From the

EditorThere Is A River

There is a river near to my home, where for many metres along the bank the water seems to be flowing backwards, towards the source instead of towards the sea. More than an illusion, this phenomenon is caused by the unique contours of the bank and the riverbed. A visitor looking only at that section of water would think that the river flowed through Hamilton from north to south. In a similar and sadly predictable way those without knowledge of Christ believe the kingdom of God is a myth and the ways of the world are the only reality. If they were totally honest they would declare that man’s lot is just selfishness, grief, sorrow and death; or, to paraphrase a very cynical saying, “Life is a misery, and then you die.”

But, it needn’t be that way, for there exists the best of all possible news, “O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15.55), and there lives forever the one who proclaimed, “I have overcome the world!” (John 16.33), and there is heard God’s unbreakable promise of redemption, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.” (John 3.36) The illusion is that the world, the flesh and the devil reign supreme, while the reality is that forgiveness and eternal life are offered to all in Jesus Christ.

There is another river, “…whose streams make glad the city of God, the Holy place where the most high dwells.” (Psalm 46.4) Truly we can have no greater calling than to be a signpost, showing others which way that river flows; bringing enlightenment so that they can change direction and head towards their eternal home of everlasting joy. May we hear the words of Zechariah 8.23 echoed by many people, some of whom only we personally can reach, “We want to share in your destiny, because we have heard that God is with you.” So that we might hear these words our privilege is to faithfully share the message of the chorus:

There is a river that flows from God above.There is a fountain, that’s filled with His great love.Come to the water, there is a vast supply.There is a river, that never shall run dry.

One might think that to write a worship song titled, “It is Well with My Soul”, it would help to be a rich, successful Chicago lawyer, like Horatio G. Spafford. But the words, “When sorrows like sea billows roll ...It is well with my soul,” were not written during the happiest period of Spafford’s life. On the contrary, they came from a man who had suffered almost unimaginable personal tragedy.

Horatio and his wife, Anna, were well-known in 1860’s Chicago, not only through Horatio’s legal career, but the Spaffords were also prominent supporters and close friends of D. L. Moody, the famous preacher. In 1870, however, things started to go wrong. The Spaffords’ only son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four, while a year later their real estate investments were destroyed by the great Chicago Fire. Aware of the toll that these disasters had taken on the family, Horatio decided to take his wife and four daughters on a holiday to England, where they would assist D. L. Moody on one of his great evangelistic campaigns. Just before they set sail, a last minute business development forced Horatio to delay his departure; leaving Anna and her four daughters to sail to Europe without him. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read: “Saved alone.”

The Ville de Havre had collided with another vessel, sinking in only 12 minutes, claiming the lives of 226 people. Anna Spafford had stood bravely on the deck, with her daughters Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta clinging desperately to her. Her last memory had been of her baby being torn violently from her arms by the force of the waters. When Mrs. Spafford eventually came to her first reaction was one of complete despair. Then she heard a voice speak to her, “You were spared for a purpose.” And she immediately recalled the words of a friend, “It’s easy to be grateful and good when you have so much, but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God.”

During Horatio’s voyage to join his wife the captain advised him that they were passing the very place where the de Havre was wrecked. Horatio returned to his cabin and penned the lyrics of his great hymn.

THE REALITY OF BROKENNESSRev. Dr. Jeffrey A. Mackey, Sharing, January 2006.

We can do no better than to claim these words as our own; as we sojourn in the same fallen, broken world as did Horatio Spafford. From the daily physical, mental and emotional afflictions, right through to the most manifold disasters of life, we are reminded that this is not the perfect place we would like it to be. Death is a reality; and while it does not reign in us, as Paul so positively affirms, there are unavoidable results of its presence. Where is God in this? Praise his name, Jesus is not only Healer, but he is Health itself! When issues surrounding brokenness don’t get resolved to our human satisfaction, we can still be sure that they are taken up into the finished work of Calvary, owned and carried by Christ himself. To see brokenness in perspective we can do no better than read the Beatitudes. The “poor in spirit” are God conscious, precisely in their poorness of spirit. There is nothing that tells us that they are subsequently made rich in spirit or even that their poorness is assuaged. The brokenness defined as spiritual poverty is a blessed state, a state of being in health even if healing is deferred.

Mourning also is also a blessed state. Who but God would or could ever think so? The mourning is not simply removed but caught up in the blessedness of redemption.

Blessedness has little, or indeed nothing, to do with our circumstances, possessions, money, even good health and happiness. Blessedness is solely defined in terms of relationship to God. Blessedness is “God-consciousness.” To be conscious of God in the context of healing is to be in a health that transcends mere physical wellness. What a wondrous truth we find in the Psalmist’s words, “Bless the Lord O my soul,” for when we make God conscious of himself, we are ultimately privileged to “bless God”! We then, can not fail to be in a blessed state, no matter what we face, as long as we dwell in that supreme relationship for which we were created.

“Even so, it is well with my soul.”

Then she heard a voice speak to her, “You were spared for a purpose”.

Quarterly World Digest of Christian Healing Founded 1957. P.O. Box 16099, Hamilton, New Zealand. Gratis.

WholenessNovember 2010, Edition No. 211

When peace, like a river, attendeth my wayWhen sorrows like sea billows rollWhatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to sayIt is well, it is well with my soul.Though Satan should buffet, though trials should comeLet this blessed assurance controlThat Christ hath regarded my helpless estateAnd hath shed His own blood for my soul.My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thoughtMy sin, not in part but in wholeIs nailed to the cross, and I hear it no morePraise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sightThe clouds be rolled back as a scroll.The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descendEven so, it is well with my soul.

The true goal of leadership is not to

cross the finishing line first, but to take as many others with you

as you can. Bob Gass

Ministry is a marathon, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. As we are each a minister of the gospel, Paul’s seven points of advice in 1 Corinthians 4: 1-18 relating to “lasting in ministry” apply to us all.

1) (v1) Remember God’s mercy.God has given us our ministries; we don’t

have to prove our worth in our calling, neither do we have to wallow in our mistakes. We serve at the good pleasure of him who called us, none other.

2) (v2) Heed the warning.Be careful not to distort the Word of God,

and to be truthful and honest in all you do. Maintain your integrity because integrity produces power in your life, while guilt saps your energy. You need to run and finish the race with your character intact.

3) (v5) Be motivated to work for Jesus’ sake, not out of selfish desires.We need a right motivation. Before they

realise it ministers may start off as servants and end up as celebrities. You need to learn to live your life for an audience of one, Jesus Christ.

4) (v7) Realize that Christians are only human.We must accept our limitations; certainly the

quickest way to burn out is to try to be everything to everyone. Humility involves being honest about our weaknesses.

5) (v15) Develop a true love for others.

Churches survive, grow and thrive when love endures.

You must love people or you won’t last in the ministry, let alone retain the joy of your salvation.

6) (v16) Allow time for inward rejuvenation.Divert daily, withdraw weekly and abandon

annually. Take time for recharging. Like the Air Force, we need to learn the art of mid-flight refueling. You don’t have to land every time you need a fresh infilling.

7) (17-18) Stay focused on the important things, not distracted by momentary troubles.Keep your eyes on the goal, not the

problem, for only he who sees the invisible can accomplish the impossible. To be a winner in the marathon of service Christians need to realize that great people are just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of determination. If we run from problems we’ll never be able to become what God wants us to be. What he ultimately intends of course, is to be able to say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matt. 25.21) Would we want to hear anything else?

Chris Lethbridge.Rewritten from Wholeness No. 80, 1 Feb. 1978.

Loneliness can kill you, according to a recent issue of Time Magazine. The article said health studies have long shown that single, widowed and divorced people are likelier prey to disease than are married folk. Specifically, divorced people are twice as likely to get lung cancer or to suffer a stroke as those who are married. Divorced men are seven times more likely to develop cirrhosis of the liver and ten times more likely to get tuberculosis. The rate of heart failure among young widows is five times that of married women within the same age group. Now don’t take alarm any reader who is single! These secular figures don’t take account of the power of God to, “… save

completely (make whole) those who come to God through him.” (Hebrews 7.25)

What the figures do support though is the fact that human relationships are every bit as important to health

as are diet and exercise. An extreme example is the effectiveness of Voodoo spells in primitive cultures, with their resultant social isolation making illness more likely. On the other hand faith and fellowship promote good health by providing hope and companionship. As the poet W. H. Auden said: “We must love one another or die.” But of course St. John said the same thing 1900 years earlier, “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light ...” (I John 2.9, 10) Loneliness is a solitary word, while love and light are inseparable.

LONELINESSSEVEN KEYSRick Warren, Forerunner, May 2006

In his healing ministry Jesus manifested his power over death in all its forms. Death tried to answer back through the Pharisees in their many attempts to stop Jesus, to defeat the life which was at work in the world. Perversely they claimed, “You heal by the power of the devil! Your healings are evil!” They did so because Jesus’ healing ministry broke the rules, and they were fixed on keeping the rules. Sadly, I know a few Christians who also think like that when it comes to Jesus’ healing ministry today.

Jesus makes it very plain; he casts out evil spirits and heals the sick by the Spirit of God. He further tells us that this is a sign that “the kingdom of God,” the kingdom of Life, “has come to you.” (Luke 10.9)

It is wonderful that we gather to heal people, to do the very same thing that Jesus did, and to show that the Kingdom of God has arrived in our

“Those whom the Lord has rescued … will reach Jerusalem

with gladness, singing and shouting for joy, they will be happy for ever, for ever free

from sorrow and grief.” Isaiah 35.9, 10

midst. But of course we know the temptation there always is in the church to exchange miracles for religion, to despair of real wholeness and to content ourselves with ceremonies and symbols of healing. So what is the remedy for this failing that replaces real healings with religious gestures? The answer is to realize that the ministry of healing

The Prophetic Ministry of Healing Rev. John Spring, Healing Contact. April, 2010

Plus or Minus?E.L. Mulcock, Reprinted from Wholeness #44, November 1968

Are you part of the world’s illness? …or part of the cure?Are you one of life’s complainers? …ordoyoufindsomethingtobepleasedabout?Doyouspreadgloomanddepression? …or do you have a cheerful word for those you meet?Whynotaccentuatethepositiveandeliminatethenegative? …and give the world a bit more WHOLENESS!

through prayer and the laying-on of hands, the kind of healing Jesus himself exercised, is a prophetic ministry far more than a pastoral ministry. We are called not just to “care for” the sick, but to heal the sick! We are sent to reveal the presence and the prevalence of the Kingdom of God by deeds of power! This will only happen if we know it and believe it and expect it to happen!

We can do nothing other than follow Jesus’ lead; he placed the Lord of Life, the Holy Spirit, at the centre of all his ministry. As we do the same, John 14.11-13 tells us exactly how miracles will lead to faith and will bring glory to God, ” … at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.”

Rev. Lionel Brown

Jesus was walking alongside the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. There were crowds of sick people there. They came every day because there was a local tradition that when an angel came and troubled the waters of the pool the first person into the pool would be healed. There was a man in the crowd who had been ill for 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there for a long time; he asked: ‘Do you want to be made well?’ Why did Jesus ask this question? Surely if the man had been ill for so long naturally he would want to be set free from illness. But it is possible that in 38 years he could have developed quite a comfortable life style:• Someone would take him to the poolside

each day • There were a lot of people there and he

would have made some very good friends • No doubt he earned some money in his

begging bowl• He didn’t have to work• He would have gained a lot of sympathy

It’s also possible that after 38 years he was full of despair and had given up hope of ever being healed. If he became well all these familiar things would be turned upside down. He answered Jesus: ‘Sir, I have no one to put

me in the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.’

We do not know whether this was an excuse or whether this was an indication that he really did want to be healed. In any case, Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” Of course this was the real test of his desire to be healed. He could respond to Jesus’ bidding, or he could decline, after all it was the Sabbath Day. The request was a test; would he have enough faith to stand up? The Bible tells us that at once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. This was a real response of faith. He really did want to be made well and he trusted Jesus to do this.

Jesus asks us that same question, “Do you want to be made well?” The answer we give is an indication as to whether we are content to struggle on without him, or whether we really want him change our lives.

Lionel Brown

“Do you want to be made well?” (John 5.6)

For all OSL enquiries: Brian and Shirley Flower, Co-General Secretaries, 53 St Ann Road, RD 2, Waipu 0582, New Zealand, gensec@oslnz.org

or phone 09-432 0421. For prayer requests, testimonies etc., contact “Wholeness” using the addresses on page 4.

Handling PainHeal Link August 2007. From a Healing Service sermon by Jim Cornish, April 2007.

Catherine Marshall, (abridged) Hamilton Christian School Newsletter, NZ

A king was once choosing between two paintings of peace. One was of a serene lake, perfectly reflecting the towering mountains around it, while overhead was the prettiest of skies dotted with the fluffiest wisps of cloud. The other picture had mountains too, but they were rugged and bare. Above them was an angry sky from which rain was falling heavily and in which lightning flashed. Down the side of the mountains cascaded a waterfall. When the king looked very closely he saw behind the torrent a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, ignoring the thundering deluge, she sat calmly fulfilling her role.

The king explained why he chose the second picture, “Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, no difficulties and no hardships. Peace means to be in the midst of all these things, and yet to be calm in the core of your being.” Like the king, we each discover at some point that there’s no safe harbour free from storms. Peace is not the absence of problems, but the assurance of God’s presence and protection in the midst of them. Peace is holding on to his rock-solid promise to bring us through stronger and wiser than if the gate had been wide and if the way had been broad. We can take all courage and consolation from 1 Peter 1.6,7 “… though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” Would any trade present comfort for this hope and its attendant peace.

ORDER OF ST. LUKE WHAT IS PEACE?

I recently experienced a six week stay in three hospitals, having five operations on my right calf. During that time the thing that stood out most to me is how those of my fellow patients who purposely avoided thinking of themselves and kept thinking of others coped with pain and suffering far better than those who thought only of themselves. One Christian doctor put it this way, “Pain is one of the mysteries in the universe, it is greatly aggravated by self-pity and self-concern.”

A heart occupied with love for others will not be proof against pain, but love certainly moderates it. It has become clear to me that selfishness increases pain, while selflessness tends to dissipate it. Jesus was the most selfless person that ever lived, so although he suffered incredibly he never lapsed into self-pity. He handled the pain of the cross so heroically because sensitive

as his soul was self-pity never ensnared it. The strength of Christ’s Spirit, his dedication to the task His Father had given Him, and the perfect selflessness of his being, enabled him to rise above the unparalleled barrier of pain.

The message is clear, self-pity and self-realization are not part of

Christ’s teaching; rather we have to actively deny ourselves to follow Jesus. Pain, suffering and even agony can be turned into triumphant victory if our reliance is upon God. Jesus went through ultimate agony and had the ultimate triumph. Paul’s description of himself also gives us a pattern, “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church.” (Col. 1.24) May we also find grace to endure whatever befalls us, to the glory of God.

The True Vine“I am the true vine, and my Father

is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15.1,2)

Notice that both branches get cut. For us, the difference is in how we respond to the pain of the pruning. Do we get bitter, or do we get better? Our response to the experience of change or loss or rebuke provides a true measure of the growth in our relationship with God. Our Father is a faithful gardener, ready to cut off the things in our lives that don’t bear fruit, and also ready to remind us that our life is not in the fruit, wonderful as it may be, but only in the vine.

Daily Bible VerseDave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org

Our forgiving others proclaims that justice belongs to God and therefore frees us to call upon his mercy for ourselves.

Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org

“I give peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn’t like the peace that this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid.” John 14.27

HOW TO ORDER WE PACK AND PROCESS“Wholeness” is supported entirely by love offerings: mainly from individual readers and especially those who regularly send a “birthday present in reverse”. Some churches and groups allocate a special offering to this Ministry. Cheques in your currency are acceptable, but not Postal Notes. For donations to our KiwiBank account number 3890050310586-00 please include your name in the details space. For N.Z. receipts (tax deductible) a stamped and addressed envelope is appreciated. God bless you all and thank you.We love to hear from you: testimonies, news, donations, and requests for prayer. Please address all such letters to our editorial office. We also hope that you will interest others in our paper.

Editorial Office: Box 16099, Hamilton, New Zealand. Ph. 07-843 4008, E Mail: wholeness_1@xtra.co.nz. Web site: http://www.wholenessinhim.netDirector: Michael Ferri Editorial and general correspondence.Donations & Accounts: Bob Sherson Prayer: Malia Ferri

We dispatch as follows: Envelopes of 2 or 5; N.Z. packs of 10, 20, 30 etc. Overseas packs of 10 or mul-tiples of 20. (Our most economic rate.)N.B. For change of address or order please try to return your label.The Editorial Director takes full responsibility for the contents of all published articles, but takes no re-sponsibility for any other views or teachings which may be held by the various authors quoted.We acknowledge typesetting by Image Graphics, Levin, printing by Beacon Print, Whakatane, N.Z.; distributors everywhere. Published by Michael Ferri, 6 Dallinger Street, Hamilton, in association with the Order of St. Luke, New Zealand.

In 1957 I became impressed with the idea of producing a digest of healing magazines, books and articles. I asked a number of friends for their opinion. They replied: “No, do not do it, we cannot get through all the material we are now receiving.” In spite of this discouraging advice the Holy Spirit urged me to go ahead. I thought to use the title “Healing” but the prompting of the Spirit was loud and clear; it must be called “Wholeness”.

I printed and distributed 500 at a cost of £8/10 and awaited the result. The response was quite prompt and very definite. Those who had tried to discourage now wrote, “Yes, do it. Now we can see what you mean. Now we will not have to read all those other papers.” Wholeness grew and grew until just before

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from me...”

(Matthew 11:29)

When Jesus says, “... my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30), his intention is for you to discover his will for your life. He wants you to unlock and develop the gifts he’s given you, to draw daily on His power, to use your sanctified common sense and to avoid a stressed out life. Sounds easy? Know now that living the victorious life will require you to change your attitude!

Have you ever noticed how some people on a rollercoaster close their eyes, clench their teeth and wait for the ride to end, while up front the wide-eyed thrill-seekers relish every swerve and plunge? They’re all on the same trip, but their attitudes are entirely different. On the rollercoaster of life you can’t always control what happens to you, but you can decide how you’ll respond to it! By choosing to see problems not as problems, but as opportunities for growth, we are applying our faith and developing our character. “My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure.” (James 1. 2, 3)

To navigate life’s challenges successfully you need to orient your attitude in line with God’s written word, the logos; and you need the power of his Living Word, the Rhema. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...” (Colossians 3:16). For that to happen you must practice scriptural affirmations, feeding your mind with the scriptures, meditating upon them until they take root and grow within you. That way they’ll be there when you need them; when the storms of life arrive, as Isaiah 43.2 tells us they will, “When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you.”

Adapted from “Word for Today”, written by Bob Gass and published by the Rhema Broadcasting Group Inc. A free copy of their daily devotional is available from PB 92636, Symonds St, Auckland 1150, New Zealand.

God dispenses gifts, not wages.

Bob Gass

“You have turned my sorrow into joyful dancing. No longer am I sad and wearing sackcloth.” (Psalm 30.11)

It is easy to miss the beautiful things in life, despite the fact that there are so many of them. It is possible to be too busy to enjoy anything. And there have been many people who have turned the necessary disciplines of the Christian life into a list of forbidden practices. In fact Christians have been labeled “killjoys” for their supposed opposition to the simple joys of life. Of course that in no way reflects upon the dedicated disciples who have forsaken earthly pleasures in order to faithfully serve their master and their fellow servants. Their reward awaits them.

What the verse above does show so clearly is how the psalm-writer’s meeting with God, in the depth of his pain and anguish, led to his finding spiritual renewal, producing such great joy that he had to dance and sing in sheer exultation. The spiritual experience literally burst forth into bodily celebration!

Christianity is a religion of joy. Joy is not a carnal emotion, which degenerates into orgies of self-indulgence and undignified debauchery.

Wholeness - the magazine

JOIN THE DANCEJohn Borman, Faith for Daily Living

Faith in Christ leads to holy joy that honours and celebrates the love of the Father for the Son and of the Son for the Father. The joy of the Lord adds depth, warmth and comfort to dreary days and the toughest of situations. It enables the disciples of Jesus to sing through

difficulties and trials, and to endure hardships and disappointments. It lifts their spirits when sadness would overwhelm their hearts.

Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. Let us make a conscious decision to agree with Habakkuk, “I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3.18) Let us believe Isaiah, “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord...” (Isaiah 12.3, 4) In this day, let us say, sing and dance, “Praise the Lord!”

Orient Your Attitudea series of missions by the Rev. Edward Winckley we printed 40,000 copies and distributed as many as 2,000 each to large parishes such as New Plymouth, Whangarei and Gisborne. Since then we have done “every Church family” distributions to many parishes. We have printed 80 issues over the last 20 years, and only on two occasions have we not had sufficient funds in hand to

pay printing and postage. We told our readers that we had gone ahead in faith and prayer. As a result we received, virtually by return mail, enough money to print two more issues. Letters and gifts received have made it clear that Wholeness has made a very worthwhile contribution to the health and happiness of a wide circle of readers.

To be “whole” a person must be fit not only physically and mentally, but also emotionally and spiritually. To achieve this it is necessary to be at peace with God and man. This means that we must love God, and love our neighbours as ourselves. This calls for self-examination, self-discovery,

confession, repentance and restitution. In theological terms these relate to baptism, a drowning of the old self to sin, and a new birth to righteousness. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ… “

(2 Corinthians 5.17,18)E. L Mulcock, LL.B., O.S.L.

Reprinted from Wholeness no. 80, 1 February 1978

Wholeness - the blessing