modern JESUS army Streetpaper No. 81 Page 1

modern Jesus army: bringing spiritual and social help to all people

CHRISTIANS LIVE REAL LOVE No. 84 FREE

‘Pleaselove Me’

THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER, FREE! FILL IN COUPON PAGE 2

JOHN’S dREAm SAVES pLANETpAgE 4

FREE bESTSELLER

Brothers in arms: prayer at a Jesus Army event

01.indd 1

MILLIONS of us in the UK feel pain from how we’ve been treated.“Didn’t know my dad.” “Mum and Dad split up.” “My family was ruined by drink and vio-lence.” “Brought up in care.” “Only knew fostering as fam-ily life.” “Bullied at school.” So much unhappiness and rejection, so little love. Even when our childhood wasn’t bad, life since has brought so much emotional hurt. Many of us feel unloved, friendless, forgotten. “No one wants me.” “No one’s proud of me.” “No one loves me.” Of course, it’s never quite as bad as that. And even if we can’t believe it, God does love us; Jesus Christ does love us. And we, the Jesus Army, are here to love you and to be friends with you. Don’t give up. Just get in touch and say “please love me”.

• txt 0774 0774 200

22/09/2008 17:34:17

modern JESUS army Streetpaper No. 84 Page �

02-3.indd 2

ChriSTiANS TerrOriSed iN iNdiAA wave of extreme violence against Christiansis sweeping through india. Streetpaper reports.

Scenes of persecution: vandalism and terror in India

sibaoavCtwc

btbtahCca

N

CHRISTIANS ARE being burnt alive and terror-ised by Hindu extremists in what is described by The Times as “the worst anti-Christian violence in India since independence 60 years ago”. The fiercest violence is concentrated around Orissa, the state on the east coast of India. Christian leader, Lalrodinga Colney, based in Orissa and in regular contact with the Jesus Army, provided the following shocking details: “Thousands of believers are now homeless, taking

WJ

helter either in jungle or n relief camps. Many have een burnt alive. Houses re ransacked, damaged r destroyed, churches re burnt down. Christian illages are desolated and hristians are fleeing with

heir families, suffering ithout food, water, lothes and shelter.”

Fifty Christians are elieved to have lost heir lives. 600 church uildings are reported o have been destroyed nd a staggering 4,000 omes. More than 15,000 hristians are now in relief amps. Even these camps re not safe: persecutors

have attempted to poison their water supplies. In the chaos, women have been raped and many Christians have undergone forced “re-conversions” to Hinduism. In Chattisgarh, central India, two nuns from the Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Mother Teresa, were beaten by a

mob when they took four orphans to an adoption centre. The violence began when a Hindu extremist was murdered in Orissa. Though a Maoist (Com-munist) group has claimed responsibility, extremist Hindu groups are using

ITH EYE-WITNESS ACCOUNT FROM LALRODIESUS ARMY LEADER IN INDIA

“many have been burnt alive”

the murder as an excuse to terrorise Christians. Colney writes: “By the grace of God I am still in my office in Orissa. I am writing this letter from my own table. God is strength-ening me in the midst of this terrible situation to encourage mourning be-lievers, suffering churches, and martyrs’ bereaved families. “I declare love is power-ful than hatred.”

For info on how you can help suffering Christians in Orissa, email Multiply Director Huw Lewis: huw.lewis@jesus.org.uk

GA COLNEY,

Atheists battle it out over God

FAMOUS PHILOSOPHER and former atheist, Anthony Flew, has accused the atheist scien-tist Richard Dawkins of becom-ing “a secularist bigot”. Profes-sor Flew, emeritus professor at Reading University, shocked the scientific and philosophical community four years ago by abandoning atheism. Now Flew criticizes Dawkins in a review of his book The God Delusion . Flew accuses Dawkins of “in-sincerity of purpose” for avoid-ing Einstein’s belief that a divine intelligence must lie behind the complexity of physics. Flew says Dawkins’ presentation of Albert Einstein’s views on religion is de-signed to support his own position.

World’s youth are ‘religious’

MORE THAN four out of five young adults worldwide are religious – and almost half are “deeply reli-gious”, an international study has shown. The Bertelsmann Stiftung survey of 21,000 people across 21 countries “clearly refuted” the idea that religious belief is in de-cline, said project leader Dr Mar-tin Rieger. But the survey highlighted large variations between different global areas. Outside Europe, 80 per cent of young Protestant Christians were deeply religious, compared to just 7 per cent in Eu-rope. However, the study found that in the UK, younger people were turning to religion more fre-quently than the older population.

Churches set to fight knife crime

A CHURCHES Together in England (CTE) report has called on Christians to unite to address gang-related violence. Also, a national Methodist lead-er has warned against compla-cency on the issue. Rev. Eric Mustapha is Coordinator of the Association of Black Methodist Youth Clubs (ABMYC) which is releasing a resource to respond to the problem this summer. The ABMYC’s annual confer-ence next week will be themed around gun and knife crime. And the CTE report empha-sises “the unique value of each young person’s life and seeks to inspire churches to reach out to them”.

Gangs fill the role

model gapOVER A third of 16- to 25-year-olds say they have no adult role models, a Prince’s Trust report has found. Instead, they look to their peers for support. 9 per cent join gangs to find “a sense of identity”. Teenagers who leave school with no qualifications are most likely to believe they have no parent role models (43 per cent). Where young people have nev-er seen anyone in their families at work “they think having a job with a steady income and a sta-ble family is not achievable” said Paul Brown, a Prince’s Trust director. If they have “no other adults” to look up to, “gangs fill the vacuum”.

Hoodie: monk or thug?

RUNNING OUT OF TIMETime: the most precious resource we have? WE PANIC about being late for work, stress about growing older, even worry about why there is never enough time. It’s like the addictive quiz show, Countdown. The rules are simple: get the best an-swers in 30 seconds or lose the game. It’s addictive be-cause it reflects real life. So much to do and no time to do it! Life quickly becomes a great contest to beat the clock. Are we slaves to time? Wheth-er you’re waiting in a shopping queue, rushing back to your car before the traffic warden gets there, or desperately trying to finish an exam with seconds to spare, the constant countdown dominates our lives.

Even the universe doesn’t escape: some scientists reck-on that the cosmos will run out of time! They speculate that time itself will get slower, until everything finally stops. Sud-denly everything will be frozen in motion. Time itself will have run out of time. Meanwhile life ticks by, sec-ond by second. Lifestyle gurus will tell you you’ve got one life, just en-joy it – what they won’t say is that you’ve really only got one chance to get it right. Wouldn’t it be great if we were able to reverse time? To go back and correct our mistakes? Most of us would love a second chance. But who is there to start the clocks again? Who can help us change our lives and give our lives a new beginning?

RUNNING OUT... #1

“Back in a mo”: are you ruled by the clock?

MARK’S GOSPEL is part of the Bible and tells the story of the life of Jesus. Packed into 60 pages you can find how one man bridged the gap between man and God.

FREEbestseller For your FREE copy cut out this coupon and send it to Jesus Fellowship, FREEPOST, Nether Heyford, Northampton, NN7 3BR. (Or text on 0774 0774 200, phone on 0845 123 5550 to reserve your copy.)

Belfast ........................................................... 0845 123 5552

Birmingham ................................................... 0845 166 8153

Bournemouth ................................................ 0845 123 5558

Brighton ......................................................... 0845 166 8151

Bristol ........................................................... 0845 123 5339

Coventry ........................................................ 0845 166 8154

Chester/ North Wales.................................... 0845 123 5561

Hastings ........................................................ 0845 123 5551

Ipswich .......................................................... 0845 166 8156

Kettering ........................................................ 0845 166 8157

Leeds ........................................................... 0845 166 8167

Leicester ........................................................ 0845 644 9705

Liverpool ....................................................... 0845 166 8168

London Central ............................................. 0845 166 8152

London West ................................................. 0845 833 1319

Manchester .................................................... 0845 166 8169

Milton Keynes ............................................... 0845 166 8159

Northampton ................................................. 0845 166 8161

Norwich ......................................................... 0845 166 8162

Nottingham .................................................... 0845 166 8163

Oxford ........................................................... 0845 166 8164

Preston .......................................................... 0845 123 5554

Sheffield ........................................................ 0845 166 8183

Stoke-on-Trent .............................................. 0845 123 5334

Swansea ........................................................ 0845 123 5556

Walsall ........................................................... 0845 123 5563

Wolverhampton ............................................. 0845 123 5564

%@

ALL GOOD armies have an HQ, and we are no exception. We will answer your queries, provide you with free literature or a Mark’s Gospel, even pray with you over the telephone if you are in special need.

You can call us: our National Helpline is 0845 123 5550 (local call rate), and generally there are real people to talk to, not machines.

Email us at info@jesus.org.uk Want to have a look at what the mJa is all about? Check us out from anywhere in the world on our website: www.jesus.org.uk

But in these days of hi-tech, we still have an address and lots of people write in.Jesus Fellowship, FREEPOST, Nether Heyford, Northampton, NN7 3BR

Across the UK you are welcome to call one of our local churches if they are near you. There are Jesus Army congregations and groups around the UK. They are not all the same size, they meet in differ-ent sorts of premises, but they are all made up of people who love Jesus and are ready to help you on in your faith too.

CONTACT US

JESUS Fellowship Church is an evangelical Christian Church with a charismatic emphasis. It upholds the full historical, Christian faith, in particular it upholds the doctrine of the Trinity and the full divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Fellowship Church is a part of the Multiply Christian Network and a member of the Evangelical Alliance. To receive Jesus Fellowship literature regularly, free, send the response form on page 6 to Jesus Fellowship Central Offices, FREEPOST, Nether Heyford, Northampton NN7 3BR. Tel. 0845 123 5550. modern Jesus army Streetpaper No.84 © 2008, published three times a year by Jesus Fellowship Church, Nether Heyford, Northampton NN7 3LB. Editor James Stacey. All photographs supplied and copyright by Jesus Army Photo Library or Public Domain unless stated otherwise. Printed by BGP Ltd., Bicester, Oxon. Reproduction of any part of this newspaper in any form requires written permission. All Bible quotations are from the Contemporary English Version © 2000 Harper Collins unless otherwise indicated. All articles are contributed by members of the Jesus Fellowship Church, also known as the modern Jesus army. Some members live as part of the New Creation Christian Community. Readers wishing to contact authors may do so by writing to the Jesus Fellowship Central Office.

22/09/2008 12:19:02

modern JESUS army Streetpaper No. 84 Page �

02-3.indd

Set free in ail

Help for refugees and asylum seekers is available from the Refugee Council on 020 7346 6700 or at www.refugeecouncil.org.uk. Or text the Jesus Army on 0774 0774 200. Changed life: Tony wears his cross with a smile

DRAMATIC NEW LIFE

Tony’s story sounds likethe back cover blurb

of a paperback thriller.But – unlike most paperbacks

– Tony’s story is true.

3

BORN IN Cuba, Tony Walaz Fernandez never knew his father, who left for Eu-rope before he was born. Like many de-prived black men in communist Cuba, Tony’s father slipped away “illegally”, hiding on a ship. Tony doesn’t remem-ber his mother either – she died of cancer when Tony was five, leaving Tony with his uncle. They eked out a living, selling fruit to sailors, until they, too, made a bid for freedom. Their ship took them to France. Tony was nine. Taking up with a band of gypsies, uncle and nephew worked with them in a furniture removals business. “We didn’t want to be ‘mainstream’” recalls Tony, “in case we were found out and returned to Cuba” – the Cuban government

harshly punished returning stowaways. Teenage Tony got up to no good. “I got into drugs” recalls Tony, “Cocaine, Marijuana, Base, Heroin – whatever I could get my hands on.”

When Tony was 17 his uncle left with a forged passport,

bound for Miami, promis-ing to arrange for Tony

to follow. It was the last Tony ever heard

of him. Tony de-cided to try to enter the UK, lured by prom-ise of work. A helpful lorry driver took him to Lon-don in 2004. Tony spoke no English and had no money; he was desperate for drugs.

A kind couple put Tony

up in their garage that night, urg-

ing him to report to the authorities rather

than live rough. But

Tony’s first attempt in his life to go “above board” was discouraging. Sent to a deten-tion centre, he felt he was going insane: “Drug withdrawals, fear, desperation: I became like a savage. I even tried to take my own life” he says. A downwards spiral followed. Housed tempo-rarily; kicked out to become a “non-person” on the streets; a brush with violent crime; forged papers to get more constructive work. One morning the agency car that picked him

up for work turned out to be not what it ap-peared. Tony got in, the doors banged locked and the driver’s companion turned around: “You’re under arrest for entering the country illegally”. It was the police. In his desperation not to return to Cuba (a “home” of which he had no memory) Tony told the authorities he was from Africa; deporta-tion was arranged and it wasn’t long before Tony was back in the detention centre. After a bizarre plane trip to Africa – literally dragged onto the plane – and back, Tony was returned

to the UK and sent to jail for identity fraud. Here, in Tony’s darkest moment, a chink of light flickered: a priest visited him. Tony was desperate, violent, raving – dangerous. But this quiet man touched him. “I felt his peace” says Tony. “He said ‘Tony, God wants to do something in your life. Have you ever prayed?’” Tony smiles: “I replied ‘What is praying?’” The priest taught Tony how to pray and gave him a Bible. “When I read the New Testament” says Tony, “I read about God doing the impos-sible. So I asked Him to change my situation. I started to have hope – because I asked God to find me a church I could belong to when I was released.” To Tony’s shock, he was released and put in touch with a home for refugees in Coventry. In Coventry, he made friends with Shaka from the Jesus Army who took him along to church. “People there were so open and warm” says Tony. “God-joy came into me; I’d asked for this. Later, I cried. I cried, I cried, I cried.” Tony also cried at his Christian baptism which took place later that month. “I have left my old life” he says. “Smoking, drugs, fighting, crime – over!” “I’m free – because I prayed to God. My baptism was the end of the old. I’m a changed man.” Tony still has an uncertain future. But of one thing he’s sure – as he trusts God it will work out for good. Tony smiles: “I’ve got faith!”

“I have left my old life. Smoking, drugs,

fighting, crime – over!”

22/09/2008 12:19:12

modern JESUS army Streetpaper No. 83 Page �

E th is sick

04-05.indd 4

IT’S THE talk of the media. Carbon emis-sions. Global warm-ing. Greenhouse ef-fect. Polar ice cap melting. Flooding. Extinction of yet more species. IsEarthinallitsbeautyonthewayout? And do we care? Ofcoursewesaywedo–andwe’d be stupid not tosincetheendoftheplanetwouldmeantheendofus. Yet even now the gov-ernment is busily barter-ingtoget theUKoff thehook when it comes tocarbon dioxide cuts. Ac-cordingtoaleakeddocu-ment,theUKgovernmentwantstherighttobuyitswayoutofhalfitsCO2re-ductiontargets. Theideaisthatinsteadof cutting its own CO2,the UK gives money to

developing countries tohelp them get “cleaner”technology. But environmentalgroupssaythisisacheat– the changes in poorercountrieswouldhavehap-penedanyway.TheUKisjustlookingforanexcuseto get out of cleaning upitsenvironmentalact. DrKeithAllott,headofWWF-UK’sclimatechangeprogramme, said: “Thisis an appalling proposalfromtheUK.AlreadytheCO2targetsaren’tnearlystrictenoughtoavoidtheriskofdangerousclimatechangeasdefinedbysci-entists.Thiswouldweak-entheeffortevenmore.” We all want to save theworld–butnotatthecostofchangingourlifestyles.

Irresponsible It has been confirmed:Earth’s sickness iscaused by humanbeings. Just last year,

an IntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange(IPCC)reportestablishedmorefirmlythaneverthatglobal warming is a realthreattotheenvironmentand that most of it iscausedbyhumanactionssuchasdeforestationandtheburningoffossilfuels. The bitterest side tothe tragedy is that thevery human beings whoare busy trashing theearth are those who, ac-cordingtotheBible,werecharged by its creator totakecareofit. No wonder the Biblealso says: “We know thatall creation is still groan-ingandisinpain”.Italsosays“allcreationiseager-lywaitingforGodtoshowwhoHischildrenare.” Howaboutyou?AreyouonGod’sside?Oneof“Hischildren”? Do you wantto care for this beautifulplanetHemade?

arEarth: awesomely beautiful; wildand uncontrollable. is it about tobe destroyed by its inhabitants?

Earth’s breathtaking beauty:arewetakingitsbreathaway?

OUtLOOk By James Stacey WALKINGTHROUGHpar-allel lines of square housesin Coventry’s suburbia, lastnight,gotmethinkingaboutthe boxes that the majorityofUKpeoplelivein. Eachboxusuallycontainsawashingmachine.YoumaywonderwhereI’mgoingwiththis. Stay with me. I couldhave chosen any number ofhouseholdappliances–fridg-es,freezers,microwaves.Thewashingmachinesareforthesakeofargument. HumphreyBurton’sRoad(the roadofmyperambula-tions last night) must con-tain, at an estimate, a hun-dred-oddwashingmachines.Ahundred-oddwashingma-chines to do the washing ofmaybefourhundredpeople. Then there’s cars. Most

strEEtPaPErof the drives on well-to-doHumphrey Burton’s Roadhad three parked on them.Three hundred cars for thesamefourhundredpeople. I’m not good with figuresand I am no environmentalexpert, but it seems to methatthatmanywashingma-chines and that many cars(and fridges and freezersand microwaves and so on)arefar morethanthatmanypeopleactuallyneed. UK society, living in itsboxes, is grossly wasteful.Why? Because there is nosharing.Eachboxhaskitforits inhabitants only. So welive in streets packed withwashing machines. And weonlyactuallyneedabouthalfofthem,orless. Human beings aremeant to share the earth’sresources,nothordethemin

their boxes. And the planetispayingtheprice,groaning,getting hotter and hotter,headingformelt-down. Iliveinaparticularformofcommunity – Christian resi-dential community – not, infact,becauseofenvironmen-tal panic. We live to followJesus. But it’s worth notingthat we share washing ma-chines at something like aratioofeightpeopleperma-chine (cars at about five toone,oftenusingaminibustotransportupto15people). Sharing. It’s a good idea;it’showJesuslived;it’showtheChristianChurchstartedout;unliketheboxed-in-life,it doesn’t kill the earth; itmeans sacrifice; the Com-munistsweren’tabletoforceit;IdoitbecauseIliveforthecauseofJesus. What’reyoudoingaboutit?

Comingoutinthewash:doweneedsomanywashingmachines?

Emmaline:“importanttolookaftertheworldGodmade”

22/09/2008 17:23:41

modern JESUS army Streetpaper No. 83 Page �

Earth is sick

04-05.indd 5

Hotting up

• Thepolarice-capshavemeltedby40%overthelast50yearsmakingsealevelsaroundtheworldrise.

• Thetenwarmestyearsinthelast130havealloccurredsince1978.

On the way out?

• Overaquarteroftheworld’splantsandani-malsarethreatenedwithextinction.

• Over300plantspeciesintheUKfaceextinction.

• Internationally,oneinsixspeciesofmammalfaceextinction.

• Anareaoftropicalrainforestequivalentto16footballpitchesisdestroyedevery singleminute.

Load of rubbish

• OnaverageeverypersonintheUKthrowsawaytheirownbodyweightinrubbisheverythreemonths.

• Ittakesaround450yearsforaplasticbottletodegrade.

• Onaverageeverytonofdomesticwastemeansaroundfivetonsofwasteatthemanufacturingstageand20tonsatthepointwheretherawmaterialwasextracted.

Burning issues

• AcrosstheEUatanyonetime,thereare40,000milesoftrafficjamontheroads.

• Lastyear,740milliongallonsofjetfuelwereburnedbyplaneswaitinginlinetotakeoffatair-ports,creating7.1millionmetrictonsofCO2.

shocking facts

Emmaline puts her moneywhere her mouth isAT JUST 17, Emmaline HartisaradicalChristian.ShelivesinaChristianCommunityandthosewholivetheresharetheirpossessions and seek to live asimplelifestylefollowingJesus. “It’s not that I moved intoChristian community in ordertosavetheearth”saysEmma-line,“It’saboutfollowingJesusand doing what He said. Butwe are a counter-culture andourlifestyleisbetterfortheen-vironment. We share vehicles,andgrowsomeofourfood,forinstance.”

Old and new “I believe it’s important tolookaftertheworldGodmade

which we live in” she says. “Igrew up on the south coast;it’sabeautifulcoast,butintheseasidetownwhereIlivedthecoasthadbeenmadeuglywithpiers,arcades,clubsandsoon. “It’s a bit like that with theworld: God made it beauti-ful, but human beings havemessed it up with their ‘im-provements’. “When I was baptised I feltGod telling me to ‘leave theoldbehindandenterthenew’”addsEmmaline.OnedayGodwillmakeeverythingnew–thewholeworld.Itwillallbebeau-tiful.ButHestartswithus–ifweletHim.”

AN ENGINEER in theJesus Army was tryingto work out how to helpfactoriesconserveenergy.But he didn’t expectthe answer to come in adream. Tall factory buildingswaste heat because thewarm air rises to thetop, leaving the peoplecold. That makes theheating expensive andit is bad news for theenvironment.

One morning JesusArmy member JohnThomason woke upwith a new design in hishead.Whynotcollecttheheat from the chimney,channel the hot air backto floor level, and wasteless money heating uptheair in the firstplace?He quickly got the ideadown onto paper andbuilt a prototype. Beforeheknew ithehadanewbusiness on his hands:

AtmosHeatingSystems. ButJohnismostpleasedabout this because hisworkishelpingtosavetheenvironment. “Christianshave a duty to look afterthe earth” he says. “Ourdesigns are reducing fuelbills and CO2 emissionswhichmakesthingsbetterallround.”For more about Atmos’s environmentally friendly heating visit www.atmos.uk.com

John’s dream

saves the planet

ALL FREE - ALL WELCOME - NO PREJUDICE

WHAT’S ON?MODERN JESUS ARMY EVENTS

UK JESUS CELEBRATION2.00pm & 6.00pm Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre, Alcester Road South, Kings Heath, BIRMINGHAM B14 6ER

MEN ALIVE FOR GODFrom 11.00am Jesus Centre, Abington Square, NORTHAMPTON NN1 4AE

CHURCH GROWTHFrom 11.00am Jesus Centre, Abington Square, NORTHAMPTON NN1 4AE

SATURDAY 25 OCT 2008

Info: Jesus Fellowship, FREEPOST, Nether Heyford, Northampton NN7 3BR t: 0845 123 5550 e: info@jesus.org.uk www.jesus.org.uk/dates

SATURDAY 03 JAN 2009

SATURDAY 24 JAN 2009

SATURDAY 21 FEB 2009

SATURDAY 21 MAR 2009

UK JESUS CELEBRATION2.00pm & 6.00pm Jesus Centre, Abington Square, NORTHAMPTON NN1 4AE

MEN ALIVE FOR GODFrom 11.00am Jesus Centre, Abington Square, NORTHAMPTON NN1 4AE

WE CAN harness the wind and turn it into en-ergy for our televisions. We can split atoms and use them to power our cars. And yet still it seems that we don’t have enough power. The world is runningscaredthesedaysbecauseweareafraidwearegoingto run out of oil. Predic-tions vary, but research-ersreckonthatthiscouldbe within 10 to 40 years– within our lifetime anddefinitely within our chil-dren’slifetime. We already know thatsomethingiswrong.Petrolprices are far higher thantheyusedtobe. But to see the impactthat no oil would havetake a look at Cuba. Thecountry became a land offarmers overnight whenoil supplies were cut inthe1990s,theirmachinerystopped and peoplesuddenly had nothing to

eat. Even city dwellershadtostartgrowingfoodtosurvive. How would you cope?Without oil what wouldwedoforfood,transporta-tion,heating,lightingandall our electronic equip-ment? Thinkingofinvestinginthat new high-definitiontelevision?Thinkagain. Medicalsupplieswouldbe affected, plastics willbecome expensive, evenwomen’s make-up will bescarce! It makes you reflectuponwhatyoureallyneedfor a good life. Are we soselfish that we need somuchstufftosurvive?Arewe going to keep having“oil-wars”andkillingoth-ers just to maintain thelifestylewe’vebecomeac-customedto? Time to change. Weneedtothinkagainaboutwhat makes life worth-while. We need to admitthatwe’vebeengreedy.Allthatpowerhasgonetoourheads.(See page 8)

RUNNING OUT... #2

rUnnInG oUt oF oIl

Itrunsoutsoon:whatthen?

22/09/2008 17:24:09

modern JESUS army Streetpaper No. 84 Page �

06-7.indd 6

RUNNING OUT... #2

CHOCOLATE! Want some? What if we promised to send you a bar if you text the number on the front page? Just by doing so you’d be expressing a kind of hope. But hope in chocolate, though com-mon, is not very substantial. What else do people hope for? Love? Winning the Cup Final? Hope gets us up in the morning. It helps us to face the day, to face work or whatever the difficult challenge is that lies

ahead. Hope is the light at the end of the tunnel. You’ll find it difficult to exist without it – in fact, just existing is about all you can do when you have no hope. ‘Knife crime’, ‘gang violence’, ‘drug cul-ture’ – some people are already running out of hope. 59 young people died from vi-olent incidents in 2007. But when we feel we have no options left, when everyday life hurts too much, what do we escape into? God offers us hope. The world might try to

crush you but God promises to refresh you. Jesus began His work by offering freedom for the oppressed. It’s not an empty promise. Like faith and love, hope is ultimately a spiritual thing. When Jesus becomes a friend to you, He fills your life with new potential. He gives you that chance to start again. But hope is a risky business because it means learning to trust again. Can God give you the strength you need to face a world full of trouble?

‘There’s always chocolate’: do you need a lift?

rUnnIng OUt OF hOpe

Str

eetp

ap

er c

ha

llen

ge

Does TV kill community?

streetpaper@jesus.org.uk

THIS TRUE story was told to a Jesus Army member late one night on a Jesus Army outreach coach in London:

A man from Mauritius came onto the coach. While drinking his tea, he told us how he came from a village where people used to be very happy. They loved to go together down to a river nearby, to sing, wash their clothes and enjoy themselves. The river was a focus of their community life. One day someone brought a TV to a house in the centre of the village. People then started to watch it; more people began to get them. They were fascinated and became absorbed in the ‘western lifestyle’. People began leaving, to get to Britain and the west. Some died on the journey and some arrived, but were still homeless, unable to get a job. Now no-one goes to the river, any-more.

Perhaps it speaks for itself. Does our western lifestyle with its technological wizardry and media saturation give us a better life? If so, why are stress, depres-sion, and relationship breakdown on the increase in the UK? The Jesus Army majors on brother-hood and real friendship. That’s one reason why in our community houses (in which a quarter of Jesus Army members live together) we don’t have TV. Sure, we keep in touch with what’s happening (newspapers and news websites help). But we want to have time ‘to be’ – and to be together. How about you?

Jesus Festival in

Oxford rocksA RECENT “Jesus Festival” in Oxford attracted a lot of visitors despite rain. The Jesus Army made a lot of friends with people from around the city. Hosted at a marquee in a park were a kids’ zone, prayer tent, cafe area, art stall, barbe-cue, skate ramp, art boards and Christian shop. “We wanted to create a fes-tival atmosphere where visitors could come to find prayer, care and inspiration” said Peter Tay-lor, event leader. The festival ended with a large-scale event in the marquee with drama, dance and singing – as well as an impromptu festive march through the city centre.

Jesus Army party at

Nelson’s feetTHE JESUS Army held a large Jesus rally at Trafalgar Square, London, this summer. Dancers and drummers on a march to the Square made an arresting sight and sound. One observer described it as a “river of life pushing its way along the road.” A woman from Tunisia had such a powerful touch of God’s power that she fell down, over-whelmed. A man driving past Tra-falgar Square said “I had to stop, find a parking place and come to experience the atmosphere.” “For a few hours,” said a JA leader, “we felt as if Jesus was walking the streets of London with us and we danced and sang with Him.”

Jesus Centre opens near

Oxford CircusIN CENTRAL London, just steps away from Oxford Circus, the Jesus Army have opened a “Jesus Centre”, described as “a place of worship, friendship and help for all”. The centre, the third of its kind to be opened by the Jesus Army, includes the “Welcome” drop-in for the homeless and disadvantaged and the “Word” cafe. The centre also runs support groups such English classes for speakers of other languages and a parent support group. FormoreonJesusCentresandhowyoucansupporttheircharitableworkvisitwww.jesuscentre.org.uk

Free cycle: Oxford youth

Nelson’s pyramid: demo

FOR HELP & INFORMATIONPlease tick as appropriate (all free in UK)

Please send to:

Jesus Fellowship, FREEPOST, Nether Heyford, Northampton NN7 3BR, UK (No stamp needed in UK or Channel Islands)

0845 166 8172 f: 0845 166 8178 www.jesus.org.uk e: info@jesus.org.uk

Please send me modern Jesus army Street-paper and Jesus Life free.

Please send me Church Alive, an introduction to the modern Jesus Army

Please send me an order form for Flame leaflets on radical Christianity

Please send me informa-tion on how I can support the “Jesus Centres” project.

I enclose a donation of £ ................ Jesus Army Charitable Trust (Registered Charity no. 1091912)

Please send me details of mJa national events

Please contact me / arrange for me to come to a meeting

I want to become a Christian. Please help me.

Please send me details of how to book for Jesus Festivals

Please send me a copy of Mark’s Gospel UK only, see page 2 for details

I would like to stay in one of your houses

from .............................. ................

to ................................... ................

Short stay accommodation and hospitality is free. Overseas residents subject to status.

Overseas paymentFor overseas 3 issues of modern Jesus army Streetpaper and Jesus Life (£6.00 p+p) please fill in this form along with your details above

Name ......................................................

Address ..................................................

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

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

Postcode ................................................

Tel ............................................................

Your details

I enclose an International Money Order payable to: ‘Jesus Fellowship Life Trust’

Debit my Visa/Mastercard

Name ...................................................................

Card no ...............................................................

Expires .................................................................

Signed ...................................................................

Security code .....................................................

To pay online, visit our website at www.jesuspeople.biz/books and select ‘Details’ for Jesus Life subscription.

22/09/2008 11:37:36

modern JESUS army Streetpaper No. 84 Page �

06-7.indd

Sam’S dream came true

Sam Pierre has had more than her fair share of nightmares.But now she’s found her dream.

Sam has overcome racism, rejection and isolation to find her life’s purpose.

7

“It’s not been a waste of time: the bad times, the

good times have all been part of god’s good plan to get me where I am today”

“BRICKS thrown through the window. People calling ‘nigger’ after you down the street.” As an afterthought Sam, 41, adds “It was quite harsh.” Sam’s great-grandmoth-er was the first white wom-an in Hull to marry a black man. The racism she ex-perienced continued down the generations. But that was not the only reason Sam grew up with a sense of rejection. “I was three when my fa-ther left. I remember him coming home in his army suit; then I remember him leaving in his army suit. We never saw him again.” Sam’s mum re-married, but Sam felt left out. “I was hot-headed and seemed to be the brunt of many argu-ments. I started living in my own little world.” Sam empathised with other isolated children. At school she met an ‘elected mute’ – a young girl who’d decided never to speak. “I sat with her, just chat-ting, giving her space to be herself. Suddenly she spoke to me! She hadn’t spoken to anyone in years! Next day she didn’t stop talking. “She took me home to meet her family and I felt loved and appreciated. I’d never experienced that kind of family warmth be-fore – our’s was all over the place, with Mum and my step-dad working all the time, making money from their businesses. That lit-tle time of warm closeness made my loneliness feel even worse.” Then, when Sam was twelve, the biggest blow came. “My school picked me to train as a potential Olympic runner, but be-cause there was no support a home I had to drop out. That really made rebellion kick in! I started smoking

‘Ganja’”. At 14 Sam got pregnant with her daugh-ter, Gemma. Several difficult years fol-lowed. Sam met a man who seemed to offer the stabil-ity she longed for. They moved in together and had a baby. But then a series of nightmares struck. “Someone spiked my spliff on my 18th birthday. I

stayed in hospital until the drug worked out of my sys-tem. Coming home, I found my man in bed with my sis-ter.” Bad enough – but worse was to come. “Not long af-ter this,” recalls Sam, “I lost my son in a cot death.” At this tragic time, feel-ing betrayed and heartbro-ken, Sam decided to “have a break from it all.” A friend had given her an inspiring Jesus Army magazine and in 1984 she arranged a visit a Jesus Army community house near Rugby. “When I was younger I’d been taken to hear a fa-mous Christian preacher. I ‘gave my heart to Jesus’ like he told me to, but got disillusioned when I found church boring. “But I remember saying to God: “If You want me to be a Christian and follow You 100 per cent, then You have to find me a church with something real for me to hold onto. Now I felt I’d found the church God had chosen for me! I could see the lifestyle. I caught the vision and was baptised.” The perfect point for a

“happy-ever-after” ending – but it wasn’t quite like that. “I did well until my 30s,” says Sam. “Then, feel-ing I could be ‘missing out’, I moved on.” It was years later, unsat-isfied again, that Sam had a new experience of God which led her back to the church. “Now I’ve found an even deeper commitment

to God,” she declares. “I can see God’s ‘engi-neering’ in my life. It’s not been a waste of time: the bad times, the good times have all been part of God’s good plan to get me where I am today. “At last, I feel at peace – I’ve found my home.”

Sam: “I feel at peace”.

SEND for a free catalogue to: Jesus People Shop, FREEPOST, Nether Heyford, Northampton NN7 3BR t: 0845 166 8172

CROS

SES

VIDE

OS BOOK

SmuS

IC

DVDS

CLOT

HING

Visit the online JESUS PEOPLE SHOP...

...Cl

othi

ng

and

mor

e...

...CD

s and

DVD

s...

Cros

ses..

.

www.jesuspeople.biz

22/09/2008 11:37:49

modern JESUS army Streetpaper No. 84 Page 8

08.indd8

United coloUrs

edwin is from Zimbabwe, Michael isfrom Germany. And they’re brothers.

Talk of the town: Edwin and Michael discuss God in Oxford.

RUNNING OUT... #4

RUNNING OUT OF EXCUSES

mJa UK: 0845 123 5550

AFRICAN EDWIN and German Michael are shar-ing Jesus with people on the streets of Oxford in the UK. They’re brothers, joined in one cause. It’s what Jesus came to bring about: people from every nation, race and colour joined together. Jesus wasn’t white. Nor was He black. As a middle-

eastern Jew, Jesus would have been coffee brown. But colour isn’t the is-sue. By dying on the cross Jesus abolished all the di-visions of race and culture. He broke down “the wall of hatred that separated us” – that’s how the Bible puts it. “On the cross Christ did away with our hatred for each other. He also made

peace between us and God” (Ephesians 2:14,16). How? Because when Jesus died on the cross He soaked up all of the wrong-doing of us all – human his-tory with its hatred and un-speakable tragedies. Jesus carried it all. He represented the whole human race. All of us: our sin died with Him. And when Jesus rose

again, three days later, sin was left behind in the grave. That’s why those who fol-low Jesus today – Chris-tians – have the chance of a new life, freed from all the old mess. And that’s why Christians like Edwin and Michael are brothers. Divisions are ended: Jesus has set us free to be Jesus People – loving people.

, :

WHAT’S THE best excuse you’ve ever used for being late? Wouldyoubelievethesebizarre–butreallife– explanations?“Mycatunpluggedmyalarmclock.”“I’mlatebecauseIwasarrestedasare-sult of mistaken identity” or, “I had to ship mygrandmother’sbonestoIndia.” Toourshame,researchershavefoundwetellalieatleastonceineverythreeconversations,exceptwhenwetalktoourmothers–thenwearelikelytolie50%ofthetime!Jesuspromisedthatthetruthwillsetusfree. Freedomfromwhat?Fromtheguiltoftimespast, from thegreed that sucksdry theearth,fromthedespairthatkillshope.

And if you’re thinking this doesn’t apply toyou,becareful:psychiatristsargue thatwe lietoourselvesseveraltimesanhour! JesusgainedafollowingbecauseHespoketruth into people’s lives. He promised peoplethatas they followedHim theywouldcome toseethetruthforthemselves.Theywouldknowfreedomfromall theexcusestheworldmakesforitshatredandgreed. HebelievedthissomuchHesacrificedHislifeforyou.Butdeathcannotsilencethetruth:Jesusreturnedtolifeandisreadytoshineinyourlife. Pray(speaktoGod)likethis:Jesus, I’m sick and tired of all the lies. Will You show me what’s true? Please lead me to God and help me to start living a new, clean life.

“Sorry I’m late SirI ran over the cat”

what’s your excuse?

(local call rate)www.jesus.org.uk

Email: info@jesus.org.uk For help/info:

Jesus Fellowship, FREEPOST, Nether Heyford, Northampton

NN7 3BR Tel: 0845 166 8171 Fax: 0845 166 8178

Newspapers support recycliNgRecycled paper made up 79.0% of the raw material for UK newspapers in 2007

22/09/200811:44:57