the christian pulse THE MAGAZINE FOR MYCHRISTIANDAILY.COM April 2015 • issue one • www.mychristiandaily.com
WE HONOUR THE LATE REV. GORDON MOYES AND HIS FINAL
ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS AND VIEWS ON
OUR FOREIGN POLICY
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH POLICE COMMISSIONER
ANDREW SCIPIONE AND THE WAR ON DRUGS
GLOBAL ATROCITIES AND WHY GOOD
MEN DO NOTHING
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CONTENTS issue one • april 2015
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Cover: Andrew Scipione image supplied by the NSW Police Force
08 OUTREACH Navigating the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth 10 LAW AND ORDER The State of the Nation: Andrew Scipione 14 ACCOUNTABILITY Who do you trust?
ABN 58 090 450 285 CEO Matt Danswan Editor Lynn Goldsmith Art Director Nicole Danswan Advertising Australia P: 02 9007 5375 Advertising New Zealand P: 09 281 4896
4 | The Christian Pulse, April 2015
16 CHRISTIANITY WORKS When Good Men Do Nothing 19 LEGACY We remember and honour Rev. Dr Gordon Keith Moyes 22 INSPIRING STORIES Fear No Evil The story of Clara Kraus
Advertising Manager Ray Curle ray.curle@initiatemedia.net Correspondence Australia PO Box 1321 Mona Vale NSW 1661 P: 02 9007 5376 www.mychristiandaily.com Correspondence New Zealand PO Box 318 334, West Harbour, Auckland 0661
25 SECOND CHANCE From New Zealand’s Most Wanted To Life In Christ 27 OPEN DISCUSSION What Should We Do When Extremists Return Home? 29 HONOR Remembering Lee Kuan Yew
Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture quotations are from the New International Version, copyright-1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part, without prior written permission. Opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the staff. All attempts are made to verify advertising material, and no responsibilty is taken for misleading or erroneous material. Copyright 2015 www.inititatemedia.net
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6 | The Christian Pulse, April 2015
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From the Editor
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elcome. I am so thrilled about our new magazine ‘The Christian Pulse’. I want to thank you for supporting us on our inaugural edition. The Christian Pulse has been a publication waiting in the wings for its grand entrance into the public arena. It will deal with global issues – and there are certainly many of them. However, we want to encourage and inspire people that there is hope – hope for the present and the future. There is a God who cares and loves very deeply and wants to help those who call on Him. This magazine offers reflection and commentary drawing upon the wealth of wisdom found in the Word of God. So how can we make a difference? This is a question I keep asking myself.
If you’re like me, then you will want to be an influence in this world – to leave a mark for Jesus Christ. I hope that the articles inside will bring information and inspiration to a hurting world. One of the articles is entitled ‘When Good Men Do Nothing’. I think this title says it all. Berni Dymet asks where all the good men (and women) are when it comes to speaking out against unrighteousness, evil and total selfishness. He challenges us to stand up and be counted, no matter what the cost. It’s not always easy though, however between us all something can be done, if we are willing. At the time of going to print one of our writers and dear friends, Rev Gordon Moyes passed away peacefully with his loved ones surrounding him. Gordon
has left a legacy that continues to this day. His plight for the homeless and tireless work for Wesley Mission will be rememberd and celebrated long after his death. We send our love and prayers to his beautiful wife Beverley and the family and friends that he leaves behind. Read his final thoughts on ISIS extremists and our own foreign policy on page 27. Finally, I wish to thank all the writers who have contributed to The Christian Pulse – these world events can be frightening but keep the faith! Jesus has overcome the world and leave us with the Holy Spirit and hope. God Bless, Lynn Goldsmith
Stay connected... The Christian Pulse is the print edition to the My Christian Daily network. Be sure to visit www.mychristiandaily.com and subscribe to our daily newsletter for all the latest news, reviews, articles and essays related to our Christian faith. You can also find your print edition in your local Christian bookstore. For a full list of stores, visit www.mychristiandaily.com.
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“It is impossible to explain the effects these Navigators have had on people’s lives. Navigators tell them that the world may have forgotten their needs but God has not and will not.”
8 | The Christian Pulse, April 2015
hroughout 2015 Leading The Way is continuing an ambitious project distributing 100,000 Navigators around the world to spread the Gospel and equip the church. The Navigator is a solar powered MP3 player that comes preloaded with the Bible and Leading The Way messages in many languages. Feedback from the field reveals that each Navigator may be listened to by up to ten people. That’s potentially one million people who will hear the Gospel as a result of this project. Together with ministry partners Leading The Way is spreading hope and life in Christ to some of the most unique and hard to reach places on earth. In an Iraqi refugee camp in Jordan, Canon Andrew White, accompanied by his team and a small envoy of security, begin to make their way around the camp. They have come here to meet the very practical and physical needs of the people. They have also come to meet their spiritual needs. Leading The Way has been partnering with Canon Andrew White by supplying Navigator audio bibles pre-loaded with Arabic New Testament as well as dual language Arabic and English Leading The Way sermons. He writes “It is impossible to explain the effects these Navigators have had on people’s lives. Navigators tell them that the world may have forgotten their needs but God has not and will not.” On Alor Island in Indonesia, Pastor Paulus from DMRadio and his team get ready to preach the Gospel and distribute Navigators to the local Takpala people. These Navigators are pre-loaded with Bahasa Indonesia New Testament and dual language Bahasa Indonesia and English Leading The Way sermons. Paulus is distributing Navigators to different
OUTREACH
Navigating the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth THROUGHOUT 2015 LEADING THE WAY IS CONTINUING AN AMBITIOUS PROJECT DISTRIBUTING 100,000 NAVIGATORS AROUND THE WORLD TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL AND EQUIP THE CHURCH. THEY ENDEAVOUR TO REACH PLACES THAT ARE THE MOST ISOLATED ON EARTH. WORDS: JAMES HINCHON
communities and people groups right across Indonesia. “The Navigators have been a blessing to many people here. We are so greatful [sic] to Leading The Way”, writes Paulus. In a letter from West Borneo, Sisilia writes “I am very blessed to hear the life of Jesus through the Navigator. I learn how to live properly as a Christian.” In the Nuba Mountains on the Sudan/South Sudan border, staff from Across equip their team to distribute Navigators loaded with the New Testament and Leading The Way sermons in Arabic, along with other Gospel
will have an important influence…they could lift the country out of war into peace and love for Christ, transcending tribal differences.” We need your help to continue to spread the Gospel with this unique and powerful tool.
messages in local languages. From one distribution in October last year, one team-mate wrote “The Navigators have been a huge blessing in Yida and played an integral part in spreading the Good News to Muslim people. With the help of the Navigator, our team led 47 Muslims to Christ”. The Navigators have been particularly helpful as a tool used in “peace keeping” initiatives between war torn “cattle camp” communities in South Sudan. We recently received a testimony from Across after they distributed their first batch of Navigators - “I can assure you, the Navigators
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The state of the nation MEETING WITH THE NSW POLICE COMMISSIONER, ANDREW SCIPIONE, IS ALWAYS INSIGHTFUL. THE COMMISSIONER SAYS THAT HE IS JUST AN ORDINARY MAN DOING WHAT HE CAN TO BRING LAW AND ORDER TO THE STATE OF NEW SOUTH WALES AND FURTHER AFIELD. HOWEVER, I SEE HIM AS A MAN WHO IS EXERTING A GREAT POSITIVE INFLUENCE IN OUR CITY, AND ACROSS THE NATION. WORDS: LYNN GOLDSMITH
10 | The Christian Pulse, April 2015
LAW AND ORDER
A
ndrew Scipione has been under tremendous pressure this year with the Lindt Café hostage crisis – and this would be an understatement! However, in his normal professional manner, he went into over-drive to deal with the situation. Sydney had normally been fairly ‘safe’ in terms of terrorism attacks, although there have been a few last minute arrests, causing the police force to be on extra alert. The Commissioner said, regarding those who were caught up in the dreadful tragedy, “The hostages went through extreme pain and stress, the pressure and horror of the events they will never forget. My heart went out to them. I actually went to the café last week and had a coffee and spoke to staff, some who were there on the day, to support them. I met with the young man who was one of the victims and particularly encouraged him. These young Australians have the courage to turn up to say, ‘This is my country, my life.’ It makes us all proud to be Australians.” The police force during this siege, showed remarkable strength and ability and Andrew Scipione cannot speak highly enough of them. He is very proud of his men and women. He spoke of those who were on the ground, radio planning, logistics, the command centre, leadership, direction groups and those involved in the rescue. “I was so proud to be associated with them – they put their lives on the line. I was proud then, proud now and will be forever proud.” I wanted to ask the Commissioner about the young men, and some women also, who were being recruited by the jihadists to go and join ISIS. It seemed, over recent times, that warning alert levels were being lifted telling Australians there is likely to be an attack. He said that he had serious concerns around young people being radicalised. “We know how important this is for the future of Australia and we are working with government and non-government departments in countering violent extremism,” Andrew Scipione explains. “We are working with leaders, such as Dr. Jamal Rifi, a Muslim GP community
leader in Sydney. We know that the closer we can work with communities, the more we can extend influence over those communities, where young people are radicalised, through family members, to stop them wanting to join ISIS.” The majority of these young people are influenced through social media. Most of what they are reading is coming from outside of Australia. There is often a profile on those being targeted, they may have a minor police record, or they are looking for some direction in life, and sometimes quite isolated socially. The Commissioner points out that you cannot generalise. So, how can authorities and the police prevent jihadists from trying to recruit people into ISIS? As we have said previously, most people encounter this online, so the government and police force have to do what they can to protect this online onslaught. The best way is to engage with those who are aware of these people – such as their trusted friends, families, sheiks, imams. Modern Australia is going to be faced with challenges – Andrew Scipione says that we all understand this., but he has several issues that particularly concern him. One is the continuing misuse of alcohol, although he believes that some gains in dealing with this which he sees as a disease. His concern is also the growing use of the drug ICE. He maintains, “We have to stop this drug from coming here. We will continue to work with communities. We also need to tackle domestic violence – it certainly won’t go away. It is an issue that used to be left at home and not talked about. Those involved thought they had to be silent and not talk about it.” There is a high death rate of women – and children – affected by domestic violence. This also relates to sexual violence, often by family members. Andrew Scipione wants to bring hope to a fearful world. “My greatest hope is in the young people coming through,” he says, with great enthusiasm. I must say, this is so positive to hear, after all that is portrayed in the negative. “I can’t say enough how special this generation is – they work at their task they have to carry out and they do accept change. They
operate well in complex environments, they know to expect the unexpected and they thrive. Their enthusiasm is unbridled.” He goes on to say that we have so much to be positive about when looking at our young people – they are our future and he sees such great potential. “I see it in my own children, I see it in my friends’ children,” The Commissioner goes on to say. “They understand that nothing is easy in life. I see the young people in church – they can just carry on, whatever is happening. Everyone likes to put them down and say they are unruly and disrespectful. However, the majority see they are Australia’s future, there is great potential in all of them.’ Andrew Scipione works with a lot of youth in his role. The Commissioner helped now set up a project for young Aboriginal people, encouraging them to enter the police force – called ‘IPROWD’ (Indigenous Police Recruiting Our Way). “When I see some of these Aboriginal young people I remember the very first program and seeing a young man, who still works with us. I said to him, ‘There is no reason why you couldn’t be Prime Minister one day.’” I talked with the Commissioner about how we can be an influence in this nation. He explained, “My view is, the most important place is in your own family. Men need to be real leaders in their homes. I have a number of friends who say they are looking for a real mentor for their son. I say, ‘the best mentor is you, but he needs to see the commitment of your actions, not just your lips, your children need to see your life put into practice.’ This is incredibly powerful.” The Commissioner believes that often men have let down their families and he says most emphatically, that his wife and children are the most important people in his life. “You need to leave a mark – an example to your family, and this will often make such a difference. The highest calling is to those closest to us.” Lynn Goldsmsith Editor
www.mychristiandaily.com | 11
LAW AND ORDER
A message from the Police Commissioner
about the ICE epidemic.
ICE doesn’t discriminate. It treats everyone equally, with devastating, lifechanging consequences. We need to break the ice epidemic before it’s too late: educate, warn and raise awareness. The Federal Government’s report into methylamphetamine use in Australia is not designed to scare people. It is not about putting fear into the community, it is another wake up call to all Australians. It is an urgent and timely reminder that we all own this problem. This report confirms what NSW Police have been saying for a long time - ice is an insidious drug. It’s addictive nature makes it particularly dangerous this drug takes people to very dark, dangerous and desperate places. It not only destroys the lives of those who become addicted and their loved ones but the effects of the methamphetamine sets off a dangerous combination of euphoria, confidence, energy and strength, coupled with anxiety, paranoia and severe panic attacks. The end result is that users, including slightly built men and women, can become incredibly formidable for even the biggest and most experienced of my officers to deal with. But while this represents a serious risk of harm for our first responders: 12 | The Christian Pulse, April 2015
that is, our general duties police in the front-line, our ambulance officers and paramedics, our emergency room doctors and nurses - there is also a risk to the public. Uncontrollable, unpredictable and extremely violent methamphetamine users who are feeling suspicious of other people and are feeling people are `out to get them’, are not just a risk to police but they are a risk to the broad community. I know if we don’t adequately address this problem, it’s not an overstatement to say that it could bring us to our knees as a nation. This monster could steal everything we as Australians cherish so very much and it could be taken from right under our noses. We, the community, need to be united and together defeat this insidious poison and those that pedal this substance of misery. Let’s change the culture. Let’s change our attitudes. As I have said on many occasions we just can’t arrest our way out of this problem. Law enforcement has a large responsibility in continuing to bring solutions to the table but we are just one of the many players in this engagement. Together - government, nongovernment, business, communities, families and every individual that makes
this country great can make a significant difference. What we also need is a cultural change, like the one we had with drink driving. The community now frowns upon drink driving and finds it socially unacceptable but that is the cultural shift we need to achieve in relation to drug use. It’s not going to be easy. It will be a long, hard road and as I said earlier the responsibility of all the community. As police continue to make inroads into the importation, manufacture and supply of ice driven by organised criminals, we also need people to make decisions for themselves, to take responsibility for themselves. • We need parents to educate their children; • We need treatment for those kicking the habit; • We need support from the community to report crime; • We need to continue to raise awareness to the dangers, the risks and the possibilities; • We need to acknowledge ice has reached epidemic proportions But act we MUST! NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione
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ACCOUNTABILITY Who do you trust? WORDS: GARY WILLIAMS
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ould you trust the Apostle Paul with a wheelbarrow load of somebody else’s cash? Would you insist he be chaperoned to keep the money safe? In 2 Corinthians 8, we read an account of early-church fundraising and accountability. The Corinthians were collecting a substantial offering to be distributed to the poor in Jerusalem. No electronic transactions here - the gift was carried personally by Paul and others. Imagine: long, often rather solitary days on the road, large amounts of money destined for a far-off city. Who would ever know if a little went missing (or was frivolously spent) along the way? I suspect Paul could be trusted. Based on what we know of Paul’s character, I suspect that he could have made the journey alone, unsupervised, and every cent would have made it to the intended recipients. But he didn’t go alone. Others accompanied him, including someone specially chosen by the churches to give additional accountability. “We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men” (2 Cor 8:20-21) Here’s the key point: just BEING honest wasn’t sufficient. They wanted to be SEEN to be doing the right thing. Just having a clean conscience before God 14 | The Christian Pulse, April 2015
was not enough. In order to ‘honor the Lord himself ’ (vs 19) they had to not only avoid misbehaviour, but avoid criticism of the way they administered. This biblical example is a great starting point for a discussion on ministry accountability. In the 21st century, finance and the way churches and Christian ministries operate is a lot more regulated and sophisticated. But accountability remains a critical issue, and is often poorly understood. In the USA in the 1970s, there was growing concern about the fundraising and financial practices of some Christian organisations. Compellingly presented fundraising appeals generated a rich response, but sometimes it proved hard to discover whether those funds were actually spent in the manner the glossy brochures promised. A senator challenged a group of Christian leaders to find a way to ‘police themselves’ better, in the hope that it would lessen the need for government intervention. This led to the formation of the ‘Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability’ (ECFA) in 1979. By establishing clear public standards of accountability, and inviting ministries to sign up and demonstrate their compliance with those standards, ECFA has been enhancing trust in the ministry sector ever since, providing third-party certification of adherence to agreed
standards of behaviour. The Canadian Council of Christian Charities (CCCC) has been filling a similar role in Canada for many years. In Australia, the regulatory environment is different, but many of the needs are the same. Christian Ministry Advancement / Christian Management Australia (CMA) has had a number of approaches from local ministries who have sought certification from ECFA in the USA, only to be told that ECFA only certify US-based organisations. So in 2015, CMA is establishing a certification system in Australia, modelled on these international organisations, and has been awarded private grants / donations of $300,000 over the next three years, to help get it started. At the CMA Conference, in Manly NSW on June 2-3, the theme of ‘Accountability’ will feature strongly among the 40+ plenary sessions and electives. The CEO of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities, John Pellowe, will be speaking and leading workshops, and a variety of sessions will explore accountability in relation to church and ministry governance, fundraising, financial management, and staffing. Accountability is a broad topic, and any discussion of it needs to confront some common myths that are often proposed as a counterargument to the value of the role of any third party. Myth: So long as we know, before God, that we’re being legal and truthful, we don’t need to disclose anything to anybody else. Truth: Good on you for being legal and truthful, but that’s not the same as being accountable. Don’t be surprised if you’re treated with caution or suspicion by donors and other good people who value accountability. Myth: To seek external accountability suggests that we can’t be trusted on our own. To try and convince people that we’re OK subtly suggests that maybe we’re not. Truth: The most trusted organisations
ACCOUNTABILITY
of all are those who submit themselves to external rigour. Passing an external test is confidence inspiring for everyone, and reduces the likelihood of well-intended but myopic self-validation. Myth: A financial audit is all we need. If that’s done well, we’re accountable. Truth: Countless scandals and organisational disasters have befallen organisations who are well audited. It’s very important, but it’s only part of the solution to good accountability. Tragic and public failures, like those being exposed in the current Royal Commission, show that a lack of accountability (as evidenced by a tendency to try to resolve everything internally) can have catastrophic consequences for individuals, for organisations, and for the public witness of the Christian sector. It is a sobering reality that to some degree, God has
entrusted his reputation to us! When Christians and Christian organisations breach trust and behave badly, God’s reputation is damaged in the eyes of the world. Our governments and regulatory bodies continue to create guidelines, support, and monitoring regimes to ensure accountability in the corporate and social sectors. The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) has recently been established to help improve transparency and accountability in the sector - and that’s a good thing. But Christian organisations should be able to do better than just ‘toe the line’ when accountability is at stake: we should be leading the way! ‘… the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were
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When Good Men Do Nothing
16 | The Christian Pulse, April 2015
CHRISTIANITY WORKS
WHY ARE PEOPLE SILENT WHEN DARKNESS SURROUNDS US? WHERE ARE THE GOOD PEOPLE SPEAKING OUT TO INFLUENCE THE WORLD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS? BERNI DYMET CHALLENGES ALL OF US TO MAKE A STAND FOR WHAT IS GOOD AND RIGHT – WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
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ith all of the things – terrorism, brutality, persecution, socioeconomic inequities, exploitation, child labour, forced prostitution, the list goes on and on, with all those things happening, seemingly completely out of control, we can quickly come to the conclusion that little old me can’t make one iota of a difference. Well if that’s the conclusion you’ve come to, well you’d be absolutely and completely wrong. It’s true isn’t it? We turn on the evening news night after night and we see the terrible things happening in the world. Right now where I live its corrupt politicians taking bribes, people we trusted cheating on the people who elected them. Then of course the terrible things happening across the Middle East, wars and rumours of wars and things like child labour and forced prostitution and slavery which oppress over a hundred million people across the globe. Just think of the incredible pain and misery of that multiplied by a hundred million. Those things don’t even make the news – domestic violence, the rape of women and children, child sexual abuse. Have you ever turned off the evening news in such disgust and come to the conclusion there’s just not a thing I can do about all that? Then you pour yourself a glass of wine as many people do, you prepare your dinner, sit down and relax and unwind and watch a bit more telly (television) and then head
off to bed just to do the same all again tomorrow. Social researchers talk about the phenomenon of cocooning. We come to the conclusion the world out there is so crazy and out of control we can’t do anything about it so we cocoon ourselves into our own little world, travelling the self-same rut day by day, wrapping ourselves in whatever comfort and if our means afford it, luxury that we can and all that helps us to ignore the terrible things happening out there. That little scenario is repeated billions of times every day around the world by people who’ve come to the conclusion they can’t make a difference. So, like the proverbial emperor Nero we fiddle while Rome burns. Mmm … is it really true that you and I are impotent to change the world? Well it could be, after all most of us are ordinary people, most of us don’t have the power to stand up and to speak out and effect meaningful, powerful, lasting change. Surely, I mean surely our political leaders, that’s their job and some celebrities, people like Bono, you know they have the platform to get up and speak against bad things. They have millions of followers on social media and access to television screens and newspapers and reporters and journalists, surely it’s up to them and boy aren’t they making a hash of things. Back in the 1700’s there was an Irish statesman called Edmund Burke, unless you happen to be Irish you’ve probably
never heard of him, but he once said something that you probably have heard, it’s this: That the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. You’ve heard that before, right? During the holocaust of the Jews by the Nazi regime in World War 2 the Church in Germany largely stood idly by and said nothing while Hitler and his cronies systematically slaughtered over six million Jews, well most of the Church! There was a man called Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor who stood up against the regime, he was killed. Surely that could never happen again, surely we’d learn from that. 1994, Rwanda, a million slaughtered in a hundred days, the streets lined with rotting bodies. I’ve spoken to people who were there. The west stood by, closed its eyes and let it happen. 2014, Iraq, the slaughter of Christians and forced rape of women by Muslim extremists ISIS. We stood by and watched in happen and those my friend, are just a few isolated examples. This stuff is happening all around the world and we stand by and watch. Well we actually don’t watch, we switch off the evening news, pour another glass of wine and enjoy dinner before heading off to our safe warm beds. Now, it maybe that you think I’m being a little unfair. What can someone, an ordinary person like you and me do sitting in another part of the world about the terrible things happening on the other side of the world? Well the answer www.mychristiandaily.com | 17
is rather a lot more than you may think. Two thousand years ago Jesus said this, Luke chapter 11, verse 23. Whoever is not with me is against me and whoever does not gather with me scatters. When you think about it Burke’s pronouncement back in the 1700’s, that the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing – is almost an exposition of what Jesus said. Jesus is saying to you and me, ‘If you just sit there and do nothing, if you’re not actually getting up and being with me, if you’re just patting yourself on the back that really, you’re not a bad person then basically you’re not with me. You’re against me because you haven’t stood up to be counted.’ Church, wake up! By and large we’re asleep at the wheel, corporately and individually. There are so many different things that we could be doing. We could be using social media to speak out. We can create effective communication campaigns to change hearts. We can demonstrate the love of Christ in practical ways so far as we’re capable and that’s much more than what we’re doing right at the moment. Don’t get me wrong, not every part of the Church but large parts of the Church. And as individuals we can choose to sponsor a child in a poor country, give her an education as she grows up and tell her about Jesus so that when she is an adult,
she’ll be capable of effecting change in her country from within. In the workplace we can take a firm but loving stand against the things we know are wrong, being prepared to sacrifice promotions and favours from others for the sake of doing and speaking what is right. Are you getting the picture here? As Churches and individuals we need to be on a war footing because people, the world is at war, a war of devastation being waged by the spiritual forces of evil. And all that’s required for evil to triumph is for good men and good women like you and me to switch off the evening news, pour another glass of wine, go to bed in our soft comfortable beds and do nothing. So when Jesus asks you, ‘Are you for me or against me?’ What is your life, the way you’re living it at the moment saying to Him in answer to that question, hmm? It’s pretty confronting isn’t it? Sometimes we see bad things happening just in our little parts of the world. And instead of standing up for the weak, instead of speaking out and risking the ridicule or even the wrath of others in the process, we sit there and through our silence and inaction we are complicit in the deeds of evil going on around us. If it was a crime happening in front of us watching this evil going on, we can be convicted as accessories through our
inaction. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor, an anti-Nazi dissident in Germany during World War 2. He spoke out and he was harassed and persecuted. He was part of the underground movement smuggling Jews out of Germany to Switzerland. He knew about the plot to assassinate Hitler. In April 1943 he was arrested for being complicit in that plot and was finally executed on the 8th of April 1945 after a sham trial. Bonhoeffer stood up against evil and it cost him his life. And that is exactly what Jesus has called you and me to do, Matthew chapter 16, verses 24 to 26. Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any of you want to become my followers let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit you if you gain the whole world but you forfeit your life or what will you gain in return for your life’? (Matthew 16: 2426) Yeah, as things turn out in this world good men and good women like you and me, we can do a lot more than we think. So are you for Him or against Him? Berni Dymet Christianityworks www.christianityworks.com
FINAL WORD.
Instead of standing up for the weak, instead of speaking out and risking the ridicule or even the wrath of others in the process, we sit there and through our silence and inaction we are complicit in the deeds of evil going on around us.
18 | The Christian Pulse, April 2015
LEGACY
WE REMEMBER AND HONOUR REV. DR. GORDON KEITH MOYES 17TH NOVEMBER 1938 - 5TH APRIL 2015
www.mychristiandaily.com | 19
LEGACY
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ustralia has lost one its most respected Christian leaders and broadcasters with the passing on Sunday, April 5, 2015 of the Rev. Dr. Gordon Keith Moyes. Dr. Moyes died peacefully today after a brief illness. Ordained in 1959 as a minister of the Churches of Christ with ministries at Newmarket, Ascot Vale, Ararat and Cheltenham, he later was ordained in the Uniting Church in Australia serving for 27 years as the Superintendent of Wesley Mission Sydney. Gordon led a Sydney CBD church to become one of Australia’s largest non-government welfare providers and a uniquely shaped multi-cultural, city-based church, passionate about sharing God’s love in both word and deed. This extraordinary ministry was extensive in its breadth, significant in its range and innovative in its scope. Financial counselling, refugee support, property redevelopment in the central business district, financial sustainability, employment services, child and family support, disability and mental health services, media presence, retail and conference centers – where there was a need and opportunity, Gordon saw a vision to serve. Following his appointment at Wesley Mission, his television work gained momentum through “Turn ‘Round Australia”, a weekly half hour program, broadcast on many television stations around the country, consistently running for over 20 years, on which I twice had the privilege of appearing on. During Gordon Moyes’ years as Superintendent there were several ground-breaking documentary series produced, including The Discovering Series
and specials, television series and radio programs produced such as An Australian Christmas at Darling Harbour, television across Australia for 10 years, the music video show Swordfish and Sunday Night Live hosted by Gordon, which ran for nearly 18 years. The ‘Discovering’ series was recognised around the world for its innovation. The series looked at the life of Jesus and then the growth of the early Christian church and was based on three books written by Gordon. This unique video series set a new standard in Australian Christian television. Gordon has been awarded many honours over the years, including the Companion of The Order of Australia in 2002, 2014 Christian Media Australia’s Lifetime Achievement, Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellow (1978), and the New South Wales Father of the Year (1986). In 2003 he was recognized with the Commonwealth Government’s Centenary Medal for Distinguished Service to Australia following service as a member of the Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership Board and membership of the Prime Minister’s National Task Force on Youth Homelessness. He was described by former Australian Prime Minister John Howard as “the epitome of effective Christian leadership” when describing the way he had grown Wesley Mission into one of the most dynamic and socially responsive churchbased charities in the world. Howard added, “And what I particularly salute is the way in which Dr. Moyes has led the Wesley Mission to an understanding of the need for the church, in its various outreaches to the community to change and adapt whilst retaining a
deep connection with the fundamentals of the Christian religion.” Gordon Moyes was appointed by the Christian Democratic Party to the New South Wales Legislative Council in 2002 and went on to have a career in politics serving both the CDP and Family First for the next nine years. As a crossbench member of the New South Wales Legislative Gordon Moyes pursued an agenda of social justice, while drawing attention to what he saw as the moral erosion of Australian society. As one of the few members of the New South Wales Parliament with a background in social work, he was a passionate advocate for disadvantaged indigenous populations, the homeless, the disabled, and the unemployed. In his time as a parliamentarian he also spearheaded reform agendas for the juvenile justice system and fairer personal injury compensation. As a Christian Member of Parliament, his informed judgements were drawn from a foundation in the inalienable values of justice, compassion, free will, and morality as explained in the Word of God. Evangelism remained Gordon Moyes’ great passion through his life. He once said, “Essentially I am an evangelist: I just want to tell people about Jesus Christ.” Gordon died peacefully surrounded by what he described as the greatest joy of his life, his loving family: his wife of 55 years, Beverley and his children Jenny and Ron Schepis, Peter and Trina, David and Leisl, and Andrew and Kylie; grandchildren and great-grand-children Michael, Georgina, Adelaide, Rachel, Ethan, Cassie, Jack, Brianna, Emma, Chelsea, Tom, Indiana, Scarlett and Piper.
FINAL WORD.
Gordon Moyes’ autobiography, Leaving a Legacy, is available in all good Christian stores. Read his final published article and thoughts on ISIS extremists wanting to return to Australia on page 27 20 | The Christian Pulse, April 2015
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INSPIRING STORIES
How did your mother meet Jesus Christ? What was the catalyst for this revelation? My mother was brought up in a Jewish family in Budapest, who were not particularly Religious - like the majority of Jews living there at the time, after the First World War. She was a happy soul who had an outgoing personality and who loved music, art and literature. She had a strong love of Christmas that was celebrated across Hungary, especially in the beautiful capital city of Budapest. She loved the fact that Christmas was a season of peace and love that permeated the city. She enjoyed singing Christmas carols and the beauty of the time. When she was still quite a young woman one of her two older brothers became a Christian. This must have made my mother think deeply about spiritual values, especially the person of Jesus, whom she had come to know in celebrating Christmas. The catalyst of this revelation was the Second World War. She was Jewish and was one of millions who was targeted by the extreme Nazi and Fascist regimes of
Fear No Evil LYNN GOLDSMITH TALKS TO PAUL KRAUS, WHOSE MOTHER SURVIVED THE TERRIBLE ATROCITIES OF THE HOLOCAUST. ONCE AGAIN, WE HEAR THE DREADFUL FATE THAT AWAITED MANY PEOPLE, JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE JEWISH. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT SHE FOUND CHRIST IN THE MIDST OF THIS EVIL. 22 | The Christian Pulse, April 2015
Clara Kraus 1938
Mother suffered terrible persecution in captivity. She, like all the prisoners, totally lost her freedom. Why? Because she happened to be Jewish - no other reason. Germany and later Hungary. She had already suffered for being Jewish by not being permitted to enter university. On 9th April, 1935 she was married in a chapel of one of the largest synagogues in the world in Budapest. She was a feminist in that she did not like the power of men in a religion that was dominated by men. She saw Christianity as liberating and at some point she read the Bible and the words of St. Paul that explained we are all equal in Christ. My mother had lived in Belgrade in the War, due to her husbandʼs work there, although she had returned to Budapest in 1942 for the birth of her first child, my brother Peter. In 1943 the Germans bombed that city to the ground and my parentʼs flat was destroyed. The city lay in ruins and food and water were hard to obtain. A little later, when they went to a town called Subotica, my mother was herded with all Jews to a ghetto, a place reserved for Jews, where transportation to the death camp of Auschwitz would eventually occur. My mother, along with hundreds of others, was put on a train for Auschwitz when she was taken from the ghetto in Yugoslavia. The Allies bombed the railway track so the Germans assigned the passengers on that train to two lines. My mother, on the advice of an old blind man behind her, chose the line that was destined for a labour camp in Austria. This decision saved her life. No-one, especially with a small child and being pregnant, would survive Auschwitz. My mother spent ten months in a labour camp, where her second child, a son Paul (that was me) was born. She had read the Bible and she claimed Jesus as her Messiah, whatever the world was to throw at her. She wrote in a small diary scribbled in pencil that she felt an angel’s presence on some of those long lonely nights she spent alone in her cell, which
was a tiny wooden barracks. She felt the presence of Jesus protecting her in those incredibly difficult days when hunger gnawed at her and sickness threatened her and her child. She earnestly prayed that somehow they might survive these awful times. Mother almost certainly did not have a Bible with her but she must have memorised passages that spoke of Godʼs love. She records that she had spoken to a Catholic Bishop in Yugoslavia, as well as a Presbyterian minister about being baptised but they were not prepared to immediately go along with her request. Baptism would have to wait for a little later in life. Mother suffered terrible persecution in captivity. She, like all the prisoners, totally lost her freedom. Why? Because she happened to be Jewish - no other reason! Hunger, thirst and lack of clothes were the lighter forms of persecution. The other prisoners resented her because she was pregnant and could not be forced into a labour brigade. She suffered from boredom and, with the visits of the notorious SS she thought they might end her life. She lacked the sustenance needed by a pregnant woman and her younger son Paul suffered from rickets as a baby. She offered to knit baby clothes for the children of the Kommandant and this offer was accepted. She did not possess the physical or emotional needs of a mother who was about to give birth in the primitive conditions of a Nazi camp. Clara did not know whether or not she was the only survivor of her family. She knew her dear husband was dragged away to a labour camp but did not know he was subsequently taken to Mauthausen Concentration camp. The anxiety ate at her well-being and her spiritual life in belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ went far in saving her - in body and mind. Clara also did not take to being spoken
to like rubbish and was summoned by the Kommandant of her camp, who threatened to whip her. She looked the man in his eyes and asked if he could have whipped his wife. She spoke to him sternly and warned him to behave like a human being and fortunately she was not whipped. Her resilience was very powerful indeed and encouraged by her deep faith in God. How Did Your Mother get out of the labour camp and make it back to Budapest? An Austrian camp guard, who knew mother from his time there, and who was mighty sick of the War, having served in the Eastern Front in Russia, told Clara that the War was almost over in late April, 1945 and that the SS would put the remaining inmates on a death march to Mauthausen Camp any day. The Germans wanted to eliminate all Jews at any cost. Mother chose two of her relatives to help her escape that awful place. A man cut a large hole on the perimeter of the fence and early one morning before dawn she, her baby and her two-year old crossed the wire to the outside. They began an endless walk but they did not know that in a few days the war would end, at the beginning of May, 1945. Their adventures on the way back to Budapest were amazing. They were hungry, stopped at a convent a few kilometres away, gained food and shelter for the night, not realising that this ʻconventʻ was a German artillery base that would be bombed the next day. They walked many kilometres further, were picked up by a Russian Army convoy, were fed and taken most of the way to Vienna. In Vienna they slept at the main railway station. The tracks to Budapest had all been bombed. They went from one train to another, changing frequently, www.mychristiandaily.com | 23
INSPIRING STORIES
until, finally they entered the main Eastern Railway station at Budapest. Soldiers helped to feed them and no-one knew my mother was a Jewish refugee. Mother tried to sleep here and there. The journey was like a mad escapade and she felt Godʼs presence, in spite of times of terrible danger. How did your mother find her husband and parents, and how did they survive? Mother found that her parents survived the War in Budapest, although her eldest brother had died of typhus and hunger in Mauthausen on the last day of the War. She had also discovered that most of her former school friends had died as well as one of her brothers-in-law. After many weeks in Budapest at the family home she decided, with her mother, to return to Subotica in Yugoslavia, where her former home had been, shortly before they moved to Belgrade. There was no trace of Claraʼs husband, Imre, (Jim). Clara knew in her heart that he did not perish, despite all the terrible news. It was as if God had sent a protection over Claraʼs family. Her faith in their ability to survive never wavered. One day, in August, 1945, when Paul was ten months old, Clara heard a knock at the door. Jim had arrived home, although she could barely recognise him. Her joy was boundless. Her prayers had been answered. He somehow just managed to survive Mauthausen, although he spent much time in an American military
Clara and Jim 1958
hospital. Our family was united in a miraculous way in Yugoslavia. They all made their way back to Hungary where my father ran a chemical business that had belonged to my motherʼs eldest brother, who was killed in Mauthausen. He earned money there until he migrated to Australia. Survival in Budapest. Although Clara had Hungarian citizenship, her husband Jim was a Yugoslav. My parents applied to various countries to migrate and eventually through the Jewish Welfare Society, they
found a way of leaving Hungary. Our family’s survival was quite miraculous in the days of the Holocaust, throughout the Second World War. The way my mother survived with her child and having a child born in a Nazi camp was unheard of at the time. (I am on a small German pension as a Holocaust survivor.) God had led my mother in a wonderful way to a new life in Him. We follow Jesus as the Christ of our lives. My late father became a Christian when he was in his mid-fifties.
FINAL WORD. She saw Christianity as liberating and at some point she read the Bible and the words of St. Paul that explained we are all equal in Christ.
24 | The Christian Pulse, April 2015
SECOND CHANCE
From New Zealand’s Most Wanted To Life In Christ HOW DID IT COME TO BE, THAT ONE OF NEW ZEALAND’S MOST NOTORIOUS CAREER CRIMINALS, CAME FACE TO FACE WITH JESUS? JANET BALCOMBE CATCHES UP WITH ADRIAN PRITCHARD
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t’s quite a gruelling ride just reading Adrian’s story, 2nd Chance; never mind surviving it. Growing up, Adrian’s home life had been far from perfect, even before his parents separated. As a teenager he never had a mentor to teach him the basic keys to making a living or learning a trade. He had no life skills. The stage was set for Adrian to become one of New Zealand’s worst armed robbers. A gifted teenage rugby and cricket player, his sporting career was cut short when injury struck, disillusionment crept in and drug use began at fourteen. When Adrian was sixteen his parents separated and he was to spend the next decade and a half off his face on drugs and alcohol to club the pain into submission. Angry and rebellious, he lived on the streets and with friends, and relied on crime to survive. As his drug use escalated he narrowly avoided death by overdose. One day his spirit left his body and hovered over him, laughing at him. He was so wasted he couldn’t even move an eyebrow, but he was so lost and dead at the time; the experience didn’t bother him at all. Adrian lived on the edge and played a perpetual game of cat-and-mouse with the police and the system. He spent most of the 1990s in jails and had a cameo appearance on the police show, Crime Watch. “In Gisborne we succeeded in ripping off just about every pharmacy, shop, bowling club and doctor’s surgery. We stole something like thirty cars a year and when that wasn’t enough, we did some
huge hits on restaurants. We would also rob dairies and supermarkets for money and cigarettes. We carried out some of the biggest burglaries in town during our day, though it was nothing to be proud of. We would target chemists. All the drugs we stole from chemists would go straight to our personal baker to make synthetic heroin or morphine so we could shoot up.
There were times when I went straight through my vein with the needle and it popped. It was painful but I just carried on with more and more drugs in my arm – a one-way ticket to death.” He left for Australia on the run from New Zealand police after attempting to burn down the Napier airport, but returned to New Zealand after eventually
Adrian Pritchard with his wife Wendy and their three daughters
www.mychristiandaily.com | 25
SECOND CHANCE
“The reason I am telling my story is that I get upset and angry when I hear of young kids killing or being killed, getting into gang fights around town, or getting wasted on drugs and drink while their parents are just sitting at home… attracting some serious heat from Australian gangs. “To recap: I was now eighteen. I’d skipped the country, I’d been stabbed, been involved with overseas gangs and I’d been arrested on re-entry to New Zealand. All this and I still hadn’t dealt with my parents’ divorce. My major issues hadn’t gotten any smaller and I still couldn’t face them.” After travelling to the US in pursuit of his dream of being a rock star, he returned with his dreams in shreds. Hardcore drug and sex addictions had already taken their toll and Adrian lacked the commitment to make it happen. He learned from hardened criminals and his gang associations and divided time between Gisborne, Hastings and Auckland. At twenty-two, doctors at Grafton Rd Detox told Adrian he had the body of a seventy year old and he would be dead by twenty-five if he kept going at that rate. Eventually the system caught up with him and he landed a three-year sentence in Paremoremo. Adrian began attending a prison Bible study while still coming off heroin, cocaine and poppies. During the next two years he went cold turkey on heroin, morphine, cocaine, opium, valium and sleeping pills, to name just a few. He refused methadone. “My biggest fear was going to church in jail, as it was a very different culture for me,” said Adrian. But through the prison ministry and ongoing support of Kevin and Christine Winters, he saw authentic followers of Christ and for the first time in his life stopped running. In his prison cell one
night, he invited Jesus to take over his life. “It was the first time I felt anyone could love me! Jesus loved me the way I was and accepted me no matter what. As I lay on my bed, tears rolled down my face. Jesus was in my cell with me doing open-heart surgery. It was hard for me to transition to this new life, but it was the best decision I’ve ever made. Within a few weeks Jesus took away from me all desire for drugs, even while I was still going through withdrawal. He set me free from them. God replaced the old craving for drugs with a new-found passion for himself.” Adrian says being a Christian doesn’t make your issues go away, but it does place a desire in your heart to put things right. He was baptised one day on home leave. In 1998, two years after becoming a Christian and newly released from jail, Adrian had a fight with someone in the church toilets while the pastor was preaching. “This guy was playing games with Jesus, just faking the Christian life to get what he wanted and saying false stuff about friends of mine, so I thumped him right there in the bathroom. These stubborn habits were why I needed a support system around me. I needed people I could go and talk with, like Kevin and Christine and many others.” Good friend, Rock Priest David Pierce of ‘No Longer Music’ and founder of the ministry Steiger International (www. steiger.org) sponsored Adrian to do the challenging sixth-month Lifeway Army training in 2001 – extreme Bible College with army flavours!
Adrian has just celebrated his 12th wedding anniversary to the beautiful Wendy and they have three gorgeous daughters. He spends his time telling people his story and showing them what Jesus looks like. He’s seeking sponsorship to get his book Second Chance into prisons, available free for prisoners and share the hope that we have in Christ. “The reason I am telling my story is that I get upset and angry when I hear of young kids killing or being killed, getting into gang fights around town, or getting wasted on drugs and drink while their parents are just sitting at home. Sharing my story might help some people to break free from their lifestyle. It might even help parents talk with their children about what’s going on in their lives.” “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10-12
To read the full story of Adrian’s Second Chance, pick up your copy at your local Christian bookshop or visit www.arkhousepress.com
FINAL WORD. If Adrian can share his faith with gang members, what’s stopping us sharing ours with our neighbours? It’s easy! Just pass on this copy of The Pulse to someone who doesn’t know Jesus to start with. You can contact Adrian regarding ministry opportunities or sponsorship of books into prisons and rehabs on: pritchardadrian@gmail.com 26 | The Christian Pulse, April 2015
OPEN DISCUSSION
LAWS SHOULD BE TIGHTENED TO FULLY SCREEN THOSE WHO ARE WANTING TO FIGHT WITH ISIS. AUSTRALIA NEEDS TO GET TOUGHER IN DEVELOPING A DEFINITIVE PROFILE OF LIKELY JIHADISTS...
What Should We Do When Extremists Return Home? WORDS: REV GORDON MOYES
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ustralian extremist youth have travelled to Syria and Libya to fight with the ISIS forces. Two young suicide bombers have died on their mission. One teenage girl has disappeared into the ISIS forces. Another young man has made videos condemning Australia and its armed forces and threatening death to Australians as they go about their normal business in our major cities. Our Prime Minister is a strategic target. A video released by ISIL showed the killing of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians kidnapped earlier this year from the
coastal town of Sirte in eastern Libya. The Christians, who had come to Libya to find work, were dressed in orange jump suits, forced onto their knees and beheaded. The video titled ‘A message signed with blood to the nation of the cross’, claimed the killings were directed at ‘the hostile Egyptian Church’. The inner turmoil within Egypt, the lack of employment and the failure of the Egyptian Government to prosecute extremists who have burned churches and murdered and persecuted Copts, encourages terrorists to such violence.
The Egyptian Government has commenced reprisal air raids on ISIS armed centres and has called on the US Air Force to join in such air strikes. But this is unlikely. For while USA continues the war against terrorism, it does not want to be seen as the world’s air force for every atrocity. I believe the Australian Government should immediately increase the numbers of Coptic Christians who desire to emigrate here on the grounds of religious persecution. Young Australian born extremists, who have trained in Libya or Syria or www.mychristiandaily.com | 27
OPEN DISCUSSION
other parts of the Middle East in order to fight with ISIS, seem to want to return home to Australia at some time in the future. What should our response be? Four young Melbourne men who have joined Islamic State — including two teenage suicide bombers — regularly attended the Hume Islamic Youth Centre and are already regarded as heroes and on returning home will naturally spend their time encouraging others to go and fight. There are an unknown number, perhaps several hundred who will ultimately want to return home. I believe the majority of Australians would agree that they should be screened at the departure lounges before they leave, and unless they have valid reasons to be allowed to travel overseas they should not be allowed to leave. Australian Border Security forces have already turned back over 400 who intended to fly to Syria and join the ISIS forces. These people should have their passports revoked when they return to Australia and charged with being prisoners of war. In an earlier generation they would be regarded as traitors to Australia, part responsible for the death of Australian defence personnel and aid workers. They should not be handed the freedom of Australian citizenship to further promote their extremist views among other disaffected Australian youth. They should be denied welfare and Centrelink payments. They should not be
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These people should have their passports revoked when they return to Australia and charged with being prisoners of war. In an earlier generation they would be regarded as traitors to Australia, part responsible for the death of Australian defence personnel and aid workers. granted passports to travel overseas again. They are the enemies of all of us. Australia should establish special courts for handling enemies of the State and several prisons especially for them. Prison guards must be able to speak Arabic. They should not be sent to juvenile prisons. I have visited a number where disaffected Islamic youth are at the centre of seeking to convert the other prisoners, especially aboriginal youth to jihadist ways. We have a new kind of prisoner before us, and they need to be treated differently. Despite spending millions of dollars, Australian Security has been unable to develop a definitive profile of likely jihadists. Several have come from elite boy’s schools while others are from the most economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Many are unemployed young people disaffected against everything society holds dear. Others have been employed in responsible positions in banking and finance industries. Yet they have all this in common: they all speak Arabic; they have a hatred of America and other countries fighting in the Middle East; they all have a fundamentalist commitment to helping Allah in his battle against infidels; they have mentors in Arabic youth clubs and social media; they think it is ‘cool’ to fight as jihadists, even at the expense of their own lives. Their parents are horrified at their choices, and usually came to this county as refugees grateful for the opportunities afforded them. There are currently 190 Australian born jihadists fighting the West and double that number planning to go and return. REV Dr Gordon Moyes, A.C.
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28 | The Christian Pulse, April 2015
They should not be handed the freedom of Australian citizenship to further promote their extremist views among other disaffected Australian youth.
HONOUR
Remembering Lee Kuan Yew THE FOUNDING PRIME MINISTER OF SINGAPORE PASSED AWAY AT AGE 91. HE IS RIGHTLY CREDITED WITH SINGLE-HANDEDLY TURNING SINGAPORE FROM A THIRD-WORLD BACKWATER TO A FIRST-WORLD SUCCESS STORY. ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST NATIONS IN THE WORLD, THE SINGAPORE MIRACLE WAS LARGELY DUE TO THIS GREAT MAN. WORDS: BILL MUEHLENBERG
B
orn in 1923, he studied at Cambridge and the London School of Economics. He returned to Singapore in 1949, convinced that self-government was the way forward for this island state. He soon formed the People’s Action Party (PAP) which won government in 1959. For three years it was in federation
with Malaysia, becoming an independent Republic on 9 August 1965. This is its Jubilee Year, and its success can be overwhelmingly attributed to Lee. The PAP has won every election for the past half century, but it is now being seriously challenged by other parties. Part of the original Four Asian Tigers, it is certainly an economic
miracle: a tiny cluster of islands with no real natural resources, it is today one of the great city states of the world. The 2013 Index of Economic Freedom ranked it as the second freest economy in the world following Hong Kong. As one commentator notes, Singapore has “Asia’s second largest concentration of millionaires (after Qatar).” He continues:
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HONOUR
Part of the original Four Asian Tigers, it is certainly an economic miracle: a tiny cluster of islands with no real natural resources, it is today one of the great city states of the world. This city-state of a little more than 715 square kilometers is now one of the richest countries on the planet, in terms of per capita GDP, with an economy entirely incommensurate for its tiny size. And this ambitious growth trajectory was engineered under Lee’s close supervision. Bereft of any natural resources, a young prime minister pushed the island to develop key infrastructure, including a world-class port and an airport. Alongside these projects, Lee focused on housing and jobs—Singapore’s preceding British overlords had other concerns—and established the foundations for the Housing Development Board (HDB) and the Economic Development Board (EDB). The HDB transformed this swampy island into a first-rate, firstworld metropolis, and helped pull Singaporeans—of Chinese, Malays and Indian descent—out of their ethnic enclaves and into carefully planned mixed townships. The EDB, meanwhile, slowly built up Singapore’s mix of industries and businesses, dodging recessions and crises to assemble an economy that could support a population swiftly moving out of poverty. From a per capita GDP of about $500 in 1965, Lee’s administration raised it a staggering 2800% to $14,500 by 1991. Religion But since all these facts are rather well known, let me speak briefly to the religious scene. Lee himself was not a Christian, although he was prayed for by millions. In a 2009 interview he said this, when asked about evangelical Christianity in Singapore: “You see most Chinese here are Buddhists or Taoist ancestor worshippers, I’m one of them, so it is a tolerant society, it says whatever you want to believe in, you go ahead. And these youngsters, the educated ones, Westerneducated especially, now they are all English-educated, their mother tongue 30 | The Christian Pulse, April 2015
is the second language. Therefore, they begin to read Western books and Western culture and so on and then the Internet. So they begin to question like in Korea that what is this mumbojumbo, the ancestors and so on? The dead have gone, they’re praying before this altar and asking for their blessings and then they have got groups, Christian groups who go out and evangelize. They catch them in their teens, in their late teens when they’re malleable and open to suggestions and then they become very fervent evangelists themselves. My granddaughter is one of them. She’s now 28. My wife used to tell her look, don’t go for any more of these titles, just look for MRS. It’s just around the corner, God will arrange it.” Singapore has experienced quite remarkable cultural and religious harmony. Around a third of Singaporeans are Buddhist, followed by around 20 per cent Christian. Muslims are around 15 per cent of the population. The Christian churches there are thriving – the largest being New Creation Church led by Joseph Prince. Quite a few very active megachurches are there, along with plenty of smaller ones. I have been greatly impressed by the quality and calibre of the believers I have met there. But the nation is at a crossroads in various respects. As mentioned, this is its Jubilee Year. The biblical significance of this is of course important. And with Lee now gone, and the PAP slowly losing its commanding position in Singaporean politics, there are questions being asked as to how Singapore will fare in the near future. The once very socially and culturally conservative landscape is now beginning to shift. The usual moves for things like the homosexual agenda are slowly but surely gaining voice and traction in the country. Just last year in late October a Singapore Supreme Court ruling upheld the country’s ban on same-sex relations between consenting adult men as found
in section 377A of Singapore’s penal code. But the activists are chipping away at that, and elsewhere. Those Christians who are standing strong on this and speaking out are few. I have met many of them and they are brave warriors, but as with so many nations, much of the church is asleep. Way back in 1978 in a crusade there, Billy Graham called Singapore the “Antioch of Asia”. It has such a strategic position, not just in terms of geographical location, but spiritually speaking as well. Which way will Asia go in the future religiously? How will the gospel fare there? Much of this will be determined by the church in Singapore. Will it rise to the occasion and remain faithful to Christ? Will it seek the welfare of the city (Singapore) as it reaches out to its neighbours? This is a crucial time for Singaporean Christianity. It has a huge legacy and inheritance which it dares not squander. So much of this legacy is due to a wise, strong, forward-looking leader like Lee. Whether he finally came to Christ on his death bed I do not know. But he was in many ways God’s man for Asia for the past half century. God had raised him and Singapore up for his purposes. Now it is up to the Christians in this great nation to decide how they will proceed. May they not waste this remarkable opportunity and all the many blessings – material and spiritual – that they now enjoy! We must all pause to reflect on this great leader, politician and statesman. He did so very much for Singapore, Asia and the world. But we must also pray for the church in Singapore. This is indeed a crucial period. Singapore is at a crossroads. May it become indeed the Antioch of Asia. Bill Muehlenberg CultureWatch www.billmuehlenberg.com
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As The Royal Commission investigates the Church nothing is more relevant for ministry today
ACCOUNTABILITY The conference for Christian leaders, managers and board members 2015 CMA Conference | 2–3 June 2015 | Novotel Manly Pacific, Sydney NSW
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: The Hon John Anderson
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