10 June 2010 Vol 72 No 22 $2 Print Post Approved No 34918100419

Rwanda: 16 Years On - Rwanda: 16 Years On -

The Work of Solace Ministries The Work of Solace Ministries

The Staff of Solace Ministries being taught a chorus

DURING the 100 days of genocide inRwanda in 1994 over a million peoplewere slaughtered and up to 500,000girls and women (especially Tutsi)were raped or suffered forms of sexualviolence. The survivors are still livingwith the repercussions. About 70% areinfected with HIV Aids. Traumatisedand stigmatised in their environment,and often experiencing weakenedhealth, they lead an existence withoutmuch hope. It is, however, not too lateto bring hope to the lives of thesecourageous women and girls.

Solace Ministries was born out ofJean Gakwandi’s obedience afterreceiving a call from God as he wasreading Isaiah 40.1: ‘Comfort, comfortMy people, says your God’. This waslater confirmed in 2 Corinthians 1:3:‘We are comforted so that we cancomfort others’. The call was sharedwith other dedicated RwandanChristians who had survived. The cry

for help they heard encompassed notonly material needs, but emotional,spiritual, and psychological assistance.

Lives are being changed, like that ofIngabire Alice: “I am an orphan and Iam also the head of my household. Iam a member of Solace Ministries. Ihave one sibling and two other chil‐dren that I care for. Solace Ministriesgave me a cow and I thank Godbecause I feel now that I can have thebest future. It has shown me that thereis someone who wants many goodthings for me. The cow that I havereceived had a calf. I thank God forthat because it continues to show meHis hand. I sell the milk so I can buy thefood for my cows. I can also buy soapand I drink the milk as well. This bringsme strength to work so that I can buymore cows myself ....”

Solace Ministries was donated ablock of land in the heart of the capitalKigali on which it has built their head‐

quarters, a guesthouse, and confer‐ence centre with more than 30 staff.The facilities are used by around athousand people a week, mainly wid‐ows and orphans who meet for variedreasons, plus a constant stream of 50or so visitors who fill the guesthouse.The work has expanded into manyother areas with the help of supportbranches in Australia, Germany,Netherlands, UK and USA.

As the 16th anniversary of the geno‐cide approaches, the Rwanda peoplecontinue to grieve the loss of so manyloved ones. May we continue to loveand support them as we do our ownbushfire victims. A work party is beingorganised leaving this August. If youare interesting in joining this, or wishto support Solace Ministries in anyway, contact the Secretary, PO Box425, Blackburn Vic 3130, emailsolaceminan@optusnet.com.au. Seealso www.solaceministries.com.au

Christian Leaders’ Training College inPapua New Guinea has launched anew website. In the latest CollegeNews, May 2010 they report “the web‐site it still being refined but will cer‐tainly give the college a professionallook and assist people in finding outabout us.’ You can access it atwww.cltc.ac.pg

Africa News, the magazine of AfricaInland Mission reports on the first all‐African team. Training in MinistryOutreach, TIMO has been a two yearprogram they have run for more than20 years. The teams are placed in anunreached area to learn culture andlanguage, study mission and practiceministry, often leading to the plantingof a new church. In the past Africanteam members have been added tomulti‐cultural teams. The current teamincludes six Kenyans from four tribes; acouple with four children from Rwandaand a couple from Sudan with two chil‐dren. The team leader is a Kenyan. Formore information on the work of AIMvisit their website atwww.aimint.org/au or call them on 024357 2211 to receive their magazine.

The Bush Church Aid Society is cel‐ebrating ten years of Nomads. In2000 BCA formalized a program forthe 55+ age group that travelsaround Australia to assist BCA inpractical ways as they go. SinceAugust 2000 around 300 individualshave been involved. They have donethings from painting and repairingbuildings to giving haircuts! If you

would like to be involved visitwww.bushchurchaid.com.auor phone 02 9262 5017.

Often when we think of missionarieswe think of deepest Africa, but thesedays Europe is also a needy missionfield. ECM works in most Europeancountries and recently held their bien‐nial conference in Gandia, Spain. Theconference had 23 new long‐term mis‐sionaries present and they are prayingthat God would put it on the hearts ofmore people to go and be His witness‐es in Europe. Visit the website atwww.ecmi.org or phone 02 9747 5446.

VoxPoint is the magazine ofFamilyVoice Australia. Its aim is tomobilize Australia in support of purity,love and family life and to proclaim thevalue of Christian standards of behav‐ior. It has many articles on currentissues going on in Australia and worldwide that we as Christians should beaware of and be helping to change.Call them on 1300 365 965 to subscribeor find out more about their work.

Prison Fellowship Victoria is involvedin many ministries to help prisoners

and their families. Their latest maga‐zine reports on a Book Club that hasbeen created at Port Phillip Prison andtheir mentoring program for the chil‐dren of prisoners. Phone the office on03 9469 4661 or email office@prison‐fellowship.org.au to get the latestissue sent free.

Often we see things going on in gov‐ernment that we don’t approve ofbut are not sure what to do about it.Salt Shakers is a group that is helpingChristians make a difference. Theirmonthly magazine keeps you informedof important changes in society butalso advises what we should do tomake a difference. Log on to theirwebsite at www.saltshakers.org.au orphone 03 9800 2855 to subscribe.

MECO is celebrating 150 years in theMiddle East. The work was startedunder the name British Syrian Missionby Mrs Elizabeth Bowen Thompsonwhich later became part of MECO. Ifyou would like to read her biographyDaughters of Syria you can download itfor free from www.aboutmeco.org

HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE

NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Two

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NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Three

MATTERS FOR PRAYER ...

THOUGH Haiti is beginning to fadefrom the headlines, relief is an on‐going effort, often slowed by lack offunds, weather conditions or unfore‐seen events.

Recently was one of the unforeseenevents when two relief workers wentmissing. Rob Baker of Baptist HaitiMission said, ‘There was just a recentkidnapping of some relief workers inone of the tent cities.’

Four days after they went missing,one worker was released, but the nextmorning the other was found dead,according to The Associated Press.Baker said tension and tempers arerunning high among people still beinghoused in the tent cities around Port‐au‐Prince: ‘We are concerned about

the potential of growing unrest.There's some anger against the gov‐ernment because things are not goingas quickly as a lot of the people thatare housed in the tent cities [hoped].’

While BHM will proceed with cau‐tion in their ministry, Baker said theyare not backing off by any meansbecause they have seen so much fruitand eager responses to the message ofChrist and His hope.’We are really see‐ing tremendous results from thoseopportunities. We're seeing many peo‐ple come to know Christ as personalsavior,’ Baker said.

Their ministry includes teams ofnationals going into the tent citiesonce or twice a week to hold Biblestudies with new believers.

While BHM has mostly beenfocused on providing relief to Haitiansstill displaced by the earthquake, theyhope to soon return to their primaryfocus of empowering the local churchthrough education, conferences andseminars. As they empower thesebelievers, BHM hopes they will be shin‐ing lights of Christ's love to their com‐munities.

Whether providing physical or spiri‐tual aid, BHM continues to reach outto Haitians and asks you to pray foreven more opportunities to share theGospel. Pray also for wisdom and safe‐ty in these ventures and strength forthe staff in Haiti.

‐Mission Network News

Abduction Of Relief Workers In Haiti Makes MinistryProceed With Caution

Evangelicals Harassed and Jailed in UzbekistanThe oppression facing evangelicalchurches in Uzbekistan continues togrow, and according to one missionleader, it doesn't appear to be easingany. Reports indicate the pressure ismounting. However, this may be thefuel needed to see church growthexplode, says Sergey Rakhuba, VicePresident of Russian Ministries.

According to Forum 18 News,Uzbekistan handed down 15‐day sen‐tences for three Protestant Christiansfrom a registered church earlier thisweek. Forum 18 also learned three oth‐ers, arrested after a raid on theTashkent church, were each fined 80times the minimum monthly wage.Two other Protestants were fined fivetimes the minimum monthly wage. Sixcomputers seized during the raid wereordered to be given to the state, andorders were given to destroy seizedChristian literature.

Rakhuba describes the raid: ‘Police,National Security Service (NSS) secretpolice, tax inspectors, fire brigade, andsanitary‐epidemiological service raideda Russian Protestant Church inTashkent that has been there for yearsand years.’

Open Doors USA ranks Uzbekistan10th on their World Watch List ofcountries where persecution ofChristians is most prevalent.

Rakhuba doesn't believe it will getany better. ‘They're creating more andmore pressure to push out all religiousinfluence, especially evangelicalChristians and all missionaries that hada chance to work there for the lastdecade and a half. They were all kickedout.’

Many western organizations wereforced to close their ministries.However, Russian Ministries continuesworking there because nationals do allthe work.

Rakhuba describes the charges.‘They are charged with the “unlawfulact” of having a service in a registeredbuilding, in a registered church, andhaving Christian literature. Apparently,a Bible isn't allowed any more. It's aprohibited book all of a sudden.’

Russian Ministries is providing train‐ing in this area of the world becausethe need is so great. Rakhuba sayschurch growth is happening because ofthe persecution, just like it did duringhis time in the Soviet Union. ‘Small

home churches are starting every‐where. These young people want tocontinue to spread the Gospel. Despitepressure, they continue carrying thetorch and faithfully expanding God'skingdom.’

‐Mission Network News

Uzbekistan has a small Christianminority with Muslims making upabout 77% of the population. Inrecent years there has been growingpersecution of Protestant Christians,with raids on church services, shortjail sentences and huge fines becom‐ing commonplace. In October 2009Christian leaders in Tashkent weregiven heavy fines and prison sen‐tences for running a Christian chil‐dren’s camp. In February 2010 13members of a small church inTashkent were fined and literature,including Bibles, was confiscated.On 10 April 2010 a Christian youthconference was raided and thoseattending were taken to the policestation, where the police pho‐tographed them and took their fin‐gerprints.

‐Barnabus Fund

CURRENT COMMENTS – CLIFFORD WILSON

NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Four

A Tribute to Copernicus – Better Latethan never!THE remains of 16th centuryastronomer Nicolas Copernicus havebeen reburied at a Polish cathedral as acleric expressed regret for church con‐demnation of his theories that the sunis at the centre of the universe. Hisbody had lain unmarked under thecathedral of Frombork (Herald Sun,24/5/10).He claims to be God!MEMBERS of the Agape doomsdaycult were being trained in marksman‐ship at a specially designed gun rangeat their secret country compound, aformer follower has claimed.

The former member, who asked tobe known only as Trevor, said childrenas young as six were included in groupsof about a dozen people who visitedthe Kuitpo farm in the Adelaide Hillswhere shooting practice and trainingregularly took place.

He also told the Sunday Herald Sun(23/5/10) a call for arms was made byAgape Ministries leaders in a bid tocreate a defence against police whomight storm the organisation’s head‐quarters and ‘take members captive’.He said firearms were gathered by cultmembers, many of whom belonged togun clubs and already owned guns.Police are continuing to investigate thecult after officers uncovered a cache ofweapons and ammunition in raids dur‐ing the week on 13 properties linked tothe organisation.

Trevor said he had joined the groupwith his wife and children a number ofyears ago, after being told that leaderRocco Leo known to converts asBrother Rock, had a ‘direct contactwith God’.

The family attended Leo’s churchweekly until Trevor became uneasyafter discovering Leo ‘proclaimed to beGod’ and attempted to allegedly stock‐pile weapons.

‘Rocco actually put out his feelersthrough the congregation to get somefirearms, as much as they could get,whatever they could get,’ Trevorclaimed.

As Jesus said, false Christs will arise(Matthew 24.24).

A Poisoned pen – and an evil affrontto ChristA new book Good Man Jesus and theScoundrel Christ, reviewed by Bryanpatterson (Herald Sun 16/5/10) isdesigned to shock and offend.

In Philip Pullman’s reimagining, anaïve young Mary gives birth to twins.One is Jesus, who grows up to be acompassionate and charismaticpreacher. This Jesus teaches bigcrowds about how to live a good andhonourable life and is crucified. Theother twin – the evil one – is Christ theintellectual, introspective brother whobecomes the powerbroker. Christ seesthe potential of his brother’s populari‐ty and, after his death organises theestablishment of Christianity.

And so the teachings of Jesus aredistorted by the evil brother’s self‐serving authoritarian and corruptorganisation known as the church.

We’ve heard it all – the theories thatJesus was a space alien, insane, amagician, that he lived to a ripe oldage in Japan or Kashmir. Or that henever existed.

The elaborate fantasies alwaysignore the reality by trying to removethe divine from the creation equation.

Artificial life fearsSCIENTISTS have lined up to air theirconcerns over a genome pioneer’sclaim he has created artificial life in thelaboratory, states the Herald Sun,23/5/10.

In a world first, maverick biologistand billionaire entrepreneur CraigVenter built a synthetic cell fromscratch.

The creation of the new life form,which has been nicknamed Synthia,paves the way for customised bugsthat could revolutionise health careand fuel production, according to itsmaker.

But there are fears the research,detailed in the journal Science could beused to create the ultimate biologicalweapon.

Pat Mooney, of the ETC group, atechnology watchdog, said: ‘This is aPandora’s box moment – like the split‐ting of the atom or the cloning of Dollythe sheep. We will all have to deal withthe fall‐out from this experiment.’

VOLUME 72NUMBER 2210 June 2010ISSN: 1033-7903

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NEW LIFE – 10 June 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

The Work Goes On …WAS it John Wesley who said (for our encouragement): ‘God buries His workers, butfinishes His work’? Here in London there is ample evidence that this is so, though notso much, I’m sorry to say, in the case of John Wesley. Overall, the Methodist Church inGreat Britain seems to have departed far from its founder’s vision, with just a fewbright spots unspoilt by wrong‐headed ecumenism and/or preoccupation with socialjustice issues at the expense of the proclamation of the Gospel. One bright spot is theGhanaian Congregation which meets in the Methodist Central Hall oppositeWestminster Abbey. Another way in which Wesley’s work is carried on is by the evan‐gelical Anglican churches who espouse his methods if not all of his theology, and whosing his brother’s worthy hymns.

An amazing event was held in the Albert Hall on Saturday 22 May – the AnnualPraise Concert of the Salvation Army. The Salvos hired this enormous building andfilled it with Salvationists and friends from all over Great Britain. The music mighthave been somewhat up‐tempo from that which so marked out this great movementunder its founder General William Booth, but it was faithful to his vision, as was thestirring Gospel message delivered by the present Second in Command. To cap it alloff, the grand finale was the combined choir of several hundred accompanied bymassed bands and the mighty Albert Hall organ with every stop pulled out singing thegreat old Salvationist song: ‘O boundless salvation’. It’s been a long time since thiscrusty old Presbyterian felt stirred to the depths of his being, but it brought tears tomy eyes.

Meanwhile, back at the Tabernacle … The Metropolitan (Spurgeon’s) Tabernacle,that is … Spurgeon’s latest successor, Dr Peter Masters, pursues a faithful, vigorous,Gospel‐preaching ministry based around solid Biblical exposition. Congregations ofabout a thousand gather morning and evening on the Lord’s Day for what must surelybe the most dignified worship in the Protestant tradition to be found in London today,with several hundred at the mid‐week meeting and numerous other activities duringthe week.

God may have buried John Wesley, William Booth and Charles Haddon Spurgeon,but He is indeed finishing His work.

John Stott, Rector Emeritus of All Soul’s, Langham Place, and Dick Lucas, of StHelen’s, Bishopsgate, are of course very much alive though living in retirement. Godcontinues His work, though, at both these places. Every service I’ve attended at theseinner London churches has seen them filled to capacity with lively congregations mov‐ing on strongly in mission and evangelism.

The Church comes in for a lot of criticism these days and everything seems to begoing against it. But God is for it, and Christ’s own promise is that the gates of Hellshall not prevail against it. Oh yes, He buries His workers, but He finishes His work.

– Bob Thomas

NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Six

‘I have been interested inmission work, particularlyof a medical nature, since Iwas 16. I find that doingsuch work keeps megrounded and appreciat‐ing how God has blessedme while using the skills Ihave been given.’

Rachel Miller, a nursefrom Redcliffe in Brisbane,has just finished nearlytwo months of service as avolunteer on the world’slargest charity hospitalship, the Africa Mercy, inthe West African nation ofTogo, one of the world’spoorest countries.

Now in her fourth yearof nursing and currentlyworking at the RoyalChildren’s Hospital inBrisbane, Rachel says shehad previously done shortterm medical work in India. ‘I heard ofthe work of Mercy Ships at a churchmissions conference while in highschool and kept the possibility of offer‐ing myself for voluntary service withthe charity in the back of my mind forsome future time. Members of myfamily and friends at church have beenextremely encouraging and supportiveof my decision to go to Togo, butsome work colleagues could notunderstand why I was giving up mytime and money to do such a thing.’

‘As with all volunteers serving withMercy Ships, I had to pay my own wayto and from Togo, and while onboardthe ship paid weekly crew fees to helpoffset the running costs, thus ensuringthat all health and community devel‐opment services could be provided tothe people of Togo completely free ofcharge. My time onboard was spentworking as a general ward nurse, butbecause of my paediatric experience Iwas dealing mostly with youngerpatients who had come for a range ofsurgical procedures to correct deformi‐ty and disability.’

Rachel says what is being done in

the hospital and throughout the com‐munity is very worthwhile. ‘Many ofthose suffering from conditions likefacial tumours, cleft lips and palates,bowed legs and women with childbirthinjuries that have left them incontinentare quite broken in spirit. They arevery often rejected by family and com‐munity, often ostracised and excludedfrom normal living because of theirconditions. It is such a joy to see suchlives transformed, knowing these peo‐ple will again be accepted by theirfamilies and communities.

‘There were many highlights duringmy time nursing such patients. Therewas a special moment when a patientwho’d had a disfiguring facial tumourremoved did a dance for joy in theward after looking in a mirror and see‐ing his new face. That man had beenan outcast for four years. He had losthis wife and family. Now his hope hadbeen restored.

‘I have made friends with peoplefrom around the world, my time inTogo has taught me new nursing skillsand my passion for missions and serv‐ing God with my nursing skills in some

way in the future has deepened,’Rachel concludes.

Mercy Ships is a global charity thathas operated hospital ships in develop‐ing nations since 1978 providing freehealth care and community develop‐ment services to the forgotten poor.Following the example of Jesus, MercyShips brings hope and healing to thepoor. Working in partnership with localpeople, Mercy Ships empowers com‐munities to help themselves.

The result is a way out of poverty.The emphasis is on the needs of theworld’s poorest nations in West Africa,where the Africa Mercy with six operat‐ing theatres, a 78‐bed hospital andcrew of more than 400 volunteers pro‐vides the platform for a range of serv‐ices extending up to ten months at atime. Mercy Ships works on land‐based projects in Sierra Leone in part‐nership with other organisations, whileteams also work in several nations ofCentral America and the Caribbean.Mercy Ships Australia, one of 14 inter‐national support offices is based on theQueensland Sunshine Coast.

‐Amos Bennett

CHRISTIANS IN THE ACTION ...

Togo Experience Keeps Her Grounded

Rachel Miller with a patient

NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Seven

HALF a year ago, 8 year old Maryna, ofUkraine, along with her four siblingsenjoyed the love and care of theirMum and Dad. Although their povertywas overwhelming, they were a com‐plete and content family. However,one day, with no warning, Tetyana,who was carrying her sixth child, diedof kidney failure.

Grief overwhelmed Sergiy as heburied his wife and unborn child, andyet, he now had to care for five youngchildren fulltime. The loss of his wifewas almost too much to bear, but howcould he tell his children Mummywould never be coming home?If their grief was not burden enough,their extreme poverty cannot be dis‐counted. Employment opportunitieswere rare in their village and now hewas the sole carer of his children, theirmonthly income totalled less than aminimum wage earner in Australia

earns in one day.Before this great sorrow was inflict‐

ed on Sergiy, he had never read a Bibleand never entered the doorway of achurch. Before his circumstancesbecame known to Mission WithoutBorders, Sergiy suffered alone.

It was our privilege to not only offerSergiy a Bible and his children aChildren’s Bible, but to meet with thisgrieving family on a number of occa‐sions to counsel and to encouragethem as they grieved and began topick up the pieces of their lives. AsSergiy has read his new Bible, delvingdeeper into its message, hope hasbegun to emerge from the rubble ofhis brokenness.

The power, strength and comfort ofGod’s Word can never be underesti‐mated. The cost of a Bible in Australiais not prohibitive, but in EasternEurope, even though communism col‐

lapsed 20 years ago, and Bibles areavailable freely, poverty is overwhelm‐ing for many and the luxury of pur‐chasing a Bible can never be enter‐tained.

Please would you join with us to putthe Word of God into the hands of1,000,000 people in our field coun‐tries? Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria,Moldova, Romania and Ukraine arehungry for God’s Word and our part‐nering underground ministries in Chinaare also eager for us to supply themwith Bibles.

For 50 years now, Mission WithoutBorders, with our beginnings as‘Underground Evangelism’, has been‘Faithfully Reaching People for Christ.’Our passion is Christ and as commu‐nism collapsed in Eastern Europe ourministry has grown and broadened sig‐nificantly to meet the comprehensiveneeds of tens of thousands of children,

families, the disabled and the elder‐ly. This will not change. However, asa Thanksgiving Project as we cele‐brate our 50th Year, our Jubilee, wewant to meet the unchanging needand priority of providing God’sWord. Just $8 will put a Bible intothe hands of an adult or child.Contact our office 02 9647 2022,www.mwb.org.au or email:Australia@mwbi.org to donatenow.(Read more in the insert in thisissue)

CHRISTIANS IN THE ACTION ...

50 Years Of Mission Without Borders

Listen to “THE LORDʼS CHALLENGE” by Mr Joshua Danielon a radio station near you:

The Lordʼs Challenge is a radio ministry ofLAYMENʼS EVANGELICAL FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL. Visit our website: www.lefi.orgor telephone: 08 9498 3735

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BEFORE I left for Turkey a coupleweeks or more ago I sent an emailwhich read in part: We've all heard ofthe Chinese / Turkish discovery of theArk. Well, the videos they have provid‐ed are somewhat convincing of a struc‐ture found under the cover of themountain. They did so by crawling intoa cave that opened up into a room thatsupposedly has wooden walls. Theexplanation here would be that themountain covered that which has beenfound, and a space that led upward tothe surface cave opening was foundand explored. One report from a friendof mine who was a speaker at theHong Kong conference said in an emailto me that the Chinese were in sevenrooms. He himself was not in thegroup. He is relating what he was told.One of the reports has two storeys ofthe structure found. However, there isanother story to consider.

Granted, if there are two storeysand seven rooms of ancient wood,which is reported to date to 4800 yearsold, then they probably have foundpart of the structure of the Ark. One ofthe speakers at the conference saidthey think they have 1/3 of the struc‐ture at that site. At the same time thathas yet to be substantiated ‐ at least tomy satisfaction. Here is one reason: Reports of wood being hauled up themountainI have had reports over the past twoyears of loads of wood from a locationnear the Black Sea being hauled up themountain to an undisclosed locationvia horseback. There is no indication ofanything having been built up there, atleast not on the surface. What we seein the video seems to be the inside of awooded structure that is embedded inice and has been there for a long while.It may be a reasonable assumptionthat a period of two years, or even asingle winter could fill the structurewith enough ice to give the viewer theimpression of it having been there fora long time.

If the Chinese and their Kurdish

guide have in fact found somethingthat is actually part of the Ark, then itshould be celebrated. That discovery,if it is in fact a discovery of part of theArk, will not slow our expedition down.It could even help us fund the work wehave to do. People who have the fundsto potentially help us and who havehesitated in the recent past may nowbe getting interested. I encourage anyof you who can help in this matter todo so. We would be uncovering anoth‐er part of the structure which would bea discovery in itself, and now the worldmedia is involved so the news will cer‐tainly reach the world stage. The wordis out; my intent to remain quiet aboutthe search is behind us.

In addition, if we can show by ourown investigation of the reported siteof discovery that the whole thing is afraud, then we will possibly be able toprove that fact, and do so whileannouncing our own discovery of thereal structure on the mountain. Whatwe have with the satellite informationas well as the location of the eye wit‐ness account is well worth all the effortthat we can throw into the work to bedone.Did the mountain collapse over theark?First of all, I was told when in Turkeythat there were three cave openings inwhich the Chinese descended. If theChinese led by Parasut [of whom wehave used as a guide] have made a dis‐covery which is reached only by way ofas many as three caves, then it is rea‐sonable to suggest that the mountaincollapsed over a structure during geo‐logic activity in the past. Or, as hasbeen suggested by some local Kurds tome: The wood came mainly from alocation near the Black Sea, and atown near the coastal city of Trabzon.Much of the wood was from an oldwooden ship and the oldest wood froman old castle near the same area.There are two ship building carpenterswho did most of the work ınsıde thecaves. According to what I was told,

some of the Hong Kong people alsohelped with some of the work insidethe caves. A truck carried the woodthe long way from the area of theBlack Sea, then horses were able tocarry or pull the wood up to a placeclose to the caves, and the people (afew workers) managed to get most ofthe wood the rest of the way, and intothe caves. As they say, ‘the jury is still out.’

Now I realize that there is the claimof huge timbers that could not possiblyhave been carried up there. As I under‐stand it now, the timbers were three tofour meters in length and most wereable to be handled by the workers onthe scene. A few that couldn't be han‐dled and were dragged up there byhorses were either returned down themountain or left in the snow nearby. Iunderstand that a Chinese explorerclaimed to have fallen over one suchtimber; and consequently discoveredit. I hope to see the timbers and deter‐mine for myself if any of that is possi‐ble. This is still an unanswered ques‐tion in my mind.

If we find that the timbers that arereported to be of great size are actual‐ly there ‐ and as part of what appearsto be a structure down deep within thecave, ‐ then we may have to re‐thinkthe whole thing. With what we havelearned so far, I am presently of theopinion that this is a fairly well plannedhoax, all for the purpose of obtainingriches. But we don’t know that to bethe case, and I cannot now state it tobe the case. At this point we do notknow what the truth of the matter is. Iam aware that many of those whoattended the symposium at HongKong, and more recent like meetingsin Beijing and Holland (I think it wasAmsterdam), do think favorably on theChinese claims and that of Parasut asto be probably truthful.

(To be continued...)

NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Eight

CHURCH AND NATION

The Finding Of The Supposed Ark by Dr Richard Bright‐ a personal friend of both Clifford Wilson and Dr Randall Price whocontinue to search for the Ark on Mt Ararat.

NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Nine

UPCOMING EVENTS

NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Ten

CHRISTIANITY came to Ethiopia‐Eritrea in the early 4th Century,brought into the court of King Ezanaby two Syrian merchants, Frumentiusand Aedesius. Today Eritrea is around50 percent Christian, with more than90 percent of all Eritrean Christiansbelonging to the Eritrean OrthodoxChurch. In recent decades a Biblicalrevival movement known as MedhaneAlam (lit. Saviour of the World) hasgrown within the EOC. While somepriests and churches have been accom‐modating, even open, others haveresisted, some aggressively, forcingthose seeking a more evangelicalChristianity to leave the EOC forProtestant fellowships. The exodus hascaused great angst in the hierarchy ofthe EOC.

Following a second war withEthiopia (1998‐2000), the governmentcracked down hard in 2001 on anythingit viewed as a potential threat tonational unity. They cancelled elec‐tions, closed down all independentmedia, rounded up and imprisonedtheir political opponents and repressedall civil opposition. In May 2002,reportedly at the behest of the EritreanOrthodox Church, the government alsocracked down on 'foreign' and 'non‐traditional' religion, banning all church‐es other than the state‐sanctionedMuslim, Eritrean Orthodox, RomanCatholic and Mekane Yesus(Evangelical Lutheran) denominations.

If the EOC thought it could supporta cruel, totalitarian regime's religiousrepression and then trust that regimeto protect it, then it was naive indeed.By 2005 the regime was repressing theEOC, sending its priests into militaryservice, and removing and detaining'dissident' priests who objected to thepersecution of Medhane Alam. WhenEOC Patriarch Abune Antonios

protested the attacks on his ownchurch, he was removed from office(defrocked). He was placed underhouse arrest in January 2006 andreplaced with a government politicalappointee, Mr Yoftahe Dimetros.Today the EOC ‐ its priests, properties,funds and historic manuscripts ‐ isunder the control of the regime.

Eritrea is now one of the mostrepressive, human‐rights‐abusingstates in the world. The repression hascreated a refugee crisis, and many ofthe refugees are Christians. The Armyhas orders to shoot to kill anyone whotries to flee across the border. An esti‐mated 3,000 Christians, mostlyProtestants, are in prison for theirfaith. Some are in military prisons andsome have 'disappeared' into theState's network of secret undergroundprisons. Prison conditions are inhu‐mane and torture is routine. A numberof Christians have died in custody andmany others have been crippled andscarred for life. Eritrean authoritiesarrested 11 more Christians on 9 May.International Christian Concern reportsthat Pastor Mesfin, Pastor Tekie andMr Isaac and his four children werearrested, as well as four women whileconducting a prayer meeting in a pri‐vate home in the capital, Asmara. Theyare all members of Faith Church ofChrist which has existed in Eritreasince 1950 but was banned in 2002.

Eritrea's President Isayas Afewerkidenies there is any religious persecu‐tion in Eritrea. Because there is no freemedia, Eritrean Christians have to risktheir life and liberty to leak informa‐tion of their plight to the outsideworld.

‐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)

Eritrea: More Arrests And Relentless Persecution-A Call To Pray For The Church

PLEASE PRAYSPECIFICALLY THAT:v God will protect Hisbesieged and threatenedChurch, hiding it in the shadowof His wings (Psalm 17.8) 'Bemerciful to me, O God, be mer‐ciful to me, for in You my soultakes refuge; in the shadow ofYour wings I will take refuge, tillthe storms of destruction passby.' (Psalm 57.1 ESV)v God will use this time oftrial to bring repentance andrevival to the once hostileEritrean Orthodox and CatholicChurches and unity to the bodyof Christ in Eritrea. 'By this allpeople will know that you areMy disciples, if you have love forone another.' (John 13.35 ESV)v God will bring down theEritrean President IsayasAfewerki, a dictator who thinks'There is no God' (Psalm 10.4),and 'I shall not be moved' (v6).Lift up Your hand Lord (v12) andcall him to account (v13).'O LORD, You hear the desire ofthe afflicted; you will strengthentheir heart; You will incline Yourear to do justice to the father‐less and the oppressed, so thatman who is of the earth maystrike terror no more' (Psalm10.17,18 ESV).

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WE have been considering some ofclaims made by Ron Wyatt in regard tohis supposed finding of the Ark of theCovenant with the blood of Christ onthe Mercy Seat.Here we concludeexcerpts from the book, Holy Relics OrRevelation, by Russell and ColinStandish in which they critique hisclaims:

‘He (Ron Wyatt) shined his flashlightaround the open area and then up tothe ceiling. There he saw somethingthat caught his eye – it was a crack inthe ceiling with a black substancewithin the crack … Yet he knew whatwas inside (the cracked stone coveringthe Ark of the Covenant) … The crackin the ceiling was directly above thecracked part of the lid, where it wasopen, and the black substance had fall‐en from the crack into the casebecause some of it had splashed ontothe lid. It was at this time, as Ronrecalls, as the instant realization ofwhat had happened here dawned onhim, that he passed out. When he real‐ize that the crack in the ceiling was theend of the crack he had found in theelevated cross‐hole many feet abovehim, and the black substance wasblood which had fallen through thecrack and into the stone case, heKNEW the Ark was in the stone case.But the most overwhelming realizationwas that Christ’s blood had actuallyfallen onto the Mercy Seat’ (Mary NellWyatt, Ark of the Covenant, p15,emphasis in the original).

Here we see just how much Ron‘knew’ before he had the least evi‐dence. This is not the hallmark of acareful archaeologist! Ron Wyatt madefurther claims which he reiterated toRussell in their personal discussion inMelbourne on 30 September 1998.‘The dried samples were soaked insaline solution for three days. Using anelectron microsceope, it was possibleto find the chromosomal content ofthe blood’. (Jonathan Gray, Ark of theCovenant, p479)

Admittedly Gray and Wyatt are at

odds over where the blood tests wereperformed. Gray plainly states that:‘Upon his return home to Nashville,Tennessee, Ron had the blood ana‐lyzed. Through his work at hospitals,he had contacts. This simplified mat‐ters.’ (Ibid)

On the other hand, Ron Wyatt, inhis face to face conversation withRussell, specifically denied that theblood had ever been examined in theUnited States. He claimed, as he alsostated in his public addresses inMelbourne and Ballarat in Australia inSeptember 1998, that the blood chro‐mosome count was undertaken only ina laboratory in Jerusalem. It is hard tounderstand how Gray got this detail sowrong. Surely Wyatt has not alteredhis statement on this important pointof evidence. Only the two men canexplain this major discrepancy.

However, Ron’s statement toRussell is, at the least, curious. At theopening of the Wyatt ArchaeologicalResearch Museum in Gatlinburg,Tennessee in 1994 Wyatt claimed theblood samples were soon to be ana‐lyzed. The camera then focused on aDr Hiler whom Wyatt said was anexperienced geneticist who would besoon analyzing the blood … Here areWyatt’s exact words:

‘And so anyway there will come atime when we will show all this. DrHiler, a friend and fellow worker – weplan to have him do this analysis. Hehas several years’ experience withelectron microscopes and there is auniqueness about the blood of Christ.So nobody will be able to say it did nothappen and that Christ was not divine’(5‐hour video sent by Jim Pinkoski toColin, March 1999)This quotation indicates that Wyattplanned to have the alleged bloodsample analyzed in America, notJerusalem, more than 12 years afterclaiming to have discovered the Ark ofthe Covenant. It also reveals thatbefore the analysis had been madeWyatt had proclaimed that the blood

of Jesus was unique presumably whencompared with human blood – anamazing speculation without evidence.A further unexplained mystery is why,if Ron Wyatt had samples of the‘blood’ in 1982, he had done nothing toarrange scientific analysis of it formore than 12 years. All these issuesgreatly diminish the credibility of RonWyatt’s claims.

Even more startling is the claimednumber of chromosomes said to havebeen found in the blood cells. In a nor‐mal human cell, we have 46 chromo‐somes. The chromosomes contain thegenes. We receive 23 chromosomesfrom our mother and the same numberfrom our father. Two human cells arean exception to this generalization.The male sperm and the female ovumcontain only 23 chromosomes. Thuswhen fertilization occurs the full com‐plement of 46 chromosomes is foundin the zygote, the fertilized cell fromwhich the human embryo develops.Gray reported: ‘The blood analysisfrom the Ark chamber showed a totalof only 24 chromosomes. Of these 23were derived from the mother. Andthere was one “Y” chromosome. Thisindicated that the blood belonged to amale’. (Jonathan Gray, op cit, p484)If confirmed, this would be the mostastounding discovery of all time in thesciences of biology, genetics andhematology. No living individual hasever been known to survive with such amassive chromosomal deficiency.Indeed it is know that if even one ofthe autosomes (the 44 non‐sex chro‐mosomes) is missing, this deficit isincompatible with life. Yet here is aclaim that 22 autosomes are absent inan individual who lived to an agewhere he could shed ‘copious amountsof blood’ (ibid, p479).

NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Eleven

DIGGING AND DELVING ...

More About Ron Wyatt’s ClaimsDr Clifford Wilson Explains ...

Visit us at:www.nlife.com.au

NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Twelve

RECENT NEWS

IN the lead up to the 2010 federal elec‐tion the leaders of Australia’s twomajor political parties have againagreed to speak live to Christiansacross the nation.

‘Make it Count 2010’ will see PrimeMinister Kevin Rudd and OppositionLeader Tony Abbott address Christiansand answer questions from Christianleaders in a live web‐cast to churchesthroughout Australia from Canberra’sOld Parliament House on Monday June21 from 7 pm – 9.30 pm (EST).

Hosted by the Australian ChristianLobby (ACL), the event follows onfrom a similar one held prior to the2007 federal election when JohnHoward and Kevin Rudd addressed100,000 Christians meeting at 846churches across Australia.

Around 200 church, para‐church anddenominational leaders will travel toCanberra for the event, which willinclude an opportunity for them to askquestions of both Mr Rudd and Mr

Abbott, after their separate talks.Both the Prime Minister and the

Opposition Leader’s addresses and thequestion sessions will be web‐castsimultaneously to congregationsmeeting in locations throughoutAustralia, with a delayed web‐castfrom 7.30 pm for West Australians.

This year the ACL is hoping to seethe number of Christians and churchesinvolved triple in size – increasing thepublic profile of the event and high‐lighting the importance of theChristian constituency in the lead up tothe election.

ACL Managing Director Jim Wallaceurged church leaders and Christiansacross Australia to get involved in theevent and help shape how the nation isgoverned.

‘This is a unique chance forChristians to hear first‐hand from thePrime Minister and the OppositionLeader about how their party beingchosen to govern would affect the

character of our nation,’ he said. ‘Italso provides an opportunity to heartheir responses to questions whichoften fall under the radar of main‐stream election coverage.‘We need to be influencing all politicalparties to develop well‐considered pol‐icy initiatives and a vision for Australiathat engenders an increasingly moraland caring society.’

Mr Wallace encouraged churches toregister as soon as possible for theevent through the www.australiavotes.org website. Thewebsite also provides full details aboutthe event and technical information forreceiving the web‐cast. Churches with‐out the technical capability to takepart in the web‐cast are encouraged tojoin with other churches in their com‐munity for the event. Details of partici‐pating churches in different locationswill also be placed on the www.aus‐traliavotes.org website.

‐Australian Christian Lobby

Kevin Rudd And Tony Abbott To Speak Live To ChristiansAcross The Nation On 21 June

UPCOMING EVENT: A Pleasant Winter Sunday AfternoonTHE pleasant Winter SundayAfternoon to be held at BeaconsfieldBaptist Church will bring a touch ofexcellence to the neighbourhood. TheJune 20 program will feature theMelbourne Male Voice Praise Choir,presenting an afternoon of SacredMusic, along with vocal items fromwithin the choir.

These accomplished choristers willpresent an entertaining program com‐mencing at 2.30pm. The variety ofmusic and styles will satisfy all agegroups. Families are encouraged tocome and enjoy a musical treat.

Everyone will be invited to partici‐pate in singing some of the greathymns of faith that are not sung somuch these days, along with moremodern songs that are well loved.There is no admission charge, but adonation towards the expenses wouldbe appreciated.

Afternoon tea in included and itwraps up around 4.30pm. There isaccess to all areas for persons with dis‐abilities. This is a community musicevent. Enquiries: Peter Brown 0428178 413 Melway Ref: 214 A1

New Life AvailableElectronicallyFOR over 70 years, New Lifehas come to subscribers andreaders through the post orChristian book shops, but wecan now offer an alternativeway of receiving New Life –by email. The email editionusually contains an additionalfour pages of news andviews we canʼt fit into theprint edition, subscribersreceive it a few days aheadof the print edition, and itcosts half the price!

TO SUBSCRIBE to the emailedition, contact Alison on 039890 3377 or email her atalison@nlife.com.au

Beaconsfield Baptist Church 7 Desmond Crt (cnr Old Princes Hwy),Melway Ref 214 A1

presentsA PLEASANT WINTER SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Featuring The MELBOURNE MALE VOICE PRAISE Choir20 June 2010 2.30 to 4.30pm. FREE ADMISSION

includes community hymn singing and concludes with afternoon teaEnquiries: Peter Brown, 0428 178 413

NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Thirteen

ONE hundred years after accepting itsfirst students, the Melbourne Collegeof Divinity conferred awards on its lat‐est 300 graduates at The University ofMelbourne last month.

Henare Tate travelled from NewZealand to receive the Doctor ofPhilosophy award for his thesis enti‐tled Towards Some Foundations of aSystematic Maori Theology. Wearing atraditional Maori cloak for the occa‐sion, he is pictured receiving his awardfrom the President of the MCD, theVery Reverend Dr T R Curtin. The University of Melbourne ViceChancellor, Professor Glyn Davis AC,was guest speaker at the event.Professor Davis honoured past andpresent graduates, and highlighted theCollege’s historic achievement as wellas its close relationship with theUniversity of Melbourne.

‘(I am) very pleased tonight not onlyto say congratulations on a distin‐guished and successful past, but alsoto wish you at least another hundred

years,’ he said.Professor Davis recog‐nized the commonroots of the College andthe University. In 1853,the founders of theUniversity, in order toavert sectarian division,did not include theawarding ofTheological degrees inthe University Charter.Consequently, inDecember 1910, theMelbourne College ofDivinity (MCD) was founded by an Actof the Victorian Parliament to providethe academic training of clergy inAustralia and New Zealand.

The MCD has experienced signifi‐cant changes over the past century,including the incorporation of theUniting Church Theological Hall afterUnion in 1977, as well as the inclusionof three Catholic colleges into its con‐stituency in 1973. The MCD Dean,

ProfessorPaul Beirne highlighted the upcomingMCD Centenary Conference, entitledThe Future of Religion in AustralianSociety. Registration for the confer‐ence is open to all and will be held atTrinity College from 5‐7 July.

Full details of the conference pro‐gram, including registration, are avail‐able on the MCD website:www.mcd.edu.au

IN OTHER NEWS

Melbourne College of Divinity Celebrates 100 Years

NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Fourteen

GOOD NEWS ...

ON Sunday 16 May Northcote BaptistChurch in Melbourne celebrated 104years of Christian witness in the com‐munity, with a combined service of theEnglish and Chinese congregations.

This thanksgiving service was theculmination of ten years of discussions,meetings and planning between thetwo groups.

Now the English and Chinese divi‐sions have become one church with anew leadership and new constitution.

The opening hymn, ‘The Church’sOne Foundation is Jesus Christ herLord’, embraced the whole reason forthe service.

Rev Joseph Chang and Pastor ColinHowlett led the meeting. Rev Jun Tantranslated for both men. Communionwas shared by all who were present.

The English group then stood,and inunison, welcomed their Chinese broth‐ers and sisters into the fellowship;acknowledging with thanksgivingGod’s leadership; praying that bothgroups might grow in the knowledgeand love of Christ; labouring togetherfor God’s glory and the extension ofHis kingdom.

The Chinese group responded to thewelcome, affirming their joy and

thanksgiving in the oneness of fellow‐ship. They prayed for a new era ofcombined witness, growth, and thebuilding up of one another in the faith.This was followed by the Chinese choirsinging an anthem ‘Praise ye theFather.’ We all silently joined in theirsong of praise.

Colin Lynch, the English secretary,presented a brief history of the church.In the early years, Northcote plantedfive new churches in the northernregion…Ivanhoe (1911), Fairfield(1911), Regent (1915), West Preston(1927), Thornbury (1929).

Over the years, the English churchhas welcomed Italian, Greek andSamoan fellowships using the churchfacilities.In 1989, a few Chinese believers start‐ed to attend the church. Rev KenWade encouraged them with transla‐tion of the sermons through head‐phones, English literacy classes andBible studies. This small group hasexpanded over the years to a vibrant,growing church of more than 200 peo‐ple.

The new church council and dea‐cons were introduced, and prayed forin both Chinese and English.

The congregation committed them tothe service of the Lord, as they lead usforward.

The young people, including instru‐mentalists and singers, presented JohnPeterson’s challenging gospel song,‘Jesus is coming again’.

Everyone was given a pen engravedwith the Chinese words ‘God loves theWorld’ and Northcote Baptist church inEnglish.

After singing ‘Blest be the tie thatbinds our hearts in Christian love’, aphoto was taken to conclude the his‐toric event; followed by a churchluncheon.

We especially give thanks to God forPastor Colin Howlett’s tireless assis‐tance and guidance in helping both theEnglish and Chinese divisions cometogether as one body, with a newvision for the future.

Under one Lord, we have becomeone church, so we can present one wit‐ness to the people of Northcote.

‐Barbara Prout (Mrs DP),A member of NBC since 1994.

One Lord, One Church, One Witness

FOR THE YOUNG ONES:

NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Fifteen

NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Sixteen

BOOKS WORTH READINGREDISCOVERING PAUL: ANINTRODUCTION TO HIS WORLD,LETTERS AND THEOLOGYDavid B. Capes, Rodney Reeves andE. Randolph Richards (Nottingham:Apollos, 2007)THIS helpful book seeks to aid a redis‐covery of the ‘real Paul’ to replace thecomfortable version of the apostlefamiliar to many Western Christians.To achieve this aim, the authors beginby describing Paul’s world (with anemphasis on honour and shame as thesocial mores of the time). They look athow he wrote his letters, and theyplace his letters in the context of hisministry, which they divide into threestages: his conversion and call, his itin‐erant ministry (Galatians,Thessalonians, Corinthians, Romans)and his ministry from prison (his otherletters). Finally, they evaluate Paul’sinfluence and legacy, both in the earlychurch and now. The target audienceof the book is theological studentsdoing a one‐semester course on Pauland it is written from an evangelicalperspective (they believe that all Paul’sletters were written by Paul!).

There is a fascinating discussion ofhow Jewish and how Hellenized(imbued with Greek culture) Paul was.Paul’s letters are set within the contextof Graeco‐Roman writing conventionsof his day. Paul made use of a secre‐tary (eg 1 Corinthians 16.21) and hisco‐workers had involvement in thedrafting of his letters (eg 1 Corinthians1.1). Randolph Richards is a recognisedexpert on such matters, making thisdiscussion especially valuable.

Sad to say, their explanation ofPaul’s conversion and his discovery ofa law‐free Gospel is too influenced bythe so‐called ‘New Perspective’ onPaul and fails to find the idea of meritin the Judaism of Paul’s day. This leadsto the inadequate supposition that theonly fault that Paul found with law‐keeping was that it automaticallyexcluded Gentiles from salvation. Thisis a highly unlikely thesis. More posi‐tively, the authors provide a chronolo‐gy of Paul’s ministry, equating (Ibelieve correctly) his visit to Jerusalemin Acts 11 and what is described inGalatians 2. If Galatians is Paul’s firstletter, it is our first substantial exampleof his distinctive teaching and showshis passion for the Gospel. A typo onpage 125 has Lydia (sic) instead ofLystra.

As noted by the authors, one wouldbe hard pressed to find a church withmore problems than Corinth, wherelocal custom threatened to swamp theapostle’s legacy. The modern readercan learn from their mistakes. A closestudy of Romans suggests that Paul isseeking more than their help for hismission to Spain. By his exposition ofthe Gospel, he is seeking to ease ten‐sions between different Roman housechurches divided along ethnic lines.Theories that Philippians is in fact ajumble of several letters stuck togetherare sensibly rejected. Likewise, the dis‐tinctive style and content of Colossiansis not to be used as an argument thatPaul did not write it. The impersonaltone and general nature of the letter tothe Ephesians suggests that it was in

fact a circular letter to a number ofancient churches, including the churchin Ephesus.

There is a helpful survey of the pos‐sible mechanism of the formation ofthe corpus of 13 letters of Paul such aswe know and use today. Paul himselfwas perhaps responsible for the firstcollection, with the collection made upof the copies of his letters that he hadkept (not the copies that hedespatched). It is helpfully pointed outthat Paul in his final letters (thePastorals) insists on both right doctrine(orthodoxy) and right practice (ortho‐praxis), the second springing from thefirst.

After considering various alterna‐tives, the authors conclude that Christand his story is the centre of Paul’stheology. The final chapter gives abrief sketch of the subsequent influ‐ence of the apostle on the church,making the point that without Paulthere would not have been a 16th cen‐tury Reformation, which was a redis‐covery of the teaching of Paul. Histeaching needs to be rediscoveredtoday, for the real Paul challengesmany of our comfortable ideas aboutChristian belief and practice. If youread this book, expect to be informedand challenged.

‐Greg Goswell

‘Beginnings’ A commentary and 24 studies on Genesis 1‐11

Written by Greg Goswell$19.50 + $2.50 postageAvailable from PTC Media on0400 880 515 684 Elgar Rd Box Hill NorthVic 3129

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NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Seventeen

WHO MADE GOD? SEARCHING FORA THEORY OF EVERYTHINGEdgar Andrews (Darlington: EPBooks, 2009)PROFESSOR Andrews writes to refuterecent attacks on Christianity mountedby high profile atheists such as RichardDawkins. His fundamental point is thata ‘theory of everything’ must includeboth material and non‐materialaspects of the Universe, includingfriendship, morality and God. Andrewsshows that the supposedly devastatingquestion, ‘Who made God?’, leads tothe requirement that we define pre‐cisely what we mean by God. For theChristian, God = the uncreated Creatorof all things, and such a definitionexposes ‘Who made God?’ as a non‐sense question that requires noanswer.

As a professional scientist, Andrewsis in a position to show that science(notably Physics) describes the worldrather than explains it, for much ofQuantum Theory (and more recently,String Theory) is counter‐intuitive andfinally incomprehensible. He alsodemonstrates science neither provesor disproves God’s existence, for it islimited to studying the physical realm.

The main argument of Prof Andrewsruns as follows: his starting hypothesisis that God exists and this hypothesisexplains human experience and obser‐vation better than science (that at bestsidelines the issue of God). The author

distinguishes his ‘hypothesis of God’approach from that of the proponentsof Intelligent Design, which cannotprove that God is the intelligentdesigner. The classical TeleologicalArgument (the argument from design)has the same inherent limitation. Big Bang cosmology shows that theUniverse had a beginning – just asGenesis 1.1 asserts, and, as noted byAndrews, this is an understanding thatscience reached only in the 20thCentury. The Second Law ofThermodynamics states that theentropy (disorder) of a closed systemonly increases, and this means that thehighly ordered origin of the Universerequired the input of a vast amount ofenergy from an outside source (= God).The ubiquitous nature of laws at themoral, social and physical levels ofreality implies the existence of a DivineLawgiver. Science can only discoverthe laws of the physical Universe, itcannot explain the origin of these ele‐gant laws.

Andrews refutes the attempt byRichard Dawkins to explain away mira‐cles as simply low probability naturalevents. There is nothing to prevent anOmnipotent God intervening in theworld, for He is the one who momentby moment upholds all the laws ofnature. The fact that the basis of livingthings is the coded information ofDNA makes sense in a Biblical frame‐work of a God who creates by speak‐

ing. Evolution, on the other hand, can‐not explain this, for it only thinks interms of dumb material forces. Aswell, evolution cannot explain thestaggering biological variation onearth because all proposed mecha‐nisms (eg mutations) result in a lost ofgenetic information, the net effect ofwhich is to decrease total possible vari‐ation.

Cogent arguments are used to showthat the human mind and conscious‐ness are not simply the brain workinglike a giant computer, for experimentshave shown that thinking affects brainstructure (just as much as the reverse).If the world is the product of amoralphysical forces (as evolution dictates)there is no basis for morality or altru‐ism. An ‘evolutionary ethic’ cannot riseabove the survival of the fittest andthis would condemn society to a dog‐eat‐dog existence.

Here, then, is a book by a distin‐guished scientist and committedChristian that successfully debunkscertainly highly publicised attacks onChristianity in the name of science.Professor Andrew combines clear rea‐soning with wit and good fun to pro‐duce a remarkably readable book onsuch a heavy subject. I wholeheartedlyrecommend this book to scientist andnon‐scientist alike.

‐Greg Goswell

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NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Eighteen

GRIST FOR THE MILL ...

I HAVE just completed a pleasant four‐week preaching assignment in theParish Church of Strathblane, a fewkilometres north of Glasgow towardsLoch Lomond. Alison and I felt very

much at home inthis congregationof the Church ofScotland becauseit was so muchlike our own – afriendly, caring,Bible‐believingChristian fellow‐ship.

Everythingabout it wasdelightful, butright at the endcame a particularthrill. I’d men‐tioned GeorgeWhitefield in oneof my sermonsand afterwardsthe Session Clerkbrought out abook detailing thehistory of theparish and turnedit to a page which

read:‘When the famous preacher George

Whitefield was in Scotland in 1742, theMinister of Strathblane invited him to

the parish. He accepted the invitation,and from the northwest corner of thechurchyard preached to an enormouscrowd who came from far and wide tohear him, and stood on the grassyslopes just below him. It was a heart‐stirring and beautiful scene, and musthave rejoiced the heart of the good oldminister, Mr Livingstone.’

Now George Whitefield is one of myheroes of the faith, tracing ‘theApostolic Succession’ as I do backthrough Dr Martyn Lloyd‐Jones,Charles Haddon Spurgeon, GeorgeWhitefield and the Wesleys, thePuritans, the Reformers, the Lollards,back to the Apostles. So what was mydelight to be taken to that northwestcorner of Strathblane churchyard,stand where Whitefield stood andremember with thanksgiving the min‐istry of that great man of God.

– Bob Thomas

1. In what year was theScottish PresbyterianDisruption? (a) 1856 (b) 1901(c) 18432. For what is L’Abri famous?(a) van Til (b) Rushdooney (c)Schaeffer3. An ex‐soldier and Baptistevangelist (a) Lionel Fletcher(b) John Ridley (c) R.H.Gordon.4. After whom is RidleyCollege named? (a) an Englishreformer‐bishop (b) anAustralian bishop (c) a brilliant

Christian scientist5. Which Anglican leaderchaired the Billy GrahamMelbourne Crusade commit‐tee? (a) Morris (b) Shilton (c)Babbage6. A Bendigo musician whospent his life with theChapman‐Alexander Missionswas (a) Chas Gabriel (b)Robert Harkness (c) Ira DSankey7. Who wrote the ‘Power ofPositive Thinking’? (a) Schuller(b) Rick Warren (c) Peale

8.8.

8. When did the Chapman‐Alexander team come toAustralia? (a) 1909 (b) 1912 (c)19029. The International Council ofChristian Churches was found‐ed by (a) Bob Jones (b) John RRice (c) Carl McIntire10. Who founded what iscalled Wesley Mission Sydney?(a) Irving Benson (b) WilliamGeorge Taylor (c) Alan Walker

Answers p.23

New Life Quiz

‘Treading Where The Saints Have Trod’News From Bob Thomas In The UK...

Bob Thomas, trying to strike a Whitefieldianpose at the northwest corner of the

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NEW LIFE – 10 June 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

Pastor, Prophet, Martyr, SpyWhy Bonhoeffer Still Matters27 JULY, 1945. London is still slowlyrecovering from six years of war withGermany. Hundreds of thousands ofBritish soldiers are dead. British citiesare in ruins. As newsreels expose freshhorrors from the Nazi death camps,the British people wonder, ‘Is there noend to German atrocities?’

Thus it was not surprising that manyBrits recoiled when they heard about amemorial service at London’s HolyTrinity Church ‐‐ not for England’s wardead, but for a German. The servicewould be broadcast on the BBC. Manywondered: Could there be such a thingas a good German, worthy of such anhonor?

The answer was emphatically yes.The service was for Pastor DietrichBonhoeffer, executed by the Nazisthree weeks before the war’s end.Bonhoeffer is often remembered forhis part in a plot to kill Hitler. ButBonhoeffer is also celebrated for hisrole in a significant event in the life ofthe Church ‐‐ the drafting of theBarmen Declaration.

After Hitler rose to power, the Nazistried to co‐opt the German church,mixing Christian truth with Nazi doc‐trine. Shamefully, some church leaders

allowed themselves to be drawn intothis deal with the devil. Others, likeKarl Barth and Bonhoeffer, refused.

As my former colleague EricMetaxas writes in his inspiring newbook, Bonhoeffer, in May of 1934, ‘theleaders of the Pastors’ EmergencyLeague held a synod in Barmen. It wasthere, on the Wupper River, that theywrote the famous Barmen Declaration,from which emerged what came to beknown as the Confessing Church.’

The Declaration boldly declaredindependence from both the state anda co‐opted church. It made clear thatthe signers and their churches werenot seceding from the German church;instead, it was the co‐opted Germanchurch that had broken away.

To Bonhoeffer, writes Metaxas, theBarmen Declaration ‘reclarified what it‐ the legitimate and actual GermanChurch ‐ actually believed and stoodfor.’ It rejected the ‘false doctrine’ thatthe Church could change according to‘prevailing ideological and politicalpositions.’

This message is as relevant today asit was in Bonhoeffer’s time. In recentyears we have witnessed our own fed‐eral, state, and local governments

encroaching upon the church in alarm‐ing ways, attempting to force it tochange to suit the prevailing politicalwinds ‐ particularly when it comes tosame‐sex marriage and health careissues like abortion and end‐of‐lifedecisions.

This is precisely why nearly half amillion Americans ‐ today’s ConfessingChristians ‐ have signed the ManhattanDeclaration. We have pledged todefend the sanctity of human life, tra‐ditional marriage, and religious free‐dom. No matter the cost.

Like Bonhoeffer and his colleagues,we must constantly remember whereour ultimate allegiance lies. Many ofthe signers of the Barmen Declarationwere sent to prison. Bonhoeffer him‐self was executed for acting on hisbeliefs. We, too, may face suffering forstanding up ‐ and speaking out ‐ fortruth.

But the lesson of Bonhoeffer’s lifeand death is that God's grace is nevercheap. It demands from us everything ‐even our lives. Like Bonhoeffer, wemay at times be called traitors by anearthly regime, but our true citizenshipis in heaven.

NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Twenty

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

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NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Twenty One

POSITIONS VACANT

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA

Presbyterian Inland MissionPatrol 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

POSITIONS VACANT

Somerville Presbyterian Church

VACANCYA vacancy exists in an evan-gelical congregation of thePresbyterian church.

The Somerville (Victoria,Australia) congregation isstrong in its reformed theologi-cal understanding and wouldexpect any candidate to sharethis position.

If, as an experienced ordainedminister, you sense Godʼsleading to find out more,please contact the InterimModerator for Somerville.

Rev Michael Wishart

03 5975 9514rev.mw@bigpond.net.au

‘NEW LIFE’ WELCOMES READERS’ CONTRIBUTIONSCall Bob Thomas 03 9890 3377; Email: editor@nlife.com.au

CHRISTIAN WITNESSTO ISRAEL

A ministry focused on reaching Jewish people with

the Gospel

For 30 years CWI has been working inAustralia and Paul Morris has been theField Leader since 2001. Paul plans toreturn to the UK at the end of 2010 sowe are seeking missionary staff and

deputation staff to replace him.

NEW STAFF REQUIRED

Is God calling you to promote Jewishmission in the churches, or to a ministryof evangelism among Jewish people?

Please contact Colin Chamberlain, CWIChairman, to discuss how you might

pursue that calling with CWI.

www.cwi.org.auPO Box 7377, Bondi Beach, NSW 2026

Tel: 02 4226 3332chamb@hotkey.net.au

NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Twenty Two

Thora Joyce EustonA Beautiful life23 February 1923 to 10 April 2010Born to Ida and Edgar Jorgenson inGympie, Qld, Thora and her youngersister Audrey enjoyed a shelteredupbringing. Her father drove the horseand sulky to take them to church. At17, at a Christian Endeavour rally Thorafound the Lord.

Eight years of tuition made Thora acompetent pianist and organist. Sheearned her living as a photographic fin‐isher and dressmaker.

In Christian Endeavour Thora met17‐year‐old Ray Euston, who wouldbecome her husband – after a pro‐longed wait during his war service fol‐lowed by theological training. Thoraherself studied six months in Bible

College.Their marriage was blessed with

three children – Joy, Lionel andCharles. As the pastor’s wife and co‐worker, this mother of three excelledas a leader of women’s groups, andalso as the energetic leader of livelyteenagers. Thora was church musicianand choir leader, as well as a counsel‐lor and pastor’s aide.

Beginning in 1961 in TownsvilleThora became involved in Ray’s jailministry, which continued in Brisbane,until in 1971 the Lord led Ray andThora to concentrate exclusively onprisons ministry. Eventually in 1978 anindependent prisons ministry wasformed (known today as Inside/OutChaplaincy), and Thora was one of the12 on the founding committee.

Reviving a teenage flair for art,Thora produced dozens of landscapepaintings which were sold throughoutQld to benefit the jail work – some stillproudly hanging on walls interstateand overseas.For her last 15 years Thora’s arthriticcomplaint gradually increased. Shefaced a sedentary lifestyle and a lot ofpain, but her motto always came out,‘Never lose your sense of humour!’ Acrowning joy for her was the family’scelebration of Thora and Ray’s 60years of marriage in December 2009 ‐a fitting climax before the final event,which was God’s sudden call for her tocome and be absent from thebody…present with the Lord.

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Visiting Melbourne?Join us at

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Every Sunday 11am and 7pmRev Bob Thomas

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ANNIVERSARYColin and Ethel Attrill of 2 Jodie

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years together. They were married at the

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CONGRATULATIONS

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NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Twenty Three

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Bible Methodist ChurchOf Australia

Church Phone:+ 61 07 5422 0111www.thebmca.org

WORSHIP WITH US

Psalm 51.10‘Create in me a clean

heart, O God …’

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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

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NEW LIFE – 10 June 2010 – Page Twenty Four

A New World Of Shopping - The Sir Edgar Coles StoryThe intriguing story of Sir Edgar’s life and achievements and his spiritual journey thatwas influenced by the Billy Graham Crusade...ROBERT, author of the book and sonof Edgar Coles Robert explains:This was a great and courageous fami‐ly. They were a brilliant group of broth‐ers and each, in turn, made importantcontributions to the building up of theColes’ retailing empire acrossAustralia.

It was most fortunate that my fatherkept a lot of archival material. I setabout transferring much of this intomy computer including some of hispersonal diaries. Almost five yearslater, the manuscript was finished.

In 1958, my father and I sat downwith a tape recorder and I asked himabout his early life and how he joinedand prospered in the variety store busi‐ness that his elder brothers had estab‐lished.

Edgar Barton Coles was born at StJames in north‐eastern Victoria on 3June 1899, the youngest son of Georgeand Elizabeth Coles. His mother diedfollowing the birth of their 11th child in1900 when Edgar was 18 months old.Fortunately, his father remarried andEdgar had a wonderful relationshipwith his stepmother.

The ‘Protestant’ work ethic was verystrong amongst the Coles family.George Coles Snr had to struggle tosurvive during uncertain economictimes and his sons all worked hard inhis various stores as they grew up.Nevertheless, he and his wife main‐tained their connection with thechurch and managed to bring up theirchildren with a strong set of values tolive by, which they never abandoned. There was only one church at St.James, the Presbyterian, and theyounger children attended Sundayschool there. In his testimony to aChristian Businessmen’s luncheonEdgar recalled: ‘We had as teachers adedicated husband and wife team andI now realise that we received a won‐derful picture of the life of Christ. Eachyear I sat for a state‐wide examinationcalled the ‘Allan Bequest’ run by the

PresbyterianCouncil. I receivedone equal third andtwo equal seconds,and they were about96 and 97 marks outof 100. So it couldbe said that I had akeen interest in theScriptures at a veryearly age.’

As a boy of 16,Edgar began workas bank clerk inHobart where healso joined theYMCA. The 1stWorld War saw fourof his older brothersvolunteer for mili‐tary service. Onewas killed in Franceand another inBelgium. His eldestbrother, G.J. Coles,had openedAustralia’s first vari‐ety store in Collingwood in 1914.

On returning from the war, G.J.opened a larger store in Collingwood,No.1 in the chain, and he invitedEdgar, who was studying accountancy,to join the business. The brothersbecame known by their initials, G.J.,A.W., K.F. and N.C. Edgar was knownas E.B. Later, all five brothers receivedknighthoods. In 1921, E.B. was appointed the firstSecretary of G.J. Coles Pty Ltd.Eventually, as the story unfolds, E.B.rose to the top of the Company andbecame a figure of national impor‐tance in retailing. He was ManagingDirector of Coles 1944‐67 andChairman 1963‐68. He is best remem‐bered today for his founding of thelarge chain of New World supermar‐kets in the 1960’s.

E.B. confessed that he had sadlyneglected his faith during his businesscareer. Billy Graham came to

Melbourne in 1959. The book explainshow I went forward to receive Christ atthe Myer Music Bowl. Graham Teammembers came in contact with myfather and me, and at the final meet‐ing held at the MCG, E.B. raised hishand and signed a card. I believe theLord was speaking to his heart, but hedid not follow on at that time.However, E.B. supported the forma‐tion of Coles Christian Fellowship athead office, chaired by John Bishop,Coles’ Assistant Secretary.

After his retirement from Coles, E.B.felt an emptiness and I arranged forhim to meet Billy Graham during the1969 Crusade. Some time later, withhelp from John Bishop, he made thatall‐important decision to accept Christand began to give his testimony. Hejoined the Mornington Baptist Churchand was baptised by Rev. Alan Nunn.He died in 1981.