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REVELATIONUNDERSTANDING ‘THAT’ BOOK

MARRIAGE WEEKWE CHAT TO JOHN STURT

CROSSING THE COUNTRYRYAN CRAIG ON HIS JOURNEY

YOUR EXCLUSIVE BACKSTAGE PASS TO THIS YEARS FESTIVAL

2 | Christian Life Issue Twenty February 2015

03 Cloud Festival

05 Festival One

06 ‘Brilliant’ Bicentenary Celebration In Wanganui

07 Marriage Week: Marriage is made on earth

10 Crossing the Country

12 Hosting Israeli Travellers

14 Local News

15 How to Understand the Weirdest Book in the Bible

16 Shine TV programme guide

18 Christian Life Classifieds

Issue TWENTY | FEBRUARY 2015

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Cover image: Brad Dring (Rapture Ruckus) – Cloud Festival 2015

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SO MANY INCREDIBLE ARTISTS AND SPEAKERS — THIRTY in all — so little time, Cloud Festival under-promised and over-deliv-ered in every way that counts. Ulbricht Managements’ unforgettable one-day Cloud Festival debut at Albany’s QBE Stadium on January 24 was a world-class mix of artists, genres, and entertainment. From the Newsboys, RED, Leeland, Hillsong Young & Free, and Rapture Ruckus; to Ps Brian Houston, Todd White and Sarah Jakes Roberts and many more besides — everyone was most definitely all about Jesus. I couldn’t get around them all, but here’s what I got.

It’s time to go into the Todd White interview. The peace of God is tangible. The first and most important thing Todd does in the interview — he introduces himself to my son, Roq, and prays for him. We sit down to begin the interview. Todds eyes are full of tears. We could have both quite easily just sat and wept in the presence of God. Questions seemed irrelevant.

Todd doesn’t talk about Jesus; he just lives like Jesus. We only had five minutes for our interview but time was also irrelevant. First things first; be led by the Holy Spirit and obey! Todd’s love for the word is infectious and my prayer is that New Zealanders are infected to the max and get serious about jamming as much Word into their day as su-pernaturally possible. It’s clear he reads it with his heart, not his mind. The love of Jesus flows out of him like a river of life — huge and clear and wide, submerging all in his vicinity. Half of the things he says are scripture incorporated into his natural conversation. There are no ex-cuses and no buts with Todd’s “one-step program” surrender your life to Christ. No… FULLY SURRENDER your life to Christ. All of it. “My heart burns for it not to be a formula, but a relationship,” says Todd.

CLOUD FESTIVAL

Cloud Festival

JANET BALCOMBE goes backstage at New Zealand’s newest event, Cloud Festival, and chats to the impressive line up of speakers and musicians...

4 | Christian Life Issue Twenty February 2015

If I’d only seen Todd White that day, I was already forever changed. But the eagle had landed — the Australian eagle that is. Ps Brian Houston reached out with the unadulterated love and grace-based gospel message, and Hillsong Young & Free took us all into the throne room exuding the glory of God.

Even in interview, nowhere near a stage, US alternative rock band RED live up to their mandate, ‘To inspire change’. “Our message to our fans is that it gets better — there is a way out. When you get to the point that you feel there’s nothing left, anything is possible. There is something left – you just have to reach out and take it.

Joel Ulbricht who heads up Cloud Festivals organisational team shared about the vision of creating a festival with no agenda except to magnify Jesus in unity, because in unity God commands a blessing. The last 20 years worship and leadership in the church has been so good, but I really felt missions and evangelism should now take priority, and I felt that as we are ‘unashamedly all about Jesus’, we should be known by our fruits. We should be going out on short-term missions, helping people in our streets. Wherever we are in our world, we should be Jesus to people, and so that’s been the whole heart of the event. Unashamedly about Jesus — that’s what we are. I didn’t want people to be unclear about whether we are a Christian event or not. At the end of the day, we are all about Jesus.

“For the first year we are very encouraged with just over 4,000 people joining us on what turned out to be a very busy Auckland Anniversary weekend and with Festival One at Mystery Creek also happening. We took some pretty big steps of faith. In years to come I want it to really grow and I felt when we had this dream this event wasn’t going to be just for New Zealand but over the course of about three weeks we could do New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong and actually take great ministries and great inspirational speakers to come and join us. Obviously in the entertainment industry, the more influential people are the more people want to come and hear them, so we just want to go straight to the top and get the best of the best.”

One thing that is most definitely relevant, however, is Cloud Festivals message to this generation, and it’s delivery — the people they choose to represent our Lord Jesus, and the finesse with which it was executed — seamless and anointed. If anyone would like to support Cloud Festi-val and help cover significant financial shortfalls, you visit the website www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/cloudfestivalnz, and help see the vision of Cloud Festival continue on February 20, 2016. God is faithful, yes, and he works through people like you and me.

Cloud Festival

Clockwise from top: US alternative rock band RED (Photo credit Roq Balcombe); Todd White, US street evangelist saved out of 20 years of drug addiction and atheism (Photo credit Roq Balcombe); Ps Brian Houston, Hillsong Australia with worship band, Hillsong Young & Free

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WHEN THE 24-YEAR-OLD PARACHUTE MUSIC FESTIVAL RETIRED, Graham Burt was gutted. He shared so with a friend and the idea for a new Festival was conceived, “The biggest thing for us, was seeing if what we’d imagined could come to life and if people would like it. We wanted to create spaces for people to hang out in and connect.” said Burt.

Volunteers worked hard to prepare Hamilton’s Mystery Creek for Festival One’s launch last weekend. The result - a community inspired setting of stages and shaded spaces decorated with vintage flair, a pumping Market place offering excellent food and coffee, Maori weaving and carving workshops, a jam packed line up of international and home-grown music groups and artists and much much more.

Friday night’s concert began with an hour of Spirit filled worship led by Brady Toops and former Parachute Band front man, Omega Levine, that had a mob of youth standing front of stage, arms stretched out in worship. Behind the mob, parents worshiped while being circled with running and dancing pre schoolers.

I love how Festival One is community focused. When I sat down with CEO, Graham (Burt), to talk about how Festival One would look, it was just such a God led moment... It’s about coming together and enjoying music but it’s also about enjoying other elements like the seminars and morning services...it really has became what we had dreamed.” said Levine.

Headline acts included Californian band, Switchfoot; they filled the house Saturday night and surprised fans when front man, Jon Foreman, went on to perform an acoustic set in the Marketplace where he encouraged fans to gather around for a sing-a-long.

Every person I spoke to said they loved the chilled friendly vibe. In my opinion, Festival One lacked nothing, only had me wishing at times that I could be in two places at once.

Festival One 2016 has been confirmed. CEO, Graham Burt, is excited, saying, “We’ll continue to build a strong foundation for God to work on top.”

FESTIVAL ONE

Clockwise from left: Frontman from Switchfoot with frontman from American group, Paper Route; Switchfoot’s, Jon Foreman & Paper Routes, JT; Switchfoot front-man, Jon Foreman. (Photo credit Tania Balzat)

ANGELA JONES was on the ground in Mystery Creek at Festival One. She chats to founder GRAHAM BURT...

Festival One

6 | Christian Life Issue Twenty February 2015

AN ESTIMATED 1,300 PEOPLE FROM ALL denominations and walks of life attended the Sunday morning celebration held at Wanganui’s Springvale Stadium.

Church doors were closed throughout the region – Anglican, Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Independent and Brethren – so that church members could attend, and Catholic churches lent their support.

“It was a brilliant and very moving event and we’ve been inundated with emails asking when we’re having the next one,” said Wanganui Anglican minister, Rev. Kevin Tarry from the Wanganui Christian Leaders’ Association.

“It was probably the biggest combined service in Wanganui since about 1848, when Anglican missionary, Rev. Richard Taylor held a four-day gathering for more than 3,000 Maori Christians over Christmas at the Putiki Marae,” says Rev. Tarry.

“The Lord told the organising committee, ‘There’s only one waka (canoe) and the name of the waka is Unity’ and He led us to Psalm 133 which speaks of blessings of unity.

“Our goal is to see our city come together in unity in Christ, and so we decided to emphasise the influence of the Gospel message and the good it has brought to this land.”

The paepae (seating) arrangements placed the head kaumatua next to the local Ratana, Ringatu and Anglican

Maori ministers, and the celebration began with a powhiri (welcome) from the nga kaumatua (chiefs) from the local iwi to Pakeha, inviting them to enter the stadium.

A stirring kapa haka was followed by the singing of the national anthem in both English and Maori.

“The reading from John 1.1-5 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God which took us back to the beginnings of all things, and the kapa haka group chanted the verses in Te Reo,” he reports.

Representatives of the city’s youth carried a cross to the front, and a young person read out the declaration of Portuguese captain and navigator, Pedros Fernandez de Quiros who was the first recorded European explorer to sail into southern waters.

Although de Quiros never actually landed in Australia or New Zealand, on Pentecost Sunday, 1606 he stood on the ship’s deck and took possession of them in the name of Jesus Christ, proclaiming them to be ‘The Southern land of the Holy Ghost.’

Wanganui Baptist minister, Pastor Nigel Irwin narrated the seven-part service which focused on Chief Ruatara’s invitation to Rev. Samuel Marsden to bring the Gospel to New Zealand and establish a European settlement at Rangihoua in the Bay of Islands.

“We also honoured the Maori Christian martyrs who preceded the missionaries – it was liberated Maori slaves who first took the Gospel throughout the country,” says

Rev. Tarry.Different denominations brought various tokens to

the platform – one brought a Maori/English Bible and Anglican minister, Rev. Stuart Gooding carried Rev. Richard Taylor’s original chalice to the platform to represent the early missionaries.

Wanganui’s Deputy Mayor, Hamish McDouall carried the city crest and local MP, Chester Borrows bore the New Zealand flag.

The congregation sang All People that on Earth do Dwell – the same hymn Marsden chose for NZ’s first church service two centuries ago. They sang the New Zealand Christmas carol, Te Harinui, and a couple representing Joseph and Mary carried in a crude wooden manger.

Children came into the stadium singing A New Hallelujah to represent the next 200 years.

“Our children are a living symbol of Te Karanga ki tua – the call to the future,” says Rev. Tarry.

Pastor Andrew Mason from Faith City Church then led the prayer time and a koha (offering) of $2,000 will be donated Bible Society New Zealand for ongoing Maori Bible translation work.

The service ended with the challenge for each person to pick up the baton from the early missionaries and Maori and take the Good News, once again, to our nation.

REV. KEVIN TARRY talks to MARIE ANTICICH about the combined churches’ bicentennial celebration in Wanganui last year.

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www.mychristiandaily.com | 7

Marriage Week

DR JOHN STURT’S LIFE READS LIKE SOMETHING out of a ‘Boy’s Own’ adventure story – growing up in China and Mongolia, he was a school-boy POW, was re-patriated in Africa and emigrated to New Zealand with his parents, trained as a doctor in England and served as a medical missionary in a Third World country...

“Fortunately, I married someone who loved Jesus as much as I did and shared the same vision for life – Agnes and I served the Lord together for 55 years,” says John, whose wife Agnes died in 2009.

They had five children and spent 21 years in Papua New Guinea where they founded the Anguganak Hospi-tal in the West Sepik region. Returning to New Zealand, they pioneered Christian counselling in New Zealand and co-authored three best-selling marriage books: Men-toring for Marriage, Created for Love and Created for Intimacy.

A prolific author, John has written ten books, includ-ing a biography of his wife, Agnes –A Woman of Faith and Courage and his own autobiography, Loving life: One Physician’s Journey.

His latest book, published last November, is a biog-raphy of his British-born missionary father, Reginald W. Sturt, entitled, Courageous Pioneer – Sturt of Mongolia.

“My father was my hero,” says John. “Dad went through many trials and tragedies but brought hundreds of Chinese and Mongolians to faith – his life is a chal-lenge to us all to complete the task of taking the Gospel to those who have never heard it.”

Despite poor health, a difficult climate, the death of two wives, and twice being imprisoned by the Japanese on accusations of being a British spy, Reginald Sturt was an itinerant evangelist and church planter and served in China and Mongolia for 40 years.

An intrepid explorer and cartographer, Reginald trav-

elled thousands of miles on horseback, ox cart, and on foot and was made a Fellow of the Roy-al Geographical Society: John still proudly owns his father’s barometer and compass.

“Dad wanted to become a mission-ary doctor but had to give up medical studies when he contracted pulmonary tuberculosis at age 20,” says John, who later went on to fulfil his father’s dream of becoming a doctor.

Travelling ‘Down Under’ to recover his health, Reg-inald spent three years working on New Zealand farms, and preached the Gospel and helped to start an Open Brethren Assembly in Hamilton.

Working his passage back to England on a passenger liner, Reginald applied to the China Inland Mission but was turned down for health reasons for the third time. Nevertheless, he went to China by faith and worked at a mission station in Jehol, Inner Mongolia.

He married a fellow British missionary, Truda Twite and they had four children but sadly she died giving birth to their fifth child (who also died,) Taking the children back to England, Reginald placed them in the care of Tru-da’s sister, Madge, and returned to China

Later he married Madge and brought the family back to China where she gave birth to John in Peking (now Beijing) in 1929. Tragically she died two weeks later.

Again, Reginald took the children back to England, leaving John in the care of missionary colleagues who

employed a Chinese amah to care for him.Eventually, Reginald married another Englishwoman,

Marjory (whom Madge had brought to the Lord) and they went to Mongolia and were joined by four-year-old John. His early memories include watching his father ride off on horseback to evangelise the nomadic tribes who lived in portable, round, wool-felt houses called yurts or gers. He also remembers being afraid of opium addicts who were sleeping in an alley outside his paper-covered bed-room window in a town where they once stayed.

No suitable schooling was available in Mongolia and so, at the age of eight, John was sent to the China In-land Mission International School in Chefoo which his half-siblings (now living in England) had also attended, but, being nine years younger, John barely knew them.

At age twelve, John gave his life totally to God and was baptised in the sea at Chefoo: “I decided to become a medical missionary then and there and never looked back,” he declares.

Japan had occupied parts of China since 1937 and in December 1947 Japan attacked the American fleet at Pearl Harbour and declared war on the West. The Jap-anese took over more ciites in China and John’s school was turned into a POW camp, imprisoning the 300 Amer-

MARRIAGE IS MADE ON EARTHLong-time marriage counsellor and best-selling author, DR JOHN STURT, talks to MARIE ANTICICH about his extraordinary career, and long and happy marriage.

8 | Christian Life Issue Twenty February 2015

ican and English children and staff.Suddenly the school grounds were full of uniformed

Japanese soldiers shouting orders. “It was a bewildering and terrifying time,” says John.

Tanks rumbled past, bombs exploded, and fighter planes zoomed overhead.

“Although the Japanese tolerated us children, we were constantly hungry and scrounging for food and boys fought over mouldy crusts of bread.”

Six months later, John was transferred to a POW camp in Shanghai – the same camp as featured in the Ste-phen Spielberg movie Empire of the Sun, based on the fictionalised account of J. G. Ballard’s war time experi-ences as a school-boy.

“In the film Ballard was separated from his parents but they were actually in the camp. The irony is that I really was separated from my parents,” says John.

The Japanese had commandeered a British Club for the camp and John, along with 100 other boys, slept on the bare floor of a former bowling alley.

One day his name appeared on a POW list and he found himself being herded onto a troop ship sailing to an undisclosed destination. “God, I have no idea where I am,” he prayed “but I am trusting you to take care of me.”

Three weeks later land and coconut palms appeared on the horizon and they saw scores black men working on the docks, and realised they were in Africa: Mbhuto Har-bour (now Lorenco Marques), Mozambique to be exact.

A neutral country, Portugal then administered Mo-zambique and so here 1,000 Japanese POW’s were ex-changed for 1,000 Allied POW’s.

“We climbed down one gangplank and the Japanese prisoners of war boarded on the other,” recalls John.

Anxiously scanning faces on the doc, he recognised his parents who had just arrived on another Red Cross repatriation ship from Japan.

“We had a joyful reunion but this was soon overshad-owed when a telegram arrived informing my father of the death of his son Harry – my older brother – a Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot, who had been shot down over Holland.”

Going on to Durban, South Africa, the family were about to board a passenger liner to England, when Regi-nald suddenly changed his mind.

“Thinking about the bombing raids and food rations, Dad decided to go to New Zealand instead – just as well

as the ship we would have sailed on was sunk the next day and everyone on board drowned.”

A New Life En route to New Zealand, John remembers the captain taking the ship deep into the southern ocean to dodge German-U-boats.

“Although I was just a kid, the sailors let me join them on submarine watches – but all we spotted were icebergs,” John recounts

Given a pair of roller skates for his thirteenth birth-day, he mastered the art of rolling right around the ship’s deck without moving his feet; “But I nearly went over-board a few times,” he admits.

Arriving in Wellington in December 1942, John will never forget the tangible feeling of freedom: “After all those years in China, with the Japanese on our backs, it was a relief to be starting life in a new country.”

Auckland was heaven for a teenage boy – beach-es, surfing and girls: “As a result I flunked my exams at Auckland Boys’ Grammar and would probably have failed my University Entrance, if Dad hadn’t decided to move down to sunny Nelson.

While John completed his secondary schooling as a boarder at Nelson College, Reginald continued to preach and live by faith.

“Dad was a great teacher and preacher and he was a well-known missionary among the Brethren Assemblies. On several occasions I remember him saying, ‘We have no money to pay the rent tomorrow’ and so we’d pray and a letter would come in the mail with a cheque. Dad lived all his life like that.”

For as long as John can remember, Reginald always had a cough due to a chronic chest infection, but despite this he returned to NW China, and died in Ningxia in the winter of 1948.

Leaving school at seventeen, John had decided to study medicine in England where his fees would be paid for by a certain mission organisation.

“But first I needed money to buy clothes, and so I went down to Canterbury to work on a sheep farm, and there I fell in love with the owner’s lovely daughter, Ag-nes Broughton.”

They got to know each other really well by writing letters for the next five years.

Deciding to work his passage to England, John ap-

Marriage Week

“Many people believe that marriage is built on love but this is a fallacy,” says the best-selling author and long-time marriage counsellor.

“Marriage is built on commitment, and love is built on (or into) marriage. Actually, real love is itself a commitment.

He said love is a verb as well as a noun: “Love it is something you do – whether you feel particularly loving or not. This is the kind of love that holds marriages together, and it is sometimes referred to as agape which is the Greek word for love.

“Agape love is more interested in giving than receiving. It says: “I intend to love you and nothing you do, or don’t do, is going to stop me.”

“We all start off being self-centred but living in a loving relationship requires us to learn to become ‘other-centred.’ This requires a level of maturity and can be hard, as most marriages are made up of two very different people who may be opposites – and this is what attracts them to each other.

“But unless both work towards being ‘other-centred,’ their interests will clash and this leads to a breakdown of their relationship

“Christian marriage involves three people: the husband, the wife, and the Lord,” says Dr Sturt.

“The New Testament definition of marriage is found in Ephesians 5:21 – “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Christ is the head of a Christian home, not the husband or the wife. They learn to submit to one another because they first submit to Christ who is the leader of their life together.

“Marriage is made for life on earth, not in heaven (see Mark 12:25) and couples need to learn many earthly principles and work them out together. ‘Work’ is the most practical word defining marriage – not unpleasant work – but learning how to deal with issues like communication, conflict resolution, sexual adjustment and parenting. When people are learning new skills they sometimes need a bit of help and there is no shame in seeking professional counselling.”

As part of National Marriage Week, from February 7 to 14, we asked Dr John Sturt to

give us some thoughts on marriage.

www.mychristiandaily.com | 9

plied for a job as steward on a passenger liner (as his father had done 40 years earlier) but he was turned down due to lack of experience: “So I got a job as a hotel waiter and re-applied wearing my waiter’s bow tie and jacket – they hired me, even though I’d only been a waiter for one week,” he chuckles.

Arriving in England in 1949, John met some of his relatives and was ac-cepted for a place at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel in the East End.

“God worked a miracle for me as there were only 90 places and 3,000 applicants,” he marvels. “It was a fascinating hospital – being near the docks we had patients of every nationality and syphilis was a problem, but medicine was on the cusp of change with the introduction of penicillin and other anti-biotics.”

Meanwhile, Agnes had finished her nursing training in Christchurch and came to London in 1952 to study midwifery .. They soon became engaged and returned to NZ to be married under an oak tree at Agnes’ parents’ home in Darfield, in December 1953.

After John had completed further training at Christchurch Hospital, they went to Papua New Guinea in March 1956 to fulfil their shared life-long dream of working as medical missionaries in a Third World country.

Following a stint as a medical officer in Madang, John spent a year at Syd-ney University studying for his Diploma in Tropical Medicine. They finally arrived in Anguganak in the West Sepik District in 1959 to start a hospital for ‘Christian Mission in Many Lands.’

One colourful story sticks in his mind: “We had cleared land for an air strip but the soil was too soft for planes to land on. Someone came up with the idea of buying a new football, and 200 locals playing soccer on the airfield soon had it compacted!

The airstrip enabled them to fly in medical equipment and supplies and a timber mill, and in 1964 a team of Kiwi missionaries built “an efficient little hospital.”

During those years, John also instigated regular health checks and an in-fant welfare programme in local villages, together with a team of dedicated missionary nurses. These measures had a positive impact on the surrounding population and statistics showed a dramatic drop in infant mortality and a significant increase in overall life expectancy.

Leaving Anguganak after twelve years, the Sturts moved to Port Moresby, mainly for their children’s education. For the next six years John worked at the University of Papua New Guinea and established the University Health Service. With Agnes, he mentored many young Christian students from rural villages, and established a Lifeline counselling service for the wider commu-nity.

Returning to Auckland in 1976 – when John was 47 – they began a new phase of their career and pioneered the Christian Counselling Centre, a med-ical and counselling service which ran for sixteen years and employed more than 20 doctors, nurses, and counsellors. Agnes and John specialised in mar-riage counselling and began writing books and columns.

John recently retired from the medical profession– “Sixty years in one job is enough!” – having worked part-time for nineteen years at Integrated Health Options. This specialised general practice using chelation therapy, intravenous Vitamin C and EDTA for the treatment of cancer, heart problems, and other conditions.

When asked to describe himself in one word, John says: “Growing– I’m a person who is always exploring new options.

Today, he lives in the Sir Edmund Hillary Retirement Village in Auckland and continues to attend Eden Community Church ‘that amazing fellowship’ which he first attended 73 years ago, and re-joined 40 years ago.

John keeps in touch with his 15 grandchildren and one great-grandchild and would like to be remembered as a loving husband, father, and grandfather – “Someone who loves people and serves Jesus.”

“Dad was a great teacher and preacher and he was a well-known missionary among the Brethren Assemblies. On several occasions I remember him saying, ‘We have no money to pay the rent tomorrow’ and so we’d pray and a letter would come in the mail with a cheque. Dad lived all his life like that.”

Marriage Week

Mentoring for Marriage ($20.00)A practical guide to all aspects of marriage and how to prepare thoroughly for this exciting journey. A valuable resource for pastors, counsellors, parents and couples.

Created for Intimacy ($20.00)A comprehensive guide to developing intimacy with yourself, others and God. Especially helpful for couples who want to deepen the closeness of their relationship.(1996 NZ Booksellers Book of the Year)

Marriage Enrichment Manual ($10.00)A practical workbook about all aspects of marriage to help couples make good marriages better.

Understanding and Building Self Esteem ($20.00)Helping people to see themselves and love themselves as God does.Over 50,000 copies in print in five languages.

Created for Love: Understanding and building self esteem ($20.00) Learn to see yourself and love yourself as God does.This book is now in five languages and has sold over 50,000 copies.

Celebrating Service – loving and serving our neighbour ($10.00)An overview of how to become Christ’s servant.

All books are practical workbooks with questions and exercises based on each chapter.

Books available from:Manna and other Christian bookshops, Life Church bookshop.

Or from the author: 247/221 Abbotts Way, Remuera, Auckland 1050.Phone: (09) 5706657; Email: jasturt@xtra.co.nz

BOOKS ON MARRIAGE AND LIFE WITH JOHN AND AGNES STURT

Above: Dr John Sturt and his daughter Wendi Pavlovich cut a ‘yurt house’ cake at the launch of ‘Sturt of Mongolia.’

10 | Christian Life Issue Twenty February 2015

Journey of the Cross

THE FIRST TIME RYAN CRAIG WALKED THE LENGTH OF NEW ZEALAND carrying a cross he would lie awake in bed at night, crying and saying: “God, why have you asked me to do this?”

“When I did my first walk in 2008, I was 21 and really shy,” says the man from Oamaru. He was obedient to God’s call to carry the cross but lacked confidence.

“I’m dyslexic and so I struggled at school and I wasn’t very good at dealing with people – avoided them if I could,” he explains. “But when you’re walking down the road with a cross on your shoulder you can’t really hide.”

Sleeping in strange beds every night, he would weep and ask, ‘What am I doing this for, God?’ Why have you got me out here?’

Seven years and four walks later, Ryan reflects: “I guess God has been moulding me into whatever He wants me to be in the future.”

Nowadays the 28- year-old isn’t quite so shy. but he still struggles with groups of people: “I don’t know what to talk about.”

The former bee-keeper left his job in Twizel last September to carry the cross around New Zealand, and finished his three-month trek at the Christmas Day bicentennial service in the Bay of Islands.

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Despite strong head winds, rain, hail, hard ground, hot weather and bro-ken bearings, Ryan walked from Stewart Island along State Highway 1 all the way to Cape Reinga, doubling back to Rangihoua for the Christmas Day service.

Now back in Oamaru, Ryan is living in the sleep-out in his parents’ ga-rage and hopes to do some tiling and brick-laying work.

Any plans to do another walk?“No – I walked the country in 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2014 and each walk

has had a special purpose. It’s not something I undertake lightly. I am think-ing of writing a book, but I’m hopeless at spelling and so it will be a chal-lenge.”

Why did you do the walk? “I felt God was calling me to walk out a message of unity and forgive-

ness, especially between tribes and iwi, and between Maori and their Euro-pean counterparts,” says Ryan who carried two flags – the New Zealand flag and the Maori (Tino Rangatiratanga) flag.

“The cross I carried signifies Christ because I believe He is the only way to true unity. He loves New Zealand and His desire is for Maori and Pakeha to be one people.”

The message of forgiveness came to him in July 2013 when he was at-tending a World Outreach conference in Indonesia.

“The speaker talked about churches working together in a world-wide movement of togetherness and unity and I felt the Lord say, ‘Ryan, you’re not finished walking yet are you?’ and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.”

Returning to New Zealand, he prayed, “’Lord, if you want me to do this walk please bring supportive people around me.’ Then Glyn Carpenter, head of the New Zealand Christian Network contacted me and this was a confir-mation, and he invited me to attend the National Church Leaders’ conference in Wellington last September.

“The church leaders prayed for me and sent me out on the walk on Sep-tember 2 – the timing was perfect as I started the walk on September 4. They continued praying for me and told their churches to keep an eye open for me on the road.”

Further inspiration came from reading the story of Tarore, a little Maori girl who loved the Bible and was killed by another tribe.

“Tarore’s story touched my heart and her father Ngakura’s forgiveness really shook me – I want to be able to forgive like that, even if someone took something as close to me as a daughter.

“Forgiveness plays a huge part in Christianity and I’d love to see forgive-ness for past things that have happened between Maori and European. With-out God we tend to have bitterness and resentment, and unity only comes through forgiveness.”

Preparation for a walk is mainly psychological “I didn’t do any training, except for one tramp,” Ryan admits.”I got stiff legs and blisters on my heels ten kilometres out on the first day. But if you can get past the first two weeks, your feet harden up, your body seems to kick in and you’re away.”

From Stewart Island, Ryan walked to Queenstown, over to Twizel and Tekapo and through to Timaru, Fairlie, and Temuka: “My goal was to be at the Marsden Cross on Christmas Day and so I had a rough idea of where I needed to be along the way.”

A guy called Josh joined him for three days, a Maori guy walked with him for 28 kms and many more joined in along the way.

He feels the cross speaks for itself: “I’m not really an evangelist – I’m not out there to push it. God speaks through the cross I carry and people say

RYAN CRAIG from Oamaru has carried a cross the length of New Zealand four times and walked 9,000 kms. He tells MARIE ANTICICH about his recent walk to spread a message of forgiveness and unity.

Crossing the Country

Ryan Craig and a Rev Samuel Marsden, a descendant of the original Samuel Marsden at the Marsden Cross

www.mychristiandaily.com | 11

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things like, ‘I have to straighten my life up’ or ‘I need to go back to church,’ and so it’s a connection thing. One guy came up randomly and asked me about God – that was cool – and three or four people have given their life to Christ on the road-side.”

En route, he stayed in people’s homes, only spending about three nights in his tent and a few nights in camp-ing-ground cabins.

“It’s pretty amazing the help and invitations you get. Sometimes people drive past then they come over and have a talk and invite me to their home or ring a friend in the next town and arrange accommodation for me.”

He never really felt unsafe but on some roads he would wait for a gap before moving on. “When I got to the two kilometre-long, Rakaia Bridge near Christchurch the traffic was really busy on both ends. So I nipped into a nearby police station and the policeman chucked my cross on a trailer and drove me over the bridge. I wasn’t going to hold up the traffic.”

What’s the hardest part? “I reckon it’s being constantly self disciplined – it’s hard to get up every day and keep on walking and pulling the cross when you’re tired.,” says Ryan who averaged 35 kms a day, his best effort being 66 kms in one day.

His next-door neighbour, Les White from Oamaru and a friend called Hoppy from Twizel built the 90 kg cross which rested on a two-bicycle-wheel trolley with a box containing a tent, sleeping bag, mat, clothes, food, a tyre repair kit, toiletries and his Bible.

Continuing up State Highway 1, Ryan walked through

Nelson and Blenheim to Picton and crossed Cook Strait on the inter-island ferry. From Wellington, he walked to Palmerston North, over to Bay of Plenty, along the Na-pier-Taupo Rd and then along SH1 the rest of the way to ‘the top’, doubling back to Rangihoua for the Christmas Day service.

As he walked, Ryan prayed for the nation and for friends and listened to music on his Ipod. Funds came from his bee-keeping wages and donations received along the way

SalvationRyan grew up in Oamaru where his Dad works at the freezing works and Mum does home support work.

“I grew up in a Christian home,” says Ryan who at-tends Oamaru Elim church along with his mother and married sister and her family.

“When I was twelve Dad took me to a Promise Keep-ers meeting in Dunedin and I went up the front and made a public commitment to Jesus. I prayed in bed every night for eight years that God would move in this nation. Then I started praying the Lord would use me – and that’s when the walks started.”

He attended St Kevin’s College, a Catholic co-edu-cation school, because it had a special needs department which helped him with his dyslexia.

“I had to have reader-writers to help me and special correspondence lessons sent down from Wellington be-cause I couldn’t keep up with the lowest class for maths and English,” he admits.

Leaving school ’as quickly as I could.’ he went potato

picking and later worked in a plant nursery.In 2005. at age nineteen, Ryan spent a memorable

year doing a Youth With A Mission (YWAM) disciple-ship training course with 58 other students in Oxford, Canterbury.

“We went on an ‘Around-the-World-in-80-Days’ trip with five teams going to different countries. I ended up travelling around South America – Chile, Argentina, Co-lumbia – and I barged up the Amazon River in Peru to build a church, and then went on to Morocco and Spain.”

The five teams all met up in Israel for an “awesome” graduation ceremony on the Mount of Olives near the old city of Jerusalem.

“People probably think I’m nutty when they hear about me carrying a cross – I can understand that – but when they come alongside and talk with you, they realise you’re not that nutty after all,” remarks Ryan.

“I don’t feel I’ve achieved much in any of my walks but it’s not my call to make. I know that’s what God called me to do – He’s always doing something – and you don’t know who He spoke to on the way.”

What brings you joy? “On my last trip, I was sharing with and encouraging kids at a Christian school in Hamilton,” says Ryan. “A little girl put up her hand and said, “One day I want to serve God like you.’ That stands out for me – I want to see young people go out there and make their stories with God.”

“The cross I carried signifies Christ because I believe HE IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRUE UNITY. He loves New Zealand and His desire is for Maori and Pakeha to be one people.”

12 | Christian Life Issue Twenty February 2015

What began as a ‘God idea’ fifteen years ago has become an amazing success story. SUSETTE MCLACHAN writes about exciting new developments for Hosting Israeli Travellers.

Hosting Israeli Travellers

SINCE HOSTING ISRAELI TRAVELLERS WAS STARTED in New Zealand in 2000, the travel club ahas impacted the lives of around 10,000 young Israelis visiting New Zealand.

With the launch of HIT International, the club has now expanded into many more countries.

It all began when Omri Jaakobovich, a native-born-Israeli came to know Yeshua (Jesus) as his Messiah while travelling in New Zealand. Falling in love with Paihia in the Bay of Islands, he decided to stay on.

The idea of starting a travel club to host other young Israeli travellers began to formulate in Omri’s mind in 2000, a few days before he drove to Auckland Airport to meet Jacob Damkani, the Israeli founder of ‘Trumpet of Salvation.’

Jacob enthusiastically supported the idea and, on his speaking tour, gave Omri opportunity to outline his vision and invite people to sign up. By the end of the tour Omri the names and addresses of 350 potential hosts.

With the advent of the first HIT Directory, young Israelis were able to join the travel club and immediately access accommodation in homes throughout New Zealand.

In a recent ‘The Ends of the Earth’ newsletter, Omri announced his plan to expand the HIT network internationally: “It’s been a year since I’ve known that once my tour of New Zealand with Jacob Damkani finished in 2014, it would mark the end of my sole focus on New Zealand,” he wrote.

On the 2014 tour, another 200 New Zealanders showed an interest in hosting Israeli travellers through HIT (an acronym with the added meaning of ‘coming into contact with.’)

HIT creates a framework for Bible-believers to minister to God’s ‘Chosen People’ and express their love and gratitude to Him for spiritual blessings they’ve received from the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.

A notable host, Trish Nicholls, who has been HIT agent for Auckland virtually from the outset, recalls those beginnings: “I first heard of the proposed hosting programme when I heard Jacob Damkani speak in Auckland. Jacob said Omri Jaakobovich was at the back of the church and we were welcome to chat to him and find out more. I registered and thought I would maybe have one or two visitors a year. How naïve!

“Later that year I went on a tour of Israel and on my return the phone started ringing and has continued to ring ever since. I’ve had many hundreds of Israelis pass through my home each year these last 14 years and it’s been such a privilege,” says Trish who, despite living in a relatively small home, has personally related to around 5,000 travellers.

In the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12:3 God declares: I will bless those who bless you (Israel), and HIT hosts relate the joy and blessings the young Israelis bring into their homes.

“It’s a matter of loving what God loves – the nation He has chosen as His own out of all the nations on the earth – and the people to whom He has bound Himself in everlasting covenant love and faithfulness,” says one host.

Margaret and Graham Burtenshaw have met thousands of Israelis over the years and hold the unofficial record of hosting 750 young people in a single season. They reside in Picton and so their guests tend to be ‘single nighters’ arriving or departing on the inter-island ferry.

They express gratitude for the laughter and happy atmosphere the young Israelis have brought into their home. Graham, who frequently worships the Lord with his guitar on the veranda of an evening, says young people like to join him, sometimes with their own instrument.

Margaret finds the Israeli’s appreciation for the tranquillity of New Zealand life - the lack of tension and beautiful scenery - particularly gratifying, and the many emails, photos and thankyou notes they receive.

A sample letter reads: “The amazing trip in NZ has ended. Many thanks to all the HIT hosts who invited us into their homes and into their hearts. Each and every one of you was an inseparable part of this trip. As it is written: ‘By their fruits you shall know them.’ And your fruits are the sweetest we have tasted. Love you all. Snir 11/1/2014.”

Israeli travellers usually only require one or two night’s accommodation and hosts can stipulate the length of stay, numbers they can host and even cite gender, if they wish.

In Auckland and Christchurch stays can be longer as these cities are entry and exit points for travellers and often involve the purchase or sale of their vehicles. Some hosts like to provide meals which is appreciated and provides opportunities for conversation and fellowship, but generally the travellers are resourceful and well able to take care of themselves. A bed, a shower and laundry facilities are usually all that is required.

People who don’t have a spare bed, but have space for a tent or campervan, can host as well. A friendly reception is what is valued most. Also, HIT hosts are entitled to charge $5-$10 per person per night which helps offset any increase in electricity bills.

Most of these young visitors have just completed their mandatory service in the Israel Defense Force (three years for boys, two years for girls), and this trip is their post-IDF equivalent of our ‘Big OE.’

The trip provides them with an opportunity to relax and enjoy life like other young people, and is a temporary reprieve from the burden of responsibility they shoulder in defending their nation. New Zealand is an ideal place to come on a three-month visa to enjoy our stunning scenery, lakes, beaches and mountains and hike our famous walking tracks.

For young Israelis, HIT is the ‘icing on the cake’ and provides them with a variety of cheap modes of accommodation while making new friends and experiencing New Zealand life and culture first-hand.

Although hosts and guests don’t always stay in close contact (Facebook has revolutionised this to some degree) many HIT hosts have formed friendships and headed off to Israel armed with the names and addresses of people who are happy to welcome them.

Diane Wilson, of Christchurch, who has been hosting for seven years, shares an awesome testimony of how some of her young guests on returning home, started up a Facebook page called ‘Bring Her!’ Ninety young people subscribed and 50 contributed the finances to bring her to Israel.

Not only did they provide Diane with her airfare but organised a comprehensive 23-day travel itinerary as well. Four young people met her at the airport and provided an escort for her trip, which included accommodation in ten homes in Israel. Plus, the Lord orchestrated two ‘chance encounters’ with other

GOES INTERNATIONAL

www.mychristiandaily.com | 13

Mission

young Israelis she had hosted in NZ. “While the trip was a huge blessing, it’s the daily

meeting with young Israelis in New Zealand that has brought colour into my life,” says Diane.

Another Christchurch host, Cathy Withers similarly accepted an invitation to Israel to attend the wedding of her first HIT phone caller. When she joined HIT, Cathy had never met anyone from Israel, but today Israeli traveller very much a part of her family life.

“They’re lovely, great young kids, and a pleasure to have in our home,” says Cathy. “I’m excited to be hosting them and the exchange of information goes both ways – I’m up to date with events in the Holy Land, and their interest in our Messianic beliefs has increased exponentially.”

One ‘back-up’ host (i.e. someone on standby should demand exceed supply) comments on the change she’s observed over the years in the travellers’ openness towards spiritual matters. “Today they’re hardly in my door before they’re asking me about my relationship with God and about the Bible. There seems to be a growing awareness that the God of Israel is not only alive, but that He’s also knowable.”

HIT continues to grow in size and popularity, with approximately 500 Kiwi families now participating as hosts. Both the Israeli Ambassador to New Zealand, Josef Livne and his predecessor, Shemi Tzu have shown great interest in and support for the programme, expressing their gratitude for the love and generous hospitality so many New Zealanders have shown to their young people.

After receiving letters of enquiry from Canada, Germany, Belgium, South Africa, Argentina, North America, Thailand, Norway, the UK, Singapore and the Solomon Islands, HIT has now gone international, and the directory of host’s names and addresses is being replaced by a new website.

The new website features a world map showing the location and availability of host families in any given country (HIT already operates in Australia.)

While some will lament the passing of the ‘HIT Book,’ the new online format provides hosts with more flexibility – they can notify travellers when they are temporarily unable to host, and new hosts can join the network mid-season, something previously not possible.

New hosts are required to fill in an online application

form and supply references. Israelis can join the travel club by supplying their name, ID number, email address, phone number and passport photo. New Zealand membership costs $35 (other countries are free until more hosts and services are in place.)

Counsels Trish Nicholls: “If you’re contemplating hosting – go for it! You can be old or young – and you don’t have to have a mansion. The most important thing is to relax and enjoy this unique ‘for such a time as this’ opportunity.”

Meeting and caring for these young people brings its own reward. Host families quickly discover that what they initially considered a ministry to others becomes a ministry to themselves as their households are enriched with fun and laughter. Friendships are formed and their appreciation of Israeli life and culture is deepened.

New Zealand has a reputation for pioneering initiatives and, as Omri Jaakobovich says of HIT’s new international programme, “It’s the most exciting outreach to native born Israelis on the face of the globe.”

Showing Kiwi Hospitality

Hosting Israeli Travellers is the brain-child of Omri Jaakobovich, a native-born Israeli now based in New Zealand.Growing up in Kibbutz Ramat Hashofet, situated half-way between Mount Carmel and Mount Megido (Arma-geddon,) Omri began to travel the world when he was 24.

Three years later he came to know Jesus Christ as his Messiah while travelling in New Zealand, and in 2000 he conceived the idea of setting up a network to bring young Israeli travellers into contact with Bible-believing Gen-tiles, in the hope of drawing them to Messiah.

“Hosting Israeli Travellers is the first network in the world to offer free hospitality in private homes to Israelis travelling outside of Israel,” says Omri who understands both Jewish and Christian traditions.

The HIT travel club enables young Israeli travellers to link up online with an international network of hosts, and it also gives them access to discounts on activities like skydiving, bungy jumping, rafting, swimming with dolphins, horse riding, kayaking and sailing.

“The network creates an atmosphere for young Is-raelis to want to stay in people’s homes,” says Omri.

“They’re not travelling to hear about Messiah or to be converted to Christianity– most Israelis are secular – but their other option is to stay at backpacker’s or camping grounds, and so staying in people’s homes is a huge sav-ing for them.”

Jewish people, including native-born Israelis living outside of Israel – whether Orthodox, reformed, conser-vative, secular or Messianic – are also invited to take part in the network as hosting and service providers.

The HIT network enables Bible-believers to show practical love and support to God’s people through the simple act of hospitality.

Regardless of where hosts live, and what they know about Jewish people and their culture, Omri encourages prospective hosts to show love and concern to young Israelis: “Just live your regular life – family, work, church – and host whenever you can.”

A new development for HIT International is offering discounted accommodation and services to HIT hosts and supporters when they visit Israel, and connecting them with organisations providing voluntary work.

“What’s so exciting about hosting Israeli travellers is that people can become missionaries without even leaving their home, and that everyone who loves God can participate.

“There are Christians who love the God of Israel, have visited Israel, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and have even contributed financially to Jewish-oriented ministries, but they lack in one area – sharing the Messi-ah with Jewish people,” says Omri.

“God chose the people of Israel to bring forth the Messiah and to take part in His grand plan of bringing the knowledge of Himself to people from every tribe and tongue and nation, and to keep His word. Sadly, only a remnant responded.

“God has called the Gentiles to provoke the Jews to jealousy (Romans 11: 11) but sadly only a remnant in the church responds,” says Omri. “One day all of Israel will be saved and they will say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ Make sure you don’t miss this opportunity to take part in what God Himself is doing.”

The trip provides them with an opportunity to relax and enjoy life like other young people, and is a TEMPORARY REPRIEVE FROM

THE BURDEN OF RESPONSIBILITY they shoulder in defending their nation.

This page clockwise from top: John Watson (Orepuki) with Nofar; HIT founder Omri Jaakobovich (pictured on right) with Israel Ambassador, Yossi Livne; Cheryl Hall (Auckland) with Israeli Girls;

Opposite page: Liz Moffitt with Sapir

14 | Christian Life Issue Twenty February 2015

KIDS CONNECT CAMP Reaching children with disabilities

By James Muir

By the time you reads this NZ Marriage Week will be over, however we encourage all married and unmarried couples to make time to invest in their relationships for the rest of this year and , of course, beyond!. It could be something as simple as walking the beach and having a coffee time in a local cafe, a date night, enjoying a movie, or whatever thoughtful and creative minds can conjure up. Men this is your chance to take the lead.

We also invite couples who are preparing to marry, to consider signing up for the ENRICH Couples assessment with a trained Facilitator, or registering for a Family Life Couples Seminar.

See www.familylife.org.nz These ‘A Day Together’ Seminars are open to all married and unmarried couples and are lead by Andy & Nikki Bray and team.

Marriage Week was launched in Tauranga in 2010 after research showed an unusually high ratio of divorces to new marriages each year. In the last 10 years more than 7000 Western Bay of Plenty couples have chosen to marry; however in this same time almost 4000 couples went through the pain of divorce, and these figures do not include unmarried couples going through the pain of relationship breakdown. See Tauranga Marriages on Facebook.

So Marriage Week is all about making our whole community aware of church and community based events and programmes running throughout the year that can benefit all couples; those who are unmarried and may be preparing for marriage, as well as those who are already married.

.For more information on NZ Marriage Week and related events visit www.marriageweek.org.nz and NZ Marriage Week on Facebook.

CBM has been holding Kids Connect Camps in Auckland for five years now. It specifically caters for children with physical disabilities or mild intellectual disabilities. Often the standard children’s camps do not suit these children but they benefit greatly from the camp experience. Kids Connect provides a small camp setting where fun activities are geared to suit individual abilities. Each child with a disability is partnered with an able-bodied buddy of similar age and small groups are managed by an adult leader. Amazing friendships grow between leaders,

buddies and campers. Teaching at camp is Christian based and encourages the children to embrace all that God has for them.

One happy parent says: “I have a son who has Autism …. He was able to enjoy “being at camp” whilst being allowed to be himself. The combination of teaching, quiet times, craft and fun outdoors was just right.”

For more details go to cbm.org.nz/kidsconnect or see our advert on page 18.

Family First NZ is calling on families to boycott the upcoming “Fifty Shades of Grey”

movie and instead donate the admission

fee to a local women’s refuge. They are also

encouraging families to use the release of the movie as an opportunity to have a discussion with their youngsters about real respect and intimacy in relationships.

“The premise of the movie is that a woman who is humiliated, abused, controlled, entrapped, coerced, manipulated and tortured is somehow an ‘empowered’ woman. And a man who is possessive, controlling, violent, jealous and coercive is somehow showing ‘true love’. These are foul

and dangerous lies. This movie and the book it is based on simply glamorises sexual violence and should be rejected by everyone who is concerned about family and sexual violence,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“Ironically, both the lead actors have admitted that they don’t want family members or their own children to view the movie. That should be warning enough to our own families and in NZ, we’re asking for families to boycott the movie and make a special donation to any charity that is working to eliminate sexual violence and supporting the victims and families.

Donate the movie ticket price to a charity of your choice that is putting the welfare and protection of families first,” says Mr McCoskrie.

BOYCOTT ‘50 SHADES’ MOVIE, DONATE TO VICTIMS INSTEAD

Celebrating NZ Marriage Week

Tak Bhana, Senior Pastor of Church Unlimited (pictured above) shares his vision for their interdenominational conference in March.

Shortly after our 2014 conference the Holy Spirit gave me the theme for our 2015 conference, ‘Heal Our Land’. I’m sure that resonates with you as much as it does with me. We only need to read the front page of the newspaper or watch the news on TV to appreciate just how

much our land needs an invasion of heaven.

Throughout scripture and Christian history we read of seasons when God healed communities and nations and turned them back to Himself. We know the wonderful promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14, which reveals the passion of God’s heart to heal nations. “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves,

and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

The word heal is a verb, an action word. It’s certainly going to take some action if our land is going to be healed, and God has placed the responsibility to take that action on His church, on each

member, in other words, every one of us.This year’s conference is our eighth

one and has been the case for the last three years we will be presenting it in both Auckland and Christchurch.

We have a tremendous line up of speakers for this years’ conference including Glen Berteau from The House (Modesto, USA), Russell Evans from Planetshakers, and Danny Guglielmucci from the Edge Church in Australia. They have all been used by God to bring a measure of healing to their communities and nations, and I’m confident they will equip, inspire, and challenge us to do the same.

As we join our faith, gifts and passion together we will heal our land and take healing to the nations.

To register go to www.nzandbeyond.com

NEW ZEALAND AND BEYOND FOR 2015As 2014 drew to a close, long established second hand Christian bookshop, Evermore Books, itself came close to shutting down – to the disappointment of its many customers. A large rent increase left owner, Ross Davidson, feeling he had no choice but to close the busi-ness; customers were advised, and Closing Down Sales began.

Neither customers nor owner were happy with the planned closure. Davidson revisited everything, ultimately deciding to reduce the size of the premises. Despite some initial concerns, results have exceeded expecta-tions, with space used more efficiently and excess stock weeded out. “The new layout is working well, the shop is easier to navigate and we still have the same wide range we’ve been known for. We just need people to know we’re still here!”

Evermore purchases books for cash but donations of books are greatly appreciated.

www.evermorebooks.co.nz

EVERMORE BOOKS STAYING IN OPERATION

Local News

www.mychristiandaily.com | 15

Study

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, LEFT BEHIND’S equivalent, A Thief in the Night, didn’t quite boast the same acting prowess as Nicolas Cage, but it was just as frightening, with pilots disappearing from aeroplanes, driver-less cars crashing over bridges and homes suddenly emptied of their children. The haunting scenes of Christians being whisked off to heaven while the rest were left behind sent me back to the altar several times just in case I got the prayer of salvation wrong.

Watching the movie as a teenager, the unfolding events of the apocalypse all seemed quite straightforward. But when I tried to read Revelation - the source of the script - the meaning wasn’t so clear. I couldn’t get past the winged creatures covered in eyeballs, the sun turning black like goat hair and the prostitute drunken with blood.

The book of Revelation has been a source of controversy and myriads of weird interpretations for practically all of its 2000-year history. It has been used variously to claim that the Pope was the Beast, Henry Kissinger was the Antichrist and the invention of the credit card signalled the end of the world. Countless predictions have been based on its pages, including the dating of the earth’s final demise (multiple times!)

The events dramatised in Left Behind are just one of the many interpretations surrounding the events of Jesus’ return. For those who want to be in the know, Tim LayHaye’s novels are based on a pre-milliennial, pre-tribulation, dispensationalist interpretation of Revelation. There’s also futurist, amillennial, historist, mid and post-tribulation, preterist and idealist approaches, plus any combination of them all.

Which makes anyone want to steer clear.So how do we begin to make sense of this strange

and colourful book that was passed down to us from the late 1stC AD via the Apostle John? How can we learn something useful from it that will help us in our walk with Jesus today?

1. Recognise the Genre of RevelationThe book of Revelation is a particular genre of writing. Think of the Bible as being like a library with many different categories of books. There’s letters, wisdom collections, narratives, historic accounts and biographies.

We read and interpret each genre differently. Part of the reason we struggle so much with Revelation

is that we are not very familiar with its genre. Almost the entire book is in the form of a dream-vision, one of the most common ways God speaks in the Bible. Dreams and visions occurred in both Old and New Testament times as well as in the history of the church. The Apostle Peter tells us that all who have the Holy Spirit can hear God speak in dreams and visions (Acts 2:17).

But since the Enlightenment of the 1800s, many of us in the West have come to understand that dreams and visions are more likely to be the product of spicy pizza rather than the substance of a divine communique. Typically, those who claim to hear God’s voice in this way can seem a little odd. Therefore we have minimal experience with a book of this type.

2. Understand the Use of SymbolismDreams and visions communicate with pictures rather than words. So, objects, animals and even people can be symbolic of something else. We see this in some of our most famous bible stories, like in Joseph’s case where sheaves of wheat represent his family, and a herd of skinny cows symbolised a famine. Or for Ezekiel, where a graveyard of bleached bones referred to the death of his nations’ hopes. You need to interpret the symbolism in order to understand the message.

When we apply this understanding to the symbols of Revelation, the message becomes clearer. We see that the lamp-stands of chapter 1 represent churches, the blood-stained lamb in chapter 5 is symbolic of Jesus and the dragon of chapter 12 represents Satan. The seals and bowls signify judgement. The wedding supper of the lamb marks God’s reunion with his people. Even numbers are symbolic with plenty of sevens representing God’s perfection, in contrast to six, the number of man. Some symbols we may miss because we don’t know the Greco-Roman culture so well, but a little investigation helps us, for example, with the beast with seven heads well-known in that day as a clear allusion to the Roman empire.

3. Consider the Context of RevelationIt’s impossible to understand the general meaning and

purpose of Revelation’s message without considering the setting in which it was given. The Apostle John’s prophetic message was delivered to seven churches in Asia Minor (Rev. 1:1-3). While each church had its specific challenges, the most worrying threat was growing persecution from the Roman Empire. The new Christ-followers were under pressure to bow to the emperor-cult and to engage in idolatrous and immoral practices. Some had already lost their lives for their faith.

It’s in this light that readers first understood the words of John’s revelation. They were in the midst of a great spiritual battle as the kingdom of God faced off with the kingdom of the world. It was God’s way versus man’s; the self-sacrificial manner of the lamb versus the violent and oppressive ways of the beast. The Spirit was calling them to overcome evil by following the lamb and fighting with his weapons - the sword of God’s word, prayers that filled bowls like incense and the power of their testimony (Rev. 12:11). In the end it is the lamb who would triumph over the beast! (Rev.17:4)

Whatever your theological position of the future, the message of Revelation is a powerful encouragement today as it was to those in the First century. Like the early church, the Spirit exhorts us to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Whatever hardships we face, we are called to endure faithfully without resorting to the ways of the enemy, because in the end justice will be done, we will be reunited with our saviour, and we will enjoy his presence on a glorious new earth.

How to understand

From winged creatures covered in eyeballs, to the sun turning black like goat hair

and the prostitute drunken with blood... TANIA HARRIS delves into the weird

and wonderful book of Revelation...

Tania Harris is a pastor, speaker and founder of God Conversations, a ministry that equips people to recognise God’s voice. She is the producer and presenter of The Other Side of the Conversation DVD Study Series and the author of eBook ‘The Easy Way to Hear God’s Voice’, available at godconversations.com. You can also find Tania on Facebook and Twitter.

16 | Christian Life Issue Twenty February 2015

Details correct at time of printing

KEY:P Preaching C Children M Music D Doco/Drama

N News E Entertainment Y Youth

A Shine viewer says... “I cannot say enough of how through Shine I have been encouraged, strengthened and much much more. God reveals Himself through Shine. Just imagine the lives that the Lord has saved through Shine.”

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

6:00Lakewood Church:

Joel Osteen P

Unlocking the Bible:David Pawson P Leading the Way:

Michael Youssef P The Catholic Guy:Bruce Downs P Derek Prince P Hope Centre:

Wayne Alcorn P The Huggabug Club C 6:00

6:30 Destined to Reign with Joseph Prince (Mon-Fri) (Feb)(For March: Mon - Joni & Friends; Tue - Hearts Wide Open; Wed - Give Me An Answer; Thu - Rhema Worship; Fri - Your Best Life) P Hillsong Kids C 6:30

7:00 Hour of Power:Robert Schuller P

The Huggabug Club C The Huggabug Club C Veggie Tales C Adventures in Booga Booga Land C Scaly Adventures C Go Frills C 7:00

7:30 3-2-1 Penguins! C Go Frills C 3-2-1 Penguins! C Larryboy C Hillsong Kids C Larryboy C 7:30

8:00 Connection Point:Reuben Munn P Go Frills C Friends and Heroes C Children’s Heroes

of the Bible C Superbook C Pahappahooey Island C RocKids TV C 8:00

8:30 Running with Fire (Feb) / Word For You (Mar)

P Impact for Life:Peter & Bev Mortlock P Word For You:

Terry & Jayne Calkin P LIFE TV:Paul de Jong P Running With Fire:

Tak Bhana P Connection Point P What’s in the Bible? C 8:30

9:00In Touch:

Charles Stanley P

Joni and Friends / Destined to Reign (Mar 2)

D Hearts Wide Open / Destined to Reign (Mar 3)

D Give Me An Answer / Destined to Reign (Mar 4)

D Go Healthy for Food / Destined to Reign &

Rhema Worship(Mar 5)

D

Your Best Life / Destined to Reign (Mar 6)

P Superbook C 9:00

9:30 Life Questions:Jeff Vines D The Exchange D Answers with

Bayless Conley P Brian Houston @Hillsong TV P Children’s Heroes

of the Bible C 9:30

10:00 Word For You (Feb) /Running with Fire (Mar)

P HarvestLite(Highlights from the

Harvest Show)P

The 700 Club (Tue-Fri)(Please note: from March 3, The 700 Club runs from 10-11am) N

Life fm Presents

Y

10:00

10:30 LIFE TV: Paul de Jong P Rhe Rhema Worship (Tue-Fri) (Feb) ma M 10:30

11:00

FEATURE:See adjacent

for details

Full Circle (Mon-Fri) D 11:00

11:30 Enjoying Everyday Life with Joyce Meyer (Mon-Fri) D Hearts Wide Open D 11:30

Noon Precious Memories:Bill & Gloria Gaither M

Sue Thomas: FB Eye P

Christian World News NAmerican Bible

Challenge DTheDRIVEtv Y Jeni: Seeking the

Extraordinary D Noon

12:30 Songs of Praise M For the Life of the World / Ask Chris (Mar 4)

DFEATURE:

See adjacent for details

FEATURE:See adjacent

for details

12:30

1:00 Gods at War / Hymns of Forefathers (Mar 16)

M FEATURE:See adjacent

for detailsFEATURE:

See adjacent for details

FEATURE:See adjacent

for details

1:00

1:30FEATURE:

See adjacent for details

1:302:00 Life Journeys D 2:00

2:30 The Restoration Road D Live from Studio B M 2:303:00

In Touch: Charles Stanley P Living Truth:

Charles Price P Turning Point:Dr David Jeremiah P Lakewood Church:

Joel Osteen P Hour of Power:Robert Schuller P

3:00

3:30 Give Me An Answer:Cliffe Knechtle D 3:30

4:00The Catholic Guy (Feb) / Living Truth

(Mar 1, 4-5pm)D Go Frills C Veggie Tales C Larryboy C Hillsong Kids C RocKids TV C Leading the Way:

Michael Youssef D 4:00

4:30 Hearts Wide Open D Superbook C Friends and Heroes C Children’s Heroes of the Bible C Superbook C What’s in the Bible? C Hope Centre:

Wayne Alcorn P 4:30

5:00Impact for Life (Feb) /

Turning Point (Mar 1, 5-6pm)

P Life fm Presents YLife fm Presents Y

Life fm Presents YLife fm Presents Y Life fm Presents Y

Jeni: Seeking the Extraordinary D 5:00

5:30 Joni and Friends D TheDRIVEtv Y Xtreme Life TV Y Jump Shipp D 5:30

6:00 Turning Point (Feb) / Joni & Friends, then Hearts Wide Open (Mar 1)

PThe 700 Club (Mon-Fri) (Please note: from March 2, The 700 Club runs from 6-7pm) N Lakewood Church:

Joel Osteen P6:00

6:30 Rhe Rhema Worship (Mon-Fri) (Feb) ma M 6:30

7:00 Precious Memories M Impact for Life:

Peter & Bev Mortlock P Word For You:Terry & Jayne Calkin P LIFE TV:

Paul de Jong P Running With Fire:Tak Bhana P Hope Centre:

Wayne Alcorn P FEATURE:See adjacent

for details

Brought to you by

7:00

7:30 Songs of Praise M

What’s on Shine Christian World News NAmerican Bible

Challenge ELive from Studio B M Jeni: Seeking the

Extraordinary D 7:30

Sue Thomas: FB Eye D

8:00 Gods at War / Hymns of Forefathers (Mar 15)

M For the Life of the World / Ask Chris (Mar 3)

D FEATURE:See adjacent

for details

Jump Shipp D 8:00

8:30 FEATURE:See adjacent

for details

FEATURE:See adjacent

for details FEATURE:See adjacent

for details

FEATURE:See adjacent

for details

FEATURE:See adjacent

for details

8:30

9:00 Sue Thomas: FB Eye D

9:009:30 Life Journeys D 9:30

10:00 Brian Houston @Hillsong TV P The Restoration Road D TheDRIVEtv Y Joni and Friends D 10:00

10:30 Your Best Life:Phil Pringle P Life Questions:

Jeff Vines D The Exchange D Answers with Bayless Conley P Your Best Life:

Phil Pringle P Brian Houston @Hillsong TV P Hope Centre:

Wayne Alcorn P 10:30

11:00 The Catholic Guy:Bruce Downs P Enjoying Everyday Life with Joyce Meyer (Mon-Fri) P The Mark Gungor

Show D11:00

11:30 The Exchange D Destined to Reign with Joseph Prince (Mon-Fri) P 11:30

Mid-night

Hope Centre:Wayne Alcorn P Unlocking the Bible:

David Pawson P Leading the Way:Michael Youssef P The Catholic Guy:

Bruce Downs P Derek Prince P Connection Point:Reuben Munn P LIFE TV:

Paul de Jong P Mid-night

PROGRAMME GUIDEMon 16th February - Tue 31st March

Brought to you

by

Details correct at time of printing. (Notes in italics indicate programme date changes in the month)For up-to-date 24-hour listings and programme information go to shinetv.co.nz.

www.mychristiandaily.com | 17

shinetv.co.nztwitter.com/shinetv

facebook.com/shinetv.nz

To watch ShineFreeview Satellite 25Sky 201or online at shinetv.co.nz

The Long Road Home (running time: 91 min)A young boy is sent to live with his grandfather on a rural, isolated farm where he is severely tested.Mon 16 Feb @ 8.30pm; Tue 17 Feb @ 1pm

Undaunted (running time: 67 min)This is Josh McDowell’s story. A story that left him with a lifetime of scars until God’s overwhelming love touched him.Tue 17 Feb @ 8.30pm; Wed 18 Feb @ 1pm

Different Drummers (running time: 120 min)When David accurately foretells the death of their teacher, classmate Lyle decides to test the existence of God.Wed 18 Feb @ 8.30pm; Thu 19 Feb @ 1pm

Jesus Culture Concert (run time: 100 min)‘Come Away’ was recorded at the Jesus Culture Redding Conference to a full house of passionate youth.Thu 19 Feb @ 8pm; Fri 20 Feb @ 12.30pm

The 5th Quarter (running time: 105 min)Driven by his brother’s death, Jon Abbate helps to lead his football team to the most successful season in school history.Fri 20 Feb @ 8.30pm; Sat 21 Feb @ 12.30pm Rogue Saints (running time: 105 min)When friends Nick and Dylan run out of money, they remember a story of a huge diamond buried under a church.Sat 21 Feb @ 2.15pm

Our Wild Hearts (running time: 120 min)A wealthy teenage girl from Malibu falls in love with a wild mustang and meets the father she has never known.Sat 21 Feb @ 7pm; Sun 22 Feb @ 2pm; Sun 1 Mar @ 11am

Going Strongly For the Summit (running time: 60 min)John Blanchard’s writings & preaching have brought countless people to Christ.Sun 22 Feb @ 8.30pm; Mon 23 Feb @ 1.30pm

Ordinary People (running time: 120 min)Three men’s stories intertwine as they journey to a life-changing Angus Buchan conference in South Africa.Mon 23 Feb @ 8.30pm; Tue 24 Feb @ 1pm

Blessing, Curse or Coincidence (running time: 60 min)Lance looks at Israel, the Jewish people and the Messiah in the establishment of the Kingdom of God on EarthTue 24 Feb @ 8.30pm; Wed 25 Feb @ 1pmTue 3 Mar @ 8.30pm; Wed 4 Mar @ 1pm

The Forsaken Promise (running time: 60 min)In 1917 Britain pledged to help establish a Jewish national home in Palestine. Instead Britain became a major obstacle. Tue 24 Feb @ 9.30pm; Wed 25 Feb @ 2pmTue 3 Mar @ 9.30pm; Wed 4 Mar @ 2pm

The Lost Medallion (running time: 94 min)Two teenage friends uncover a long-lost medallion that transports them back in time.Wed 25 Feb @ 8.30pm; Thu 26 Feb @ 1pm

Jesus Culture Concert (run time: 75 min)‘Consumed’ was filmed at Redding’s historic Cascade Theatre.Thu 26 Feb @ 8pm; Fri 27 Feb @ 12.30pm

The Orphan Lady (running time: 40 min)‘Ordinary mum’ Sue van Schreven from Queenstown is tackling the global problem of child abandonment.Thu 26 Feb @ 9.20pm; Fri 27 Feb @ 1.50pm

Machine Gun Preacher (running time: 120 min)A violent biker turns to God and finds an unexpected calling, rescuing orphans from slavery and the civil war in Sudan.Fri 27 Feb @ 8.30pm; Sat 28 Feb @ 12.30pm

Touch the Top of the World (run time: 90 min)Based on the true story of climber Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.Sat 28 Feb @ 2.30pm

This Is Our Time (running time: 120 min)After graduation, five friends set out to make a difference for God. But will they have the courage to fulfill their calling?Sat 28 Feb @ 7pm; Sun 1 Mar @ 2pm;Sun 8 Mar @ 11am

The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler (running time: 95 min)Irena Sendler was arrested by the Nazi’s for saving the lives of 2,500 Jewish children in World War II.Sun 1 Mar @ 8.30pm; Mon 2 Mar @ 1.30pm

Little Red Wagon (running time: 104 min)With a blazing spirit of philanthropy and his beat-up wagon, Zach sets out to help homeless children in America. Mon 2 Mar @ 8.30pm; Tue 3 Mar @ 1pm

Amish Grace (running time: 85 min)When a gunman kills five Amish children, media attention turns to the Amish community’s extraordinary forgiveness. Wed 4 Mar @ 8.30pm; Thu 5 Mar @ 1pm

Jesus Culture Concert (run time: 89 min)‘Unstoppable Love’ was recorded live at Jesus Culture’s annual Encounter Conference.Thu 5 Mar @ 8pm; Fri 6 Mar @ 12.30pm

Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End (running time: 88 min)While the rest of the word is in chaos, a traveling salesman with a dark past must battle in his quest to get home.Fri 6 Mar @ 8.30pm; Sat 7 Mar @ 12.30pm

Hometown Legend (running time: 108 min)A legendary coach, a feisty student & a mysterious drifter help bring a football team, and the town, back to glory.Sat 7 Mar @ 2pm

The Perfect Wave (running time: 86 min)Ian McCormack dies whilst diving and is given a choice to stay in Heaven or return to spread the Word of God.Sat 7 Mar @ 7pm; Sun 8 Mar @ 2pm; Sun 15 Mar @ 11am

Candle in the Dark (running time: 94 min)William Carey sailed to India in in 1793 with a reluctant wife and four children to bring the message of Jesus.Sun 8 Mar @ 8.30pm; Mon 9 Mar @ 1.30pm

I’m In Love With a Church Girl (running time: 113 min)The past of a former drug dealer proves problematic as his love for a devout Christian woman grows. Mon 9 Mar @ 8.30pm; Tue 10 Mar @ 1pm

Beyond Empires (running time: 60 min)Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg is almost unknown in the west but revered in India by Christians, Hindus and Muslims.Tue 10 Mar @ 8.30pm; Wed 11 Mar @ 1pm

Exile to Restoration (running time: 60 min)The British Empire’s role in the restoration of the Jews to their ancient homeland and the rebirth of Israel as a nation.Tue 10 Mar @ 9.30pm; Wed 11 Mar @ 2pm

Home Run Showdown (run time: 94 min)Two little league teams do battle where the baseball world never expected: in the outfield of the Home Run Derby. Wed 11 Mar @ 8.30pm; Thu 12 Mar @ 1pm

Disconnect Reconnect (run time: 90 min)Sudden withdrawal from gadget-driven addictions forces the Van Der Poole family to face one another again.Thu 12 Mar @ 8pm; Fri 13 Mar @ 12.30pm

Revelation Road: Sea of Glass and Fire (running time: 90 min)The thrilling odyssey of Josh McManus, as he struggles to return home to his wife and daughter.Fri 13 Mar @ 8.30pm; Sat 14 Mar @ 12.30pm

No Greater Love (running time: 104 min)Heather abandons Jeff to raise their young son alone. Ten years later, Jeff and Heather meet again. Sat 14 Mar @ 2pm

The Perfect Summer (running time: 80 min)Jake seems to be good at making enemies. Will his interest in a pretty surfing prodigy lead to more trouble?Sat 14 Mar @ 7pm; Sun 15 Mar @ 2pm; Sun 22 Mar @ 11am

God of Wonders (running time: 84 min)The creation story and the Gospel with spectacular photography and facts about God’s handiwork in creation.Sun 15 Mar @ 8.30pm; Mon 16 Mar @ 1.30pm

The Mark (running time: 87 min)Chad Turner is implanted with the only working biometric computer chip. It has the power to change the world.Mon 16 Mar @ 8.30pm; Tue 17 Mar @ 1pm

Journey into the Unknown (running time: 60 min)Hanneke had never heard of Mongolia until God asked her to go there.Tue 17 Mar @ 8.30pm; Wed 18 Mar @ 1pm

Seven Mile Miracle (running time: 60 min)The capital of the surfing world... take a journey of discovery and see the heart of the Creator of it all. Tue 17 Mar @ 9.30pm; Wed 18 Mar @ 2pm

Outlaw Trail (running time: 90 min)A relative of outlaw Butch Cassidy seeks the truth about the man’s fate and the location of buried treasure. Wed 18 Mar @ 8.30pm; Thu 19 Mar @ 1pm

Home Beyond the Sun (run time: 96 min)An American teacher and a Chinese orphan overcome hardship and prejudice through their faith in God.Thu 19 Mar @ 8pm; Fri 20 Mar @ 12.30pm

SHINE FEATURESMon 16th February - Tue 31st March

Details correct at time of printing. For up-to-date 24-hour listings and programme information

go to shinetv.co.nz.

The Umbrella (running time: 93 min)What if an umbrella could protect its user from pain? Jared Evans’ umbrella does just that.Fri 20 Mar @ 8.30pm; Sat 21 Mar @ 12.30pm

Camp Sterling (running time: 81 min)Alex and his friends find an old journal that tells of a medallion believed to have belonged to King Solomon. Sat 21 Mar @ 2pm; Wed 25 Mar @ 8.30pm;Thu 26 @ 1pm

Love Covers All (running time: 78 min)When a dad is stranded with his wife in labour back home, it puts his faith and fractured family to the ultimate test.Sat 21 Mar @ 7pm; Sun 22 Mar @ 2pm; Sun 29 Mar @ 11am

A Mile in His Shoes (running time: 85 min)Mickey Tussler, an autistic pitcher, joins a minor-league baseball team and has a profound effect on the team. Sun 22 Mar @ 8.30pm; Mon 23 Mar @ 1.30pm

The Mark 2 (running time: 94 min)Chad Turner needs to protect the microchip and prevent it from falling into the hands of evil, with God’s help.Mon 23 Mar @ 8.30pm; Tue 24 Mar @ 1pm

Journey to the Amazon (run time: 60 min)Charles Price takes us to remote corners of the Amazon to look at the work of evangelical missions to fishermen.Tue 24 Mar @ 8.30pm; Wed 25 Mar @ 1pm

Captivated (running time: 90 min)Insights from media experts and personal stories from those who have escaped media addiction.Thu 26 Mar @ 8pm; Fri 27 Mar @ 12.30pm

Jerusalem Countdown (run time: 85 min)When nuclear weapons are smuggled into America, an FBI Agent is faced with an impossible task. Fri 27 Mar @ 8.30pm; Sat 28 Mar @ 12.30pm

The Assignment (running time: 92 min)After acceptance to a prestigious music school, Eliza’s world is rocked by a shocking mystery about her family. Sat 28 Mar @ 2pm

Midnight Stallion (running time: 97 min)When a family discovers a wild stallion in a nearby forest they wonder if this could be the answer to their prayers.Sat 28 Mar @ 7pm; Sun 29 Mar @ 2pm

Two Hats (running time: 86 min)Follow the Wells family as they share God’s Word and establish Papau New Guinea’s first Christian radio station.Sun 29 Mar @ 8.30pm; Mon 30 Mar @ 1.30pm

Last Ounce of Courage (run time: 100 min)A grieving father, who lost his son on the battlefield, challenges his fellow citizens to take back their lost freedoms.Mon 30 Mar @ 8.30pm; Tue 31 Mar @ 1pm

Gift of Hope (running time: 30 min)The inspiring story of a young thalidomide victim and talented musician who has gained international recognition. Tue 31 Mar @ 8.30pm

Haiti’s Children (running time: 90 min)After a massive earthquake, Dr Robi Sonderegger unearthed the hidden nature of child abuse in Haiti. Tue 31 Mar @ 9pm

18 | Christian Life Issue Twenty February 2015

Classifieds...

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Scripture Union NZ’s Conference for all Children’s Ministry Leaders

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