreams and ambitions. “My parents named me Miracle because they wanted a son [I was an answer to their prayers, after stillborn twins two years earlier], and it’s also a name which motivates me throughout my life.” And motivated Miracle certainly has been! He graduated with a first class BA Hons in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship from Coventry University, never missing a lecture, and gained a Snowdon Award at Westminster in 2011.

Learn Now studying for a Masters in Risk Analysis at Kings College, London, Miracle has also become a franchise director at IT firm Vibe Marketing: “Through this I intend to learn and achieve great things within the digital sphere. I love my God so much, and one of my plans is to serve the marketing and IT needs of the Christian community. “I strongly believe people need to hear the Word of God, and assisting churches in gaining a wider audience is certainly a worthy mission.” Miracle also writes poetry, works as a film extra and model, and has taken part in athletics – running, long jump, triple jump and shot putting. He’s even “exploring” [how to play] darts!

INSPIRATION: Miracle Maduforo’s positivity, despite a visual disability, is infectious

By IAN WHITE

But his activities don’t stop there. Actively engaged with current affairs, politics and the financial markets, Miracle was a volunteer intern during MP Paul Scully’s 2015 campaign, convincing more than 50 residents to allow a poster to be erected in their garden in an area where posters were rarely seen in previous campaigns. “I suppose film extras and modelling were my initial beginnings in the media. From there, I started to take an interest in the internet and how it can be used to change perceptions of the disabled community.” To that end he’s appeared in videos and engages in disabled access consultancy work. In 2012 Miracle was among the award winners for upcoming entrepreneurs at the Entrepreneurship Global Summit in Liverpool. He joined Vibe Marketing last year – a remarkable step, given that just months earlier he broke his leg, requiring a “huge

procedure” during which he nearly lost all hope. But with God’s help and hard work, Miracle presses on: “The experience has really inspired newer dreams and goals into my life.” Miracle even intends to write a motivational book as a result! “Social entrepreneurship clearly has a role in making this world a better place. Many people around the world want the freedom which entrepreneurship can provide – the freedom to eat well, earn a decent livelihood and so much more. “So I believe for many to have access to the tools of entrepreneurship surely can change the world.” He lists Nelson Mandela and Steve Jobs of Apple among his inspirations.

Inspired Miracle’s former pastor, Lawrence Fagbayi, says: “He was given the platform at our Neighbours Together community programme which attracts around 400 people. He’s an inspired young man with the potential to be one of the greatest motivational speakers of his generation.” Miracle told Good News: “My Christian faith is very strong, and I have a wonderful relationship with my God. I’ve been through terrible times, but God is always there! I’m very thankful to him for all my achievements, and helping me to get to where I am today. It’s my faith in God which is the making of the person I am today and greater times are surely ahead.” If you are interested in a work or skills training placement with Vibe Marketing, please contact Community Outreach Director Duncan Williams at: duncan. williams@vibemarketing.co.uk.

Page 3 GOOD NEWS March 2018

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

New beats for the Beatitudes AN INTERNATIONAL group of poets and world class musicians have come together on a new album to explore how Christ’s teaching can transform society today. By ANDREW HALLOWAY

BBC Radio. Her compositions have been performed by many of the UK’s leading orchestras and choirs. When I asked Deborah why she contributed to music about the Beatitudes, she replied that she has a personal faith in Jesus and has known God all her life: “I have never known a time when I wasn’t aware of God. Ever since I was a small child I knew him: in the beauty of the world and in the kindness of others. “When I was younger I spent a lot of my time in my garden... I painted everything I saw, exploring colour, texture and light, trying to capture the joy I felt when looking and experiencing my surroundings. The art gave me a direct awareness of God.”

EAR FOR THE BLUES: Syna esthetic composer Debo rah admires a painting by Maggi Hambling that ins pired her composition, Wa ll of Water

Her music too is closely related to her relationship with God: “I didn’t discover classical music until I was eleven or twelve, and immediately my sense of God was augmented, this time in a way that didn’t need words or images, directly from the soul.

“And as a composer now I always strive to find the spiritual in my music: colour and harmony combine in a synaesthetic union, and abstractions of sound become images as I visualise music. For me, the Beatitudes elevate the sublime beauty of God’s grace, and

through their exploration I can find a new way of creativity.” A video introduction to the album is on YouTube, and you can listen to it at: https:// soundcloud.com/user-14245 5796/sets/nine-beats-collective-nine-beats-to-the-bar/sToDLW

Oprah sings I can’t ‘bear’ a day hymn without prayer on US SURVIVAL skills expert show Bear Grylls never goes a day without prayer. In the Daily Mail, Bear described how he kneels to pray with his three sons every bedtime, prays for his wife and gives thanks before meals. He explained: “It’s a sign of humility. Something I aspire to in today’s world.” His daily prayer for wife Shara is very sim-

ple: “Good night, sleep well, may God bless you. I love you, you are the best.” The TV presenter and Chief Scout added: “My faith wavers every day. I get nervous talking about it. It’s personal, it’s a journey; but it’s the glue to my life.” Grylls has talked about his faith on many occasions and helps to promote the Alpha Course – an introduction to Christianity.

GOOD DAD: Bear Grylls prays with his boys every night

BILLIONAIRE businesswoman, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey has added another string to her bow: singing. While on Harry Connick Jr’s chat show recently, Oprah surprised fans by singing the hymn ‘I Surrender All’. But it’s not just any hymn – it’s a clear call to make a full commitment to living for Jesus Christ. Oprah has often been criticised for mixing wacky New Age ideas with her Christian beliefs. Therefore, her singing the words, “All to Jesus I surrender, all to him I freely give; I will ever love and trust him, in his presence daily live...” could be a public show of genuine faith for Oprah. And she didn’t stop there. She talked about prayer and why this song was important to her. She said: “You know what my prayer is? My prayer is, ‘Use me’. “I used to pray that prayer every day.

Matthew Holley

The album, The Nine Beats Collective, concentrates on the sayings of Jesus known as ‘The Beatitudes’. They are essentially a manifesto for a new way of living. The music opens with the voices and concerns of today’s society and takes the listener on a journey to an eclectic soundscape of R&B, soul, rock/pop, acoustic threads, classical, jazz/funk, African vibes and a hint of gospel. One contributor, Deborah Pritchard, is a synaesthetic composer – someone with the rare gift of seeing colours when she hears music. In her case, it’s not the note that makes the colour but the interval between two notes – some intervals creating warm reds or oranges, and others cold blues and greens. Deborah teaches composition at Oxford University and her music has been broadcast on

OPRAH-TUNITY: Oprah Winfrey took the opportunity of a TV show to share a tune that means a lot to her

When you pray that prayer you will be met with the answer.” When Oprah doubted her abilities, she used the song to help her trust God for his help. It became her prayer when she wanted to be in the film The Color Purple, but had been turned down. After praying and singing that song she landed her own talk show, and then got a call from director Stephen Spielberg. She not only got a part in the movie, but was nominated for an Oscar in what was her film debut. Harry Connick Jr says he is proud of his faith and told Oprah: “God gave me the gift of music, singing, entertaining, but I wake up in the morning and I find myself praying a lot, ‘I just want to do your [God’s] will.’”

Page 5 GOOD NEWS March 2018

Page 4 GOOD NEWS March 2018

FILM FOCUS

FROM SUICIDAL BOY TO COMMUNITY HERO

Ex-prisoner finds true freedom

THE MANY FACES OF MARK EDWARDS (left to right): The vicar, inshore rescue officer, ambulance first responder and MBE award winner shares his story in new book Life After Care: From Lost Cause to MBE (Trigger Press, £11.99)

BACK ON SCREEN: Oprah Winfrey makes a dramatic return to film in A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time Director: Stars:

Ava DuVernay Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Oprah Winfrey Certificate: TBC Released: 23 March

WHAT if our ordinary lives were actually part of a huge cosmic struggle between good and evil? And what if our choices – however small and seemingly insignificant – could actually help to save the world? That’s the main idea behind A Wrinkle in Time, a classic sci-fi story which is now set to become one of the year’s biggest blockbusters. The book, written by Madeleine L’Engle and first published in 1962, isn’t well known in the UK, but in America it’s widely loved as a classic children’s adventure alongside books like CS Lewis’s Narnia stories. The new film stars Storm Reid as Meg Murry, a young misfit whose scientist father (Chris Pine) has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Accompanied by her brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) and classmate Calvin (Levi Miller), guided by supernatural forces, Meg must set out to defeat an evil which threatens the whole universe.

A Wrinkle in Time is colourful and strange, taking us to alien worlds and introducing us to mystical beings who are billions of years old. But it’s also a story about people who are just like us. Madeleine L’Engle created Meg to be a version of herself as a teenager: awkward, angry and struggling to find her place. She meant for readers to see themselves in this everyday heroine. Looking back on her book years later, L’Engle reflected that her own Christian faith had shaped the story in many ways: “I wasn’t trying to write a Christian book. But, of course, it is.” Just like the Narnia books, A Wrinkle in Time is a fantastical adventure which is built around deeper spiritual truths. The Bible is full of stories about flawed, seemingly insignificant people who get swept up in something much bigger than they are. Whoever we are and wherever we come from, we have a role to play in God’s story. A choice to live for Christ can make a difference which goes far beyond our own lives – and that’s God’s invitation to all of us. This article comes from Damaris Media, who create free film resources for community groups. Read more at damarismedia.com and keep up to date on their latest resources by subscribing to their e-newsletter.

REV’S SOLUTION: Vicar Paul Cowley knows the power of Christ turns criminals into citizens who contribute to society continued from page 1

home and lived on the streets. He joined a gang, got involved in crime and ended up in prison. When he came out he joined the army. In 1994 he walked into a London church called Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) and learned the basics of Christian belief on an Alpha course. Through that he became a Christian, and then a HTB prison visitor. Later, he started an organisation to care for ex-offenders, set up a homeless project and started courses to help those with addictions, depression and debt.

Potential He became head of HTB’s Alpha for Prisons, and under his leadership it has spread to over 80 per cent of the jails in the UK and in 76 countries around the world. Thousands have come to faith in Jesus Christ. Hundreds of former criminals have found a supporting church through his organisation Caring for ExOffenders. In short, the ministries he now heads up have the potential to touch millions of lives around the world. In an interview with Eternity

News, Paul summed up his life before the age of 39 as “drink, debt, divorce and quiet despair”. “I grew up an atheist; my parents were atheists. The school I went to had no religious education. In prison I never met a chaplain, and all those years in the army... I never met a padre. So up to the age of 39, I didn’t know about God.”

Effect Then “someone started talking to me about God.” This friend took Cowley to Alpha at HTB. “I went on that course and I met with God. It was a bit of a shock and it had a massive effect on my life,” he explains. “I started to slowly change with God’s help. I married my girlfriend at the time, and got my son back into my life.” Paul then did three years of theology training, got ordained and started the initiatives mentioned above, including Caring for Ex-offenders. “I got involved in prison work because of my past,” says Paul, who wanted to help prisoners and ex-offenders get their lives back on track, and knew that following Jesus Christ was the solid foundation for that.

“In the UK, in two years, 78 per cent will re-offend and go back in. But the men and the women in the prisons who decide to come to Christ in the prison and want to change... We meet them at the gate when they’re released and then take them to the local church... We put mentors around them and we start looking to sort their lives out... and if they go through all that... than the reoffending rate can be as low as 18 per cent.”

Sincere Paul says a vague belief in God won’t cut it; it has to be a real desire to follow Christ: “If someone doesn’t make a sincere commitment to Christ and mean it, be prepared to make some sacrifices and maybe drop some people away that will influence them in a bad way, then whatever you put around them isn’t going to work. “It’s the faith; they’ve got to have a genuine commitment to faith. “God did a real number on me,” he adds. “And if he can help turn my life right around he can help you turn yours around too.”

A YOUNG man who used to hate God for “continually ruining” his life has transformed from a ‘no-hoper’ to a believing vicar selflessly serving his community – so much so that he was awarded an MBE. Mark Edwards was only a toddler when he and his four siblings were taken into care, after family conflict, alcoholism and his mum’s mental health issues pulled the family apart. Along with his baby brother, he was shipped from one foster home to another, suffering years of physical and sexual abuse. By the time they were sent to a Lincolnshire children’s home, Mark already had a quick temper and deep distrust

HOPE – THE KEY TO MENTAL HEALTH By CHRIS EYTE FINDING hope is vital for recovery from mental health problems. That’s the must respect each individual’s view of music therapist, Dr choice of belief system within our Stella Compton-Dickinson. multi-cultural society. But if the

She says: “We are all vulnerable to mental illness.” Based in London in private psychotherapy practice, Stella has more than 20 years of experience treating NHS patients. “One of the most important things about recovery is the installation of hope,” she told Good News, “to see the bigger picture beyond one’s own suffering towards the hope of redemption.” A spiritual element can be key to coping with mental illness, according to the doctor: “As a therapist I

client introduces his Christian doubts and need for faith and redemption, we may together reflect on the lessons of Christ, particularly as death anxiety is a frequent issue that needs to be talked about.” Faith is personal for Stella, whose belief in Jesus Christ helped to sustain her in very challenging work with patients in secure hospitals, who had done wrong whilst seriously ill. Priests have been part of her family in most generations back to the Abbot of Sawley Abbey in Lanca-

INNER STRENGTH: Musical therapist Dr Stella Compton-Dickinson, sustained by faith while working with seriously ill patients shire in 1325, who became Chancellor of Oxford University.

By IAN WHITE

and resentment of authority. As puberty hit hard, Mark was fixated on actress Lindsay Wagner, who played Jaime Sommers in The Bionic Woman: “Over time, Jaime Sommers became much more than a teenage crush to me; she became a kind of saviour.” Mark now serves the real Saviour Jesus Christ, but his boyhood infatuation with the actress gave him a reason to live.

“I was raised in a Christian family, christened as an infant then confirmed as a teenager. Our vicar, Rev Gordon Thompson, was a blind man. He inspired me. My mother has too. From the age of five I recall her non-discriminatory attitude to people who were different to the norm. Her influence inspired me towards developing a non-judgemental approach – to try to see the real person within. “I take a broad view in how we may be inspired by our Lord to have compassion, to feel remorse and seek forgiveness... As the Book of Job teaches us, faith is required to withstand the tests of suffering and loss, and one cannot buy a place in heaven through achievements.” Stella adds: “The most difficult times and many losses can lead to the need to have Christian faith.”

He then became smitten with a real-life Lindsay – new house parent Aunty Lindsay – but it would only lead to anguish. “Lindsay invited me to her Baptist church, and we would walk home together afterwards, discussing the sermons and chatting about God. She clearly loved him dearly. I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him!” But Mark became even more obsessed with her, to such an extent that he was ordered to leave the home. From then on, life spiralled down into a haze of drunkenness and sadness, and when Mark heard Aunty Lindsay was getting married he slashed his wrists. But something deep inside him called out to the God he still wasn’t sure he believed in, and he prayed: “If it’s true you’ll never leave me when everyone else has, please prove it to me... If I am truly worth something, please don’t let me die.”

“just in case”, in which he admitted he would rather die than live. Soon he surprised himself by praying silent prayers. God obviously heard his cries for help, as Mark was able to leave the mental hospital and found himself volunteering at a soup kitchen. But “I couldn’t cope with a God of love, because I had never experienced love as a child. Not real love. I baulked at the idea of a God who loved me

committed his life to God, and was baptised in July 1981. It was the start of a whole new life. Feeling a ‘call’ to the ministry himself, he trained and was ordained in July 1995. He was also married in April 1984. But with such a turbulent past it hasn’t all been plain sailing. He continued to battle with issues and even questioned his own faith for a while. Yet today 56-year-old Mark has turned his life around as a father, grandfather, ambulance first responder and vicar. He recalls the ‘surreal’ occasion in 2010 on receiving an MBE at Buckingham Palace for his services to the community: “For me it also represented something else: the fact that nobody, no matter how bad things have been, is ever a lost cause.

‘If I am truly worth something, please don’t let me die...’

Fixation And die he didn’t. But Mark was sectioned in a mental hospital, where he developed another fixation on a nurse, and made another suicide attempt on his 19th birthday. His attitude towards God reached rock bottom. He wrote in his diary: “Where was He when I was being abused? Where was ****** God when they sent me away from the children’s home?!” But a visit from a minister spurred him to write a prayer

and could bring healing into my life, because it didn’t ring true to me.” However, encouraged to attend church, Mark heard an unusual sermon about suicide and how God truly loves everyone, even those who are troubled. “It was very difficult to hear because the very fact that I’d been suicidal, and that my life had been so atrocious up to that point, was the very reason I was having trouble accepting God.” Mark’s friends sat with him into the night as he cried, reading passages from the Bible, and telling him he needed to give his heart to Jesus. Knowing he’d long been on the ‘road to destruction’, Mark felt he’d got nothing to lose and

Despair “As a teenager, deep in the depths of despair and depression, I never would have dreamt that I’d be doing what I’m doing now. Even when I was ordained, and sometimes even now, I have to pinch myself. “Someone once described me as a ‘walking miracle’. It sounds quite extreme, and they don’t mean it in a biblical sense. But I understand what they meant... Many would have expected me to end up in prison, or homeless, or an addict... “I’m living proof that your past does not have to be a barrier to your future.”

Page 6 GOOD NEWS March 2018

“TO COIN A PHRASE” Ever wondered where everyday English sayings come from?

A man after my own heart

Meaning: A kindred spirit; someone I can agree with. Origin: The Bible (King James Version): “... the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart...” 1 Samuel 13:14; “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart...” Acts 13:22.

IF SOMEONE likes the same things as us, or dislikes the same things, or acts how we would in a particular situation – we warm to them. The phrase ‘a man after my own heart’ has long been a common way of expressing this. It was first said about King

David, by God. So what, you say? Well, it’s remarkable, because David was no ‘saint’. Yes, he was a great warrior and the king who established Israel as a nation centred on Jerusalem. And he loved God and served him wholeheartedly. But David also committed adultery and even murder. God punished him for those things, but it didn’t change God’s view of him as someone special. Why? Because although David sometimes failed, his heart was in the right place. He defended his people and usually acted with love and kindness. Just because we are weak and fail too, God does not stop loving us.

ASK Y Peter Meadows answers your questions about God. This month’s question...

There might be a God but Jesus was just a good man

When the ‘fire’ fell on Britain YOU’LL rarely hear it broadcast on British media, but major Christian revivals are occurring around the the world, right now, in the early 21st century. In countries as diverse as Cuba, China, parts of the Middle East and Africa, thousands of people are turning to the Christian faith on a daily basis. Churches are filled to overflowing and wider society is taking note – sometimes resulting in persecution. It’s a very different picture, of course, in the West, where Christians are now a minority. But did you know that, right up to the 1950s, Christian revivals used to be a regular feature of British society too?

Significant

HAVING a vague belief in God is easy, but believing he came to earth as Jesus is too much for many. However, the more you look at Jesus’ life, the harder it is to deny. First, no serious historian doubts that Jesus existed, preached in Israel, was called a miracle worker, was crucified, died and that his remains have never been found. Of course, if he actually came back to life after three days then you have to consider his claim to be immortal and God. But let’s look at it another way. If God was going to walk the Earth, what would you want him to be like? Would he be like Jesus? Jesus was compassionate. Faced with a widowed mother whose only son – and sole means of support – had died, Jesus raised him to life. Meeting lepers, the untouchables of his day, he did the unthinkable and touched them. Jesus left no one out. He welcomed social outcasts as his followers – prostitutes, tax collectors, etc. – as well as ordinary fishermen. And he treated women, the underclass of the day, with special affirmation and dignity. Jesus was a man of the people. There was nothing superreligious or stand-offish about him. Children swarmed around him, he was a welcome guest at parties, and he was accused of being unholy because he mixed with ‘sinners’.

HOPE FOR TODAY: Church groups like this one fill The O2 in London, unreported by national media

Jesus detested religious hypocrisy. He spoke against those with a holier-than-thou attitude. And religion for the show of it stuck in his throat-and he said so. Jesus never wrote people off. For example, a prostitute, a thief and a collaborator with the Roman enemy all received the chance to start again. And so on. His life expressed what you hope God is like – caring and good. He did the things you’d expect God to do – healing the sick, raising the dead, controlling nature. And he behaved the way you’d expect of God – speaking with wisdom, authority and love. But for me, the clincher is what those closest to him said. Those closest to us know the truth about us and can bring us down to Earth should we lose track of reality. Those who lived on the road with Jesus for three years, listening, watching and evaluating, had this verdict: they believed he was God. In fact, they staked their lives on it. One, Thomas, knelt at Jesus’ feet and declared: “My Lord and my God!” And Jesus freely allowed Thomas to worship him. He invites us to do the same.

Peter Meadows is co-author of The Book Of Y, the basis for the Y Course that explores life’s biggest questions. If you have a question about faith or God, Peter will do his best to answer it. Write to: goodnewseditor@ntlworld.com with ASK Y in the subject line, or to: Good News Editor, PO Box 9831, Nottingham NG2 9JN.

For example, throughout much of the 1700s a great spiritual revolution swept across all of England and beyond, a significant part being played by powerful preachers like George Whitefield and John Wesley, who founded the Methodist Church. Incredibly, over the course of his lifetime, Wesley rode over 250,000 miles on horseback. In that time he preached a staggering 40,000 sermons. Meanwhile, his brother Charles wrote over 6,500 hymns – many of which are still sung around the world today. More recently, a powerful Christian revival coursed through Wales in 1904-05. One of its key figures was 26-year-old Evan Roberts, a miner from Loughor, near Swansea. Often Roberts didn’t even have to preach. The overwhelming sense of God’s presence would take hold of people as he prayed. It is estimated that as many as 100,000 people became Christians as a result.

Effects The effects on churches and society was marked. Drunkenness and crime were drastically reduced, stocks of Bibles were sold out, and prayer meetings were held almost everywhere – in coal mines, on trains and in workplaces. One of the last significant Christian revivals on British soil was on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, from 1949 to 1952. Spiritual fires were sparked off in parish after parish by preacher Duncan Campbell.

By TOM LENNIE

He said the whole island became “saturated with the very presence of God”. So deep was the sense of God’s reality that even ardent atheists became believers, and people simply walking along the roadside felt compelled to get on their knees and invite Christ into their lives. The revival was accompanied by all sorts of supernatural activity – groups of people hearing the heavenly singing of angelic choirs; individuals giving accurate prophecies of where the revival would spread to next, and exactly who would be affected; and even of a granite house literally shaking during a prayer meeting. Since those days, revivals in the UK have generally been more localised, affecting particular communities or institutions, such as the revival that set Ardingly College in Sussex ‘on fire’ in the 1970s. It deeply impacted Private Eye editor Ian Hislop, who was a pupil then, and swelled the membership of the Christian Union from 12 to 300.

Transformation Sceptical historians have sought to explain away such phenomena in terms of the powerful sway of charismatic leaders, but often revivals break out with no particular individual at the forefront. Some psychologists say it’s all due to hype or mass hysteria – yet these elements are often totally absent. In any case, temporary hysteria fails to explain the subsequent total transformation of the lifestyles of thousands for the better, with long-lasting effect. Illusionist Derren Brown claims to reproduce spiritual phenomena in crowds by mind control, but all he is doing is faking the genuine article, which again lasts much longer than a one-off show. Christian revivals can only be understood by accepting that God cares so much about humankind that he is willing, in answer to the ongoing prayers of believers, to turn hearts and minds towards him. In countries like China and

REVIVALISTS (top to bottom): George Whitefield – English revival of the 1700s; Evan Roberts – Welsh revival of 1904; Duncan Campbell – Hebrides revival 1949-52 Cuba today, people are so disillusioned with the communist, atheist beliefs foisted upon them in the past that they are turning in their tens of thousands to a living God because he gives real hope, peace and joy. Even in the Middle East, such is the utter horror at cruel, legalistic Islamic fundamentalism that thousands are turning to the love of Christ (many through powerful dreams and visions of Jesus). In Western nations, many are realising that the promises of secularism and materialism are empty – the human soul seeks greater fulfilment. That can only come from a relationship with God. Many believe God will soon sweep across this nation with another powerful breath of his Spirit. Find out more in Land of Many Revivals by Tom Lennie published by Christian Focus Publications at £19.99, hardback, 518pp.

Page 7 GOOD NEWS March 2018

By Susie Kearley

FLAVOURS

Yo u d o n ’t h a v e t o g o a b ro a d t o f i n d s a c re d s p a c e s !

This is a tasty and healthy combination of fish and veg, combining low-fat protein with many essential nutrients which are needed to keep our immune system and muscles in good working order.

THE magnificent Lincoln Cathedral was built in the late 11th century but has a history of disasters, and its survival is something of a miracle. It was substantially damaged by fire in 1141 and earthquake in 1185, but not destroyed. A massive rebuilding and expansion project began in 1192, but in 1237, following major Gothic additions, the main tower collapsed. A new tower was built, improvements continued, and by 1311 the central tower was raised to 271 feet. Pilgrims flocked to see the shrine and grave of Hugh of Lincoln, the saint of sick people, shoemakers and swans. Then in 1549 the central spire collapsed. The roof was repaired but the spire wasn’t rebuilt. Nevertheless, Lincoln Cathedral remains the third largest in Britain after St Paul’s and York Minster. Victorian visionary John Ruskin said: “The cathedral of Lincoln is out and out the

SUDOKU by Shogun

INGREDIENTS 2 tsp vegetable oil or olive oil 1/2 a red pepper, sliced 12 cherry tomatoes, sliced 110g garden peas, frozen or fresh 1/2 tsp of unsalted butter 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely sliced 500g cod fillet or any other fish you like, skinned and cut into 4 portions Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Visit England/Visit Lincoln

most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles.” It was chosen to depict Westminster Abbey in movies The Young Victoria (2009) and more controversially The Da Vinci Code (2006), when the Abbey itself wasn’t available. It was built from Lincolnshire limestone and there are fossils in the floor. One of the original copies of the Magna Carta is kept at the nearby Castle, but there’s a reproduction in an exhibition in the Cathedral. The Cathedral is also famous

for the legend of the Lincoln Imp. The story goes that the imp and his friend vandalised the church spire in Chesterfield, twisting it, before heading to Lincoln Cathedral where they smashed tables and chairs, tripped up the Bishop, and began to destroy the Angel Choir. An angel warned them to stop, but the imp threw stones at him, so the angel turned him to stone. You can see the imp over the Gothic archway today!

INGREDIENTS FOR TOPPING 180 ml of double cream The juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon 140g grated cheddar cheese

www.lincolncathedral.com

PRAYER REQUESTS

FILL in all the squares in the grid so that each row, each column and each of the 3x3 squares contains all the digits from 1 to 9.

If you would like prayer for whatever issue you are facing, or help to become a Christian, call the UCB Prayerline on 0845 456 7729 (UK local call rate) or 1890 940 300 in the Republic of Ireland. The Prayerline is open Monday to Saturday from 9am till at least 10pm and on Sunday evenings from 6.30pm to 11pm. Trained Christian volunteers will take your call and pray for you and with you.

February Solution

BREAK TIME CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. The Sunday falling on 25 March (4) 3. Large spotted cat (7) 7. Seeds eaten as vegetables (4) 9. Muslim ruler (4) 10. ‘He died that we might be —— ‘ (hymn) (8) 11. Provides accommodation and meals for travellers (5) 12. Leaf of fir or pine tree (6) 14. Short-sighted (6) 16. Structures for busy insects (5) 18. ‘When I survey the —— cross’ (hymn) (8) 20. Weapons (4) 22. Gardening tool (4) 23. Migratory songbird (7) 24. Piece of news (4) DOWN 1. Plant with showy, mainly red, flowers (5) 2. Bread baked in one piece (4) 3. Short, thick stick used as a weapon (6)

4. The square root of 121 (6) 5. Limb of the human body (3) 1

6. Male duck (5) 8. Left-handed boxers who lead with their right (9) 4

5 6

9. Try hard to achieve (9) 11. Dried grass used as fodder (3) 13. —— Dawson, late popular comedian (3) 14. Brightly coloured parrot (5) 15. Government rep in a foreign country (6) 16. London Borough (6) 17. Greenish-bronze freshwater fish (5) 19. Sodium chloride (4) 21. Trim grass (3) See April edition for solution. FEBRUARY ANSWERS 1

A C T 11 S 9

17 18

19 14

SAVOUR

Fish and vegetable gratin

Lincoln Cathedral

BRAIN-SIZZLING

S A R D 23 I N E

A C A D E O I A R D S G K 12 H I N P 13 B 15 C A R E D C L 18 A N G O C R M I T A T A D 25 S E L

M I C C A O H 10 R A C C O T K L H R A S E A T R 16 M O Z A 17 F O 19 20 R A R O 22 E H R 24 E A L I Z S O E P H A N

C O O N C E R R T 21

O K E C E P T

1 small onion, sliced 1 handful of dried white or brown breadcrumbs METHOD Heat your oven to 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4. Use the butter to grease a gratin dish or oven proof dish, about 23 cm across by 3 cm deep. (1) Put your oil into a frying pan, and fry your onion, red peppers and carrot (keeping the onion separate from the rest) until softened (about 3 minutes), stirring from time to time (2) Place your fish in the bottom of the dish. (3) Add the red

peppers and carrots on top. (4) Add the tomatoes and peas, and salt and pepper to taste. (5) Next make the topping. Put your double cream, lemon juice and zest, onions, cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs in a bowl and mix together well. (6) Spoon the topping onto the fish mix in the gratin dish. (7) Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Serves 4 people. Serving suggestion: serve with chips or roast potatoes and vegetables of your choice

HELP FOR READERS

How to know Jesus for yourself AS you have read through Good News, we hope you have seen the difference knowing Jesus Christ makes to people’s lives.

If you would like to know more about this, read on, or see: www. goodnews-paper.org.uk and click on the Finding Faith section. The Christian faith is not some philosophy, dreamt up to make people feel better, or to be a crutch in times of need. It is based on a person. Our time itself is measured from the day of his birth. His life is a fact of history: Jesus Christ. In Jesus, God became a man, lived a perfect life, and died on a cross – taking God’s punishment for all your sins and mine. But he came back to life to prove his power over death, then went back to heaven and will one day return again. In Jesus, we are offered a person to follow, a power to transform lives, a purpose for living and eternal life. If you would like to know Jesus Christ for yourself... 1. Read aloud, meaningfully and sincerely, the prayer opposite, and 2. Fill in the coupon below so we can send you information to help you in your new life.

PRAYER Dear God, I believe Jesus died so that I can be forgiven. I admit I have done wrong things and not lived my life how you want me to. I’m sorry. Please forgive me, and come into my life to help me live your way. From this moment on, I want to follow Jesus’ example and join other Christians in serving you and other people. Amen.

If you have any questions about faith, email: brianward2009@hotmail.com

FREE OFFER for those seeking faith... I want to make a new start in my life and would like:

The free DVD ‘So Who Is This Jesus?’ The free booklet ‘On Your Marks’ Contact from an experienced Christian, to help me learn more about Jesus. My tel. no. is___________________________________________ We regret this offer is only available to UK and Ireland readers. My name (print) ................................................................................................. My address (print) ............................................................................................ .............................................................................Post code ......................... Send to: Good News Newspaper, PO Box 9831, NOTTINGHAM NG2 9JN or email: mandy-goodnews@ntlworld.com MARCH 2018

SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT SPORT BRITAIN had high hopes for a record medal haul at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang in February. By the time you read this, we’ll know if Team GB succeeded in that aim.

Decisions Adam represents the views of athletes in the winter and summer Games, and just as he did as an athlete, Adam is representing Jesus in the world of sport. Adam told Christians in Sport: “My whole life is impacted by my Christian faith. While I am far from perfect and get things wrong, I try and live my life as Jesus taught – to serve and follow him.” As an IOC member, Adam faces many big decisions, but

COOL OPERATOR

Skeleton racer used to negotiating icy race track tackles slippery issues in the corridors of power feels he’s not on his own in those decisions: “I will try and read as much as I can, so I have got as much information as I can... Then I pray and ask for God’s help and his wisdom, because numerous times I have thought, ‘Lord, I don’t know what to do here, please help.’”

Euphoria

RETIREMENT: Adam says farewell to competition after the 2010 Games

Six years after retiring, Adam still fondly remembers his time competing, especially his Olympic debut at Turin 2006, telling Christians in Sport: “There was a real euphoria, particularly around the opening ceremony and the early part of the Games.” He prayed for the safety for everybody and that he would perform well. He added: “Hurtling down a mountain at 90mph is just so much fun – as long as you don’t hit the wall too much. It is just a brilliant gift from God!”

WORLD’S BEST SIGNS OFF WITH THANKS ONCE named the best player in the world, Brazilian superstar Kaka finished his career with a prayer of thanks on Twitter. Above a photo of himself with hands raised in praise to God and wearing his famous ‘I belong to Jesus’ t-shirt, the former Real Madrid and AC Milan striker said: “Father, it was much more than I could ever imagined. Thank you! I’m now ready for the next journey. In Jesus’ name. Amen.” Kaka played for his country 92 times and was a World Cup winner in 2002. Throughout his career he has

Alejandro Ramos

One man who knows what it’s like to compete for GB at the Winter Olympics is 2009 world championships skeleton silver medallist Adam Pengilly. Adam knows all about sliding down an icy track at 90mph on not much more than a tea tray. Having competed in the 2006 and 2010 Games, he retired from the skeleton in 2012, but Adam is still heavily involved in the sport. He is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Athlete Committee, is Vice President International Affairs of the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation, and has helped to organise the Winter Games as one of 15 representatives on the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes Commission.

SLIDER: Adam Pengilly goes for Great Britain in the Men’s Skeleton Run 1 at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver

BRILLIANT: Kaka on a charge for Real Madrid against Tottenham in the UEFA Champions League in 2011 used his fame to share his Christian faith, often wearing his Jesus t-shirt under his team jersey, sometimes getting into trouble for revealing it, and never failing to give glory to God instead of himself by pointing heavenward every time he scored a goal. He once told Athletes in Action: “It may seem that I have everything. Due to my wealth

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and fame, some people ask why or if I still need Jesus. “The answer is simple: I need Jesus every day of my life. His Word, the Bible, tells me that without Him, I can’t do anything. I really believe that. The ability I have to play football and all that has resulted from it are gifts from God. He has given me a talent to use for him, and I try to improve on it every day.”