TUPU WHAKARANGI 228 by Maori Postal Aotearoa

CONTENT ISSUE 228 | VOL 52.2

OCTAVIUS HADFIELD PG.05

THE WRONG DIET

TRANSGENDER ISSUES

THIS ISSUE 13

THE STORY OF JEREMY DEMPSEY

WHO WILL GO PG.14

EDITOR: GRAHAM BATSON DESIGN: TEREYA DOWERS MAIL: PO BOX 10, WANGANUI E: info.maoripostal@gmail.com WWW.MAORIPOSTAL.CO.NZ

COVER PHOTO: Tea time at Malachi's place. First course: Roasted lamb's tails!

I AM YOUNG; I AM MAORI

BLACK OUT PG.17

THE WRONG DIET ARTICLE BY EDITOR

Imagine a four-year-old boy going to his parents and saying, “Mum, Dad – I’m sick of the type of kai you are giving me – cabbage, peas, carrots, silverbeet and potatoes! I don’t like them! From now on I choose what I want to eat – chocolate for breakfast, lunch and tea!” If a child was allowed to go on such a diet and continue on it, it wouldn’t be long before he became a Clearasil candidate, his teeth would soon rot, and he would become very sick. He may even die through lack of vitamins. Any parent who allowed such a diet we would consider porangi (crazy)! But this is a picture of what is happening to our society. We are suffering from a massive case of “acne” – blemishes are erupting all over the place because we have chosen our own diet. We have said within our hearts, “God, we don’t want your diet of righteousness. We choose lust, greed and pride. We want porn, drugs, alcohol and violence. We want what feels good, not what is good!” Rather than obedience, we have chosen rebellion against God, selfishness rather than love for others, our way rather than God’s – and in so doing

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we are reaping the horrific consequences. Our western world that was once at least nominally Christian, is now flooded with crazy thinking, which appears to be getting crazier by the day. Consider the following: --

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Same-sex marriage. Who would have believed that 20 years ago such a notion would not only be seriously contemplated, but actually legalised? Only a generation ago homosexuality was designated as a prosecutable crime. People can call it what they like, but it isn’t marriage as God ordained and defines it. Gender-bending ideology being taught to children in schools. Even primary-school aged children are being encouraged to question their gender, as if this was something different from their biological sex. This causes “gender dysphoria” where a boy might begin to think he feels like a girl or vice versa. Children are even encouraged to experiment with homosexual behaviour. All this amounts to grooming children to be confused about their sexuality and to become “gay” in their behaviour. Laws being passed to erase a person’s birth

•

certificates (as in California). Regulations being passed to make it an offence to refer to someone by their biological sex when they prefer to be known as the other gender. Legalisation and promotion of abortion in the name of “women’s rights” that allow killing of a baby in his/her mother’s womb right up to the full term of pregnancy. The law in Victoria (Australia) allows for this, merely on the agreement of two complicit doctors. Legalisation of prostitution so that it becomes “just another legitimate profession”. Restraint rules making school teachers unsure of their right to discipline difficult students, putting other students at risk.

• •

These and much more show that something has gone seriously wrong in modern society. The whole moral code appears to have been up-ended. God’s message to the people in Isaiah’s day was, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20). Such things are symptomatic of what happens when people turn their backs on their Creator and decide to go their own way. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 1, verses 18 to 21: --

The wrath of God is being revealed from Heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For, although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

When people abandon the knowledge of God, He gives them over to “futile (crazy) thinking” and we see it all around us today. In the midst of it all, what are Christians to do when the very foundation and truths upon which their lives are built, and which once undergirded the fabric of the nation, are ridiculed and cast aside? We are to realise that God’s standards do not change, and we must continue to stand for the eternal truths of His Word. But choosing “our own diet” has not led to the peace and fulfilment people are seeking. It has had just the opposite effect. Instead, whether it be ourselves as individuals, our families, society in general or among the nations of the world, there is a lack of peace and fulfilment and no-one seems to have the answers. But there is an answer and, sadly, it’s the last thing people seem to want to turn to. It is found in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are people in all walks of life who have found Him to be the answer to their deepest need, including prison inmates who, through despair have come to the end of themselves. Many of these people receive Bible studies from MPA in which they learn the truths of God’s Word. In Christ they have found the peace that has continually evaded them, and in Him they have found real purpose, fulfilment and security. The purpose of this magazine is to bring to you the message of Christ and to introduce you to Him so that you too can find real peace, fulfilment and security. We trust that the articles and testimonies will be a blessing to you and may lead to a turning point in your life.

ISSUE 228

“I’D RATHER DIE IN A MAORI PA THAN A MISSIONARY’S HOUSE”

OCTAVIUS HADFIELD ARTICLE BY BRUCE PATRICK

Nearly 200 years ago a sickly teenager from the Isle of Wight committed his life to serve and follow Jesus Christ. “Although he was not expected to live out his 20s he sought to trust God and serve wherever there was need. The life of Octavius Hadfield is a testament to God’s faithfulness in provision. Octavius Hadfield was born 6 October 1814 at Bonchurch, Isle of Wight, UK, and became a Christian as an unwell teenager. Within a year Hadfield heard God speaking to him through the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18). This led him to offer himself to the Church Missionary Society (CMS) for service that would take him first briefly to Australia and then permanently to New Zealand. Upon arrival in New Zealand in January 1839 Hadfield was retained at the CMS base at Paihia because of his precarious health. He underwent language and culture studies and began to teach missionaries’ children. It was there that he first met his future wife, Catherine, the daughter of prominent CMS missionaries Henry and Marianne Williams. That same year two young Maori chiefs, Katu (Tamihana) Te Rauparaha and his nephew (Matene) Te Whiwhi, travelled from the Kapiti Coast to ask for a missionary in their area. They had been brought to faith through learning to read at Waikanae. The only text available to them was the battered copy of Luke’s Gospel in te reo Maori that had once belonged to Tarore of Waharoa. Henry Williams turned down their request as he had no fit missionary available to send.

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Seeing the need and opportunity Hadfield offered to go. His acute asthma and physical frailty from childhood had left him with a very low life expectancy, but his deep faith called him to use whatever life he had in the service of Jesus, so he answered Henry Williams’ protestations: “I can only die once and I’d rather die in a Maori pa than in a missionary’s house”. Accompanied by Henry Williams, he left Paihia in 1839 to set up the Anglican mission on the Kapiti Coast. After sailing in the CMS Herald to Port Nicholson they walked north from Wellington over the hills. Hadfield’s physical suffering is evident in his journals: “In much pain today”. While in Waikanae Hadfield made the mistake of breaking tapu (a type of sacred restriction) by walking in a chief’s garden. The tribe’s tohunga (priest) told Hadfield he would be dead by the morning. Hadfield replied that he had no intention of being dead by the morning. Next morning, when the tohunga was found dead,

Hadfield’s mana leapt, and the Gospel of the all-powerful Creator God was taken seriously. As the first clergyman to be ordained in New Zealand, Hadfield served on the Kapiti Coast for 30 years. He became Bishop of Wellington (he served from 1870-1893) and in this position also served as Primate (Archbishop) of New Zealand (1890 -1893). He gained recognition as an authority on Maori customs and language and was frequently consulted by politicians. Over time many Maori in his area became practising Christians. It was said there was no violent crime in the Manawatu for 20 years. Following the Wairau Affray in 1843, where a confrontation between Te Rauparaha and group of settlers left twenty-two Europeans dead, an attack on the undefended settlement of Wellington was possible. Hadfield intervened, and his mana was such that hostilities were prevented. Five years into his ministry on the Kapiti Coast Hadfield collapsed and spent five years mostly confined to bed in the Wellington home of Magistrate Henry St Hill. During this time Governor George Grey visited him often to draw upon his knowledge and wisdom regarding Maori affairs. Bishop Selwyn also developed a good friendship with Hadfield and drew heavily on his insights. Hadfield recovered miraculously in 1849 and returned to his post in time to bury his old friend, the once-cannibal chief Te Rauparaha. Octavius Hadfield married Catherine Williams in 1852 when she was 21. In their first year of marriage she gave birth to a son named Henry (born in the Bay of Islands). When Henry was just 9 months old the family river-canoed and walked from the Bay of Islands to Otaki in 22 days with Catherine carrying Henry – a feat in which she justifiably took great pride! Hadfield was regarded by many as an authority on Maori customs and language and was frequently consulted by politicians. His views on Maori rights were based on the Treaty of Waitangi, for which he had helped gather signatures. When the Taranaki Wars erupted and Maori were dispossessed several small books written by Hadfield were published by the Times newspaper in London. In these he outspokenly criticised the actions of the New Zealand Government and especially Governor Gore-Brown. Eventually, after being mercilessly vilified in New Zealand and England, Hadfield’s account of events was vindicated and Gore-Browne was withdrawn. Hadfield became bitterly unpopular in 1860 when he upheld Wiremu Kingi’s claim to the Waitara block. Wiremu Kingi was a close friend of Hadfield, and the chief of Ngati Awa from Waitara, though living with his people on the Kapiti Coast. Hadfield urged Kingi to return to Waitara to assert rightful ownership over their land and argued Maori rights against the political powers of the day. He was deemed ‘the most unpopular man in the colony’. Though having been born sickly and weak, and not expected to survive into his twenties, Hadfield outlived every one of his contemporaries and died 11 December 1904 at Edale, Manawatu, at the age of 84 after a remarkable career in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. The graves of Octavius Hadfield, his wife Catherine and some of their family are in the St John’s churchyard at Tututotara, a few kilometres north of Marton and only a few hundred metres from State Highway One.

ISSUE 228

ALKING TO YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT

TRANSGENDER ISSUES

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ARTICLE BY JEFF JOHNSTON

Bruce Jenner’s athletic world-record and 1976 Olympic gold medal in the decathlon competition propelled him to become one of the most famous athletes in the world. He was a hero and role model for many. He later became well known to younger generations after his marriage to Kris Kardashian and appearances on the reality television show, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” With his tremendous athletic background, there was huge surprise when, in 2015, Jenner started appearing in public with long hair and nail polish. Tabloids reported he was undergoing plastic surgery. Finally, in a television interview with Diane Sawyer, Jenner announced his decision to “transition into a woman.” A cover

photo published a few months later in Vanity Fair magazine was even more shocking, and a reality television show on his life aired on E! In 2016, Jenner appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as “Caitlyn,” wearing a sparkly jumpsuit and the Olympic gold medal won more than 40 years ago. But these days it’s not just Jenner pushing transgender ideology. The transgender agenda has become a huge concern, from the fracas over safety and privacy in North Carolina to the gender confusion taught or endorsed in some schools. Sadly, given the prominence of transgenderism in our culture, children are bound to be exposed to this complicated sexual issue at far too early an age.

“THIS ISN’T AN INQUISITION, BUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO

GET TO KNOW YOUR CHILD BETTER”

ISSUE 228

RESPONDING TO CHILDREN

Here are a few simple truths to communicate:

When confusing events like this are broadcast throughout the culture, Focus on the Family is asked a lot of questions. And we know parents get asked questions, too: • Daddy, why does that man want to be a lady? • Mum, what does “transgender” mean? • Can a boy turn into a girl? • Mummy, I’m a girl; but will I ever change into a boy?

• God made humans male and female. • Individuals are born either male or female (Matthew 19, vs 3-5). • Some people get hurt and confused, and they don’t like the way God made them. • As a result, some people wish they were the opposite sex. • Nobody can really change from one sex to the other.

Transgenderism includes a wide variety of identities and behaviours and may also be called “gender dysphoria,” “gender confusion” or “gender identity disorder.” It’s tough enough for adults to understand this subject. So when our children encounter this confusing issue, what do we say? Most importantly, how do we help them develop a Biblical, Christian perspective on this issue? We want to help you navigate this topic, so here are some useful guidelines and suggestions for addressing transgender issues with your children: KEEP IT SIMPLE

Relax. As a parent, you are the authority in your child’s life; but you don’t have to be an expert on every issue – including this one. And even the “experts” really don’t understand all the complexities of this issue. A few years ago, a gay identified psychiatrist was asked about gender confusion and responded, “The truth is we actually don’t know what it is. Is it a mental disorder or does the cause of gender dysphoria lie somewhere else?” So don’t think you have to understand everything about transgenderism or tell your children everything you know.

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KEEP IT A DIALOGUE When children ask questions, use the occasion to connect with them. Find out what they are learning, where they learned it and what they are thinking. Ask questions, such as: • Where did you see that? • Where did you hear that word? • Why do you think God made both boys and girls? • What do you think “transgender” means? • Do you think a boy can really turn into a girl? This isn’t an inquisition, but an opportunity to get to know your child better. So keep your tone conversational and friendly. KEEP IT TRUTHFUL If you don’t know the answer to a child’s question, say so. Then tell your child you’ll look for an answer. Let’s say your son asks, “Why does he want to be a lady?” The real answer, if we’re honest, is “I don’t know.” None of us know all of the pain and false beliefs in the lives and hearts of persons who struggle with transgender issues. Nevertheless, Scripture is clear about certain things, and those truths are what you can

communicate to your children: • God made us in His image – male and female. (Genesis 1:27, 5:2; Matthew 19:4; Mark 10:6. ESV) • Sin entered the world and spoiled everything, including how we see ourselves. (Matthew 15:19; Romans 3:23, 5:12-13. ESV) • Some people get really hurt and confused as they grow up. (Romans 1:19-31; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. ESV) • God loves us and sent his Son to save us. (John 1:1-14, 29; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 John 2:2. ESV) • God can bring healing and truth to those who are hurt. (2 Chronicles 7:14; Romans 6:6; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 2:24. ESV) God wants us to live in truth about how He created us and who we are. We know God

is powerful to save and transform lives – including the gender-confused. Tell your children this truth.

KEEP IT KIND God has a deep love for sexually and relationally broken men and women – including those struggling with gender identity issues. These struggles are complicated and touch on deep aspects of our sexuality and being. The topic can provoke some to laughter or mockery, so work to maintain God’s heart for the gender-confused. He loves them with an everlasting love – just as He loves each of us.

important as your words: • God loves all of us. • God loves men who wish they were women, as well as women who think they are men. • We may disagree with someone’s beliefs and choices; however, we can still be kind and loving. • We can pray for those who are genderconfused. KEEP IT AFFIRMING When children see a transgender person on the news or on the street, they may feel curious, alarmed, confused or afraid. So, when they ask questions about it, they’re not just asking for details about transgenderism. They’re also asking for comfort and affirmation. As a parent, you can respond positively: • I’m so glad God made you a girl! • I’m happy you’re my child and that you’re a boy. • What’s good about being a girl? • What’s good about being a boy?

Ask the Lord for wisdom and creativity for how best to affirm your sons in their masculinity and your daughters in their femininity.

Your children will be watching you for cues about how to respond to gender confusion in individuals and in the culture. Pray for God’s heart and for the ability to convey this to your children. Tone and attitude are as

ISSUE 228

A WHITE MAORI IN A BROWN WORLD

THE STORY OF JEREMY DEMPSEY ARTICLE BY JEREMY DEMPSEY

If I could sum up my life in one word, it would be “Rejection”. I faced so much rejection it got to the point where I thought I was a failure and nothing I could do would change that. Everyone who said they cared let me down, so I found the only person I could trust was myself. Until I meet a Person who promised to never abandon me. He has never broken that promise. I was born with two parents, like most people. My mum’s firsts words about me were, “That’s not my son; put him back”. You see, everyone before me and everyone after me was brown, but I was blue eyed, blonde and was white. I’m from a Māori and Irish descent family. Everybody before me was brown everybody after me was brown. I was white. Before I could remember anything my father left. In my whole life as a child and a teenager I only got to see him a handful of times. There

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were times growing up that I would find out he was in town but in all those times he never bothered to see me. I could not help but think and feel “What’s wrong with me”? If in life you are suppose to receive unconditional love it was surely from the people who made you. As I grew up, I had a huge desire to connect with my Māori heritage -- to learn Te Reo and to understand my history. But moving away from Gisborne and moving to the Manawatū, going from a place where you were surrounded by whānau and where people knew you, to a place where nobody knew you, I was judged by the colour of my skin and not for the person I was. As I sought to learn my culture and history I was even rejected from that. Fellow students would say, “What are you doing white boy? You have no place here”! These experiences made me feel like I didn’t

“YOU HAVE GONE YOUR OWN WAY LONG ENOUGH” belong anywhere. I was Māori, from a Māori family, so I felt like I didn’t belong solely in an English world, but I was rejected by others in entering the Māori world, because of the colour of my skin, because I thought it was the cause of all my troubles. At home everybody loved one another but we had issues. My whānau were very religious: They would religiously go to the pub through Friday and Saturday and they would recover on Sunday. This presented many problems for us. Although there was love, my whānau didn’t really know how to express it. I was the oldest male in my whānau so I had all the responsibility, so that meant if anything went wrong I was in the firing line and I paid for it. With the bashes I was told over and over again that “I’m useless, I’ll never amount to anything”, things like that. After a while I just believed it.

pleasure. I was trying to fill the emptiness I had with relationships and things. But the thing I learnt through all these events was although I experienced some enjoyment and pleasure it was only temporary. The emptiness was still there and what was worse, it only grew. I thought nothing could take the pain away in my heart. Nothing could make me feel loved and supported, whether relationships, things, sport or even whānau. Nothing!

Because of these things I felt broken on the inside. I felt there was something missing. It was like I had a hole in my heart, an emptiness on the inside, I wasn’t complete. I was looking for unconditional love and acceptance, to be accepted for who I was not just because of what I did or didn’t do. I didn’t know how to fill this rejection this emptiness in my life, so I tried to fill it with things. I became a thief. Growing up we didn’t have a lot and I began to steal. I would see what others had and see how they were enjoying life through those things. So I would steal those things in the hope that I would find satisfaction and enjoyment.

Then one day I was walking to class in Feilding High school. There was a group of girls in front of me talking. Then one of these girls just blurted out, “It’s great to be a Christian”. I believed in God, but I thought Christians were a bunch of hypocrites who had no fun. (A lot of my extended family were Mormons or Catholics. They would preach against the sins everybody committed and then do the same things they said were wrong). But at the same time I became really curious and asked a friend who was somewhat religious. (His mum made him go to church), I asked him, “What is a Christian?” He gave me a Bible and said, “Read this and you will find out”. Because I believed in God, I said, “OK Lord, I know that You are real. I’ll give my life to You and follow You when I have finished reading this book”. The reason I said that was for two reasons: (1) I heard you’re suppose to follow the Lord and give your life to him and (2) there was no way I would read the whole Bible. I was a poor reader and would be lucky to read a 16 page magazine with pictures and complete it.

I became sexually active at the age of 12. Looking back I was so selfish because everything I did was for me; it was all about my

I started to read the Bible like I said I would. But something strange happened; its hard to explain but as I read it, it made sense and

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it felt like it came alive. The more I read the more I wanted to read. It made me feel alive on the inside. One night as I was reading some of the Bible, it was like God spoke to me personally. He said to me, “Jeremy you have gone your own way long enough. Now its time to go My way. You have spent your whole life trying to get purpose and fulfillment in all the wrong places now its time to trust in Me”. I freaked out. Was someone trying to play a trick on me? Nobody was around; I was by myself. I turned to the back of the Bible. There was a prayer of commitment to pray, asking Jesus to forgive my sins, thanking Him for dying on the cross and raising from the grave and asking Him to be the Lord and boss of my life. That night I prayed that prayer and became a christian. My life totally changed. As a thief, the compulsion to take things that didn’t belong to me left and I stopped instantly. I stopped messing around with girls and treating them as an object where I could get pleasure. I started treating them with respect. I forgave my parents and instead of feeling anger and hurt towards them I began to want to honor them and be thankful for them. All of these things changed because for the first time in my life the emptiness was gone and the rejection was replaced with a feeling of unconditional love and acceptance from the Lord. He was part of my life and He was changing me from the inside. He began to replace the despair in my life. Jesus was real and he truly had the power to change me and love me. PHOTO: It is not always easy to live for Jesus, but He is there and gives me the strength. As a new Christian I struggled many times with the thought of Him abandoning me. I would sin by breaking one of his commandments and feel real bad and guilty. I would think to myself now I’ve done it. I deserve God’s anger against me. He is going to abandon me now. But God never treated me that way; it was the opposite. He would remind me of his love for me and encourage me to not give up. He promised me he would never leave me or forsake me. What a privilege to know this unconditional love! Have you experienced Jesus’ love for you? Do you know that no matter what you are going through, He will be right there with you? If you are not experiencing that today, why don’t you give your life to him? Then you will know His power and unconditional love in your life.

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JEREMY DEMPSEY SHARING THE GOSPEL AT HAUMOANA MARKET

“WHO WILL GO” “Kore to hoa, kore te tata”. “You are hemmed in with no escape from your enemies!” Many years ago, the great tribe of Ngapuhi came from the north to war against the tribes of the south. They were well armed as they had traded flax, kauri gum and such like for guns from the Pakeha. The news soon spread that they had arrived near Hastings in the Ngatikahunguru area. The Ngatikahunguru tribe wasted no time asking questions. They started straight into the battle. For many days there was fierce fighting, and many lay dead and wounded. The Ngatikahunguru could see that they were losing more men than the Ngapuhi. Finally, one of the leading chiefs entered the meeting house. He called the elders together to see what they should do. There was Tareha, Hapuku, Te Moananui and many others. One leader stood up. He was Tamakihikurangi. “If we do not do something, all our people will be killed by the Ngapuhi. We must bargain with them. If one of our chiefs is willing to surrender himself to them they may cease their fighting and no more of our people will die.” Tamakihikurangi pointed his finger at Hapuku. There was dead silence and much uneasiness among them. “Will you go?” he asked. There was no answer.

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“Te Moananui?” Again there was silence. Tareha?” No answer. Tamakihikurangi continued to point and name some of the other chiefs. None of them answered. They could not even look at him. They knew it would be certain death if they were to go. Finally Tamakihikurangi broke the silence. “I will go,” he said. That night he went to the Ngapuhi chief and gave himself up. However, Tamakihikurangi did not have to give up his life to make peace. The battle did cease and no more of the Ngatikahunguru lost their lives. But Tamakihikurangi, who was now called Kawepo, was taken back to Northland. Now let us go much further back in history. Many years after God had created the world He saw that the people had become so sinful and corrupted because of their rebellion against Him, that they were in a terrible situation. They had “kore to hoa, kore te tata”. They had no way to escape from their enemies – sin and death. If we open our Bibles at Romans, chapter 5, verse 12, we read, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned . . . ”. God saw that people were dying because of their sin, so He said, “I will send Someone down into the world where these enemies are, to make peace so that people can escape”. He asked the question in Heaven, “Who will shall I send?” Jesus, the Son of God, answered, “Here am I, send Me” even though He knew it would mean certain death. In 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 3, we read that “Christ died for our sins”. He came to die that we might have eternal life. He came to

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make peace. “Christ reconciled all things to Himself, having made peace by His blood shed on the cross” (Colossians chapter 1, verse 20). Had Jesus not come there would have been no escape from death which is the result of sin. The Bible says that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans chapter 6, verse 23). Death here is more than just physical death. It is being cut off from God forever in Hell. The verse goes on to say, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. When we receive Jesus as our Saviour we can truly say in the words of 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, verses 54-55, “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Without Jesus as our Saviour we are hemmed in with no escape from our enemies – sin and death. We indeed have “kore to hoa, kore te tata”. Think about the words of the well-known verse, John chapter 3, verse 16” For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Koia ano te aroha o te Atua ki te ao, homai ana e ia tana Tama kotahi, kia kahore ai e ngaro te tangata e whakapono ana ki a ia engari kia whiwhi ai ki te ora tonu. (Hoani 3:16).

Koia ano te aroha o te Atua ki te ao, homai ana e ia tana tama kotahi, kia kahore ai e ngaro te tangata e whakapono ana ki a ia engari kia whiwhi ai ki te ora tonu. Hoani 3:16

ISSUE 228

A TRUE STORY

BLACK OUT ARTICLE BY DAVE CHRISTENSEN

The doctor said he would give me pills instead of an injection as I needed to be vaccinated against typhoid due to a plane trip to the Philippines. My wife said to me, “You need to take this pill”, so I swallowed it and kept on working. The next day I was not feeling well, so the doctor gave me some medicine which did not help and two days later I was so ill I thought I was going to die. After breakfast the following morning I was sitting on the couch feeling sick and I said to myself, “Get up, have a shower and go to work”. I convinced myself that there was nothing wrong, so it was off to the shower. But as

the warm water hit me I blacked out and I hit the wall, breaking my nose and then crashing to the floor. What happened next was incredible as I then started travelling along a beam of light which was not physical but spiritual, and then a voice said to me, “It is not the right time”. My wife heard the crash as I hit the floor and came racing into the bathroom and saw me lying on the floor with my face in a pool of blood from my broken nose and thought I had died. She started shaking me and screaming my name, and a short time later I came to.

GOD HAS GIVEN YOU A FREE CHOICE IN THIS LIFE AS TO

WHERE YOU SPEND ETERNITY

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The pain in my nose was nothing compared to the unbearable pain in my stomach, so the doctor was called, followed by the ambulance, then into hospital for an emergency operation.

DIAGRAM

Three days after the operation the surgeon informed me that the typhoid vaccination pill had burnt through one of my internal organs and I had peritonitis for the second time in my life. During the following ten days while convalescing in hospital I got to thinking about the near death experience that I had and how it was very similar to what a work mate told me about the experiences he had. He told me that after receiving his pay each week he would go and purchase drugs so that he could go on what he called “a trip”. He explained to me that after taking these drugs he would experience a wonderful feeling of being out of the hassle of this world and that it was something he wanted more of and wanted to “go in deeper”. I was talking to another man who said he also took drugs and wanted to “go in deeper” so that he could experience more of what he called “bliss”. As I said, while I was in hospital thinking about what I had experienced regarding the spiritual beam of light I had travelled along, which I can honestly say was “out of this world”, a feeling of “bliss” and “total awesome peace”, I realised that it was a similar experience as those who take drugs. If you have never taken drugs or had a near death experience you may think this is a load of rubbish. But I can tell you it’s not and I’ll explain it in the following –

We travel along life’s journey from A to B and along the way many of those taking drugs travel from C to P and may have this experience many times. However, if the person takes an overdose and passes P (point of no return) they enter E (eternity). It’s important to note that a person on drugs wants to go in “deeper”. I believe that Satan has deceived them into thinking that it’s greater “bliss”, but in fact they are being deceived and coerced into eternal death. When we die we will all travel via the beam of light and pass into eternity, some to Hell, some to Heaven. Why? Because God has given you a free choice in this life as to where you spend eternity. The Bible says in Hebrews 9, verse 27, “It is appointed unto man once to die and after death the judgment”. The Bible is very clear that we only pass point P once and then we will enter eternity to the place we have chosen. I have chosen Heaven because I have accepted Jesus as my Saviour. Where will you spend eternity, In Hell or in Heaven?

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MANY OF YOU CAN SAY “I AM YOUNG; I AM

MAORI”. B

BE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE!

I AM YOUNG; I AM ARTICLE BY THE LATE MISS WINNIE READ WHO WAS A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR TO THIS MAGAZINE.

MAORI

am young; I Many of you who read this magazine can say, “I am a Christian?”

am Maori”. But can you also say, “I

handsome boy, his head held high looking forI looked at a painting on a friend’s wall. I saw a w on the boy’s face, was the head of a proud ward to the future. In the background, like a shado er in his hair showed that he was a chief of Maori warrior. The tattoo spirals and the huia feath leading his people to ensure they kept their note. He was a leader with the responsibility of

TUPU WHAKARANGI

RISTIAN?” MAORI”. BUT CAN YOU ALSO SAY “I AM A CH good name and the proud traditions of their fathers before them. What he said, his people would do. He was a true rangatira and his mana was great. His proud spirit would be passed on to his son, and his son’s sons. No wonder the boy in the picture held his head high. Would he lead others as his forebears had done? The world needs leaders who are prepared to put the good of others before their own gain. The best of chiefs did not fight a war to win on his own. All those who followed him needed to trust him enough to listen to his commands and carry them out to bring success. If every brave man and woman made their own plans in a battle it would mean death to all. There would be no plan. Sure, that young man in the picture had every right to hold his head high – remembering the past. Only the chief who has lived and shown his ability for sound judgment and responsibility could continue to hold his head high, his exploits told over and over to hearers who hoped to do great deeds too. I remember, because I am old, going to Ngawha Springs way back in 1942. Mothers used to take their children with sores and skin conditions to bathe in the waters of the spring to be cured. On this particular day, when the car motor stopped, I heard laughter and singing – men laughing and singing. Around the edge of the warm healing pools sat soldiers in uniform. They had been on a route march in their stiff, heavy army boots and they were enjoying having their blistered feet soaking in the water.

“Tena koe, te Nahi!” “Greetings Nurse!” they said to me. These boys were off to camp and then to war overseas. Some would never come back, others would return wounded and crippled. Some would become prisoners of war in Italy or Germany. All would be glad to see Aotearoa again. Through all that terrible time they laughed and sang. Those taken prisoner were an example to all with their cheerfulness and ability to make the best of things. May it please God that there be no more war for that handsome boy to go away and fight in strange lands. Yet, he will have a fight on his hands here in Aotearoa to prevent the horrors of drugs, alcohol, crime and gang warfare from stealing the happiness that should be his inheritance to enjoy. Those boys who went away to war took life as it came and made the most of it. One soldier who returned said to me, “Eh Nurse, we always have karakia before a battle. We know only God can keep us. We all pray to God”. Maybe that chief in the painting was one of those who heard the Gospel message when the first missionaries came to this land. He would gather his people together to hear the preaching – the words of God from the Paipera Tapu (the Holy Bible). They would hear about God’s Son who was sent to bring salvation from sin to all who would trust Him through His death on the cross. Many of them would trust and follow Him – the One who is Lord of creation, Who made the world and the people who live in it. They would learn how the Lord Jesus is the true God and a greater leader than they had ever known.

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There was a very great leader in the Old Testament (the first section of the Bible). His name was Joshua and he led his people, the nation of Israel, into the land God had promised them – after much wandering and hardship. Joshua made a choice. It is recorded in the Book of Joshua, chapter 24, verse 15. This is what he said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. The people of Israel made a choice too. This is what they said in verse 24 of the same chapter, “The Lord our God will we serve, and His voice will we obey”. There is no alternative. The choice is either Christ or Satan – Heaven or Hell – for all of us. Are you brave enough to say, “I am young. I am Maori. I am Christian and follow the Lord Jesus Christ as my Leader?” Choose to serve God. You will be on the winning side. With your head held high you will be able to lead others on right paths. Our land needs leaders who will obey God. Choose to serve Him today!

TUPU WHAKARANGI

WHATS YOUR

At some time the boy in the painting will face hard decisions. Will he go with the gang, or do what is right and be able to continue holding his head high and keep his mana? Will he be a real leader for others to trust and listen to, and follow?

CHOICE

There was a great desire to find out what God said in His Book and to live it and obey His laws.

THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN MARCH, 1989

BIOGRAPHY

IRIAKA RATANA The first Maori woman to be elected to Parliament, Iriaka Matiu Ratana.

IRIAKA RATANA The first Māori woman to be elected to Parliament, Iriaka Matiu Rātana was a passionate advocate for the welfare of her people. She was born Iriaka Te Rio at Hiruhārama on the Whanganui River in 1905, and had connections to Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi through both parents. A talented singer, at 16 she went to live at Rātana Pā, joining and later training the young people’s cultural groups that accompanied prophet Tahupōtiki Wiremu Ratana on his tours around the country. In 1925 she became Rātana’s second wife and after his death, in 1939, she married Matiu, his son by his first marriage. By then, she was one of the most influential women in the Rātana movement.

Matiu Rātana won the Western Maori seat in 1945 but died in 1949, and Iriaka decided to step into his place. Despite vehement opposition from some, she became the Labour Party candidate and was comfortably elected. After giving birth to her seventh child in December 1949, she entered Parliament. Iriaka Rātana accepted the desirability of Māori integration into Pākehā society, and was optimistic about the future of race relations. These attitudes assured her of a respectful hearing in Parliament. Distressed by the poverty and powerlessness of many Māori, she looked to the Department of Maori Affairs and organisations such as the Maori Women’s Welfare League (to which she belonged) for answers. She worked ceaselessly to represent the interests of her constituents, and in the 1950s successfully fought for the upgrading of services at Rātana Pā. In 1969 Iriaka Rātana retired from politics. She died in 1981, survived by nine children and many grandchildren.

Adapted by Nancy Swarbrick from the DNZB biography by Angela Ballara

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