26 August 2017 NZFT War Cry

FAITH IN ACTION 26 AUGUST 2017 | Issue 6674 | $1.50

Make a No-Smack Pact With Your Kids

Signs You’re a Father Te Ōhākī: Get Behind Our Māori Mission Goals

KIWI DADDYS Helping guys talk about the tough stuff

Just Action 2017: Wiring Project Looks to Save Women from Sex Trade

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WAR CRY The Salvation Army

Te Ope Whakaora New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Andy & Yvonne Westrupp | GENERAL André Cox | FOUNDERS William

& Catherine Booth

The Salvation Army’s message is based on the Bible. Our ministry is motivated by love for God. Our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human need in his name without discrimination. War Cry exists to support and advance The Salvation Army’s message, ministry and mission.

EDITOR Major Christina Tyson | GRAPHIC DESIGN Sam Coates, Lauren Millington | STAFF WRITERS Ingrid Barratt, Major Shar Davis, Robin Raymond | PROOF READING Major Jill Gainsford | COVER Salvation Army officer Daniel

Buckingham with son Israel—Daniel wrote this edition’s page 12 article. Photography: Juanita Buckingham.

OFFICE Territorial Headquarters, 204 Cuba Street, PO Box

6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141, Phone (04) 384 5649, Fax (04) 382 0716, Email warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org, www.salvationarmy.org.nz/warcry SUBSCRIPTIONS Salvationist Resources Department, Phone

(04) 382 0768, Email mailorder@nzf.salvationarmy.org, $75 per year within NZ

PRINT MANAGEMENT www.makeready.nz | PAPER Sumo Offset

is an environmentally responsible paper produced using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) FSC® certified Mixed Source pulp from responsible sources and manufactured under the strict ISO14001 Environmental Management System.

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No parent is perfect When I was around 10 years old, I decided to write down all the things my parents did that annoyed me. My intention was that I would refer to this when I had children so that I wouldn’t make the same mistakes. I don’t think I persevered with this project for more than a week or two, but I imagine I told myself to avoid things like (from Mum) not pulling the changing room curtains open while I was still changing to demand, ‘How does it look?’ And (for Dad) not asking embarrassingly loud questions like, ‘Is that the boy you like?’

No parent is perfect. We all have our struggles and need to be honest with our children that we stuff up sometimes, that being an adult is harder than we ever imagined it would be when we were their age, but that the love we felt for them in their first few hours and days has never changed.

I remember a 1970s song recorded by Christian singer Amy Grant called ‘Father’s Eyes’. It carried the prayer that when people looked at her life, they would say: ‘She’s got her Father’s eyes … eyes that find the good in things when good is not around, eyes that find the source of help when help just can’t be found, eyes full of compassion, seeing every pain … just like my Father’s eyes.’

Sometimes people will see the likeness of our earthly father in us—the good and bad. How much better when people look at us and notice the likeness of our perfect Heavenly Father.

Christina Tyson Editor

Member of the Australasian Religious Press Association.

All Bible references from the Holy Bible, New International Version, unless otherwise stated.

Articles are copyrighted to The Salvation Army, except where indicated, and may be reprinted only with permission.

Publishing for 133 years | Issue 6674 ISSN 0043-0242 (print), ISSN 2537-7442 (online) Please pass on or recycle this magazine Read online www.issuu.com/salvationarmynzftwarcry

www.salvationarmy.org.nz salvationarmyNZFijiTonga @salvationarmynz salvationarmynzft

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Image is what people think we are: integrity is what we really are.

John Maxwell

Proverbs 10:9 (NIV) Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.

Ngā Whakatauki 10:9 Ko te tangata haere tika, e haere ora ana: ko te tangata parori kē ōna ara, ka mōhiotia ia.

A

t 9:30 pm at the end of the five most physically and emotionally exhausting days of my life I sat at my desk at work staring at a bag of clothes and broke down crying.

The week had started with a routine phone call to our midwife, ‘Come on down and we’ll do a quick test, just in case. Nothing to worry about; shouldn’t be more than an hour.’ One hour turned into one night, turned into four more days, turned into a baby more than a month premature.

One of the most powerful images to me in the Bible comes at the start of the first book of Samuel as Hannah, longing for a child, sits in the house of God so overcome with pain and crying the priest thinks she is drunk. Like others, we’d sat in Hannah’s place and, like her, after a long, painful journey our prayers were answered. And so it seemed only right to include ‘Faith’ in our baby’s name.

But then there were all the practical things.

Not just the medical worries of a prem baby too small to leave hospital, or trying to work out the basics of looking after our child. We weren’t even prepared for the simplest things—we had one item of clothing for a premature baby and even that was too large.

I was already deeply grateful for the message from work that they’d got us a couple of things as

a present. By the time I made it to my desk, on my way for my first proper sleep in two days, there was a large bag stuffed with clothes. It was the first of many gifts from many countries as we rediscovered the deep kindness of so many people. It also made real Jesus’ comforting words in Matthew 6:28–30 about not worrying because God would clothe us.

My first article for War Cry was for Father’s Day 2014. I reflected on the ways I have grown to resemble my father and the desire to resemble my Heavenly Father. These days, my thoughts are more on how my own child might reflect me (shudder).

I have so much excitement for the things I want to teach my daughter, people I want to introduce her to, places I want to take her, stories to enjoy together, and values I want to impart. And I have all the fears of any parent: if we send her to the wrong school will she end up a P-dealing junkie? How scarring will it be if that loved musical toy vanishes?

Most of all, I want her to know and enjoy a relationship with God, a Heavenly Father who offers life in all its fullness, opportunity, hope and love. A Father who has already been a protector and provider since before her life began. And I can only help her to have that relationship if I have it too.

BY ROBIN RAYMOND

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QUIKQUIZ

1 What is the chemical formula for water?

2 Where in New Zealand TV Series The Handmaid’s Tale (M, Violence, sex & strong language) Watch on Lightbox

It’s rare for a screen adaption to live up to the original—and Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale is a masterpiece, hailed as the first notable work of feminist sci-fi. Which is why it is so stunning that this exemplary TV adaption often surpasses the original, taking us into the devastating heart of Atwood’s dystopian vision. After a civil war, the US has become a fundamentalist state ‘Gilead’, where fertile women are enslaved as surrogates—using the biblical story of Rachel and Jacob as justification.

Some will be offended by the graphic violence and sexual content, but what is truly offensive is the misuse of Scripture by those in power. Atwood herself has said her book is not ‘anti-religion’, but ‘against the use of religion as a front for tyranny’. With disturbing touchstones to life today, what once seemed fantastical is now all too real. (Reviewed by Ingrid Barratt)

would you find the ‘Blue Baths’?

3 Who is the host of

The Amazing Race?

4 What year was the movie Jaws released?

5 W hen Jesus healed 10 lepers, how many came back to thank him?

Answers on page 22

Signs You’re a Dad If you display the following symptoms, you are no longer just a bloke—you have become a dad …

• You accidentally say ‘Na-nighes’ to your co-workers at the end of the day.

• You used to think lying was wrong; now it’s a necessary part of life— ‘the TV needs to go to sleep’, ‘The cat has gone because it got married.’

• You are afraid to say you’re tired (at least in the presence of your wife).

• Countries have been invaded with less equipment than it takes for you to leave the house.

• You are in physical pain every day from small creatures that come out of nowhere and attack.

One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.

George Herbert

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• Your mates without kids feel sorry for you—and you feel sorry for them.

• You have realised just how optional showering is.

• You have vomit on your shirt and it’s not yours. You don’t bother changing.

• You know the names of all the Paw Patrol, but can no longer name the players in your favourite rugby team.

• You think of going to the toilet as ‘me time’.

• You play with Lego at night, after the kids are in bed.

• Your greatest achievement of the day was when you made your child laugh and laugh.

GOODSTUFF

Every dog in New Zealand will now have a tail to tell—thanks to two decades of campaigning by New Zealand vets. Last month, new legislation banned the non-therapeutic docking of dogs’ tails. Docking was once believed to prevent rabies. In the UK there was a tax on dogs with tails until 1796, so dogs were often docked to avoid tax—but today docking is mainly cosmetic.

Dogs use their tails to communicate a range of emotions, as ‘rudders’ when swimming, and to provide balance. Tails are ter-ruff-ic.

‘It was a mastiff effort,’ said one dog. ‘It’s furry paw-sitive news.’

ONTHESPOT Gareth Morgan As War Cry continues our chats with political party leaders, we catch up with Gareth Morgan, leader of The Opportunities Party.

Secret Indulgence: Korean food.

Celebrity crush: Nelson Mandela.

What I’m reading: Red Notice—how oligarchs robbed Russians of their national wealth.

One thing I love: Motorcycle touring.

One thing I hate: Inconsiderate behaviour.

Something surprising about your job: The number of great people who have worked with me for many years now. Very loyal and very talented.

Weird of the Week: In medieval times, animals were prosecuted for crimes, appointed lawyers and even appeared in court, just like humans.

Historians have found around 200 cases of animal trials, including a pig hanged for murder, sparrows prosecuted for chatting in church, and a sow executed for stealing a communion wafer.

Spanish Kumara Pockets Let the oven do all the work with these flavoursome Spanish kumara pockets filled with spicy chorizo, capsicum and sour cream.

4 x 350g kumara (skin-on) 1 red capsicum, halved lengthways, seeds removed 2 chorizo sausages, split lengthways 4 unpeeled garlic cloves 2/3 cup (160g) sour cream Juice of ½ lemon 1 red onion, finely chopped ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped 1 tsp smoked paprika

Pierce the kumara with a fork, then place on a large baking paper-lined baking tray. Roast for 50 minutes, then remove from oven and add the capsicum, skin-side up, chorizo and garlic to the tray. Roast for a further 20 minutes or until kumara are cooked through and chorizo is crisp.

Remove and discard capsicum skin, then slice into thin strips. Thinly slice the chorizo. Set aside.

Squeeze garlic from its skin and mash with the sour cream and lemon juice.

Slice kumara lengthways, leaving them attached to form a ‘pocket’.

Spoon in the garlic and sour cream, then top with capsicum, capsicum, chorizo, onion, parsley and paprika.

Drizzle over any remaining chorizo oil from the tray to serve.

SOURCE | taste.com.au

Salvation Army/Music Words and Music Howard Davies

Australian Howard Davies (who served a term in New Zealand as Divisional Commander of the Northern Division) has written some of The Salvation Army’s most beloved songs, with over 100 compositions published in Army journals. This book provides a fascinating insight into the story behind the songs—the thoughts, events and experiences that shaped Davies’ well-known words. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad and often reflective, there are also elements of memoir, as songs are intertwined with his life experiences. Comes with a CD of 23 songs. (Salvo Publishing—order from www.salvationarmy.org.nz/shop) 26 AUGUST 2017 WarCry 5

GUY TALK Chris Sio (left) and Kelly Solomon are members of Kiwi Daddys Bay of Plenty and say the group has created a place where men can discuss issues. 22 August 2016 Bay of Plenty Times. Photograph by George Novak.

Kiwi Daddys is an online group aimed at helping guys talk about the tough stuff—and in just over a year it has exploded, with 70,000 members worldwide.

BY INGRID BARRATT

I

t seems fitting that I’m talking to Kiwi Daddys co-founder Jojo Kalolo outside a midwife’s office, where his partner is having a check-up. After all, the group is all about being a proud dad—an involved dad. And Jojo is the very proud dad of three children, including one step-child, and another on the way.

Kiwi Daddys, the Facebook group that started it all, is a closed group —you won’t find it in a search, and you have to be invited to join—yet it has gathered together a ‘worldwide brotherhood’ of 70,000 men. There are now 15 city chapters around New Zealand and Australia.

Next month, Kiwi Daddys—or KDs—is launching a brand new website outlining its main goals of ‘healthy living, empowering communities, supporting each other and raising world changers’. But during the past 18 months, KDs has also become much more than an online presence. It held the first annual Clean Earth Day and has hosted the ‘Walk of Life’ against domestic violence.

Local cities have regular get-togethers, and there is a real sense of pride in being part of the KDs brotherhood—its Facebook pages are peppered with shout-outs to other KDs brothers spotted wearing the signature KDs merchandise.

Jojo may be one of the few who isn’t surprised by the huge momentum behind Kiwi Daddys. ‘Yeah, I am surprised by how quickly it’s happened, but I knew a lot of men needed a place where they could talk to other men about everything and anything,’ he says.

Around the barbeque A youth worker, now based in Sydney, Jojo grew up in Otara, South Auckland.

‘I was brought up in a strict Christian Samoan family, and it’s a poverty stricken area. My parents worked two or three jobs and didn’t speak English, so it was a struggle. But they made it work, based on the love they had for their children— and you learn that off them,’ he reflects. ‘We were so family-orientated, it was all about helping each other. It makes you humble in life, and it makes you want to teach your own children those values.’

Jojo cut his teeth working for Child, Youth and Family (now Oranga Tamariki), before settling in Australia where he has continued working in community services. ‘I did some research into what was out there for men in social media— where they could get together and chat about real life situations—and I realised there was nothing,’ he explains.

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So Jojo and co-founder Tyrone Matoka launched the Facebook page Kiwi Daddys to see if there was any interest.

‘Us Kiwi men like talking with each other at the barbeque, so we thought, “Why don’t we take the barbeque setting into social media?” If we made it all serious, guys wouldn’t go there, so it has to be fun. It just got shared from one person to the next person—and here we are a year later with a worldwide brotherhood.’

IT’S A PLACE WHERE MEN ARE ENCOURAGED TO WEAR THEIR AROHA ON THEIR SLEEVES. But, unlike your average barbeque get together, this was the place where you get to talk about the tough stuff, Jojo adds. ‘We created a platform where men were able to access advice and just jump on in an instant. A lot of men don’t want to talk to their own friends because they’re embarrassed or have a reputation.

It’s a man thing, they want to be tough. But having this platform, it brings out the guys that wouldn’t normally talk.

‘People think men aren’t sensitive, but they actually are.

In KDs there’s no judgement, it’s just advice from other men, and it gives guys hope to hear that there’s thousands of other men going through the same thing.’

Sharing heartaches Perhaps the success of KDs is partly that there are no women allowed—‘otherwise guys just wouldn’t talk’—and that there is a strict ethic of non-judgement. Although Jojo himself is committed to his Christian beliefs, there is no talk of religion or politics. It’s not a place to soapbox.

What the guys do talk about are the heartaches that are rarely discussed honestly in the public arena. A common theme is fathers struggling to get access to their kids after a breakup. And complex issues, such as whether they should pay child support to a step-child after breaking up with their mum.

‘A lot of fathers give up because they think that men don’t have a chance if they go to court, that the woman is always going to win. So they lose their children and don’t get to see them anymore,’ says Jojo. ‘It’s a silent heartbreak. There are some bad seeds out there, but there are a lot of good guys. So this is an outlet for them to talk and get advice from others 8 WarCry 26 AUGUST 2017

guys who have been through the same thing and come out the other end.’

Stress over trying to make ends meet, as well as depression, are other common threads. ‘It’s the silent killer out there,’ explains Jojo. ‘But if you talk about it, speak out, that is the start of getting help and getting better.’

KDs has a group of professionals—lawyers, doctors, counsellors—and when a KD is doing it tough, he will get referred to professional help. It has literally been a life-saver for some. ‘KDs saved me at one point in my life,’ writes one dad, in a public post. ‘Always seeing KDs around Auckland while at work rocking my KDs gears and having a good chat, giving and receiving advice from fellow brothers.’

Another public post says: ‘I was lost, fighting my demons within, losing my family. In self-destruct mode. I was at a party getting drunk, telling my story to some random, and he took my phone added me to this group, Kiwi Daddys. Over the next few weeks I was reading posts of fathers admitting the issues they were facing … I was truly amazed at the aroha and support received.’

As well as the tough stuff, some of the most moving moments on the forum are from fathers posting pictures of their children— ‘just having a proud dad moment’, says one. It’s a place where men are encouraged to wear their aroha on their sleeves.

‘When I was growing up, talking about our emotions was just not something that was done,’ reflects Jojo. ‘In 10 years’ time we want it to be normal to talk about all these things.

We want the young men in the group hear the older men talk about things, and normalise it.’

There’s also guys asking for help to organise their child’s birthday party or to rally around to help an elderly grandmother.

There is even a tutorial on how to braid hair. It’s guy talk, but not as we know it!

Team dad In the media they’ve been dubbed ‘the good gang’, but Jojo —proving he’s still a proper Kiwi bloke despite now living in Oz—prefers to think of the KDs as a rugby team. ‘I see us as a team like the All Blacks. We’re a massive team of men. The All Blacks work together and get results. They aren’t perfect and there are times when they are going to lose. But they persevere and come back and win again. Just like the KDs—we’re not perfect, but because our members are so close-knit, we don’t give up and we end up winning again.’

In fact, Jojo points out, the spelling of Kiwi Daddys is deliberately misspelled as a reminder that no one is perfect, we each have a thorn in our side. ‘It reflects us—we’re not perfect, we don’t have perfect lives, but we’re trying to come through for the sake of our kids.’

And this motley crew is making great things happen. One father posted saying that his teenage son had been diagnosed with leukaemia. The boy was an up-and-coming Auckland rugby league captain, but had been hit hard and was ready to give up. ‘His dad came to us and asked us to send messages in of support to his son. So we got some of the Warriors and TV personalities that are part of KDs to do video messages to him.

We ended up with hundreds of messages to his son, saying “Don’t give up … We have faith in you.” When his dad showed that to his son, it was a total turning point for him. He’s now in remission, and he thanks KDs for encouraging him to fight it.’

In the past year, KDs has evolved from an online community, into a real-life brotherhood. One of the goals is encouraging healthy living among the dads. ‘I’m a strong believer that in order to be healed, you need to be healed on all levels: mind, body and spirit,’ says Jojo. Former All Blacks and Warriors are now running classes for men, including a nutrition programme and exercise regime to help them get fit and lose weight.

Kiwi Daddys will be out in support of White Ribbon Day on 25 November, and individual members have come up with their own initiatives—including a ‘Hope Walk’ for suicide prevention. You can also find group members arranging a spontaneous diving and fishing competition among themselves.

Kiwi Daddys is currently establishing a centre where KDs can access counselling and other services. And countries all over the world have approached KDs about starting up their own communities. ‘Who knows, we might have an “American Daddys” one day,’ says Jojo.

It seems like 70,000 members is just the beginning.

This Father’s Day, Jojo has one message for all Kiwi dads: ‘My message to fathers is that they’re not alone. There’s a place for them to talk amongst each other, no judgement. And everyone’s on the same team. Happy Father’s Day to all the KDs!’

Encouraging healthy living Kiwi Daddys believes the key to great relationships and a happy family lifestyle is a healthy mind and a healthy body. Kiwi Daddys encourages and supports members to get involved in many activities, including group PT (physical training) and active social outings.

Supporting each other Kiwi Daddys offers a safe and non-judgemental place for fathers in Australia and New Zealand to come together and support each other. It is a place where brothers can talk freely and confidently and seek support and advice without judgement.

Empowering communities Kiwi Daddys gets involved in many community events that share the same values in encouraging healthy minds, bodies and relationships. As a group we get behind fundraising walks, local events, and meetings to give back to our local communities.

Raising world changers As fathers, brothers, sons and uncles, we have a part to play in making this world a better place. We must raise our children to have heart, compassion, vision and pride.

We must raise our children with values, raise them to be world changers.

CONNECT WITH KIWI DADDYS | go to www.kiwidaddys.org groups/kiwidaddys

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The No-Smack Pact Is smacking still the best way to discipline our children? It didn’t do us any harm, right?

The so-called ‘anti-smacking’ law has been in the news again. But in fact—as hopefully we all know by now—it was a repeal of an out-dated law that allowed ‘reasonable force’ as a defence against assaulting women, animals and children.

We had already removed women and animals from this law, so the logical next step was to repeal it for children. This law change was done in other countries like the UK with no fanfare whatsoever. The ‘anti-smacking’ aspect was, and continues to be, a media beat-up and political point scorer.

But … we were smacked as kids, and it didn’t do us any harm did it? Well, in fact, a wide body of research shows there are far more effective ways of disciplining children. It begins with considering what we mean by discipline—the Latin word disciplina means ‘teaching’ or ‘learning’. Punitive actions like smacking will teach our children what-not-to-do, but it doesn’t teach positive alternatives. Effective discipline replaces the negative with positive behaviour.

‘Train up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it,’ says Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV).

Training (or coaching) our children is an essential aspect of positive discipline. Our children use pretend play every day to learn about the world, and we can use this to teach them good behaviours. Rather than saying, ‘Mind your manners!’, gently role play with them—‘Can I have a sandwich, please?’

Amy McCready, founder of Positive Parenting Solutions, suggests switching roles with your child. ‘Pretend you’re the child, and let your little one direct you through making better choices,’ she says. ‘Be encouraging when they do make the right choices: “Thank you for sharing the book with your brother. How kind!” ’ The number-one way to encourage good behaviour is to keep your child’s ‘attention basket’ full. ‘My usually well-behaved child had a friend over and started grabbing toys off him. Thinking I was doing the right thing, I ignored my son and encouraged his friend by saying, “Oh, what good sharing,” ’ recalls one mum.

‘But my son’s behaviour just got worse. Later, he admitted that he was “feeling jealous” of the attention I was giving his friend.

It really opened my eyes to just how much positive attention our children need.’

McCready suggests ‘taking a few minutes a day to spend oneon-one with your child, distraction-free and doing something they want to do. [This] will reap immense rewards in their behaviour.’ The mum from the story above would have got better cooperation from her son if she had got down on the floor and simply played with both children for a few minutes.

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RESEARCH SHOWS THERE ARE FAR MORE EFFECTIVE WAYS OF DISCIPLINING CHILDREN THAN SMACKING. Finally, set a few simple limits and stick to them. ‘Don’t go overboard with hundreds of rules, but focus on what’s most important for your family,’ says McCready. ‘Be clear about the ground rules and what happens when someone breaks the rules—make sure that everyone understands the consequences ahead of time and that the discipline is related to the misbehaviour.’

Did you know?

The saying ‘spoil the rod, spare the child’ is often quoted as a justification for smacking. In fact, this is misquoted from the Bible, which says: ‘Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them’ (Proverbs 13:24 NLT).

The ‘rod’ used in this imagery is the shepherd’s rod that was used to guide sheep and keep them safe. Similarly, we gently guide our own children to stay within safe boundaries, and we discipline them by teaching them safe paths.

TESTIFY! Fijian Tamari Sasau (37) was full of fear when her estranged husband was diagnosed with HIV. But God brought spiritual healing to their lives.

I had already started searching for God when my mother visited me in my flat in Suva and invited me to a prayer group. A lady there asked if she could pray for me. She read out the Bible verse of Romans 6:23, ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ before praying.

From that day, my whole world changed. I realised nothing about me was hidden from the loving eyes of God and that God’s grace was especially for someone like me who was so full of pride and other sins. My love for God grew more and more each day. Today I am a soldier at Suva Central Corps and work as the librarian and receptionist at The Salvation Army’s School for Officer Training in Suva.

When I met God, my pride had led me to separate from my husband.

I told myself there would never be any reconciliation between us and that I didn’t want any relationship whatsoever with him. Then I heard he had been diagnosed with HIV. I was shocked. All sorts of questions and feelings came into my mind with this dreadful news. There was no peace within me—I was in pieces.

All I wanted to know was whether I was also infected. Death was literally knocking on my head. I contacted him and he invited me to visit and discuss his health status. This was the toughest day I could ever imagine and I was left with even more questions.

It took me weeks to put things together and gain the courage to take the first step. I was fearful, focused on what other people would say about me and my son. I felt like I had been diagnosed with HIV myself.

God blessed me by placing lovely people around me who helped me get through each day and take each step at a time. Finally I had the courage to be tested—and I learnt that neither my son nor I were HIV-positive.

Because of what happened to my husband and the love and concern I felt for him, we were able to reconcile as husband and wife. God has taught me to forgive and let go of things that would hinder my Christian walk. God has taught me to love unconditionally, just as he first loved me. God has also blessed me with a wonderful extended family. My parents have not allowed my husband’s HIV status to affect our family bond.

Even though I go through difficult situations in life I can remain true to God. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, ‘No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.

But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can

I WAS FEARFUL, FOCUSED ON WHAT OTHER PEOPLE WOULD SAY. endure it.’ This is what motivates me to hold on to God, because I believe that he has saved me for a reason— to serve him and to testify that God’s great arms are never too short to save not his ears too dull to hear.

The number of HIV cases in Fiji continues to rise. When people find out they are HIV-positive, some choose alcohol, prostitution, drugs and other ways to show their anger at this news.

But I want to encourage people and assure them there is still hope. Even if physical healing doesn’t come, spiritual healing is possible. Most of all, I want people to experience the hope that can be found in the Lord Jesus Christ.

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’ Who s on Your Throne When you play the Game of Thrones, you win ... or you die.

BY DANIEL BUCKINGHAM

It’s an interesting premise for a series of books, for sure. A long-term battle of epic proportions, casualties on all sides, all to decide who gets to sit in a pointy, uncomfortable-looking chair. Thrilling stuff.

Whether you’re familiar with George R.R. Martin’s epic (R+L=J, am I right?) or not, no one can deny this series of books and the accompanying HBO series are a huge phenomenon. Everyone is hanging out to see whether the Mother of Dragons can take back the throne of her father—as a society we’ve become a wee bit obsessed with who sits on the Iron Throne.

Even if you’ve never read it or seen it (and given that Game of Thrones has an R-18 rating, we’re naturally not saying you should watch it), chances are you still know who the Khaleesi is, and that Jon Snow knows nothing.

It’s interesting how we can collectively get so caught up in who is in charge of a fictional kingdom —but have you ever stopped to consider who or what is sitting on your throne?

ISRAEL’S IRON THRONE In the book of Samuel, and continuing into 1 and 2 Kings, a series of epic struggles takes place around the rulership of Israel that would put even the best novels to shame. Seriously, go read it! It’s intense, and it really happened. No dragons, but a heck of a lot of bloodshed, betrayal, battles large and small, heroes and villains—all around Israel’s ‘Iron Throne’.

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And what set off this epic struggle that would ultimately lead the whole country to ruin? The nation rejected God as their ruler.

Israel saw that the countries around them had earthly kings, and they decided they wanted one too. At first, Samuel—basically God’s spokesman to Israel—said no. He told them they didn’t need an earthly king; that God, the creator of the universe was their king. But they weren’t satisfied. They pushed and pushed.

Finally, in Samuel chapter 8, God tells Samuel he sees the Israelites have rejected him as king and allows Samuel to anoint a man as king instead. But he also warns Samuel to tell the people this would not end well.

Sure enough, it ended very badly for the nation of Israel, who (spoiler alert) wind up breaking in half, being conquered by one enemy after another, and having the vast majority of their population sold into slavery.

And why? Because they looked for rulers that had appealing qualities to their earthly eyes.

Strong, heroic men who could win battles and make damsels swoon—all that nonsense. They got it right occasionally, but more often than not these kings fell further and further from the prosperity God offered the Israelites when they contented themselves with following in his ways instead of the ways of the world.

Long story short: kicking God off the throne of Israel did not work out well for the Israelites.

YOU’RE IN A BATTLE When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. Israel didn’t win, but this prosperous, powerful nation almost died. It’s only by their repentance and God’s grace that they survived as a people at all.

NONE OF US DO A GREAT JOB OF PICKING GOOD THINGS TO BE ON OUR THRONE. WE TEND TO PUT SELFISH THINGS IN CHARGE. ‘Well, that’s all well and good, but what has it got to do with me?’

Good question.

You may not realise it, but there’s a battle for another throne going on right now, before your very eyes. Many different powerful forces are duking it out for supremacy, and only one of them can sit on the throne at any given time. It’s an epic, sprawling battle that encompasses everything around you, maybe without you even realising it.

It’s the battle for your heart.

Advertisers want the desire to consume their products to have first place on your throne. Abusive partners, boyfriends or girlfriends want to be on your throne. Your own sinful desires want to put greed or lust or jealousy or hatred on your throne. More often than not, the most powerful force in this battle will be your desire to sit on your own throne and be in charge.

The trouble with all of these things is that, like the Israelites, none of us do a great job of picking good things to be on our throne. We tend to put selfish things in charge, things that serve our own desires. Often these things can be straight-up sinful, if we’re honest.

LET GOD LEAD When we tip our hat to God but then go about ruling the kingdom of our lives without God’s input, we’re going to find ourselves further and further away from God’s perfect plan for our lives. God’s way is the only way to prosper long-term, but it takes an act of will to let him lead.

God won’t force himself onto our throne. He’s not like the other forces at work, trying to push and shove their way into first place in our hearts. No, seating the King of kings on our throne takes an act

Sitting on the Iron Throne didn’t end well for King Tommen (played by Dean-Charles Chapman) in season six of Game of Thrones. Photography: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images.

of surrender—we have to be willing to let God sit there. More than that, we have to be willing to clean all the other junk off to make room for God—he won’t share his kingship.

God’s way is the best way and putting him in charge is the best decision we can possibly make. God leads our lives away from sin, which leads to spiritual death, and into eternal life. That’s a great trade!

Don’t play the Game of Thrones. Don’t take the risk—there’s no need to. Clear out your throne room and invite the true King in. Then watch the kingdom of your life reach the potential it was meant for.

26 AUGUST 2017 WarCry 13

GOD’S WORK IN NEPAL

BY CHRISTINA TYSON

God has a sense of humour—or at least a sense of irony. That’s borne out in the story of Indian Salvation Army officers Majors Sanga Vuite and Manun Ralte, who pioneered the Army’s work in Nepal.

Sanga remembers his surprise when the couple first heard news of their appointment. ‘We were the only ones who voted not to start the ministry in Nepal during a consultation workshop, as we knew how difficult it would be,’ he recalls.

At the time, he and his wife Manun—then aged 45 and 40— were living in Darjeeling, the northernmost district of West Bengal in eastern Indian. Darjeeling sits in the foothills of the Himalayas, on Nepal’s border. And while Sanga and Manun knew the people of Nepal were friendly, they also knew that friendliness faded when there was an attempt to talk about Jesus.

That’s because Nepal is primarily a Hindu nation where the law forbids anyone to change religion and bans proselytism (converting or attempting to convert someone). Despite this, Nepal’s Christian population, just 1.4 per cent at the 2011 Census, is one of the fastest-growing Christian populations in the world, according to World Watch Monitor.

Sanga grew up in a Salvation Army family, but it wasn’t until his late 20s that he made Jesus the Lord of his life. This was the same year he met Manun, after Sanga and some of the youth from his corps (Salvation Army church) travelled to a remote Indian village where she was working as a teacher and outreach worker.

Before they were married, the pair applied to become Salvation Army officers, with Sanga training first and the two 14 WarCry 26 AUGUST 2017

marrying after Manun completed her training the next year. Of his call to officership, Sanga says, ‘I wanted to give my whole life to serve God.’ He says 2 Corinthians 5:15 really spoke to him: ‘And [Jesus] died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.’

I LEARNT THAT GOD WILL USE ME IF I LET HIM HAVE HIS WAY. In April 2009, Sanga and Manun moved to Nepal with their daughters Amelia (then aged 15) and Rebecca (then aged 12).

Although this was the 118th country in which The Salvation Army was serving, it was registered as ‘The Salvation Mission’ because the Government of Nepal would not approve the word ‘Army’.

In preparation for their new roles, the couple had made prayer an absolute priority. They had begun learning Nepali, as well as more about the country’s culture and religions. They also became increasingly aware of the country’s extreme poverty.

‘I read in a newspaper that a Nepali policeman had robbed a beggar,’ Sanga recalls. ‘It was like, they are this desperate! This is why God put The Salvation Army in Nepal.’

The family initially rented a small flat in Bagdole, Kathmandu.

Their ministry began simply as family devotions, since they were the only Salvationists in Nepal. ‘I led the meeting and gave the Bible message, and my wife and daughters were the only congregation at first,’ Sanga says.

They then opened a centre offering tailoring and English language and Nepali literacy classes for local women. ‘Since it is dangerous to propagate Christian beliefs in Nepal, we dared not invite any of them to worship or prayer fellowships,’ Sanga explains. Seventeen women attended the first classes on 29 July 2009. As well as tailoring and simple craft classes, Manun taught English speaking, something Nepalese women were interested in because they hoped it would open opportunities for work overseas. Amelia and Rebecca, fluent in Nepali, taught reading and writing.

THE FAITH OF NEPALESE SALVATIONISTS IS STRONG. ‘After some time, the women were asked if they wanted to attend our fellowship, and they said yes,’ Sanga says. ‘Saturday is a public holiday in Nepal and is the worship day for Christians in the country. When the women came along to our fellowship group we asked if they wished to learn about our religion, which is Christian. They said they wanted to listen to what we had to say. So that was the day we first shared the gospel with them.

They asked a lot of questions.’

One woman they made friends with invited them to visit her home. ‘At first we did not share anything about Jesus. But on our second visit we gave them our Salvation Army soldier’s covenant and asked them to read this as an introduction to our faith, because we dare not use the Bible directly.’

The family eventually joined their fellowship, slowly learning about The Salvation Army and Christianity. The woman’s son, Nishan Lo, a college student, became their first convert and later became Nepal’s first indigenous Salvation Army officer. ‘Soon we had more new converts, new Salvation Army members to sing with and pray with,’ Sanga says.

There were plenty of challenges. It was hard to find property to rent and sometimes the family’s activities were investigated by the police. They faced financial challenges too, partly due to the practical difficulties of getting money into Nepal. In the early years there was not always money for food and other essentials. Once when their daughters needed hospital care, Sanga and Manun had to look after them at home. They didn’t even have enough money to buy the prescribed medicine until a Baptist missionary paid the bill for them. ‘Our family has found that the world is full of God’s guardian angels!’ Sanga says.

In 2015, they opened the stylish Sisters Café and Beauty, a centre helping address the struggles young Nepalese women have in finding employment—a situation that increases their vulnerability to being trafficked through false offers of work in India or other countries. Giving young women the opportunity to train as waitresses, beauticians or chefs was seen as a way to provide pathways to safe and secure employment.

Sanga says the terrible earthquake that struck Nepal in April 2015 and killed nearly 9000 people was an opportunity for the

Nepalese people to see the practical care The Salvation Army was quick to offer. ‘The earthquake united us more with our people as a loving family. It was helpful for people to see The Salvation Army serving people’s physical needs. The Salvation Army’s International Emergency Services response made a really good impression.’

By the time Sanga and Manun returned to the India Eastern Territory in October last year, The Salvation Mission in Nepal had grown to around 170 worshippers, with many others who had become involved in its work having moved overseas for work. ‘The faith of Nepalese Salvationists is strong,’ Sanga says.

‘They do not care when their family or community disown them because of their conversation to Christianity. They are genuine in their enthusiasm for Jesus!’ He is delighted the Army in Nepal now has indigenous leaders in Captains Ngurthansanga and Rosy Lalnunpuii.

Sanga and Manum are deeply grateful for their daughters’ help starting the work in Nepal. ‘They were our only local officers and were involved in all the ministry we were. They would come with us even if we were called at midnight to pray for demonpossessed people,’ Sanga says.

‘Our time in Nepal taught me that God is faithful and wants people he can trust to do his ministry. I learnt that God will use me if I let him have his way. All that matters is that we surrender all for God’s purposes so he may exercise his power through us.

It is this surrender that makes the Ss on our Salvation Army uniforms meaningful.’ [Ed—these two Ss signify both ‘saved to save’ and ‘saved to serve’.]

Looking back on how it felt to be starting the Army’s work in a new country, Sanga says, ‘It was life melting to nothing—and then seeing and experiencing that our ministry belonged to God and that God’s power was made perfect in our weakness.’

Poverty in Nepal Nepal is the second-to-poorest country in Asia (after Afghanistan). Over 40 per cent of the population live on less than $US 2 a day.

Nearly one-third of homes are without modern sanitation.

Nepal is heavily impacted by extreme weather events and food insecurity.

Of every 1000 babies, 29 die before their first birthday; 42% of under-fives have stunted growth, and 31% are underweight.

Source: Gazettereview.com, Asian Development Bank, World Food Programme

26 AUGUST 2017 WarCry 15

Wiring to Save Women

Helping women avoid being sold into prostitution has inspired Salvation Army officer Captain Simon Stevens to head back to India—and he’s inviting other Salvationists to join and support him.

The Mount Albert Corps Officer is looking to gather a group of seven practically-minded Salvationists to visit India and help install the wiring for a factory providing employment for women and girls who risk being sold into the sex trade.

The factory is being built by the Freeset Business Incubator—set up to establish social enterprise businesses to provide training and work for women so they can escape the sex trade in Kolkata. It has grown out of the work of Freeset, a clothing and bag-making business set up

by Kiwi entrepreneurs Kerry and Annie Hilton. Freeset discovered that almost 40 per cent of the women they were working with had been trafficked from the district of Murshidabad in West Bengal.

In partnership with the New Zealandbased Baptist aid organisation Banzaid, they have begun work on new business units in the Murshidabad district, to help these women find employment that will enable them to help support their families.

Simon said he was inspired to go back and help with the project to build a new factory in the area after visiting the Freeset Fabrics factory in Murshidabad last year, while on a trip helping renovate a Freeset building in Kolkata. The Fabrics factory is the first of the new enterprises employing up to 50 women to weave scarves.

‘When you walk in there, it’s like a holy place—Jesus is here. The feeling of the place is just amazing. I have tried to work out why, and part of it is the women are not getting sold; they have this choice of employment to feed their families without being sold into the sex trade.’

The factory Simon’s team will help wire up is in the nearby village of Valkundi.

This is planned as a three-storey building where Freeset will employ up to 250 additional women. It will include looms for making scarves and other items, with facilities for the whole process from preparing the threads, to packaging the finished products. It will include social workers and a day care centre.

Positive Lifestyle Win in Invercargill The Salvation Army’s Positive Lifestyle Programme (PLP) is growing in Invercargill thanks to strong support from Invercargill Prison. PLP Team Leader Ann Heather says she receives about three prison referrals a day.

PLP is an eight-module course that originated in Canada and is now used in New Zealand and Australia.

Topics include self-awareness, anger, depression, stress, loneliness, grief and loss, problem solving, assertiveness, self-esteem, and goal setting. Ann said the course also gave PLP facilitators the opportunity to talk to others about their faith in Jesus.

16 WarCry 26 AUGUST 2017

Most of those taking part in Invercargill were from the local prison, said Ann, with group sessions with up to six men held twice a week to support their rehabilitation. Some of those starting the course in prison continued on to complete it after their release.

An enthusiastic representative from Invercargill Prison said, ‘The course has some very powerful messages for our men, and if they take one small thing away that has them being more considerate and wise around how they manage situations then the course has been invaluable.’

One prisoner said, ‘I learnt a lot. I have self-motivation and a clear mind. I have a better understanding of grief, and Ann referred me to grief counselling. I know how to handle bullying situations and have been able to put into practice anger management [skills].’ After completing the course, the man has been identified as a suitable mentor for other prisoners.

Another prisoner said PLP had helped him develop respect for others and he appreciated its non-judgemental nature. Prison staff said he was now more settled and focused on his goals, including successfully achieving NCEA Levels

Off to a Swimming Start Simon’s group will be part of a 14-person team of volunteers aiming to visit India in February or March 2018, and he is keen to hear from Salvationists who may be interested in making the trip.

People wanting to support the trip will also have a chance to get behind it at this year’s Just Action conference in Auckland on 15–16 September, where Simon will be sharing more about the project and people will be encouraged to help cover the cost of the electrical cable. All donations to the project will be matched by the New Zealand Aid Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Just Action organiser Ronji Tanielu said Just Action had always supported an overseas project and this wiring project stood out—with its Salvation Army connection through Simon and its values fitting with the conference theme of ‘building a just future’, along with other conference ideas of a gospel-led work building a just community.

‘We’re really excited about it. It’s not just one-off support either—it’s a practical project that will continue to make change!’

1 and 2. The man was also more open to constructive criticism.

Other PLP participants include people Invercargill Community Ministries clients, along with a man appointed by the court under the Police Adult Diversion Scheme. Referrals had also come from Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry for Vulnerable Children.

Eight people are now trained to run the PLP course in Invercargill, with Alison Botting, Sandra Romero and Andrea McKay recently joining the team.

Some of Tauranga’s youngest are learning to swim thanks to a new partnership with The Salvation Army.

Tauranga Community Ministries manager Davina Plummer said they were approach in January by BaySwim swimming school manager Matthew Strange about an initiative to help preschool children from families in hardship have swimming lessons.

The partnership, endorsed by Swimming New Zealand, sees Tauranga businesses sponsoring lessons and free pool access for children whose families would otherwise be unable to afford lessons. Community Ministries helps by nominating children who would otherwise miss out. So far, 19 preschoolers have been nominated and started their lessons.

Each child is funded for lessons to ensure their basic skills are developed, including 40 weeks of swimming development, six weeks of water skills and a year’s free access for the child and a supervising parent to four pools around Tauranga, so they can practice.

The children join mainstream BaySwim classes at two of the pools and are not identified as sponsored children.

Davina said Community Ministries was thrilled to be a part of the programme and seeing so many children getting lessons and the children and their parents enjoying the opportunity. ‘Being a pre-school lesson it’s a lot of fun, they’re singing songs while they’re doing the

lessons and you see the parents and the children are all smiling and enjoying it.’

With Tauranga surrounded by water, learning to swim was important and the programme would have other benefits, including in health, fitness and social wellbeing for both the child and their parents or caregivers, she said. The mother of one child said their family had been desperate to get them into swimming lessons, but couldn’t fit it in the budget. The lessons had been fantastic, she said. Another mum said swimming had been amazing for helping her child grow in confidence and helping them socially.

The move was also timely, Matthew said, given the increase in people living below the poverty line. This has led to many children missing out on vital extracurricular skills like learning to swim. The initiative particularly focuses on the pre-school age group (three and four years of age) as this is a key development period.

Learning to swim comes with mental, physical, social, cognitive and safety benefits, Matthew added. According to Water Safety NZ research, children aged between one and four years-of-age are 88 per cent less likely to drown if they have had formal swimming lessons.

Those interested in donating towards sponsorship or being nominated for sponsorship should contact Tauranga Community Ministries.

26 AUGUST 2017 WarCry 17

Te Ōhākī: Whakawhanaungatanga —Relationships

BY TIM MALTON

Unpacking the four goals of The Salvation Army’s Māori Ministry Strategic Plan, ‘Te Ōhākī’.

Goal 3: ‘Our operational models foster and implement a culture of whanaungatanga to better develop an environment that is welcoming and inclusive for Māori and all people.’

Modern-day life can sometimes be isolating and individualistic.

However, when we stop and think we realise just how connected we are to many other people and places.

It is the importance of these connections that is at the heart of the third goal in the Māori Ministry Strategic Plan 2015– 2025. The Māori value of whakawhanaungatanga (creating connectedness and relationship) recognises that a person’s identity comes from their connection with other people and places, rather than from what they do as individuals. We are so much more than isolated individuals. We come from whānau —family, and our family heralds from a place or many places.

The value of whakawhanaungatanga has many aspects, including whakapapa (genealogy), manaakitanga (hospitality and caring), and karaititanga (unity through Christ).

Whakapapa—Genealogy (being connected with our own family and cultural history). See Matthew 1:1–17.

Whakapapa (genealogy) is an important way of remembering where we come from, and recognising and acknowledging our genealogical connections with others. People who understand their ancestral backstory and history have a clearer understanding of who they are.

Through whakapapa, Māori can authentically build connections with one another.

We see this same value in biblical genealogies. It was important that Jesus was located within a story, in a real family with an authentic history.

To practice whakawhanaungatanga, we will therefore honour and value where people come from, including their family connections and wider culture. More specifically, for Māori within and engaging with Te Ope Whakaora—The Salvation Army—we will honour their whakapapa, and support them to grow in their cultural identity as Māori.

Manaakitanga–Hospitality (Building connections and providing hospitality to others) Kia mau tonu te aroha ki ngā teina. Kei wareware ki te atawhai manuhiri: nā tēnei hoki i whakamanuhiri anahera ai ētahi, kīhai anō i matau atu. Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:1–2) ‘Mana’ refers to an individual’s spiritual dignity, ‘aki’ means to encourage or spur on; therefore ‘manaaki’ means to encourage the dignity and worth of others. As we honour and spur on 18 WarCry 26 AUGUST 2017

Midland Division Māori Ministry Hui 2016.

others, we also increase our own mana. Manaakitanga is ultimately the goal of Christian hospitality.

An important aspect of manaaki is the pōwhiri, where visitors are welcomed, connections are built, and strangers become friends. To practice whakawhanaungatanga, we will therefore nurture environments that are welcoming, that honour and esteem others—especially those who might be different to ourselves. More specifically for Māori, we will ensure that our practices are culturally appropriate and welcoming for Māori within Te Ope Whakaora.

Karaititanga—Unity in Christ (Recognising our spiritual connections as ‘te whānau a te Karaiti—the family of Christ’). See 1 Corinthians 12:12.

In Christ, there is unity regardless of our cultural background.

We are whānau—brothers and sisters in Christ. Sometimes modern Western life, including the expression of faith, can be individualistic and potentially isolating, particularly for people from more communal cultures. There can be a perceived pressure for people to distance themselves from their culture and family of origin, but at the same time, church might not build the appropriate and secure sense of community they are needing.

To practice whakawhanaungatanga we will therefore encourage a strong sense of unity, belonging and spiritual connectedness for all people, while honouring each person’s unique culture and identity. More specifically for Māori, we will allow Māori disciples to explore and discover their unique identity as Māori Christians.

Ideas for developing whakawhanaungatanga • encourage Māori where possible to know and nurture their authentic whānau/iwi connections

HOW WE VOTE REPRESENTS A PART OF OUR LEGACY THAT WILL RESOUND INTO THE FUTURE. The journey of our nation Aotearoa/New Zealand has many milestones. We can see how decisions made and roads taken sometimes led to devastating hardship or life-giving security and wellbeing. International influences played their part, but we can also see that how we as a nation responded was also important.

At times, people have expressed frustration at the democratic process, feeling their vote won’t change anything or that the multitude of issues that confront a nation are too complex to understand or address. And yet, in the three-yearly elections New Zealand routinely has, we have an opportunity for ordinary people like you and me to affect the future direction of our country.

• help Māori Salvationists to connect their Māori and Christian heritage and identity • equip and encourage Māori Salvationists to be salt and light within their whānau/hapū • support avenues for Māori to reach out and build connections with one another across The Salvation Army • support Māori to express their identity as Māori Christians within The Salvation Army • encourage non Māori to understand and connect with their own culture and family, and recognise the value and authenticity of each person’s cultural history and story • encourage Pākehā and other cultures to actively reach out to engage with and learn about Māori culture even when this might be uncomfortable —as we make a sincere effort, we discover ourselves embraced within a culture of manaaki and aroha • learn about and incorporate principles of manaakitanga and pōwhiri in our own practices.

Read the Māori Ministry Strategic Plan | salvationarmy.org.nz/TeOhaki

Elections are milestones in our nation’s history. As such, how we vote represents a part of our legacy that will resound into the future as our descendants look back to see the issues we cared about and what direction our nation took as a result.

As in Jesus’s story of the Good Samaritan, in our journey through our life we are invited to consider the responses we make to the human need we encounter. By extension, we are also invited to consider the responses our nation should make, especially in relation to those left behind on the road. What can be done about such critical issues as child poverty, homelessness and rising prison incarceration rates in New Zealand? The policies we advocate for in the current election process, ultimately signalled in how we choose to vote, will determine the next turn in the road in our nation’s life.

To make the most of the democratic process we need to look at what policies political parties are promoting—asking questions, attending meetings, reading manifestoes, watching debates. We need to avoid voting: • for a leader’s personality, but rather consider a broader range of key policies • uncritically for the party we have always voted for, out of ‘team’ loyalty • with only our own self-interest or that of just our demographic in mind.

Instead, we as Christians need to vote for the party and people whose policies best reflect the kind of values and aspirations we have for our country and the diverse people that call New Zealand home. To help Salvationists in this process, The Salvation Army’s Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit has provided a set of four brochures focused on Housing, Criminal Justice, Children and Social Hazards. These are being distributed to Salvation Army corps and are also available online at salvationarmy.org.nz/Election2017.

Lieut-Colonel Ian Hutson Directory, Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit

26 AUGUST 2017 WarCry 19

The Old Testament book of Daniel has a lot to teach us about resolving the tension of whether to resist or adapt as we engage with the culture around us.

BY CARLA LINDSEY

Do you ever have weird dreams where everything is muddled? Where people you know are doing things they just don’t do, and things are happening in places you remember from way back?

Sometimes my dreams make no sense at all! Sometimes I’ll have a weird dream and wake to find my mind and body are telling me it was real. I find myself suddenly wide awake, my heart pounding and an ominous feeling hanging over me.

This was the experience of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter two.

He had a dream that left him so troubled he just couldn’t get back to sleep. In those days, people expected the gods to communicate through dreams. Indeed, 20 WarCry 26 AUGUST 2017

throughout the Bible God revealed special messages to people as they slept—and even today stories are told of people who have never heard of Jesus, who have come to faith in him because he came to them in their dreams.

Nebuchadnezzar knew his disturbing dream meant something, but he didn’t know what. So he called on the wise men who he kept on hand for such emergencies.

When a king dreams The way these things usually worked was that the king’s wise men would hear his dreams and turn to their ‘dream books’, which catalogued the symbols that appeared in dreams and explained their meaning. The key thing here is that the wise men had to be told the dream first, and only after that could they explain its meaning. But Nebuchadnezzar had other ideas. He refused to tell the wise men the dream. Instead he wanted them to tell him both what the dream was and what it meant.

Some scholars believe Nebuchadnezzar refused to recount his dream because he couldn’t remember it, but it’s more likely he was testing his wise men. In Daniel 2:8–9, Nebuchadnezzar says: ‘I am certain that you are trying to gain time’. And later: ‘You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.’ Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar thought his wise men were frauds, just in it for what they could get out of him and without any special abilities at all.

To help persuade the wise men to tell him the dream and its meaning, Nebuchadnezzar gave them a little incentive. If they did not tell him what his dream was and its interpretation, he would have them cut into pieces and their houses turned into piles of rubble.

On the other hand, if they did as he asked, they would receive gifts, rewards and great honour.

This could either go very well or very, very badly for the king’s wise men!

Lives on the line The wise men were stumped. They weren’t used to problems like this and couldn’t come up with any answers— which made Nebuchadnezzar furious.

It was curtains for all the wise men employed by the king, including those who hadn’t even been present when Nebuchadnezzar made his demands.

That meant it was the end for our Jewish friends Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, four gifted young Jewish men who had been taken into exile by Nebuchadnezzar, trained by him and kept on at the palace.

When Daniel heard he was to be executed, he understandably had a few questions. The main one being that he wanted to see the king himself to ask for some more time. Time that might allow him and his friends to solve the problem of the king’s dream so their lives might be spared.

Daniel was granted time, and immediately he and his friends set about praying. I imagine they prayed like they’d never prayed before! They knew that God knew everything and could reveal knowledge to people. In the past God had given them special abilities—now they needed his wisdom more than ever.

God heard and answered their prayer, and the next day Daniel went to visit Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel was careful to make clear to the king that it was his God who had revealed the dream to him before he told him what the dream was about.

One weird dream In his dream, Nebuchadnezzar had seen a great statue. Its head was gold; chest and arms were silver; belly and thighs were bronze; legs were iron; and its feet were iron and clay. In other words, the statue was top heavy—and as iron and clay don’t bind together, the whole structure was unstable.

Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar he had seen a ‘rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge

DANIEL AND HIS FRIENDS WERE IN A PLACE WHERE THEY COULD INFLUENCE THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE WORLD. mountain and filled the whole earth.’

(Daniel 2:34–35). What a weird dream!

Daniel went on to explain the dream’s meaning. He told the king that he and his empire were the head of gold and that Nebuchadnezzar had been placed in that powerful position by God. The other precious metals represented empires that would come after Nebuchadnezzar’s.

There is much speculation as to which empires these were. The main two theories are that they were the Medes, Persians and Greeks, or the Medes/ Persians, Greeks and Romans. But understanding this dream doesn’t depend on knowing which empires they were. The important thing is that these empires were all destroyed—completely and utterly—by a supernatural force.

Daniel then went on to explain God’s plans to set up his own eternal kingdom.

Nebuchadnezzar immediately recognised Daniel spoke the truth. He ‘fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honour and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him’, saying: ‘Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.’ (Daniel 2:46–47)

Able to influence And so Daniel and his friends were moved into a high position in the king’s service. They had gone from teenage captives, to excelling in their Babylonian training (Daniel chapter one), to now being in a place where they could influence the most powerful man in the world. And they would influence him.

The four had already told Nebuchadnezzar about their God. The king had learnt this God could reveal knowledge hidden from man. He had learnt Daniel’s God was the King above all kings, able to put other kings in their place. He had learnt that, ultimately, it was this God’s kingdom that would be the greatest.

been saying that their time in Babylon would be short, but Jeremiah the priest told them a different story. He said they would be in Babylon a while, so they ought to build houses, get married and plant gardens. In other words, they were to settle down into normal life. Jeremiah went one step further and even asked the Jewish captives to seek the peace and prosperity of Babylon and to pray for her. (See Jeremiah 29:5.)

Now, surely that was pushing it?!

After all, Babylon was destroying their homeland and had forcibly taken them from it! Why would they seek her good?

Well, because like it or not they were now part of Babylon—it was their home.

And if Babylon prospered, so would they.

This must have been quite something for these exiles to get their heads around.

Seeking the best for their enemies? Thinking of Babylon as home? This wasn’t the message they’d been hoping for. They hoped God would rescue them and that they would be back in Jerusalem in no time. But God had other plans.

And as we’ll see as we continue to journey through Daniel together, part of that plan was for Daniel to be in a unique position with the king, one where he really could be an influence for the good of Babylon.

Read Daniel chapter 2 • How do you think God communicates/reveals himself to people today?

• What does it mean to you that God’s kingdom is the only eternal kingdom? How does that give you hope?

• How can you seek the good of the place you live?

Jeremiah chapter 29 carries a letter written to early exiles like Daniel and his friends. It seems some of them had 26 AUGUST 2017 WarCry 21

SUDOKU

OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS

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FOR: Napier, Nasinu, Nelson Tasman Bays, New Lynn, New Plymouth Corps; Divisional Headquarters, Southern; The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda.

Find SALVATION ARMY JOB OPPORTUNITIES online: www

salvationarmy.org. nz/employment To advertise your event, email: warcry@nzf. salvationarmy.org

Keeping Children Safe Training Monday 9 Oct,

after Her Freedom Song

Christchurch

Friday 13 Oct, Nelson

Are you a Salvation Army officer or a manager in a Salvation Army social service centre? Do you work with families in The Salvation Army? Does your role involve working with under-18s alone or with primary responsibility in a group setting?

This training will give you vital information about how to recognise, respond and report if you suspect a child or young person is being abused or neglected.

The Salvation Army is committed to ensuring that all children and youth who engage with our services are protected from abuse while in and outside our care.

To register, go to ‘Training’ on keepingchildrensafe.sarmy.net.nz

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PRAY PLEASE PRAY

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Colonels Willis Howell (Chief Secretary) and Barbara Howell (Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries) 28 August–3 September: Zonal Leaders Conference, Bali 4–7 September: Zonal Women Leaders Conference, Bali (TSWM) 5–6 September: Consultation on Ministry to Chinese People, Bali (CS) 13 September: Spiritual Day, Booth College of Mission 15–16 September: Just Action (CS) 23–25 September: Tonga Governance Visit 1 October: Farewell to USA Southern Territory Appointments

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Men’s Events

Register today at www.promisekeepers.nz

Richard Brunton

David Dusek

Danny Guglielmucci

Tony McKeown

Founder Colmar Brunton

Rough Cut Men USA

Founder Edge Church Australia

Pastor & educator Eden Church

Lui Ponifasio

Pastor, missions visionary

Sy Rogers International communicator

Wellington 15-16 September | Auckland 6-7 October

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Commissioners Andy (Territorial Commander) and Yvonne Westrupp (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 28 Aug–3 September: Zonal Leaders Conference, Bali 5–10 September: USA Southern TEC and Retirements of Commissioners Bell 22–24 September: Visit to Gore, Winton & Invercargill Corps/Centres 29 September–1 October: Tri-Territorial Thought Matters Conference 1 October: Territorial Farewell to Colonels Willis and Barbara Howell

Quiz Answers: 1 H2O, 2 Rotorua, 3 Phil Keoghan, 4 1975, 5 One (Luke 17:11–19).

Each Sudoku number puzzle has a unique solution that can be worked out logically (not mathematically). The numbers 1 to 9 appear once in every row, column and 3x3 square. Difficulty | Hard

can you find 10 differences?

find the two matching images in each set (they can be rotated)

‘As a father is kind to his children, so the Lord is kind to those who honour him.’

Psalm 103:13 GNT

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Every dad gets tired and grumpy sometimes, but most of the time most dads do their best to be kind and helpful. And that makes God happy! That’s because God is also a parent, and he knows it’s a very important job.

God was father to Jesus, who he loved. And John 1:12-13 says the if we believe in Jesus then we become God’s children too. This isn’t just knowing about Jesus, it’s trusting him as our friend and teacher.

One thing we know about God is that God is kind to his children.

We see God’s kindness in his rescue mission for us. As our Heavenly Father, God sent his son Jesus to pay for or sins by dying for us. Jesus then beat death by coming back to life.

God wants us to be kind to everyone we meet, just as God is kind to us.

Dear God, thank you for being my kind and loving Heavenly Father. I want to grow to be more like you.

Help me to be kind to my earthly parents and to help them every day. Amen.

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Matching Pair Answers: 1–3, 5–8, 10-12, 15–16

15-16 September

The Salvation Army Auckland City Corps 18 Allright Place, Mt Wellington, Auckland

Creating a JUST future

Featuring:

Tim Costello World Vision Australia

Shamubeel Eaqub

Economist, Author of Generation Rent

Prue Kapua

Maori Women’s Welfare League

Andrew Judd

Recovering Racist, former Mayor of New Plymouth

Rez Gardi

Young New Zealander of the Year 2017

& more...

Register now at salvationarmy.org.nz/JustAction