27 May 2010 Vol 72 No 21 $2 Print Post Approved No 34918100419

Annual ACMA Mission Aviation Camp Nears:Annual ACMA Mission Aviation Camp Nears:

5 - 9 July 2010 5 - 9 July 2010

A GROUP similar to the excited group of peopleabove will be seen again at Coldstream Airfieldearly in July this year. The group is made up of sec‐ondary school students (most are in Years 10 ‐12)who, together with ACMA staff and students,come together for 5 days of invigorating aviation‐related fun and learning to gain exposure to theministry of mission aviation.

During their time at ACMA, students learn whatit is like to be trained as a pilot or engineer and toserve in missions both here in Australia and over‐seas.

Campers come from all over Australia (a num‐ber have even come from overseas) and areexposed to the ministries of the major mission avi‐ation operators including MAF and JAARS.

The ACMA Camp balances fun and recreation,learning, and hands‐on experiences, with anemphasis on spiritual formation. Included in thecost are:• accommodation (great motel‐style accommoda‐tion for the first time this year)

• food• a familiarisation flight• excursions to aviation establishments• devotionals• instructional sessions in flight theory and aircraftengineering

Additional flight training is also available.Additionally, for students who desire, the weekmay be credited as work experience.

Previous campers have provided the followingresponses to their experience:• “fantastic Camp – loved every moment of it”.• “the Camp rates 9.99 out of 10”.• “so much fun!”• “time of my life. It was unbelievable”.

Full details can be seen on the websitewww.acma.vic.edu.au. You can call ACMA on (03)9739 0612, or email: camp10@mac.bcv.edu.au.

Places are limited. Early application is suggest‐ed to avoid disappointment.

‐ACMA

THE Council of Christian Witness toIsrael is asking for prayer for the futuredevelopment of their work in Australia,following the announcement that theirfield leader, Paul Morris, expects toreturn to the UK at the end of thisyear. They are asking the Lord for twomore people to take up the work: onespecialising in evangelism, and anotherto raise interest and support from thechurches. Contact: www.cwi.org.auTears of the Oppressed is a Christianhuman rights organisation based inCanberra, serving believers under per‐secution. They have assisted folk asculturally diverse as the Christians ofthe Maluku Islands in Indonesia, theCoptic Christians of Egypt, the Karentribes of Burma, the Christians ofPakistan and India, and many others.They do this through raising awarenessabout their plight amongst Churchesand government. Their website iswww.tearsoftheoppressed.org whichoutlines their work or you can phonethem on 02 6232 6310 for more infor‐mation. SAT‐7 is a Christian satellite televi‐sion station run by and for the peopleof the Middle East and North Africa.The ministry has three different chan‐nels: SAT‐7 ARABIC, SAT‐7 KIDS andSAT‐7 PARS (Farsi/Turkish program‐ming). In a recent email they reportthat they estimate their total audienceto be about 15 million people per year.

The following viewer’s commentshows they are getting the gospelthrough to people who might not oth‐erwise hear it. Marzieh called to say:‘Thank you very much all SAT‐7 PARSstaff. I came to Christ 65 days ago andI am very happy. My husband is not aChristian yet. Please pray for him aswell.’ We can all pray for this vital workreaching people in the Middle East andNorth Africa. Visit www.sat7.org formore information.Another medium being used to reachpeople is radio. Global RecordingsNetwork reports that in Nigeria thereare more than 1,000 languages anddialects spoken. Over 500 of thesehave had some recordings made inthem. The work is hard and the firstchallenge is just getting to the outlyingvillages as the roads are nearly impass‐able. But as Director of GRN NigeriaKish Bai reports “Once there we wentto a place where young people takedrugs and were able to share the goodnews of Jesus with them.” They wereable to show Christian films and wereencouraged by the way many Muslimwomen received the gospel cassettesin their own language with great joy.Contact Global Recordings NetworkAustralia on 02 9899 2211 or au@glob‐alrecordings.net. You can visit theirwebsite atwww.globalrecordings.net/auOMF Victoria has numerous prayer

meetings each week for differentaspects of their work. These take placein people’s homes as well as at theOMF office. Contact them on 03 98989922 or email: vic@omf.net to find outmore. Christian Mission International Aidreports on their Moldova Bible Course.They have just received word that thenumber of enrolled participants hasnow passed 600. Many come fromnon‐Christian or Orthodox back‐grounds and have little or no knowl‐edge of the Scripture. Pray for thework of the Bible Course in Moldovaand for Ionel, Andriy and Gabi whocarry the responsibility for this work.Contact CMIAID on 02 9651 6477 oremail: cmioffice@cmiaid.orgMichael Raiter, the Principal of BibleCollege of Victoria, has recentlyannounced the sale of the property atLilydale (Vic) and the purchase of anew property in Wantirna (Vic). AsMichael says in his letter ‘there is anenormous amount of work yet to bedone, as we refurbish our new buildingand make the move.’ They would valueprayer for the move and everythingassociated with it. They will be com‐mencing classes in their new campusat the beginning of 1st semester, 2011.If you would like to read MichaelRaiter’s letter in full log on towww.bcv.vic.edu.au.

HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Two

Fire On The Mountain 2010 I’VE once heard of the Bible as beingdescribed, among other things, as amap. The argument goes that ratherthan placing us in this galaxy, on thisplanet, in this country, without a clueas to what we should be doing or howwe should be doing it, God has provid‐ed us with His guide to life as it shouldbe. He does not want us to be gropingaround in the dark, confused andsearching for peace in all the wrongplaces. I wonder, though, if this is theunderstanding of most contemporaryChristians. Our 21st century worldseems at times far removed from thecontext of the Bible blended families,IVF, cloning, theories of evolution,feminism, religious vilification and the

judicial system, same sex marriages,etc. We are living in a world that isseemingly worlds away from thosewho occupied this planet during Jesus’time. What hope is there for Christiansto rest confidently in the knowledgethat life is being lived according toGod’s will that He is being glorifiedthrough the actions of our hearts andminds?

The organisers of Fire on theMountain, a Biblical worldview teach‐ing weekend, seek each year to raisecurrent issues that Christians mayencounter in modern society andendeavour to equip them with aBiblical approach to such issues.

This year we are diverging slightly

from the usual format by providingtwo keynote speakers which will alter‐nate the teaching spots from Fridaynight through to Sunday morning.

We are looking forward to the returnof Dr Peter Lillback, Senior Pastor ofProclamation Presbyterian inPennsylvania and President ofWestminster Theological Seminary.Also returning is Professor of OldTestament and Biblical Theology fromWestminster, Professor DouglasGreen.

We hope you are able to mark thedates, 6‐8 August, on your calendarand join us for this valuable weekend.

‐Jo Jenner, For FOM Committee

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Three

MATTERS FOR PRAYER ...

WEST Java has witnessed a spate ofanti‐Christian attacks in the last fewmonths. In December 2009, at IslamicNew Year, thousands of demonstra‐tors stormed a church in Bekasiregency, setting objects on fire. On 31December the authorities in EastBekasi, under the influence of hard‐line Muslim groups, ordered a largechurch to stop its services and otheractivities. On 3 January hundreds ofresidents of the North Tambun sub‐district prevented members of anotherchurch from taking part in services. InBogor Regency Muslims took to thestreets to protest against the buildingof a permanent church.

But incidents of intimidation andviolence have been reported fromother parts of Indonesia too, particu‐larly from areas where militant Islamistgroups are present and active. On 21January, under pressure from suchgroups, the authorities ordered achurch in Sepatan, in the Tangerangdistrict of Banten province, to stop itsservices. The next day two Protestantchurches and a pastor’s house were seton fire by a Muslim mob in Sibuhuan,in the Padang Lawas regency of NorthSumatra. The Muslim community wassaid to be tired of seeing ‘too manyfaithful and too many prayers’. ManyMuslims feel threatened by the explo‐

sive church growth of the last 50 years;church leaders estimate that Christiansmay number 15% or even 20% of thepopulation.

Even in some areas where there isno violence, Christians are enduringintense pressure, arising either fromgovernment restrictions on religiousfreedom, or from the extension ofIslamic sharia law. A prominent clericfrom Indonesia's biggest Muslimorganisation has said that sharia lawshould take precedence over lawspassed by the country’s parliament.

‐Barnabas Fund

Spate Of Anti-Christian Attacks In Indonesia

Radio Program Reaches Past The Borders Of IndiaINDIA is hungry for something more‐‐possibly in the form of the message ofChrist.

This is apparent in the more than8,000 responses to the HCJB Globalweekly radio program since it firstaired in November. Christopher andDolly Kirubakaran produce theHindi/English program, which airsevery Sunday evening, sharing sto‐ries about unsung heroes in Indiaand what they are doing in thename of Christ.

In addition to the stories shared,the program addresses social issuesfacing India's population, such as‘dowries, honoring parents, protect‐ing children, suicide among stu‐dents and job seekers, adoption,relationships and moral standards,’Dolly said.

HCJB Global said, ‘It is withinhearing range of two‐thirds ofIndia's population, as well as inneighboring Nepal, Bhutan andBangladesh.’

And in a country where few peo‐ple go to church, if they even have achurch in their area, this weeklymessage may be their only chanceto hear of Christ's love.

Over Easter, the Kirubakaranshad several special holiday pro‐grams, and they saw more than

1,200 responses to those programsalone.

A few people have complainedabout the broadcast being Christianpropaganda, but for the most partbelievers and nonbelievers alike arethankful for it.

The couple asks for prayer: ‘Pleasepray for wisdom for follow‐up material

being sent and more required to keepit simple but non‐objectionable.’PRAYER POINTS• Pray for wisdom in this radio min‐istry that has the potential to impactthousands who would never otherwisehear of Christ.

‐Mission Network News

CURRENT COMMENTS – CLIFFORD WILSON

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Four

The Church of England and womenbishopsWE now have a report from England totell us that the Church of England isexpected to proceed with the conse‐cration of women bishops in the verynear future.

This controversial plan is to bedebated by the churches governingbody, the general synod, in July. Thereport tells us that three Anglican bish‐ops have gone to Rome to talk to theVatican about the possibility ofAnglicans joining the Catholic Church. No doubt this will be a cause of dis‐tress and even splitting of the Churchof England in some countries.

No Date Setting – But!WE are still hearing of more wars andrumours of wars. I’m always careful tonot set dates for the return of Christand I am not about to do so now.However there are dramatic happen‐ings taking place which are almostunprecedented. There has been animposing oil slick in the Gulf of Mexicoand this is reported as ‘likely to be anunprecedented environmental disas‐ter’. US president Barak Obama hasexpressed his great concern over thishappening.

We have seen great calamities ofearthquakes and various other naturaldisasters which at least make us thinkthat possibly coming events are cast‐ing their shadows. After all, the LordHimself said that when you see certainthings beginning to come to pass, lookup for your redemption draws nigh(Luke 21.28).

Whether it is sooner or later, we atNew Life say, ‘Even so come LordJesus’ (Rev 22.20).

Inspiring a generationI like the editorial in a recentMelbourne Herald Sun that talks aboutthe wonderful accomplishment ofJessica Watson sailing solo around theworld and she is not yet 17 years of

age. It has indeed been an amazingvoyage of discovery over 6 months,one person battling fatigue, lonelinessand even extreme danger with hersmall boat literally tipping over severaltimes.

Now we find that her achievementis not likely to be recognised as an offi‐cial record because she did not go highenough north of the equator. It is nowonder that we read that ‘her support‐ers hit back, stating the peak bodydoesn’t recognize records set by peo‐ple under the age of 18’ (the peak bodyis the World Speed Sailing RecordCouncil).

I like the way the Herald Sun fin‐ished their editorial on her achieve‐ments, ‘whatever the techni‐calities…her voyage will be seen as anincredible achievement and an inspira‐tion to everyone, especially her peergroup.’

It goes on to say John Bertrand (ofAmerica’s Cup fame) agrees, and saysthat her feat should be recognized atsome official level.

You know, we Christians are alsooften attacked despite achievementsthat can be wonderful examples.However, we serve a risen Saviour withwhom we shall spend a glorious eterni‐ty because of His amazing death andresurrection.

Dawkins is wrong!SCIENTIST Richard Dawkins has comeand gone to our fair land and manypeople have been influenced by such aleading man of science being a totallycommitted evolutionist. One writersays that the public ‘is inclined to takethe words of scientists on trust’ and hethen adds ‘I did so as a young man’.This particular article goes on to talkabout the evidence for God, andcomes to what has become known asintelligent design. He makes the state‐ment that this is not young earth cre‐ationism in another disguise. To someextent that is true because the evi‐

dence of a young earth are amazinglytrue, especially since the findings of DrMichael Denton, who reminds us ofhow incredible it is to show that designis there in even the smallest livingcreature, as well as in the vast stretch‐es of the universe. This first classmicrobiologist led the argument forintelligent design but does not claim tobe a Christian. There are many othersin that camp who are totally commit‐ted to the fact of a young earthbecause of the arguments for intelli‐gent design.

They recognize that there simplymust be a designer when the argu‐ments for design are so overwhelming.However, they admit there is a design‐er but they are not sure who thatdesigner is. We who are committedChristians know that the heavensdeclare the glory of God, and when thequestion is asked ‘What is man thatthou art mindful of him’, the answer isthat we have the wonderful privilegeof being designed in all our parts bythe Creator God Whom we know asour loving Heavenly Father.

The article before me closes on thisnote. Richard Dawkins is an eminentexpert in his field of evolutionary biolo‐gy, but his opinions as to the existenceor otherwise of God is just that – a per‐sonal opinion. In a court of law hisviews would not even be admissible asevidence, because he holds no qualifi‐cations in the relevant field of theolo‐gy.

I find it interesting that one of themost capable researchers on the cre‐ation side had put forward the sugges‐tion of a debate with Richard Dawkins,but the challenge was not taken up. Iam sure he would have had a lot of eggon his face if he had accepted thatchallenge!

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NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Five

Published by New Life Australia. LtdABN 15 005 035 138, of 56 RutlandRd, Box Hill Vic 3129, and printed byNewsprinters Pty Ltd, Melbourne Rd,Shepparton Vic 3630. (All letters toNew Life please).

SERVING THE CHURCH FOR 72 YEARS

‘Lord, Teach Us To Pray’IF even the men closest to Jesus had to ask Him to teach them to pray, how much moremust we? Prayer for us can become neglected, perfunctory, telegraphic, self‐centred,needs‐based, repetitive, too formal, too informal – and so we need our Lord’s own help inorder to communicate with Him in the way which is pleasing to Him and spiritually helpfulto us.

The paucity of prayer becomes painfully apparent in much present‐day public worship.On our trip through England, Scotland and Wales we have tried to attend a service of wor‐ship as often as possible, morning and evening on the Lord’s Day, mid‐week when we’vebeen in a place where we could find a mid‐week meeting, and the daily offices in Anglicanchurches. Experiences varied widely, but in most places we found a reverential tone, a con‐sciousness that the Creator and Lord of the Universe was being addressed by His humbleservants. But from our human perspective we were generally left wanting more.

Just as I was examining my own leading of prayer in services of worship, I attended somesessions of the Banner of Truth Leicester Ministers’ Conference. One in particular chal‐lenged me. Dr O. Palmer Robertson, formerly a professor at Covenant, Reformed andWestminster Theological Seminaries but now Director and Principal of African BibleCollege, Uganda, and Professor of Theology at African Bible College, Malawi, spoke onMatthew Henry’s Method of Prayer. Under the title A Way To Pray, Dr Robertson broughtthis old Christian classic back to life with a carefully edited modernization and inspiringexample of how one could pray along the lines Matthew Henry laid down.

First, we saw that Matthew Henry followed a typical Puritan pattern of prayer: Praise(Adoration), Confession, Petition (Supplication), Thanksgiving, Intercession, ParticularOccasions, Concluding Prayers, the Lord’s Prayer, Shorter Forms of Prayer. I was remindedthat this was a most helpful cycle to follow when leading in prayer, and in saving us fromfalling into a groove can open us up to a well‐formed and well‐rounded diet of prayer.

Secondly we saw that Matthew Henry had much in common with the WestminsterDivines and the rich storehouse of teaching they enshrined in the documents they pro‐duced such as the Westminster Confession Of Faith, the Shorter Catechism and theDirectory For The Public Worship Of God. I remembered how I had once shunned thesedocuments on the advice of liberal theological lecturers and how surprised I had beenwhen I actually read the Westminster Confession for myself to my spiritual enrichment andgrowth in grace. I suspect that all too many people are psyched out of reading these docu‐ments for themselves, but when they do, even if they disagree with parts of them, findmuch to bless them – not least to help them as they prepare themselves to pray.

Then we saw how Matthew Henry made copious use of Scripture both as a model forprayer and as the content of prayer … and of how the great doctrines of the church movedhim in his thoughts of God as he prayed … and of how he related these Scriptures and doc‐trines to the lives and needs of those whom he was leading in prayer …

I came away with a prayer, a simple prayer but a Biblical one: ‘Lord, teach (me) to pray!’– Bob Thomas

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Six

AFTER eight years of working hands‐on with leprosy patients in Africa andhelping to restore function to their dis‐abled limbs, occupational therapistand public health masters holder,Natalie Smith has taken on a manage‐ment role in Timor Leste.

Natalie, from Melbourne, works forThe Leprosy Mission Australia and isthe interim leader of the LeprosyMission which is based in Dili. Sheoversees their two projects which pro‐vide training and support in leprosydetection, treatment and rehabilita‐tion of those disabled by leprosy andthose with other disabilities.

Her work involves building up theskills of senior staff in such areas asproject management, writing reportsand managing project funds, so thatshe can transfer her management roleto a Timorese health professional inthe future.

Amidst combating tuberculosis,HIV/AIDS and malaria, the Timor LesteGovernment is striving to eradicate theexistence of leprosy as a major publichealth problem by the end of this yearand is looking to Natalie, the onlyAustralian woman working in the lep‐rosy field, to help achieve the goal.

Known as an ancient disease, lep‐rosy still exists in Timor Leste, causingpermanent disability and disfigure‐ment to hundreds of people.

The World Health Organisation(WHO) regards leprosy as a majorhealth problem when numbers ofcases are recorded above 1 in 10,000people. Until the end of 2009, onlyNepal and Timor Leste had notreached the WHO eradication rate ofless than 1 case per 10,000 populationin South‐East Asia.

However Nepal reached this rate inDecember last year. Despite TimorLeste’s small population, the preva‐lence of leprosy is still 1.4 in 10,000.

Since moving to Timor Leste lastSeptember, Natalie has seen manyseverely disabled people, sufferingfrom infected ulcers and disfiguredhands. Some have damage to theirlimbs because of the unavailability of

medical services duringthe internal conflict inthe country from 1975‐1999.

‘The leprosy programhalted during the civilunrest,’ she said.‘All statistics were burntand any information wenow have about leprosyin the country is since2002. During this timethe number of peopleaffected by leprosyincreased. Other dis‐eases also increasedbecause the health clin‐ics closed down andhospitals provided onlya minimal service.Anyone who was sickoften could not accessservices. So people whohad leprosy becamemore disabled and thedisease spread becausepeople couldn’t accesstreatment.’

The majority ofcases of leprosy inTimor Leste have been detected in theremote enclave of Oecussi, which iscut off from the rest of Timor Lesteand surrounded by West Timor(Indonesia). In Oecussi, the prevalenceof leprosy was 10.6 per 10,000 in 2008.

‘Leprosy is high in Oecussi becauseit is isolated and away from TimorLeste, and it was hard for health work‐ers to get there,’ she said. ‘During the war, Indonesia would notallow heath workers to get there byland, so you could only go by boat.Even up to a year ago, you could notgo across the boarder easily. This iswhere health service has suffered. Butnow Mission Aviation Fellowship is inTimor Leste and you can get there byplane or travel inland by car afterobtaining an Indonesian visa.’

Natalie said she was enjoying thechange from hands‐on occupationaltherapy work to applying her skills in amanagement role.

‘I am enjoying my management roleworking with the Timorese people,’she said. "The work that I am doing is really dif‐ferent to what I was doing in Nigeriabut it is still helping in a different way.Now my staff are like my clients. Myrole is to enable them and build uptheir capacity so they can manageindependently, without Australian sup‐port. Development work and OT arevery similar. It is all about teachingpeople how to fish, rather than justgiving them fish to eat. Now I am ableto use my knowledge of systems andprocesses to coordinate projects inTimor Leste. The whole aim is to trainup Timorese local health workers inmanagement so that one of them canbe the leader of TLM’s leprosy pro‐gram in the future. Hopefully this willhappen within two years.’

‐The Leprosy Mission Australia

CHRISTIANS IN THE ACTION ...

The Leprosy Mission Australia in Timor Leste

Natalie in Timor Leste dress

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Seven

‘IT'S a minority group that really isscattered around the world. And it'seasy for us to overlook them becausejust to look at them, you wouldn'tknow they speak a different language.’

Can you tell which people groupBruce Smith of Wycliffe Associates isreferring to?

It's the deaf community. And so far,the entire Bible has not been translat‐ed into even one of the hundreds ofsign languages around the world.Smith said, ‘With over 200 sign lan‐guages in the world, there's only onesign language ... in all of history ...that's American Sign Language, thatactually has the New Testament invideo translation. So this is a dauntingtask.’

But Wycliffe Associates knows itneeds to start somewhere to maintainits commitment to see Scripture in

every language around the globe.Smith said it's a common miscon‐

ception that since the deaf can see,they can read and therefore they onlyneed a written translation of the Bible.However, the rate of illiteracy in thedeaf community is even higher thanamong the hearing: ‘Printed Englishwords that we would read here inAmerica have no relationship whatso‐ever to the sign that American SignLanguages use. They are separate lan‐guages. So we need to get out of themode that what they're doing is justrepresenting the words that we readon a page,’ Smith said.

That's why Wycliffe Associates iscreating video translations for varioussign languages around the world. Toget started, they're working with apowerful ally: ‘The great news is thatwe're working with a partner that's

very experienced in this area. They'recalled Deaf Opportunity OutReachInternational,’ Smith said.

Currently, the two organizations areworking on completing DOOR's inter‐national headquarters in Nairobi,Kenya, as well as beginning a specifictranslation project in San Jose, CostaRica, with plans for more throughoutLatin America.

Since there is little previous work isthis field, Smith anticipates this to takeat least a decade. To expedite theprocess, Wycliffe Associates needs vol‐unteers with job, technical and lifeskills to aid in many of the tasks thatcome with translation. The more vol‐unteers they have, the more the trans‐lators can focus on simply translatingeach language.

‐Mission Network News

CHRISTIANS IN THE ACTION ...

Wycliffe Associates Embarks On Daunting Task Of SignLanguage Translations

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Eight

SHORT TERM MISSION TRIP

Spreading The Word Of God In Chiang Mai, Thailand

IMAGINE keeping 80 children occupiedfor 8 weeks of summer holidays! Whata full‐filling, active, happy, busy time ithas been volunteering again at AgapeChildren’s Home, Chiang Mai,Thailand.

Agape provides a loving caringhome for orphans and relinquishedbabies and children who are at risk orare HIV positive. At present, there are80 children in this home. Agape,means unconditional, this is God’slove; the love and care that has helped267 children in the past 15 years. Thesechildren have been blessed to hearthat Jesus loves them and each child isspecial and valued in God’s eyes.

For five weeks, I worked with the 34primary age boys and girls. In themornings, I supervised group craftactivities. Like any child, they lovednew and interesting ideas, like paperfolding, cutting out ‘snow flakes’, sten‐cil and pattern making, playing domi‐noes, memory, pick up sticks, connectfour, ball playing, games and songs.

After lunch, while the younger pri‐mary children slept, it was more skip‐ping, or ball or snap activity time.Then the older primary children helpedin the sewing centre 2‐4 pm. From 4 –5.30, it was free time outside. The chil‐

dren had great fun on their bikes.Others played with balls, Frisbees,swings and the skipping was the bestfun for many. Excursions included apark twice, and a man made ‘beach’where the children really enjoyedswimming and splashing in the water.The night safari was a special treat tosee the animals. On the way, with 20girls crowded in one van, an Aussie vol‐unteer was telling that the animalswere dangerous and to be careful.One girl said ‘Don't worry; we haveJesus in our hearts’. A trip to the mar‐ket to buy school uniforms was anadventure and fun! And a day out at abeautiful waterfall was so refreshing,with the children and myself climbingup and down the limestone coatedrocks.

The time includes singing both inEnglish and Thai, prayers, Bible read‐ing and devotion. At night the schoolage children have devotions withsinging and learning Bible verses. Songs learnt in activity time weresung in devotions, while the childrenwere on swings and as they playedoutside. It was thrilling to hear thechildren sing ‘The best book to read isthe Bible, The B‐I‐B‐L‐E, yes that’s thebook for me’.

In one week while I was at Agape,one girl celebrated her birthday; oneteenage girl left to live with her rela‐tives; one teenage boy arrived; anoth‐er teenage girl moved out to stay in adorm for her sewing course; one sisterand brother arrived and a teenage girlwent to stay with a local foster family.What Mother these days would copewith such movement within their fami‐ly? But that is just what founder andDirector Avis Rideout does everyday!What an inspiration Avis is as amature, wise woman and Christian rolemodel to love each child, nanny andvolunteer unconditionally who worksat Agape.

What was the highlight? Everything!From riding a bike to and from Agape,giving hugs, turning the skipping ropeat least 5,000 turns most days, sittingin groups to play snap, memory, hav‐ing cold showers twice a day, 57 kgluggage was booked on flight, plus 3back packs carried; encouraging thechildren to try new activities, givingpositive feedback to all.

For volunteering and sponsorship,or to find out more about Agape, visitwww.nikkisplace.org or phone Judith02 4625 8786.

‐Judith Bond

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Nine

GETTING THE WORD OUT

Caleb Skills Training Impacts Church & Mission LeadersIT was 22 February when 26 pastors,missionaries and lay leaders gatheredat Newhope Baptist Church, BlackburnNorth in Melbourne for the first weekof the three week Caleb Institutecourse. Many were apprehensive andwondering what skills they wouldlearn. They were in for a ride with thefirst day having them participate instory telling, relationship skill building,and exercises that stretched their per‐sonal comfort zone (but not toomuch!). Other leadership skills rolledout during that week included manag‐ing your ministry, motivating yourteam, creative thinking and affirma‐tion. By the end of that the traineeswere able to look at their leadershipdifferently and expressed their enthu‐siasm to apply the skills in their ownlife as a leader and in their ministryworkplace.

We caught up with a number ofthem at the end of the second five dayblock in April for a special interview.The following comments are typical ofthe appreciation of Caleb training:‐

Nathan Malpass [Associate Pastor,Church of Christ Melbourne] ‘I havebeen surprised at the value of the rela‐tional skills training. It was not that Iwas bad at relating to people but atCross Culture we have a diverse groupand it was difficult to converse witheveryone. But the first couple of weeksafter the training I found the questionswere fantastic and I can now go muchdeeper so I would do the course justfor the relational training. The PositionResults Description [PRD] will be help‐ful in my own role and with workingwith others and the planning tool willhelp me to work toward the goals andwill put legs on my vision.'

Denise Tims [ Urban Neighbours ofHope] ‘For me the highlight has beenthat I have developed confidence inpublic speaking. During the training,skill areas were highlighted, then wewere given tools along with opportuni‐ties to apply them and this resulted inan increased confidence. I also appreci‐ated the quality of the course contentand leadership. As I prepare to move

into a new leadership role I need skillsto lead the team and I feel I have beenwell equipped.’

Lyn Williams [Music and WorshipPastor, Croydon Hills Baptist] ‘I cameto get formal and practical leadershiptraining, as previously I have just learnton the job. I also appreciated that thiscourse is specific to Christian ministryand therefore all aspects were relevantfor me in my ministry role. I have par‐ticularly benefited from the manage‐ment skills and from the modularapproach to public speaking, as I willbe able to utilize this when presentingup front at church. I personally believeevery Christian in ministry should doCaleb.’

Robert Hayman [Senior Pastor, SaleBaptist church].’Caleb training hasgiven me some practical tools to leadthe church in a more effective way andfills in some other gaps in my training.I believe young graduate pastors needthis type of training and I will be send‐ing my young leaders to this course asit models the way of doing leadership.Once you are older you are more set inyour ways and it is a lot more work tochange. The course gives you a frame‐work and after 50 years of life I see theneed of this training which is set in atheological background. It is results

based similar to some secular trainingbut the worldly view about results isdifferent to the Biblical view . I will bemore interested in ensuring we dowhat we do well and will want to givegood delegations as I know the stepsnow to do this well and this will movepeople and consequently the churchforward.’

Ashley Howe [Elder, WaverleyBaptist and Kid’s Church Coordinator].‘Caleb has given me a framework. Forexample I have refrained from carryingon a conversation with a completestranger. I am analytical and an inferi‐ority complex has limited my commu‐nication skills and I could not engagethem in a meaningful way. With theskills I have gained from Caleb, I nowhave the questions to get to the heartof the conversation and this is a funda‐mental shift as I am now happy to talkto anyone. I have also learned thepower of affirming people.’

For more information on CalebLeadership Courses including dates fornext year please check out their web‐site:www.caleb.org.au or email:caleb@caleb.org.au or phone 1300 767444.

Some of the Caleb trainers and participants

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Ten

IRAQ’S last official census (1987)counted 1.4 million indigenousAssyrian and Chaldean Christians. AsIslamic zeal and Arab nationalism rosein the wake of Gulf War 1 (1991),Christians with means emigrated. Bythe time of the March 2003 US inva‐sion, the Christian population of Iraqwas estimated at between 1.2 millionand 800,000. Today, after seven yearsof war, sectarian conflict and ethnic‐religious cleansing, a remnant of some400,000 Christians remains. The Shi'itesouth has been virtually 'cleansed' ofChristians and few remain in theSunni‐dominated centre. Christiansnow live mostly in the north: in the his‐toric Assyrian homeland of theNineveh Plains, a fault‐line regionbetween the Arabs (who invaded upfrom Arabia in the 7th Century) andthe Kurds (who invaded down fromTurkey in the 14th Century). Terrorismtargeting Mosul's churches andChristians has escalated ever since theUS 'surge' forced al‐Qaeda elementsout of the central provinces of Anbar,Baghdad and Diyala to relocate north.Christian families continue to fleeMosul in large numbers. Those stillthere report being intimidated andharassed with threatening phone callsand letters. Many Christian womenhave taken to wearing the hijab to hidetheir Christian identity.

Christians are so endangered inNorthern Iraq that Christian studentsmust travel to university in convoyswith Iraqi military escorts. On Sundaymorning 2 May two bombs rippedthrough a convoy of buses transport‐ing Christian college students from themainly Christian town of Hamdaniya,40km east of Mosul in the NinevehPlains region of Northern Iraq, to theUniversity of Mosul. According toreports, once the first buses hadpassed through the Kokjali checkpoint(manned by US, Iraqi and Kurdish sol‐diers) a car bomb parked on the shoul‐

der of the highway exploded in theirpath, followed moments later by aroadside bomb. A local shopkeeperwas killed and more than 100 peoplewere wounded (17 critically) includingsome 70 of the targeted Christian col‐lege students.

Jamil Salahuddin Jamil, a geographymajor on the first bus, told reportersone of his classmates lost her leg in theattack and two others were blinded.'We were going for our education andthey presented us with bombs,' hesaid. 'I still do not know what theywant from Christians.' Of course Jamilknows exactly what the Islamic terror‐ists and the Muslim fundamentalistswho support them want fromChristians: he just can't bear to con‐template it let alone verbalise it. Whatthey want is Christians to be driven outof Iraq and those remaining to be sub‐dued.

Despite the desperate pleas ofchurch leaders, Iraqi Christian refugeesare reluctant to return. Speaking inDamascus, Syria, Christian refugeeToma Georgees told CNS (23 April2010): 'It's . . . impossible to turn backto Iraq. Our problem is not with theIraqi government. Our problem is withIraqi people . . . who want to kill us,who want to kill all the Christians.' Inthe early 1950s Iraq's more than120,000‐strong ancient Jewish com‐munity ‐ which dated back to theBabylonian captivity and had come tocomprise the elite of Baghdad ‐ waseradicated. Now it appears it is theturn of the indigenous Assyrian andChaldean Christians.

When it erupts ‐ as it eventually will‐the battle for fault‐line Nineveh andoil‐rich Kirkuk will engulf northern Iraqand draw in regional players.

Meanwhile the dark smoke of sec‐tarianism is rising again out of the vol‐cano that is Baghdad. When ethnic andsectarian conflict resumes ‐ as it even‐tually will ‐ the Christians will lose the

state protection they presently have.

‐Elizabeth Kendal,Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin

PERSECUTION WATCH ...‘Remember those in prison ... and those who aremistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.’

(Hebrews 13.3)

Iraqi Christians Under Siege

PLEASE PRAYSPECIFICALLY THAT:v God will assist Christianfamilies fleeing for refuge andprotect those staying.v God will Open up places ofrefuge for Iraq's Assyrian‐Chaldean Christians who havelost so much, including home‐land and loved ones; may Hemend their broken hearts, healtheir pain and in His grace grantthem peace, hope, friendshipsand bright futures amongstGod's people in other lands. v God will open the eyes andminds of many Iraqi Muslims torecognise the superiority of theGospel and then open theirhearts to receive it. 'For bygrace you have been savedthrough faith. And this is notyour own doing; it is the gift ofGod, not a result of works, sothat no one may boast.'(Ephesians 2.8,9)

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IN our last issue we outlined somefacts about Ron Wyatt’s supposedfindings, none of which have been con‐firmed. I’m asked about ‘facts’ he haswidely circulated. I’ve decided to givesome extracts from Chapter 10 of thebook Holy Relics or Revelation by theStandish brothers that we mentionedin the last issue.

In surely the most remarkablearchaeological feat of all time RonWyatt has claimed to have discoveredthe most extraordinary relics. In a peri‐od between 1979 and 1982 Ron statesthat he discovered:1. The three niches which containedPontius Pilate’s designation of Christ –Jesus of Nazareth. King of the Jews, inthe Hebrew, Latin and Greek lan‐guages.2. The cross‐hole used in Christ’s cruci‐fixion, along with the cross‐holes ofthe two malefactors executed withhim.3. A crack in the rock passing throughChrist’s cross‐hole, which was causedby the earthquake at the time ofChrist’s death.4. A cave beneath the cross‐hole ofChrist to which the crack extends.5. The Ark of the Covenant from theFirst (Solomon’s) Temple within thecave, containing the Decalogue andalso the written law of Moses.6. Many articles and furniture from theFirst Apartment and objects from theTemple Treasury.7. The blood of Christ upon the MercySeat.(Mary Nell Wyatt, Ark of the Covenant)

Ron Wyatt claims from the publicpodium in various parts of the worldthat he has discovered blood on theMercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant.This is indeed a remarkable claim. Thisclaim deserves thorough scrutiny.Before leaving the site for good, Rontook samples of the blood that hadcome down through the crack in thechamber ceiling. Within the crack itselfthere was evidence that copiousamounts of blood had poured down.Some blood was splattered on top ofthe split‐open lid of the stone caseenclosing the Ark and the blood hadalso sprinkled down on to the MercySeat (Jonathan Gray, Ark of theCovenant, p 479)

But the most overwhelming realiza‐tion was that Christ’s blood had actual‐ly fallen onto the Mercy Seat. (MaryNell Wyatt, Ark of the Covenant, p15emphasis in the original)We note that by Mary Nell’s testimonythe only evidence Ron stated that hehad seen at this point was a blackstreak on the crack. He had not taken asample of the black streak and exam‐ined it. He simply had a hunch. No one,not even a Professor of Hematology,could possibly have known by observa‐tion alone that the black streak wasblood. Further, he knew that theMercy Seat was under the lid of thestone case, yet he had not yetremoved the lid of the stone case. Heeven ‘realized’ that there was bloodupon this Mercy Seat. This hardlysounds like the work of an archaeolo‐gist. It is more akin to the mark of a

seer.Ron claimed on one occasion that

he had spoken to Christ. It would seemthat he was heedless of Christ’s manywarnings that false Christ’s wouldappear. Displaying dangerous disre‐gard of these warnings, ‘Ron could tellthat He (the presumed Christ) kneweverything about him’. (SabbathHouse Newsletter No 11, Oct 11, 1998)

‘My actions and my statement wereaccompanied with the nerve tinglingsensation that I had come to recognizeas an indicator of a supernatural pres‐ence.’ (Discovered: Noah’s Ark, pp 33,34)It is little wonder that ‘another askedRon if he is a prophet – ‘(SabbathHouse Newsletter No 11 Oct 11 1998)Archaeology is a tedious and carefuldiscipline. It is usual for archaeologiststo hold hopes and theories but they donot know in a flash of inspiration. Ittakes most careful evaluation, check‐ing and re‐checking, consultation withfellow archaeologists in order toensure they have missed nothing. RonWyatt is an archaeologist out of theconventional mode. Of course, if hehas produced evidence confirmed andirrefutable, then his unorthodox meth‐ods bear support. But if he displays noevidence in relation to claimed discov‐eries such as the Ark of the Covenantand the chariot wheels and Noah’sgrave, for example, it would be incau‐tious of us to accept his modusoperandi.

(To be continued)

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Eleven

DIGGING AND DELVING ...

More About Supposed Findings ByRon WyattDr Clifford Wilson Explains ...

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NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Twelve

IN MEMORY OF

Reverend Professor Tom L Wilkinson 1 August 1916 – 16 April 2010 TOM Wilkinson was born in theRiverina town of Deniliquin in 1916, thesecond son of a teamster, John, andhis wife, Mabel. His father died whenhe was four years, leaving his motherto bring up the boys. She was a Godlywoman and had a strong influence onTom’s life.

Despite being dux of his school, hehad to leave school because of theDepression and was able to obtainemployment in a mechanical engineer‐ing workshop.

Although he had been a regularSunday School and Church attenderand was a believer to the best of hisknowledge, he really did not under‐stand what that meant. Two schoolmates, Ted and Bob introduced him tothe Gospel in Isaiah 53. He knew thatthe Gospel demanded that he shouldconfess Christ openly, and this was anenormous challenge in a town wherehe knew everyone. But open airpreaching characterized this stage inTom’s life.

In 1940, Tom was approached toconduct the services at his homechurch, St Andrews, for severalmonths during a time of vacancy. Heremembers preaching on that momen‐tous Sunday when the nation had beencalled to a day of prayer because of thecrisis arising over the British evacua‐tion of Dunkirk. Soon after, he enlistedin the army and saw service in WesternAustralia and the Pacific Islands. After the war he spent a year of studyin the Melbourne Bible Institutepreparing for Christian work, but felthe needed more solid study. Upon dis‐covering that he could do adult matric‐ulation, he gained that qualificationand the next year began a four yearsArts course at the University ofMelbourne.

He took a Home Mission appoint‐ment at the East OakleighPresbyterian Church for two yearswhile he studied at the PresbyterianTheological Hall at Ormond College. Inthat time he also completed his BD in

two years instead of three as wasusual. At the end of that time he wassure of his vocation and accepted a callto the Manangatang‐Robinvale parishwhere he was ordained in 1954.

In 1959 he joined the recently estab‐lished Reformed Churches of Australia,accepting a call to the Box HillReformed Church. Tom enjoyedpreaching, conducting Catechismclasses for young people from about 12to 18 years, and pastoral visitation,mastering the Dutch language. Then in1965 he was asked to becomeProfessor of New Testament in theReformed Theological College inGeelong. He completed an MA beforetaking up lecturing early in 1966. Helater did his PhD at the University ofMelbourne while undertaking a veryheavy work load.

In 1969 he married Olive Miles, whowas then the senior social worker ofthe Mental Health Department inVictoria. They were approached tosponsor a branch of the OverseasChristian Fellowship in Geelong andthereafter their home was the weeklymeeting place for 30 to 60 studentsuntil Tom retired from the RTC andtransferred to Melbourne. Fellowshiparound meals played an important partin the ministry that Tom and Oliveshared in Geelong as they sponsoredand supported the group. Many Asianstudents first heard the Gospel atthese meetings and Tom and Olivewere to develop family links through‐out Asia.Tom also had the opportunity to teachoverseas. He spent the winter term of1973‐74 as guest lecturer at CalvinTheological Seminary in Grand Rapidsand again as a guest professor at theother extremity of the States ‐ in theReformed Theological Seminary atJackson, Mississippi, in the winter termof 1978‐79.

Tom’s long life was filled with manyavenues of service for His Lord. Uponretirement from the RTC he decided toreturn to the Presbyterian Church,

desiring to help it in its struggle torebuild and return to a Biblical basisafter Union. He lectured part‐time attheir campuses, and preached almostevery Sunday. He also turned hisattention to writing: many articlesappeared in Vox Reformata and TheReformed Theological Review as well asthe denomination’s monthly maga‐zines. New Life was also an outlet forhis writing and he served on its boardfor a number of years.

In 1992 Tom published his exposi‐tion on the Westminster Confession ofFaith Now in which his passion ofpreaching Christ was spelled out. Thistext book is still widely used. Anothervolume on Love challenged people tolive the Christian life.

A Thanksgiving Service for the lifeof Professor Tom Wilkinson was heldat Holy Trinity Anglican Church,Donaster on 23 April. Many who gath‐ered had known Tom as lecturer, Bibleteacher, pastor, fellow academic,friend and mentor. It was recalled thathe made his mark by incisive debateand stimulating ideas. He wasacclaimed as one who attempted tofollow only truth and did all to the hon‐our of God’s glory.

‐ Stuart GilMaster of Emmanuel College

University of Queensland

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Thirteen

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NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Fourteen

GOOD NEWS ...

AROUND a hundred friends and sup‐porters attended a finger food dinneron Friday 30 April together with staffand members of Interserve fromaround Australia who were gathered inMelbourne for their annual businessand planning meetings. Special guestwas Paul Bendor Samuel, the mission’sinternational director, based in KualaLumpur, Malaysia.

The format of the evening allowedeveryone to move, mix and meet, aswell as hear some of the highlightsfrom the many fields where Interservehas members. Movements of staff andworkers were outlined, and someaccepting new responsibilities wereintroduced and prayed for. The chair ofthe Australian board, Christine Gobuis,reported on board matters.

A panel of workers who are or havebeen involved in India, interviewed byPeter Smith, Victorian director,answered questions and shared thechallenges and opportunities in thisgreat land from their own personalperspectives. A new outreach here,Cultureconnect, was introduced,

where several members are working invarious ethic groups in the easternstates. Their theme is “Bridging thegap from the church to ethnic minori‐ties in Australia”.

Paul Bendor Samuel closed theevening, raising the question, Is a mis‐sion like Interserve, founded 160 yearsago, still relevant in today’s world.Some believe they have no relevanceor our needs at home are as great, oth‐ers consider the national churches arenow doing the work that foreign mis‐sions once did. God is building Hischurch everywhere. So why such anorganisation as Interserve?

He pointed out that it is difficult forchurches to engage in missiologicalendeavour alone. An established mis‐sion can raise awareness of needs,recruit and train people; it can be onthe spot when catastrophes occur; itoffers care, support, debriefing tomembers when needed. Experienceshows that evangelism and churchplanting are not the end all and be allof our commission. Some countrieswhich are largely Christian are still

filled with corruption, HIV Aids andother problems. God is interested inthe whole man. Missions can provideresources for new Christian groups,training and giving employmentopportunities.

Besides there are still areas of theworld where large numbers have noopportunity to hear the message ofsalvation in Christ. For example, whilethe Dalits (untouchables) in India areresponding to the gospel, there arestill 570 million Indians in other back‐ward castes that are virtuallyunreached. So what impact can a fewforeign missionaries have on suchneeds? A small work is a light, a bea‐con in the darkness, attracting others.Using his own family background, Paulillustrated the ripple effect of faithfulservice to the Lord.

Until we see the kingdom of Godcome on earth, we will continue toserve Christ with all the resources Hegive, he declared.

Visit www.interserve.org.au formore information about their work.

‐Barbara Furman

Interserve Plans and Celebrates

FOR some reason visitors to Albanyoften get around to discussing theweather. Recently Albany Baptist heldtheir family camp and the weather wassuperb.

It probably comes as no surprisethat ABC held the camp at CampKennedy, 25kms west of Albany on thelower Denmark Road. Where elsewould you go! Camp Kennedy is anideal setting for enjoying the beauty ofthe south coast. The camp nestled inthe bush behind the coastal dunes ishome for a wide variety of native birdsincluding the blue wren and goldenwhistler. The accommodation is Aussiecountry rustic (read basic), catering forindividuals in huts and families inquaint cottages. It provides an excel‐lent venue for group retreats, churchand school camps, or a peaceful familyholiday. Some have even been known

to have their honeymoon there!While campers enjoyed a flexible

program with plenty of time for recre‐ation and relaxation, the new campmanagers Wayne and Sharon Mortoncreated great meals that kept even thehungriest satisfied. Fishing, swimmingand surfing were popular activities andwhile the surfing was poor the swim‐ming was invigorating. Cricket andfootball on the grassed area and vol‐leyball on the beach satisfied theactive while the inactive chatted underthe groves of trees scattered on theproperty.

Heidi and Jeff Claughton with Ryanand Amanda Juniper provide an excit‐ing children’s program while everyoneelse enjoyed stimulating talks fromRobert Plumb. Robert is a well knownmotivational speaker in both the cor‐porate sector and church scene. His

talks centred on ‘God's ThreeGuarantees to Change Your Life Now.’Robert’s clear structure, ability toteach interactively in a relaxed stylewas not only enjoyable but effectiveand challenging. Questions wereencouraged and brisk discussionensued. Robert has an enthusiasticpassion for Christ and the Gospel andABC is grateful to God for Robert’scontribution to our corporate life.

Should you be interested in havingRobert speak at your church camp,please contact him at 08 9332 9899 ormob: 0438 005 059 email:robert@robertplumb.com

‐John Power,Albany Baptist Church

It Doesn’t Always Rain In Albany...

FOR THE YOUNG ONES:

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Fifteen

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Sixteen

BOOKS WORTH READING

THE VIRTUOUS READER: OLDTESTAMENT NARRATIVE ANDINTERPRETIVE VIRTUE, Richard S.Briggs (Studies in TheologicalInterpretation; Grand Rapids: BakerAcademic, 2010)THIS is the first volume in a new seriesdedicated to theological reflection onChristian Scripture. It reflects therecent renaissance of interest in andrediscovery of the theologically‐seri‐ous character of the Biblical text. Theaim of Briggs is to explore in somedepth the readerly virtues implied inOld Testament texts. What kind ofreaders does the Bible want? Briggsprovides a series of case studies of par‐ticular interpretive virtues that areexplicit or implicit in various OldTestament texts, that is, the moralvirtues relevant to the process of inter‐preting Scripture. In other words, thetask of reading the Bible is not just amatter of technique or method butmakes demands upon the moral char‐acter of the reader.

Briggs sets as his goal to build up acharacter portrait of the implied readerof the Old Testament, namely whatkind of reader is best suited to under‐stand and live out the message of theOld Testament. Starting with a classic‘problem text’ (Numbers 12.3), heargues that Moses’ pre‐eminent humil‐

ity is his dependence upon God, sothat humble reading means opennessto God’s Word. Humility before thetext translates into the well‐knownfact that the spiritual life of the inter‐preter is one key to the faithful han‐dling of Scripture.

Our author tries to give Biblical con‐tent to the truism that we should readthe Bible wisely by looking at 1 Kings 3that depicts Solomon’s wisdom. Ifapplied to the process of interpretingthe Bible, it shows the need to exercisejudgment between competing inter‐pretations of a text and to do so byclose examination of the text itself.

The interpretive virtue of trust isexplored using the classic OldTestament text on this theme, 2 Kings18. Such discussion is needed becausethe modern default position of manyscholars is to suspect the text and so totry to debunk what is said in the Bible,and this leaves us nothing to believeand nothing to preach.

Briggs explores the role of love forGod and neighbour in interpreting theBible, with the practice of love exem‐plified in the person of Ruth. In thesame way as Ruth pledged loyalty toNaomi, the Christian interpretershould pledge loyalty to the text ofScripture and follow it wherever it maylead. So too, Elisha’s grace toward

Naaman in 2 Kings 5 is a reminder ofthe need to be gracious toward theexegetical shortcomings of others. Toooften in evangelical circles, love for theBible has led to unloving treatment ofthose who differ from us in how theyread the same text of Scripture. The last virtue considered by Briggs isthat of responsiveness, with God’scommission of the prophet Isaiah inIsaiah 6 informing the discussion. Ourresponse to the Bible needs to be morethan just understanding; it mustinclude confession and commitment(as it did for Isaiah himself). Briggs isnot saying that a reader must possessall these virtues before reading andderiving benefit from the Bible, butthat exposure to the Word will help tofoster the virtues that make Biblereading fruitful and satisfying.

All in all, this is a thought provokingbook. Briggs uses his expertise inhermeneutics and in depth study ofScripture to illuminate a key area ofChristian discipleship: our use ofScripture. In doing that, he combines,as few scholars do, an ability to thinktheologically and skill in exegesis.

‐Greg Goswell

Christian Discipleship

‘ Glorious Things –

A Protestant’ s Guide

To London’What to look for and how to find placesassociated with people and events whichshaped Protestant Church History,compiled by Rev Bob Thomas.Available from: PTC Media,684 Elgar Rd, Box Hill North 3129.Cost: $6.60+$2.20 p&p.

(Please make cheque payable to PTCMedia)

When You Buy Books AtNew Life Books & Archaeology

You Are Supporting MinistriesLike:

Missionary Aviation Fellowship,Christian Blind Mission,World Team (RBMU),

& HCJB,all of which have recently

benefited from the ʻprofitsʼ ofNew Life Books & Archaeology.44 Dublin Road, Ringwood EastMonday-Saturday, 10am-2pm

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NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Seventeen

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The Reality of Life in Jesus Christ24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Mail: PO Box 886, Belmont 3216Live the Life!

Former Mission HospitalContinues Under National

LeadershipUrgent Need For More Staff

A Christian maternity hospital inthe Arabian Peninsula was former-ly administered by overseas mis-

sionaries but has now been formal-ly handed over to an Arab National

Christian Mission - Arab WorldEvangelical Ministers Association.The hospital had had a long and

faithful witness to the Lord and theArab Christians are doing all they

can to continue this ministry.

There is a very urgent need formore staff - particularly a

Female Gynaecologist (as one ofthe Egyptian doctors is on astudy course upgrading her

qualifications), Paediatriciansand Midwives.

If you have the necessary qualifi-cations and a heart to reach out to

the Muslim people in the love ofChrist then please contact for more

details:

Mr. Maher Fouad- AWEMAoffice@awema.org

orRev. Richard Coombs,

MECO International australia@aboutmeco.org

URGENT NEED

Ramon A Williams – Worldwide PhotosWANT TO SEE MORE?

‘New Life’ can only publish a small selection of photos, butyou can see more of those attributed to Worldwide Photos

by going to:http://community.webshots.com/user/ramon_williams

e-mail: rlgmedia@ozemail.com.au

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NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Eighteen

THINKING THINGS THROUGH ...

THESE days one tends to read theSydney Morning Herald to make sureone’s blood pressure does not fall dan‐gerously low rather than to gleanmuch wisdom from it. Yet on page oneof the 2‐4 April 2010 edition there wasa report containing a frontal assault onthe notion of self‐esteem. Dr RodKefford of Barker College was quotedas saying that ‘In some ways it hasbeen the most damaging educationalconcept that has ever been conceived.’Children have not been taught how tohandle failure, so they enter the work‐force with an unrealistic sense of enti‐tlement. A steady diet of ‘you are spe‐cial’ and ‘you can be anything youwant to be’ is supposed to raise theyoungster’s self‐esteem, but thatseems to be code for ‘pander to hisego’. It is common to hear any prob‐lem diagnosed in a youngster por‐trayed in terms of a lack of self‐esteem.

This translates into scaling marks inthe Higher School Certificate so that,unless there is nothing written on thepaper at all, one begins with 50% oreven 75%. In sport, football games forthose under 12 years of age are sup‐posed to yield no result. No scores arekept, and the players live with the fic‐tion that they are playing football sim‐ply for the joy of running around a pad‐

dock. No one learns how to cope withvictory or with defeat because every‐body is a winner. Because lunaticpropositions still manage to have someoverlap with truth – and it is difficulteven for educationalists to get it 100%wrong – one needs to point out threetruths first:

First, human beings are created withgreat dignity in that we are made a lit‐tle lower than the angels (Psalm 8.5).This is why the lowliest of humanbeings is far above the highest in theanimal kingdom. To kill a humanbeing, made in the image of God, istherefore most serious indeed (Genesis9.5,6). Secondly, we could all use someencouragement in life. Barnabas was a‘son of encouragement’, and lived upto his name in a number of situations(see Acts 4.36; 9.26,27; 11.25,26; 15.36‐39). Thirdly, we are called to assess ourgifts with sober judgment (Romans12.3). If Charles Spurgeon had somenotion that he was called by God topreach, and that he had some ability todo so, that was not egotism but realis‐tic judgment.

For all that, the self‐esteem move‐ment has been all‐encompassing inmodern Western culture, and its influ‐ence has been disastrous. RobertSchuller thinks that self‐esteem is ‘thesingle greatest need facing the humanrace today’. Strangely enough, theapostle Paul considered that thosewho were ‘lovers of self’ would add tothe distress of the last days (2 Timothy3.2). When we are told to love ourneighbour as ourselves (Matthew22.39), the assumption is that we willlove ourselves, the command is thatwe must love our neighbour. Paul tellsus that ‘no one ever hated his ownflesh, but nourishes and cherishes it’(Ephesians 5.29).

In Ezekiel 36 God promises that Hewill put His Spirit within His people(Ezekiel 36.26,27). This does not neces‐sarily inflate their sense of self‐worth:

‘Then you will remember your evilways, and your deeds that were notgood, and you will loathe yourselvesfor your iniquities and your abomina‐tions’ (Ezekiel 36.31). Job too despisedhimself and repented in dust and ashes(Job 42.6). What the self‐esteem coun‐sellor regards as a sad problem, Godregards as proof of the work of theSpirit. Horatius Bonar says that ‘In allunbelief there are two things – a goodopinion of self and a bad opinion ofGod.’ With faith, that is in essencereversed.

Scripture does not tell us that we arewonderful and that we need to fulfillour potential. It tells us that we mustdeny ourselves and lose our lives inorder to find them (Matthew 16.24,25).Everywhere the Bible assumes that themain problem in humanity is its inflat‐ed view of itself. ‘If anyone thinks he issomething, when he is nothing, hedeceives himself’ (Galatians 6.3). It istoo early to announce the funeral ofthe self‐esteem movement, but realitymay be having some effect. As RalphVenning put it: ‘God made you “littlelower than the angels”; sin has madeyou little better than the devils.’

‐Peter Barnes, Minister, Revesby Presbyterian Church, Sydney

Self-Esteem: The Passing Of A Fad?

Everywhere the Bibleassumes that the mainproblem in humanity isits inflated view ofitself. ‘If anyone thinkshe is something, whenhe is nothing, hedeceives himself’(Galatians 6.3).

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NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Nineteen

BREAKPOINT ... CHUCK COLSON’S COMMENTS

Copyright (c) 2010 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. ‘Breakpoint With Chuck Colson’ is aradio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries. Prison Fellowship Australia National Office, PO Box 579, Eltham Vic3095; Phone: 03 9431 3877; Fax: 03 9431 3830; email: pfaus@vicnet.net.au

Volcanoes and HubrisA Little Dust Goes a Long WayTHE April eruption of the Icelandic vol‐cano caused the largest air traffic shut‐down since World War II. The disrup‐tion in transportation made it almostseem, as Washington Post columnistAnne Applebaum wrote, ‘as if we hadgone back in time a century.’

Eventually, the planes started flyingagain, and the volcano dropped off ourTV screens ‐‐ which means that thelessons to be learned from the erup‐tion will soon be forgotten.

Between 16 and 21 April, an esti‐mated 95,000 flights were cancelledbecause of volcanic ash in the upperatmosphere. Millions of passengersaround the world were stranded asvital air corridors were declared off‐limits to jet aircraft. The disruptioncost airlines an estimated $200 milliona day.

The source of the trouble? Tiny bitsof pulverized rock less than one‐halfthe diameter of a human hair. Volcanicash and jet engines don’t mix. Onceinside the engine, the ash melts, turnsinto liquid glass, and coats the engine’svital parts.

The sigh of relief being breathed bytravellers, airlines, and governmentsmay be a bit premature. The last timethis same volcano erupted, in 1821, theeruption lasted 18 months. Geologist

Andy Hooper has written that ‘itremains a very real possibility that thevolcano will continue to erupt on‐and‐off for months.’

What’s more, as volcanic eruptionsgo, this one was strictly minor league ‐‐ a mere nuisance. What has volcanolo‐gists worried is its next‐door neighbor,Katla. The two volcanoes tend to eruptin tandem, and a Katla eruption,according to Hooper, could make therecent one seem ‘trivial’ in compari‐son. It was the Katla eruption in 1783that led to extended crop failures andfamines across Europe ‐‐ an event thatmay have helped cause the FrenchRevolution!

The recent eruptions, combinedwith the catastrophic earthquake inHaiti and even more powerful tremorsin Chile, Mexico, and China, shouldhave been seen as a rebuke to ourhubris.

As Roberto Rivera recently wrote onthe Colson Center website, an essentialpart of the modern secular worldviewis the belief that by understanding hownature works, we can gain masteryover it. Thus, the mapping of thehuman genome was followed by talkabout ‘taking control of our evolution.’Advances in computer technology ledto talk about ‘improving’ the human

species by creating human‐machinehybrids.

It didn’t matter that, hubris aside,what we know is infinitesimal com‐pared to what we don’t know. Our con‐fidence in our technological abilities isunbounded ‐ we are creatures whodream of dispossessing our Creatorand, as I said in a recent Two‐MinuteWarning, creating ‘the perfect society,the perfect climate, [and] the perfectperson.’

Then a minor volcano coughs andbrings the modern world to a stand‐still.

It’s a reminder that we are not incharge. Not even close. The Babelsthat inspire our hubris can be laid lowin seconds. And the clock can beturned back to the ‘60s—that is, the1860s.

The question is: Will we take the les‐son to heart? Probably not.Acknowledging that we are not incharge requires us to submit to God.And since the Garden, the refusal tosubmit is what has driven our aspira‐tion to God‐like knowledge and power.

So, instead, we act as if nothingimportant happened, and we wait tocatch the next flight.

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Twenty

NEW LIFE ADVERTISINGAT YOUR SERVICE POSITIONS VACANT

Bay of Isles Christian Fellowship Esperance W.A.

Looking for a Pastor We are an Evangelical Independent Church situated about 750kms. South East of Perth. A vacancy exists for a couple with a

Pastoral heart who -Will compliment and enhance the present ministry of the church.

Is able to teach the Word of God and fit into a team ministry.Will help empower all members to fulfil their ministries and grow intheir relationship with the Lord and to disciple and encourage oth-

ers.Is able to share in pastoral care and counsel from the Word of

God.Can along with the elders underpin and encourage the youth lead-

ers in their development.Is settled in his beliefs and comfortable sharing the pulpit.

For further information please make contact withjmarold@wn.com.au

thethomasons@comcen.com.au 0429 110 700

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Psalm 55.22

‘Cast your burden on theLord, and He shall sustain

you.’

Inserted by Ivan Bell

Bringing The Country AliveThis weekly Christian radioprogram can now be heard

anywhere, anytime on line atrphadelaide.org.au

New program every Monday.

WANTED TO RENT

Mature lady would like self- contained bungalow or

to share house in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne

(Vic)Phone Joyce 0410 039 212.

YOU CAN ADVERTISE HERE CALL ALISON03 9890 3377

alison@nlife.com.au

Donations Make A Difference!Call Alison On03 9890 3377

To Donate And Help UsExtend And Maintain Our Ministry!

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Twenty One

POSITIONS VACANTWORSHIP WITH USFull Time Pastoral Position, Adelaide

The Woodcroft Christian Centrelocated in the southern suburbs of Adelaide with its foundation

coming from the Christian Brethren movement, has a congregation of approximately 200 people, ranging across all

age groups.We are seeking an energetic person who is passionate

about ministry to work within the present Eldership Teamin the role of a Pastor/Elder.

You would have a good understanding and ability to teach andcommunicate the Word of God along with a commitment to

developing relationships with people in the community as wellas those within the church. For expression of interest, pleasecontact: David Eardley-Harris at elders@woodcroft.org.au or

for further details go to www.woodcroft.org.au

COMING TO WESTERN AUSTRALIA?

Come to Scots ChurchFremantle,

90 South Terrace(next to Fremantle Markets)Reformed and Evangelical10am and 5pm Sundays12:30 pm WednesdayLunch Time Worship

Also at Southern River,Bletchley Park PrimarySchool, Balfour Road

9:00 am SundayRev Stuart Bonnington

08 9398 1304 melbonn@bigpond.com PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

OF AUSTRALIAPresbyterian Inland Mission

Patrol Ministry Vacancies

Far West PIM Patrol, New South Wales

John Flynn PIM Patrol, South Australia

North West PIM Patrol, Western Australia

North Australia PIM Patrol, Northern Territory

Central PIM Patrol, Queensland

Kimberley PIM Patrol, Western Australia (part-time)

Expressions of interest from suitably qualified (ordained and non-ordained) prospective padres are invited for ministry in these PIM

patrols.

Please contact in the first instance -The Rev. Stuart Bonnington

PIM Superintendent66 Stortford Road Southern River 6110 WA 08 9398 1304,

superintendent@pim.org.au

MAKE POVERTY HISTORY?

We’re WORKING on it!

Visit: www.presaid.org.au

WITH CHRIST

Mary Pocklington (neeForrest)Passed away peacefully atKew, VICon 3 May 2010,aged 94 years.Loving wife of Bob (dec).Mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. Joyously with the Lord.

ʻNEW LIFE ̓KEEPSYOU

UP TO DATEAND INFORMED.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY.CALL ALISON03 9890 3377

alison@nlife.com.au

Visit us at:www.nlife.com.au

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Twenty Two

NEW LIFE

Keith Lachlan Longworth passedaway on 23 February, aged 80.Keith had lived all his life the ManningRiver area, NSW. His early years werespent at the family property atCoopernook.His father Frank and brother Jack wereinvolved in the grass seed business.There was a shortage of workmen dur‐ing the war years and Keith left schoolin 1943 (aged 14). He was granted aspecial truck driver’s licence.Keith attended camps in Sydney runby the Postal Sunday SchoolMovement as a teenager, whichsparked the development of a strongChristian faith.He was involved in the summer beachmissions at Harrington from 1950, andcommenced a weekly Sunday Schoolat Harrington for local children – itcontinued for 21 years.He also began distributing Bibles,

Christian books and literature in theManning area, on behalf of ChristianLiterature Crusade.This brought him into contact withBeatrice Murray, a Manning girl whohad studied at Sydney Missionary andBible College and returned to Taree toopen a bookshop – (ChristianLiterature Centre).They combined their stock, married in1958 and established the shop whichoperated until 1975.Keith was an elder of the PresbyterianChurch of Eastern Australia for manyyears, representing the Manning arechurches at annual national synods. Hepreached and led Bible study groupsregularly in the congregation atTinonee, Wingham and Bunyah, aswell as at the church in Taree.He was recently awarded the titleElder Emeritus, in recognition of hislong and significant service to the

church. With his wife, he had a lifelongpassion for the Christian Gospel to bedistributed through books and record‐ings of talks, particularly to youngerpeople.A large congregation of wider familyand friends paid its respects to Keith athis funeral. Rev George Ball spokefrom words of Jesus, chosen by Keith:“I tell you the truth, whoever hears Myword and believes on Him who sentMe has eternal life”.A series of strokes had gradually takenaway Keith’s ability to speak. He wroteand distributed a printed speech onthe occasion of his 80th birthday. Heconcluded it: ‘So when it comes for thetime of my demise, do not grieve forme; for according to Christ’s promisewill be gloriously alive with Him for allEternity.’

WITH CHRIST

NEW LIFE BRAIN TEASER

1. Judah went into exile in (a) 687BC(b) 586BC (c) 597 BC2. Which prophet married a harlot

(a) Amos (b) Micah (c) Hosea3. The World Council of Churches

began in (a) 1910 (b) 1964 (c) 19484. When did the Uniting Church

come into being? (a) 1977 (b) 1982 (c)19695. Who spoke of “a mantle over the

outback?” (a) Fred Mackay (b) JohnFlynn (c) Knapp6. What false cult teaches Arianism?

(a) Watchtower cult (b) Mormons (c)Scientology7. In what year was John Wesley’s

‘heart strangely warmed’? (a) 1738(b) 1735 (c) 17488. Who wrote the ‘Power of Positive

Thinking?’ (a) Schuller (b) Warren (c)Peale9. Who earned the title of ‘the flog‐

ging parson’? (a)Marsden (b) Watsford (c) Johnson10. Which missionary family found‐

ed the Mt Margaret AboriginalMission in WA (a) Longs (b) Schenks (c)Douglas

(Answers p. 23)

Beginnings A commentary and 24 studies on Genesis 1‐11

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A Dayʼs March Nearer Home J. Graham Miller autobiography (Banner of Truth)

This volume about a formerPrincipal of MBI will delight all whoknew Graham Miller and benefit-ted from his ministry.

$33.50 + $9.50 postageAvailable from PTC Media on0400 880 515 684 Elgar Rd Box Hill North Vic3129

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Twenty Three

UPCOMING EVENTS

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOINTHE NEW LIFE FAMILY?

Tear off this form and send it to:The Manager, New Life,PO Box 457, Mitcham 3132.

I would like to subscribe to New Life Christian Newspaperfor the price (inc GST) of:

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Scottish Churches prepare forWorld Mission Conference

From 2‐6 June, a broad partnershipof Scottish churches is welcoming 300delegates from over 60 countries forthe Edinburgh 2010 conference.

The high‐profile mission summit ishosted by New College of theUniversity of Edinburgh, and fundedby over 30 international churches andmission organisations from theProtestant, Roman Catholic,Orthodox, Pentecostal and EvangelicalChristian traditions.

The Edinburgh 2010 conference isthe culmination of an international andmulti‐denominational study processinspired by the transformational 1910World Missionary Conference, alsoheld in Edinburgh. Since 2007, acrossthe world, several hundred theologiansand mission experts have workedtogether to identify and to discuss thecrucial topics in Christian mission inthe 21st century. ‘This unique globalconversation’, says Dr. Kirsteen Kim,Study Process Coordinator ofEdinburgh 2010, ‘will both informfuture mission practice and stimulatefurther mission studies.’

In Scotland, representatives of theBaptist Union, Church of Scotland,Congregational Federation, MethodistChurch, Religious Society of Friends,Roman Catholic Church, SalvationArmy, Scottish Episcopal Church,United Free Church of Scotland,United Reformed Church, and theEvangelical Alliance are working close‐ly together to support the internation‐al conference.

The final celebrations will be livestreamed to an international audienceon the project website:www.edinburgh2010.org.

QUIZ ANSWERS FROMP.22

1b; 2c; 3c; 4a; 5b; 6a; 7a;8c; 9a; 10b.

NEW LIFE – 27 May 2010 – Page Twenty Four

Jonathan Edwards Centre Launch at Ridley Melbourne RIDLEY Melbourne continues tocelebrate its centenary year withthe launch of the JonathanEdwards Center. The JEC is apartnership between YaleUniversity and Ridley College topromote the study of the textsand teachings of JonathanEdwards (1703‐ 1758), one of theforemost Christian philosophersand theologians in American his‐tory. Dr. Kenneth Minkema,Executive Director of theJonathan Edwards Center at YaleUniversity has endorsed the cen‐ter as ‘a significant expansion ofEdwards scholarship and willserve widely both academia andthe church’. The strategic part‐nership exemplifies the vision ofRidley Melbourne to be an inter‐nationally renowned theologicaland training school.

The Center was launched on29 April 29 with a lecture byProfessor Stuart Piggin fromMacquarie University on ‘TheSpirituality of Jonathan Edwards.’ TheCenter’s coordinator, Revd RhysBezzant, opened with enthusiasm forEdwards and the Center; ‘we need tosupport the study of the evangelical

movement in this city as the study ofevangelical history is rarely pursued’.He was followed by remarks from thePrincipal, Canon Dr Peter Adam whosuggested that Edwards’s own prayerand global vision for the advance ofthe Gospel has been answered with

the establishment of this Center atRidley. Bishop Stephen Hale officiallylaunched the partnership, whichinvolves other such Centers in SouthAfrica, Poland, Germany, and soonBrazil and Benelux.

In addition to the Center, RidleyMelbourne has devoted significantresources to establish the library’sCharles Perry Collection, which con‐tains works on the history of evangeli‐calism to set Edwards within his histor‐ical and theological context. Studyspace is available at Ridley Melbournefor those researching in this area,along with the resources from theJonathan Edwards Online Archive.

For more information, contact us atjec@ridley.edu.au.

‐Jane Ellison,Marketing and Communications Officer,

Ridley Melbourne

Rhys Bezzant in the JEC

Rhys Bezzant speaking at the JEC launch