New Life Mar 09 issue 181

NEW LIFE MARCH 2009

Issue 181

40p

Page 6

GOOD NEWS STORIES

PAGE 6

www.newlife.co.uk

PAGE 9

MY FAITH HAS BEATEN DISEASE – P2  HOLLYOAKS STAR REVEALS VIOLENT PAST – P3

Jade wants ATHEIST THANKED FOR PROMOTING FAITH her boys to ‘find Jesus’ by Hugh Southon TRAGIC Jade Goody wants her children to be baptised before her death so they ‘find Jesus’. The reality TV star, who is battling against a deadly form of cancer, appears to be moving closer to God since she received her devastating news. Jade, who has been taking comfort in The Good News Bible, reBAPTISM peatedly reading a pasPLAN.. Jade sage promising hope, decided she wanted a church wedding to marry Jack Tweed. And she has also insisted that her children – Bobbie and Freddie – are baptised in the hope they come to know the Lord Jesus Christ. Medics believe Jade has about a month to live and the TV reality star intends to push ahead with her plan. Her spokesman, media guru Max Clifford, said: “She’s hoping that through the church they will find Jesus, and that through Jesus she will be able to stay in touch with them Jade had commented that by being baptised it would help her little ones to know that “their mummy was in heaven”.

Nurse makes prayer pledge THE nurse who was suspended after offering prayer to a patient has said she will continue praying for the sick because it helps them. Community nurse Caroline Petrie, who has since been reinstated, said her faith and job were her two great passions. The mum-of-two, who is married to BT engineer Stuart, was suspended last month by employers North Somerset Primary Care Trust. She told reporters: “I ca n not  Continued on Page 3

ads the way to do it! ON THE BUSES... The Christian Party is one of those to run an advert on buses around London. Inset, Richard Dawkins at the atheist poster launch

by Matthew Murray & Hugh Southon

MILITANT atheist Richard Dawkins has been THANKED by Christians for raising the profile of their faith!

Anti-God campaigner Dawkins is the driving force behind a bus ad campaign  Continued on Page 3

LOG ON NOW: www.newlife.co.uk

Issue 181

New prayer for those facing dole Prayers have been published for people affected by redundancy as the recession bites and the future of thousands of employees hangs in the balance. The Church of england has written the prayer after the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has forecast that at least 600,000 people could lose their jobs this year. The archbishop of york, Dr John sentamu, told The Times: “as we face the unprecedented global financial turbulence and economic downturn, it is crucial that the church offers the opportunity for prayer, reflection, and care. Let us all bear each other's burdens as God in Jesus Christ has for us. We are bidden to pray and care without ceasing.” The “prayer on being made redundant” is intended to put into words the anxieties of those who are losing or who have already lost their jobs. The prayer says: “redundant – the word says it all, useless, unnecessary, without purpose, surplus to requirements. “Hear me as I cry out in confusion, help me to think clearly, and calm my soul,” it continues. The “prayer for those remaining in the workplace” seeks relief for those aff licted by g uilt and increased workload as a result of redundancies suffered by former colleagues. “It's hard to know what I feel: sadness, certainly, guilt, almost, at still having a job to go to, and fear of the future,” it says. It asks of God: “In the midst of this uncertainty, help me to keep going: to work to the best of my ability, taking each day at a time.”

Send me more...

My faith has beaten Parkinson’s Disease A MAN who suffered from Parkinson’s Disease for seven years wants to travel Britain to tell others about how his faith healed him.

Leonard Fowler, 66, had two walking sticks, used a wheelchair and was taking more than 20 tablets a day. The d isease caused h i m to shake, and although he had been a Christian for most of his life, was beginning to lose faith. That was until 2003, when he attended a revival crusade at Blackpool Christian Centre, being run by evangelist William Lee. Leonard said: “William invited people to go out for prayer and my wife asked if I would go but I just ignored her. Nobody laid hands on me or touched me, but right there in the church I was completely healed! “I went to see my local doctor who had diagnosed me and put me on the tablets, and he couldn’t MIRACLE... Leonard Fowler back on his feet and, inset, in his wheelchair before being healed believe it. I now feel great, I take no tablets, and I’m amazed at how God’s Holy spirit churches telling people what happened to me. if you trust in God he will never let you down.” met me that day and healed me. I’m not a preacher but I am an encourager. I want evangelist Lee said the miracle was “special” “I had been a Christian for years but as the to show people that when they don’t see hope to him. years go on you begin to doubt God and wonder there is hope! He added: “This man came into the service and if you will ever be healed.” “When you persevere and walk step by step was on lots of tablets a day and suffering from since the miracle, Leonard has travelled to with the Lord you don’t know what can happen. Parkinson’s Disease, of which there is of course different churches to tell his story, while he has “We always want instant miracles, but I had no natural cure. been a source of encouragement to many Chris- to wait for seven years – and some have to wait “But God met him that day and we were all so tians when privately talking to them. even longer. excited. It was a great example of God’s power Leonard added: “I’ve been around a lot of “It could be weeks, months or even years, but healing a man in a desperate situation.”

NEW LIFE

BULK ORDERS Prices inc. UK delivery Order

Cost

25

£10 (40p each)

50

£15 (30p each)

100

£26 (26p each)

200

£48 (24p each)

400

£88 (22p each)

600

£120 (20p each)

1,000

£200 (20p each)

3,000

£540 (18p each)

5,000

£850 (17p each)

SUBSCRIBE Please send me ............. copies of the ................. MONTH

issue for £ .................... Please send me ............. copies as a regular monthly order LARGER QUANTITIES AND LOCALISED ISSUES AVAILABLE. PLEASE ASK FOR DETAILS

• Only £10 for 12 issues • Free delivery direct to your door

181

2

• Inspiring stories of faith • Just a brilliant newspaper! £10 for 1 year (12 issues) UK. £18 for 2 years (24 issues) UK. £25 for 3 years (36 issues) UK.

DELIVERY

Name: .......................................................................................... Address: ..................................................................................... .......................................................................................................

Tel: ............................................................................................... Email: ......................................................................................... PAYMENT

I enclose a cheque / postal order payable to New Life Please charge my Visa / Mastercard / Switch / Solo / Maestro Please send your card number, expiry date, issue number (if applicable), security code (last 3 digits on reverse) and the registered name and address (if different) on a separate sheet. Payments will appear on your statement as World Pay.

Please send with an invoice payable on 30 days net credit terms (not available for individual subscriptions) New Life Publishing would like to keep you updated with details of our products and special offers. If you would prefer not to hear from us, please tick this box.

Tel: 0115 921 7280 Email: info@newlife.co.uk Web: www.newlife.co.uk Or return this form to: New Life Publishing, PO Box 777, Nottingham NG11 6ZZ

increase in Campaigners pray attendance over runway plans at churches aLMosT 13million adults attend church at least once a year in the UK, new statistics reveal. Christian organisation Tearfund reckons one in four adults in the UK attend once a year, with 7.3million going once a month. The statistics prove that churchgoing is not in decline, Tearfund Chief executive Matthew Frost said. He added: “We have noticed that in the last year, there has been a significant increase in monthly attendance, bringing the figure for autumn 2008 to 15 per cent after a number of years of reported decline. “our understanding is that more people are attending now than before, even if that is only a couple of times a year rather than every week. “Th is m ight mea n goi ng to church at one of the high points in their family’s year, such as Christmas or easter, or attending sunday services or midweek events. “This is of course immensely encouraging, because it shows that people are associating church and a belief in God with hope and joy, and a positive way to spend their time.” The questions were framed to exclude attendance for weddings, bapt isms, fu nera ls a nd other invitation-only church events.

HEATH-NO... the campaigners at the airport MeMBers of the Christian ecology Link joined protesters at London Heathrow recently to campaign against proposals for a third runway. The campaigners revealed their red stop airport expansion t-shirts and knelt to pray in the hope that the runway “would not be built and that humans might learn to live lightly on God’s earth”. Christians around the UK supported the action by praying with the protestors.

MELTDOWN ruth Jarman, Trustee of Christian ecology Link, said: “In giving the go-ahead to this expansion the Government has chosen to lead the world towards climate meltdown, for purely short-term economic growth. “This blinkered focus on financial gain above all else is nothing short of idolatry, of which our scriptures have a lot to say. We were there to speak against this madness and to pray for the success of the campaign to stop airport expansion in the UK.” The expansion has been criticised by other Christian organisations including aid agency Christian aid.

LOG ON NOW: www.newlife.co.uk

Issue 181

3

Christians TV SOAP HUNK’S NOW SQUEAKY CLEAN I won’t stop my prayers give thanks  says nurse to atheist for adverts  Continued from Page 1 that declares “There’s probably no God… so enjoy your life.” But Christians have reacted with glee, and several opposition campaigns have been launched, including Facebook groups and bus poster ads. Ch rist ia n Un ion com mu n ications spokesman Pod Bhogal said: “Richard Dawkins is to be thanked for once again raising the profile of God. “His book The God Delusion was a brilliant platform for us to host events where the claims about God and Jesus Christ could be openly discussed, and through that people have become Christians. “Now his bus adverts clearly proclaim that atheists cannot be sure. This is evidently not a good basis to stop worrying! “Apathy is the g reatest spi ritual danger in our land, whereas Dawkins’ militant atheism gets everybody thinking and talking. We are grateful to him for keeping God on the nation’s agenda.” Christian groups across the UK have launched separate campaigns. The Christian Party, the Trinitarian Bible Society and the Russian Orthodox Church ran pro-God campaigns on 175 buses last month. At the same time The Rev George Hargreaves of The Christian Party c reated a bus adve r t t h at pro claimed: “There definitely is a God. So join the Christian Party and enjoy your life.” It ran on 50 bendy buses in central London, east London and the West End. Meanwhile, the Russian Orthodox Church booked 25 super-size bus advertisements, backed by a

NEW LIFE Christian students are taking part in a massive gospel giveaway in response to the ‘no God’ adverts placed on buses across the country. Christian Unions in universities across the UK are giving away 400,000 copies of a special student edition of st Mark’s Gospel to get students thinking about God.

NEWSFLASH sponsorship deal with Russian Hour TV, using the line “There IS a God, BELIEVE. Don’t worry and enjoy your life”. The Trinitarian Bible Society took a less temperate approach, using a line from the Bible to scold non-believers: “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God”, runs the advertisement’s slogan, taken from Psalm 53. Evangelical leader Gerald Coates’ Facebook group There Probably is a God has more than 4,000 members, and he is distributing pro-God leaflets throughout the UK. His message declares: “There probably is a God. Now stop worrying and start looking for him. He is everywhere.” Gerald, pastor of Pioneer Engage Church in Surrey, told New Life: “At first I was thrilled when I saw what the atheists were doing, because I knew it would at least provoke people to consider Christianity. But after a while I became tired and fed up of it and knew something had to be done, which is when we launched the Facebook group.” He said he had been flooded with comments from angry atheists.

 lyoaks! ho

STAR MAN... Hollyoaks favourite Jay Khan and, left, in a scene from the soap

HOLLYOAKS heart-throb Jay Khan has revealed how he used to love boozed-up weekends of violence after his football career flopped. Jay, who plays restaurant owner Ash Roy in the Channel 4 teen soap, hung around with soccer hooligans after injuries ended his dream of playing for Sheffield United. He said: “I was constantly wasted. I got into loads of fights. I enjoyed it.” But the focus of his life changed after going to drama school in London, where he ended up taking drugs to help him cope with loneliness in the Big Smoke. “I was ready to quit. When my Auntie Sarah heard how depressed I’d become she invited me to church with her,” Jay any more – I was happy.” said. Jay g raduated from “I laughed and replied: dra ma school a nd has ‘Church is for old people starred in TV hits such with sandals and cardias Coronation Street and gans. I’m not going there.’ Waking the Dead. But his But she pa id my tra i n faith still comes first. fare, so I went.” “One of my first actThe visit changed Jay’s ing jobs was with Riding life for ever. Lights, a Christian thea“Some of the words tre company. really hit me and I found “For seven months we myse l f pray i ng: ‘G od, went all over the country, Jesus, whatever you are, performing in schools, help me!’ prisons, chu rches a nd “I begged God to take theatres, taking the mesaway the drugs, the fightsage of Jesus. It was one ing and the depression. of the best things I’ve ever I started crying – somedone.” thing I hadn’t done for It was after this tour years. The next morning that the TV offers started I woke up and felt differ- to come in. He currently ent. I knew God was real,” plays a ladies man in the he told The War Cry. teatime soap Hollyoaks. With God and friends Jay added: “I have no from church to support idea what will come next. him, Jay changed his lifeI’ll just wait and see where style. “I didn’t feel alone God takes me.”

Star loved to get into fights after career blow

T H E

P O W E R

T O

 Continued from Page 1 divide my faith from my nursing care, I have to be the person I want to be. “Prayer is in my daily life, it’s part of everything I do. As a professional nurse you have to deal with difficult situations involving patients all the time. “I remember one elderly lady I was nursing; she had about three weeks to live and she was very anxious about dying. I asked her if she wanted prayer, we prayed toget her, and immediately a fter she looked so peaceful, happy and tranquil. It made a great difCaroline Petrie ference to her at the end of her life.” Caroline revealed that she became a committed Christian after her mother died when she was just ten. She said: “After her funeral a family friend invited us to a gospel night at the local church, and I remember a preacher saying: ‘If you let Jesus into your heart he will come and be with you in troubled times.’ “He said my life would be fuller, broader and happier — and he was right.” Caroline had been suspended on suspicion of failing to “demonstrate a personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity”. After a two-month probe, bosses said she could return to work. Caroline added: “I feel prayer is the most powerful weapon we have in any situation. I can’t divorce prayer from my job.”

T R A N S F O R M

L I V E S

Supernatural Scriptures Supernatural Scriptures is based on Sandra’s belief that the power of prayer can transform lives. It might look like your situation is impossible in the natural, but all things are possible in the supernatural of God. You don’t have to be a product of your past to accept your circumstances. It’s never too late to change your situation. Discover how miracles can occur by speaking supernatural scriptures from the Bible. Key scriptures will transform your life.

only

£10.99 Supernatural Scriptures by Sandra Almond (ISBN: 978-1-4343-4657-5) is available from: AuthorHouse, 500 Avebury Boulevard, Central Milton Keynes, MK9 2BE, UK Tel: 0800 1974 150 Web: www.authorhouse.co.uk

4

Issue 181

WORLD NEWS ROUND-UP

Mafia man’s new battle! HONG KONG – A former Hong Kong mafia gangster is now working for God in dangerous regions of China. Johnny Li claimed to have supernatural powers after worshipping idols, but said Jesus came into his life and changed him. He added: “The Lord changed my life tremendously. People tortured me and I didn’t feel pain, but then the Lord found me. “In a few years I turned to the Lord, and the Lord opened doors for ministry in China. That’s another chapter of my life. “I changed instantly when I turned to the Lord. I had my very first prayer in my life. I didn’t know what prayer was at that time, but I prayed to the Lord. Then, I never went back to the gangster life. Afterwards, of course, I went back to tell them about Jesus Christ and all the evil spirits did not came back to me. So it was a miracle.” Li now works with churches helping to spread the Christian message through China.

LOG ON NOW: www.newlife.co.uk

EX-DRUG DEALER’S BID TO REACH ‘HEDONIST’ EXPATS

ruffling feathers in the canaries... REFORMED drug addict Ben Austin has told how he is reaching the hedonistic expats of Lanzarote in a bid to help them find God.

Evangelists visit brothel

NIGERIA – About 20 prostitutes and their potential clients turned their backs on their seedy past after becoming Christians. The group of men and women became committed to Christ after a British-based evangelist organisation visited a brothel in the city of Lagos. Shake The Nations One By One coordinator Becky Murray spoke to the prostitutes, saying that no man could pay a price for their lives because the ultimate price had already been paid by Jesus Christ. The movement also gave each girl a heart-shaped necklace, reminding them of the everlasting love of God. Becky said: “I thank God for this great opportunity. I didn’t think I could possibly share anything with these girls, but the Holy Sprit dropped that word into my heart.”

Prayer pleas for flooding victims FIJI – Church leaders in New Zealand have urged people to pray for the victims of Fiji’s floods. Eleven people died and 9,000 were forced out of their homes after the worst flooding for decades on the South Pacific island nation. Those affected are staying in emergency shelters set up by local churches. “We encourage Christian communities everywhere to join in prayer each day for those most affected by this disaster,” said Archbishop Brown Turei, Bishop of Aotearoa, and Archbishop David Moxon, Senior Bishop of the New Zealand dioceses.

Good News gift for factory staff

INDIA – Industrial factory workers in India have been given Bibles. Hundreds of Bibles have been delivered as part of a Gospel for Asia initiative. A spokesman said: “For many of the tutoring centre attendees, it was their first time to hear about Jesus.”

CHIME FOR CHANGE... Heather with pupils from her old school who donated clothes for the children of Mozambique. Pic: Gloucestershire Echo

HEATHER RINGS CHANGES A SCHOOLTEACHER is swapping the cosy charms of Tewkesbury for the streets of poverty-stricken Mozambique. Heather Bellchamber, 22, left Tewkesbury C of E Primary School last month to work with street children, prostitutes and prisoners in Mapu, the capital of one of the world’s poorest countries. Heather, a devout Christian, became interested in working

there when she read a book by one of the founders of Iris Ministries, an America-based Christian organisation working there. She said: “I was inspired and went there initially for three weeks, then went back later for three months. “I loved it. I loved the children, the way of life, everything about it, and just knew that was where God wanted me to work.”

The 37-year-old now evangelises to British families who have moved to the sunnier climes of the Canaries in search of a more relaxed lifestyle. But the married father-of-two’s new role is a far cry from the life he used to lead on a canal-boat in Milton by Ian White Keynes. By the time he reached the canal- in Lanzarote boat, Ben, originally from Windsor, Berks, was already hooked on drugs – a lifestyle he slid into after experimenting with drugs during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He recalled: “I was working with this bloke who asked if I wanted to go to a rave in Leicester and he gave me my first E [ecstasy]. The feeling releases something in you [something like an enhanced ‘in love’ feeling] so that you have the energy to dance all night.” It wasn’t long before Ben began to deal. He “upped and went” to team up with an old school pal living on a canal-boat with a couple of experienced dealers. Eventually he was “promoted” to LIFE CHANGING... Ben Austin in a room on the neighbouring housing Lanzarote estate with more dealers. By now, his dad Mark – who walked He did return to drugs for a while out on the family when Ben was four until the day he went to visit his – stepmum Julie, sister Louise and girlfriend in hospital while under future brother-in-law Andrew had the influence. become “God-botherers”, and paid He said: “I remember this RastaBen a visit he was never to forget. farian walking in to visit someone else. He was a newly converted Chrisbeaten tian, and said to me ‘The Lord is with He admits: “I can only describe it you’ before walking off. as my first experience of God. I had “But I walked after him to talk. chronic toothache, but when they all He suggested I went to Bristol with prayed it simply went away.” him, which I did, and I was eventually But divine experiences were then restored to the Lord.” put on the backburner as he conBen, who married wife Di in 1997, tinued to follow the other path and moved to Lanzarote about six years indulge in narcotics. ago for a new challenge. His dad was “Drugs took over for me. I had re- already there, helping to set up an ally bad experiences and lost touch English-speaking church, which he completely and utterly with reality. pastored until April last year when I can only now describe the world I he moved back to England. was lost in as the feeling you would Ben now feels he’s come into his get without God in hell – complete own in the Canary Islands after living aloneness,” Ben explained. in his dad’s “shadow” for so long. His continued drug dealing in the He added: “There is a drugs probsouth-west of England ended with lem in Lanzarote, particularly with him being beaten by the family of a bored teenagers from expat families, jailed dealer for selling crack cocaine but I feel my specific calling is far on the imprisoned man’s patch. broader. Ben’s dad rescued him for a while, “We’re into friendship evangeand in the car on his way to his nan’s lism with people here who are often in Maidenhead he felt immediately hedonistic, and we’re beginning to healed from his addictions. see fruit.”

ISLAM EXTREMIST’S BOOK ON CONVERSION Widow forgives AN Islam extremist who grew up hating everything about Christianity has written a book about his conversion to Christianity and love for Jesus. Abdullahi A considered himself a fanatical Muslim until he became a Christian after a debate with a friend. He said: “I lack the words to express what I feel like because I never thought in my wildest imagination that one day I would accept Jesus Christ as my Saviour because I was an Islamic extremist. “In fact, I was a fanatic right from a very young age. I believed in Jihad [Islamic holy war] against non-Muslims, what is now known as modern-day terrorism. But thanks to Jesus for his saving grace. “As an extremist, I believed that the greatest enemy of Islam was Christianity. I mean, have you ever seen a Muslim and a Buddhist quarrelling? No, because they are not threats to Islam. But Christianity poses a big threat to Islam, and a Muslim fanatic will stop at nothing to eliminate all who believe in Jesus Christ.”

Abdullahi’s new book, From Islam to Christianity: Muhammad in the Bible – Facts or Fiction, which has been self-published by Lulu, serves as a useful evangelism tool to help Christians engage with other faiths so they can explain their beliefs clearly. Abdullahi added: “I wrote this book to inspire many who are hiding under the umbrella of fear to come out of their comfort zone to follow Jesus Christ because he is the way, the truth and the light. “In essence, what I mean is that there are many Muslims who need a little bit of motivation to proclaim Christ as their Saviour.” Abdullahi, whose name means “the servant of Allah”, says he has no plans to change his name, because it provokes conversation for him to talk about Christ to Muslims. “I deliberately use the name so that when anyone asks me about my religion, I can use that as an opportunity to share the word of God with them,” he added.

hubby’s killers

THE wife of a Christian pastor murdered in the recent wave of violence in the city of Jos, Nigeria, says she forgives his killers. Mary Yari said that her husband Joseph was shot as he tried to stop rioters from destroying a church in the Plateau state capital. “They were ignorant of the crime they have committed because they do not know Jesus,” she said. Joseph Yari was one of six church leaders killed when rioters went on the rampage last year.

LOG ON NOW: www.newlife.co.uk

Issue 181

LEARNING GUIDE 2009

What is a Bible College? The role of Bible Colleges has always been relatively controversial in some circles. Do students go to Bible College and somehow get out of touch with reality? Or worse still, do they get caught up with silly doctrinal issues and forget about the importance of reaching the world for

Christ? Of course, both of the above can happen. But, they should not happen and that is why it is important to understand the real role of a Bible College. Bible Colleges have been around in one shape or another for centuries. Sometimes they grow in influence and then disappea r. Others serve over decades ST JOHNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTTINGHAM or even centuries. At t he hea rt of a Youth & Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministry Courses integrating theology & practice good Bible College Engage â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6 Saturdays over a year is a clear statement Degrees in Children, Families, Youth & of partnersh ip Schools work. Gain a secular professional with a wider circle qualification & study theology

of churches and leaders. And then there must be a reason for study, and at the centre of that reason must be a passion to be a follower of Christ and to make his name known everywhere. Finally, a staff and faculty that willingly live as passionate Christfollowers should serve the College. If these criteria are in place then Bible College is a great place to be. It is not for everyone but it is probably more accessible than many think.

0115 968 3222 mcym@stjohns-nottm.ac.uk Learn at a distance! Part time and occasional courses in theology, vocation or counselling. Study at your own pace! Tel: 01159 681117 Email: ext.studies@stjohns-nottm.ac.uk

London School of Theology Green Lane . Northwood HA6 2UW t 01923 456000 e enquiries@lst.ac.uk w www.lst.ac.uk

Chilwell Lane, Bramcote, Nottingham, NG9 3DS www.stjohns-nottm.ac.uk

Registered Charity No. 312778

Hand of God Ministries (International)

FULFIL YOUR WRITING DREAM! t %FWFMPQ ZPVS XSJUJOH TLJMMT BOE UFDIOJRVF t (FU QVCMJTIFE t .BLF NPOFZ GSPN ZPVS XSJUJOH t $IVSDIFT BOE CVTJOFTTFT ZPV UPP DBO CFOFmU GSPN PVS DIBSJUZ CVTJOFTT XSJUJOH DPVSTFT 'JOE PVU IPX For more information or to book a course, go to www.christianwriter.co.uk or call 0208 482 0075

healing sChool. Learn at home. Practical and informative. 9 Months course. ÂŁ15 Monthly. www.healingschoolonline.org Tel 01908 501 643 for free brochure (EK23) Y o u C a n â&#x20AC;&#x2122; t C at C h F i s h with Bananas A soul winners guide to evangelism. Free download www.ashkotecha.org or email (EK23) akministry@btinternet.com PenteCostal BiBle sChool School of Christ International, 4 week (or part thereof) residential course, Limerick, Ireland. For more information contact: +447855368515 or email: schoolofchristeuro@hotmail.com (FO97) s t u d Y F r o m h o m e for a fair priced Diploma in Theology. Details: mallon.detc@bigfoot. com or Rev. Steve H Hakes (PhD) (CP66) 46 Croftlands, WF17 6DH. BiBle studY at home You C a n e n j oY w i t h e a s e ! WSBCC established 1998. Userfriendly course material. Work at own pace. Comprehensive commentary / notes. Supportive and friendly tuition / assessment by correspondence throughout. College Certificate. Visit: www.studytheword.org.uk or phone Peter (tutor) for a chat. 01293 520288 (EU85)

Come to Regents and study for a University validated degree in a Christian environment. Exciting options include:

Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x2018;

Theology Theology and Youth Ministry Theology and Performing Arts Theology and Ministry

Post-Graduate options also available

Ef[d :Wo

Be amongst the ďŹ rst to study at our

''Wc Â¸ *fc Saturday 28 February 2009 J^[ebe]o

;dgk_h[hiÂ˝ Cehd_d]i

J^[ebe]o" Cki_Y Mehi^_f

/$)&Wc Â¸ '$)&fc Tuesday 28 April 2009 Tuesday 19 May 2009

J^[ebe]o 9ekdi[bb_d] 9[hj>; :_f>; 87 >edi Feij]hWZkWj[ :[]h[[i C7 CJ^ CF^_b F^: Ef[d B[Whd_d]

freshlearning.org RTC, London Road, Nantwich, CW5 6LW t: 01270 615400 e: admissions@regents-tc.ac.uk

For more information or to order a prospectus visit our website

mmm$bij$WY$ka

premier new College facilities at Malvern, Worcestershire - opening September 09

Ă&#x2018;

order prospectus

Contact Maria, our Admissions OfďŹ cer on 01270 615400 for a prospectus Degrees are validated and awarded by the federal University of Wales, UK.

or visit www.freshlearning.org

UNDERGRADUATE ADS 2009:No Limit Ad (JOY) 16/12/2008 09:19 Page 1

yha ll.c om

Now at last this dynamic training is available in the UK. Interested? For further information about the training e-mail: handofgodministries@googlemail.com

thinking of going to University next year?

www .mat ters e

Trains thousands of people in more than 70 countries on five continents to minister in the same power as the original Apostles, how you can reach the lost with the true gospel of Jesus Christ through one-to-one witness or at any outreach meeting and how to disciple those who have responded by explaining the things that Jesus taught in a clear and concise way that anyone can understand.

fresh learning

THERE ARE NO LIMITS

TO WHAT YOU CAN

ACHIEVE

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a world to win. Is God calling you to play a key role in reaching it?

With full time and part time BA programmes specialising in leadership, mission and crosscultural ministry as well as biblical studies and theology, Mattersey Hall is the best place to discover and refine your gifts and to be equipped for serving God in the 21st century. Call for a prospectus today on 01777 817663 or see our website. Our next Open Day is Monday 4th May 2009. Mattersey Hall, Retford Road, Mattersey DN10 5HD, England, UK t: 01777 817663 f: 01777 816195 e: office@matterseyhall.com

5

6

LOG ON NOW: www.newlife.co.uk

Issue 181

NEW LIFE man THOUGHT HIS mOTHER’S DEmOnIC BEHaVIOUR WaS nORmal, UnTIl HE mET a CHRISTIan www.newlife.co.uk

WORKING TOGeTheR TO BRING you The GOOd NeWS

tune in In 2009, New Life will be working with Christian

media organisation United Christian Broadcasters (UCB) to spread the Word. UCB broadcast to virtually all major UK cities on dAB digital radio and you can also listen via digital satellite and online. UCB radio is perfect for anyone who has an interest in news, features, music and interviews from a faith perspective.

explore ChristiAnity We’re also working with Alpha, the course that allows people to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed setting over ten thoughtprovoking weekly sessions. The courses are free and are usually run in the evening, and include a meal or refreshments. To find a course near you, see www.alpha.org

Find A ChurCh We’re also working with Find a Church, who run a brilliant website listing the details of more than 42,000 UK Christian churches. Simply tap in your postcode for help to find a great church in your area.

the BiBle MAtters The Gideons are well known for their work distributing Bibles to schools, hospitals, hotels etc. If you want Jesus to make himself real in your life, and don’t have a Bible, The Gideons will be happy to provide you with a Testament completely free of charge.

The ABC of how you can become a Christian...

A Admit that you have done wrong that Jesus died so that you can be forgiven, and ask God to forgive you B Believe The Bible says, ‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).

C

‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16); ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us’ (1 John 1:9).

Commit yourself to living God’s way Jesus said, ‘Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ (John 8:12). Log on to www.lookingforgod.com for more help.

FREE

FOR EVERY READER DAILY INSPIRATIONAL BOOK call 0845 6040401 or log on to www.ucb.co.uk

M MUM WAS A WITCH! olin Cooper threw himself to the floor as his mother lunged C at him with a carving knife. As she screamed how much she hated him, 14-year-old Colin scrambled out of the room leaving his mother mumbling obscenities. Amazingly, it was just another normal day in the Cooper household in Newcastle. The schoolboy thought his mother, a self-professed witch, behaved like any other parent. She regularly conjured up the dead and put curses on people. She taught her son how to communicate with demons and worship the devil. “People ask what it was like growing up in a house where the occult was a daily event, but it was all I knew,” says Colin, now 60. “I was born into a family where there was little love between my parents and virtually none given to me. “I remember furniture moving by itself and my mother talking to dead people who she said were walking in the room. Smoke would rise from the floor and there was an icy, damp presence that would make me shiver all over.” Colin, who now pastors one of Britain’s biggest Christian churches, recalls how his family lived an occult lifestyle.

EVIL Official figures show that apart from Christmas, British people spend more on marking Halloween than any other festival. Supermarkets, schools and even some churches hold spook nights and dressing-up parties for children as young as five. Millions of windows are lit by pumpkin heads while youngsters go from door to door doing trick or treat. Colin, however, has a different view on the country’s fascination with evil spirits and the occult. “If people ever saw a real demon, they would not talk about them so casually,” he states. “When they were making the film, The Exorcist, terrible things happened on that

WHEn his mother told him she hated him at the age of 14, Colin Cooper thought nothing of it. But the lack of love in his life was to change and he went from being on the verge of the occult to following Christ. JAMES HASTINGS tells Colin’s story

Meet the man who struggles to speak, but tells children of faith A M A N w it h on ly 60 per cent hearing uses the back of a converted bus to preach to more than 100 children EVERY week. Barry Johnston holds fun clubs in different areas of Sheffield, and despite being partially deaf and struggling to speak, he tells the children about his faith in Jesus. He was inspired after visiting an American preacher, Bill Wilson, who runs the world’s biggest Sunday School in underprivileged areas of New York. And although Barry admits his hearing and speech difficulties lower his confidence, he is determined to carry on preaching, and has plans to launch his ministry Sidewalk into more areas of South Yorkshire. He told New Life: “When I went to New York I was pushed to be the best I could be. I lacked confidence, but would practise preaching in the basement at the centre. “I can’t explain why I do

BATT LE WI TH DEMONS ... Colin Cooper was on the verge of becoming involved in the occult during his early years

Barry talks to children as part of his Sidewalk initiative what I do, I guess I am just compelled. It’s not a good career and I don’t even do it just because I like children, but I do this because I have to. If I don’t do it then I know I would be disobeying God.” Barry raised £20,000 to have a bus converted into the Sidewalk vehicle, which opens up and has a stage where Barry and his team can do fun activities with the children before they share the Christian message. Barry, who comes from a

A CHuRCH dishes out 100 free burgers to local residents in a deprived area each month. The Elim Pentecostal Church in Bewbush cooks the delicious delights, giving them to residents in the neighbourhood that is renowned for its crime. And while locals think they are simply getting a free burger, Pastor Kevin Taylor is sure they are getting a glimpse of the gospel too. He told New Life: “Bewbush is one of the

two most deprived areas of our town and is always in the news for the wrong reasons. They’ve just closed the pub and shut the leisure centre, and it’s as if you never get anything for free around here. “So we thought about giving away the burgers for free. It’s just an act of love to the community, although it’s much easier to talk to people about Jesus when you give them a free burger.”

MELVIN BANKS

DANGEROUS... Colin advises against using Ouija boards

“The devil is not an all-powerful force. He is under the feet of Jesus and we should never forget that. “I would rather concentrate on Jesus and how he uses angels as messengers and helpers to us, than exaggerating the devil’s power.” Colin believes he could have ended up following an occult lifestyle if God had not res-

people ever saw a real demon, they would notIftalk about them so casually 

are harmless and even dismisses claims that the Harry Potter books could lead young people to devil worship. “I don’t see any harm in kids dressing up,” he says. “What puzzles me is the Bible mentions angels a lot more than demons, yet people are fascinated with the latter.

cued him – while walking down Newcastle’s main shopping street. A group of Christian street preachers were holding an open-air service. When one approached Colin, the teenager just laughed in his face. “I had always believed in the devil but not God,” says Colin. “I sort of believed in a

family of preachers, nearly died at childbirth, but he believes God kept him alive so he cou ld reach u nderprivileged children with the gospel. He said: “I’ve wanted to help people ever since I became a Christian aged 15. I’ve not been able to hear without hearing aids since bi r t h , but I c hos e to go through mainstream school. I always knew if I could fight on then I would preach and be in the ministry.”

Getting their teeth into helping community

Gt Britain’s No.1 Evangelist.

set. There was a real presence of evil because they pursued him. If you persist in looking for the devil and demons you will encounter them. “I would advise anyone not to play with Ouija boards, for example.” But Colin is anxious not to give the devil more credit than he is due. He believes most Halloween celebrations

7

FINDING SALVATION... Northumberland Street in Newcastle, where street preachers were holding an open-air service

hell but this young street evangelist made me think. The next week, I turned up at his church because I wanted to hear more. “I don’t know who was more surprised, him or me, that I was actually in a church for the first time in my life.” Colin was living in a flat which he shared with a student, Raymond, who became a close friend. “Raymond used to sniff chloroform and get high. One day he asked to talk to me, but I did not have time as I was going to a party. “He just said he felt the world was a big rock in a black void and he just wanted to get off.

SUICIDE “I went to the party. On returning, police were all over our apartment. “It was then that a policeman informed me that Raymond had drunk a bottle of chloroform and committed suicide. I went to

my room, fell on my knees and wept. I wept because I had not told him about Jesus, but only invited him to church. “So I vowed that I would never again miss an opportunity to tell anyone about Jesus. That’s one of the reasons I am in the ministry today: to tell as many as possible the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

T

oday, Colin pastors the largest church building in Huddersfield with 800 people attending every week. The £15m building opened last September and has quickly become a town landmark. The local Muslim community has close links with the church and there are outreaches to prostitutes and drug addicts. “I am here because of the grace of God,” stresses Colin. “He is a just and merciful God who loves us, whatever we have done or wherever we have been.”

Almost everywhere he preaches a local revival breaks out! The Western society is collapsing but this is God’s man for this hour! They call him ‘the 21st Century Kenneth Hagan’. His anointed, biblical, soul-stirring, faith teaching is changing thousands. 100’s are being baptised in the Holy Ghost, speaking in other tongues. He is ending the stagnation in many British churches. He pastored possibly UK’s largest ‘rural’ church for 12 years and no-one died - he never had a funeral! JESUS IS PRESENT IN ALL HIS MISSIONS, DOING WONDROUS THINGS More miracles are seen in his meetings than in any other ministry or church (in Europe). The greatest soul-winner in the British Isles today - winning more British converts than any in 2009. Invite this evangelist and a Holy Spirit Revival will come to your church. YOU WILL NEVER HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY AGAIN. Revd. Melvin Banks, Crusade Ofﬁce, 44 Monks Way, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN15 3TT. Tel: 01249 655712.

Recently he held the greatest revival in Oxford for 100 years. ers spap New d it full- 0 0 ie carr to 100,0 s e pag



FOR MINISTERS

‘IT’S TIME TO RECEIVE YOUR MIRACLE NOW’ ............................. £6.99

I would like a crusade with Melvin Banks. I want a revival and to experience this miracle ministry in my fellowship

‘OVERFLOWING LIFE WITH GOD’ His latest how to have new energy daily.. £6.99

Church name: ...........................

His great Pentecostal daily Holy Ghost reading book ‘SOAR IN THE SPIRIT’ ......

£6.99

...................................................

I would like to donate one book to H.M.Prison ....................................................

£6.99

Minister/Elder’s name: ...............



BOOK ORDER FORM

I enclose £.... .................(Payable to ‘Revival Healing’) Includes P&P. All discount prices. Name: .......................................................................................................................... Address: ...................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................... Postcode: ........................................Telephone: .......................................................... Please send me details of all Melvin’s other books (tick)

................................................... Address: ................................... ................................................... ................................................... Telephone:................................. Small and large churches welcome to apply – send to the above address

6

LOG ON NOW: www.newlife.co.uk

Issue 181

NEW LIFE man THOUGHT HIS mOTHER’S DEmOnIC BEHaVIOUR WaS nORmal, UnTIl HE mET a CHRISTIan www.newlife.co.uk

WORKING TOGeTheR TO BRING you The GOOd NeWS

In 2009, New Life will be working with Christian

media organisation United Christian Broadcasters (UCB) to spread the Word. UCB broadcast to virtually all major UK cities on dAB digital radio and you can also listen via digital satellite and online. UCB radio is perfect for anyone who has an interest in news, features, music and interviews from a faith perspective.

explore ChristiAnity

BATT LE WI TH DEMONS ... Colin Cooper was on the verge of becoming involved in the occult during his early years

We’re also working with Alpha, the course that allows people to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed setting over ten thoughtprovoking weekly sessions. The courses are free and are usually run in the evening, and include a meal or refreshments. To find a course near you, see www.alpha.org

the BiBle MAtters The Gideons are well known for their work distributing Bibles to schools, hospitals, hotels etc. If you want Jesus to make himself real in your life, and don’t have a Bible, The Gideons will be happy to provide you with a Testament completely free of charge.

The ABC of how you can become a Christian...

A Admit that you have done wrong that Jesus died so that you can be forgiven, and ask God to forgive you B Believe The Bible says, ‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).

C

‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16); ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us’ (1 John 1:9).

Commit yourself to living God’s way Jesus said, ‘Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ (John 8:12). Log on to www.lookingforgod.com for more help.

FREE

FOR EVERY READER DAILY INSPIRATIONAL BOOK call 0845 6040401 or log on to www.ucb.co.uk

Barry talks to children as part of his Sidewalk initiative what I do, I guess I am just compelled. It’s not a good career and I don’t even do it just because I like children, but I do this because I have to. If I don’t do it then I know I would be disobeying God.” Barry raised £20,000 to have a bus converted into the Sidewalk vehicle, which opens up and has a stage where Barry and his team can do fun activities with the children before they share the Christian message. Barry, who comes from a

family of preachers, nearly died at childbirth, but he believes God kept him alive so he cou ld reach u nderprivileged children with the gospel. He said: “I’ve wanted to help people ever since I became a Christian aged 15. I’ve not been able to hear without hearing aids since bi r t h , but I c hos e to go through mainstream school. I always knew if I could fight on then I would preach and be in the ministry.”

Getting their teeth into helping community

Find A ChurCh We’re also working with Find a Church, who run a brilliant website listing the details of more than 42,000 UK Christian churches. Simply tap in your postcode for help to find a great church in your area.

Meet the man who struggles to speak, but tells children of faith A M A N w it h on ly 60 per cent hearing uses the back of a converted bus to preach to more than 100 children EVERY week. Barry Johnston holds fun clubs in different areas of Sheffield, and despite being partially deaf and struggling to speak, he tells the children about his faith in Jesus. He was inspired after visiting an American preacher, Bill Wilson, who runs the world’s biggest Sunday School in underprivileged areas of New York. And although Barry admits his hearing and speech difficulties lower his confidence, he is determined to carry on preaching, and has plans to launch his ministry Sidewalk into more areas of South Yorkshire. He told New Life: “When I went to New York I was pushed to be the best I could be. I lacked confidence, but would practise preaching in the basement at the centre. “I can’t explain why I do

tune in

7

A CHuRCH dishes out 100 free burgers to local residents in a deprived area each month. The Elim Pentecostal Church in Bewbush cooks the delicious delights, giving them to residents in the neighbourhood that is renowned for its crime. And while locals think they are simply getting a free burger, Pastor Kevin Taylor is sure they are getting a glimpse of the gospel too. He told New Life: “Bewbush is one of the

olin Cooper threw himself to the floor as his mother lunged C at him with a carving knife. As she screamed how much she hated him, 14-year-old Colin scrambled out of the room leaving his mother mumbling obscenities. Amazingly, it was just another normal day in the Cooper household in Newcastle. The schoolboy thought his mother, a self-professed witch, behaved like any other parent. She regularly conjured up the dead and put curses on people. She taught her son how to communicate with demons and worship the devil. “People ask what it was like growing up in a house where the occult was a daily event, but it was all I knew,” says Colin, now 60. “I was born into a family where there was little love between my parents and virtually none given to me. “I remember furniture moving by itself and my mother talking to dead people who she said were walking in the room. Smoke would rise from the floor and there was an icy, damp presence that would make me shiver all over.” Colin, who now pastors one of Britain’s biggest Christian churches, recalls how his family lived an occult lifestyle.

EVIL Official figures show that apart from Christmas, British people spend more on marking Halloween than any other festival. Supermarkets, schools and even some churches hold spook nights and dressing-up parties for children as young as five. Millions of windows are lit by pumpkin heads while youngsters go from door to door doing trick or treat. Colin, however, has a different view on the country’s fascination with evil spirits and the occult. “If people ever saw a real demon, they would not talk about them so casually,” he states. “When they were making the film, The Exorcist, terrible things happened on that

WHEn his mother told him she hated him at the age of 14, Colin Cooper thought nothing of it. But the lack of love in his life was to change and he went from being on the verge of the occult to following Christ. JAMES HASTINGS tells Colin’s story

two most deprived areas of our town and is always in the news for the wrong reasons. They’ve just closed the pub and shut the leisure centre, and it’s as if you never get anything for free around here. “So we thought about giving away the burgers for free. It’s just an act of love to the community, although it’s much easier to talk to people about Jesus when you give them a free burger.”

Gt Britain’s No.1 Evangelist. MELVIN BANKS