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Issue 238
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TUPU
WHAKARANGI
CONTENTS
“A ROARING LION” P2 GIVE ME MORE P4 “LET’S ROLL!” P6 AN UNKNOWN GOD P8 GUERILLAS! P 10 TAUWHARE KFC P 12 “TO JESUS I SURRENDER ALL” P 14 EMERE’S TESTIMONY P 17 WHAT CHANGED THE CROSS? P 18 DANGER BENEATH THE WAVES P 21
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“A ROARING LION!”
“Be careful, be watchful; because your enemy the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Do you enjoy watching wild life programmes on Tv? I do, and a while ago I was watching a very interesting one filmed in Africa involving a pride of lions and their habits.
The lion crouched closer to the ground, virtually invisible in the long grass, her sides heaving as she breathed heavily in expectation. Soon the pangs of hunger gnawing at her insides would be satisfied. It was just a matter of time.
Nearby a herd of zebra was feeding on the grassy plains and, looking on with hungry eye, some distance away, was a large female lion. She had not eaten for some time, and back in her lair were some lively cubs who were also overdue for a feed. Almost out of sight in the long grass she crouched, watching and waiting. Her eyes narrowed to thin slits and her large tongue occasionally slid in and out past her sharp white teeth. Hunger made her impatient, but she knew she must wait for the right moment in order to make a kill.
Suddenly the zebra seemed to catch the scent of his enemy. His head came up with a jerk, his ears flattened back, he looked around him and began to turn back towards the herd. Realising her moment had come, the lioness sprang from her hiding place and rocketed towards the terrified beast. Vainly the zebra gathered speed, his front legs stretched out before him with every bound as he sought to regain the safety of the herd – but he had left it too late! Slashing claws and tearing fangs tore into his neck. In a cloud of dust lion and zebra hit the ground, and in a moment it was all over for the hapless zebra, while the rest of the herd galloped off into the distance.
One of the zebra on the fringe of the herd unwittingly began to edge further and further away from the rest of the herd as he nibbled first at this juicy patch of grass and then at that tasty bunch I relaxed my grip on the arms of of shrubs. He was quite unaware of his the chair and sat back. How quickly danger, and the further he moved from it had happened – a few moments of the herd, the closer he came to the lion. unwatchfulness had cost that zebra his I found myself leaning forward in my life! Thinking about what I had seen chair, wanting to shout at the foolish reminded me of the verse above, “Be animal to get back to the safety of the careful, be watchful; because your herd, but he continued to feed casually, enemy the devil, as a roaring lion, walks all the time coming closer and closer to about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). certain death.
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God tells us in His Word, the Bible, that Satan (the devil), together with his hordes of demonic spirits, is a very powerful enemy and preys upon the lives of unwary people, messing up their lives. He deceives us in many ways, often by making sinful, evil, activity look attractive, and he tempts us with all kinds of wrong doing.
you have never received Christ as your Saviour and Lord, Satan is your master, and he wants to keep you enslaved to sin and lost for eternity. God tells us in the Bible that Satan’s final end is the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10). But tragically he will not be alone in Hell because all those who choose to follow him will be there as well.
In doing so he hides the consequences from us and makes us think it won’t really matter. Drugs, booze, immoral and perverted sex is made to look appealing and that we will get a real buzz out of it. And maybe for a time that is so, but there are always consequences, and often we don’t wake up to these before it’s too late. We do damage to ourselves and others also.
How foolish not to listen to God’s warning and, like that zebra, drift closer and closer to certain death. The Bible also says, “The wages of sin is death (eternal separation from God in Hell), but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). If you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour now, you will no longer belong to Satan, but your name will be recorded in Heaven as one of God’s redeemed children. God Himself will keep you from the enemy and bring you safe to Heaven to be in His presence for eternity. -- Editor.
Evil deeds ruin lives, cause heartbreak and misery in the long run, and take us further away from God. The further we go, the harder it is to come back. Sin always binds us, it is destructive and if not dealt with ends in eternal death. On the other hand Satan makes us think that to become a Christian and surrender our lives to Christ is “not cool” and we will miss out on what life has to offer. He blinds us to the purposeful, satisfying life Christ has for us when we turn to Him. The Bible also tells us that we cannot serve two masters -- either God or Satan (Matthew 6:24). Who is your master? If
TUPU WHAKAR WHAKARANGI ANGI (Growing Heavenward)
ISSUE 238, MAY-JUNE, 2021 Editor: Graham Batson
Mail: PO Box 10, Whanganui 4540. Email: info.maoripostal@gmail.com www.maoripostal.co.nz
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GIVE ME MORE ! ! ! Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. – 1 Timothy 6:6-10. When we are young with all of life stretched out before us, and even when we get a bit older, we sometimes think that if we could just get our hands on enough money we would be set for life. We could have the best of everything, buy all the stuff that goes to make life comfortable, overcome all our problems and have lots of friends. People will go to all sorts of lengths to achieve this goal – sometimes even destructive things such as drug dealing, burglary and fraud. In the process they ruin their own lives and often the lives of others. This way of thinking is called materialism and it is one of the most prominent and harmful characteristics of our present-day society. But the Bible (which is God’s Word to us) tells us that this idea is wrong! Money and all the things it can buy is not the most important thing in life. I have talked to lots of people with plenty of money and they will tell you it is not the answer to life’s greatest need. It does not bring lasting satisfaction and many of these people are still looking for something that will bring them real peace and happiness. It may bring a certain amount of security in this life, but it does not prepare us for eternity and to meet God. It is true that we do need some money in order to provide our daily necessities. But if we make it the main goal of our lives we will surely be disillusioned. The richest man who ever lived was King Solomon and many of the things that he said have been recorded in the Bible. He said, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired!” (Ecclesiastes 2:10). Imagine that! Solomon had so much money there was absolutely nothing in the world he could not buy. Nothing – except peace, lasting joy, satisfaction and a worthwhile purpose for living. This is why he went on to say, “When I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”
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Now Solomon knew what he was talking about. As far as the material scene was concerned he had gone right to the top. He had more money, things and land than we could ever dream of, but he concluded it was not the answer. When he approached the end of his life on earth he gave some exceptionally good advice that we should pay careful attention to. He said, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them’.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Solomon knew that if he left God out of his life the time would come when there would be nothing left to live for, and all his wealth would be meaningless. He came to realize that the greatest need we have in our lives is God Himself. God created us to have a relationship with Him, but we have all wandered away from Him because of our sin. Isaiah tells us that “all we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). But the Bible also tells us what God has done to meet our greatest need. He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our sin. When He was born in the little town of Bethlehem, the Angel instructed Joseph that His name was to be called “Jesus” which means “Deliverer” or “Saviour”. Upon the cross at Calvary He died and in His death He took the punishment for our sin. Three days after His death He rose again and, after showing Himself alive to many of His followers, He ascended back to Heaven. He is the only One who can deliver us from our sin and make us right with God. It is only through Him that we can know God and have Him in our lives. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). You need, above everything else, to open your heart and life to the Lord Jesus and receive Him as your personal Saviour and Lord. You can pray to Him right now, asking Him to cleanse you from your sin and invite Him into your life.
“Kia mahara ra ki tou Kaihanga I nga ra o tou tamarikitanga, I te mea kahore ano kia tae noa mai nga ra o te kino, a kahore ano kia tata mai nga tau e ki ai koe, Kahore oku ahuareke ki enei tau.” (Kaikauwhau 12:1) “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them’.”
(Ecclesiastes 12:1).
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“LET’S ROLL!” The horrendous events of 9/11 will be remembered by most older readers. But what may not be so well known are the events that transpired on Flight 93 just prior to its crash in the Pennsylvania countryside. This article originally appeared in “Facts for Faith” magazine shortly after the infamous crash of September 9, 2011.
“I don’t think we’re going to get out of this thing. I’m going to have to go out on faith.” It was the voice of Todd Beamer, the passenger . . . and Wheaten College graduate . . . who said, “Let’s roll!” as he led the charge against the terrorists who had hijacked Flight 93, the one that crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside. The whole world knows how brave Beamer and his fellow passengers were on September 11th. But now we have learned more fully what buttressed that bravery: Faith in Jesus Christ. Todd died as he lived, a faithful evangelical believer. In an article entitled, “The Real Story of Flight 93,” Newsweek reveals new gripping details from the actual transcripts of the now-recovered cockpit voice recorder. “Todd had been afraid,” Newsweek relates. “More than once he cried out for his Saviour.” After passengers were herded to the back of the jet, Beamer called the GTE Customer Centre in Oakbrook Illinois. He told supervisor, Lisa Jeffersen, about the hijacking. The passengers were planning to jump the terrorists, he said. And then he asked her to pray with him. 6
As Newsweek relates, “Beamer kept a Lord’s Prayer bookmark in his Tom Clancy novel, but he didn’t need any prompting. He began to recite the ancient litany, and Jefferson joined him: “Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.” As they finished Beamer added, “Jesus, help me”. And then Beamer and his fellow passengers prayed a prayer that has comforted millions down through the centuries, the prayer that David wrote in a time of great anguish: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. . . . Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil . . .” And then the famous last words, “Are you guys ready? Let’s roll!” We now know from the cockpit voice recorder that Beamer and the other passengers wrestled with the hijackers and forced the plane to crash into the ground, killing themselves. But in doing so they foiled what was believed to have been the hijackers’ plan to fly Flight 93 into the Capitol or the White House. Christians know that God can bring good out of evil. In Todd Beamer the world witnessed a faith that held up in the extremity of fear – a faith that is even now comforting his widow and two young sons. Lisa Beamer told NBC’s Dateline, “You know, in the Lord’s Prayer, it asks us to forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. As Todd prayed this prayer in the last moments of his life, in a way, he was forgiving those people for what they were doing, the most horrible thing you could ever do to someone.” It wasn’t Todd Beamer’s job to fight terrorists. He was just a passenger who, along with several others, did what he didn’t have to do, but foiled a terrible evil that might have been done to his country. As Flight 93 hurtled towards its destruction, Todd Beamer could not have known that millions would ultimately hear his quiet prayers. Nor could he have known that the story of his last acts on earth would be a witness to the Lord he loved and served, and a lasting example of true heroism. Picture shows the crash site.
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“AN UNKNOWN GOD”
Acts chapter 17, verses 16 to 34 ATHENS, around A.D. 50, was the leading city of ancient Greece and centre of one of the greatest cultures the world has ever known. Yet, in this city, famous for learning and philosophy, stood an altar bearing the inscription, “To an Unknown God”. Within every human being persists a desire to worship something. But without knowing what we are to worship, we may worship the wrong object, construct an object to worship or, like the Athenians, simply conclude that we worship someone, even though we don’t know who it is we worship. One day Paul, a man sent by God to speak the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, came to Athens. He spoke to the Athenians to tell them that the true God is knowable. What Paul spoke in Athens two thousand years ago is just as relevant to us today. Paul said that God is the one who made the world and everything in it. As the Creator, He is also the Lord, the owner of Heaven and earth. This true and living God does not live in a temple made with human hands. Nor is He a being that is according to our thoughts or imagination. Instead, as the giver of life and breath to all creatures, God is the source of life. He is also the Creator of every nation dwelling on the face of the earth. Thus He is the source of all humankind. Moreover, Paul said that God has set a day when He will judge the entire world by the Man designated by Him, Jesus Christ. This Jesus is the second Person of the Godhead (God the Son) who became human (John’s Gospel, chapter 1, verse 14). Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life. He then died on the cross to take away our sins. But He did not remain in death. He was raised from the dead, and one day He will return to this earth.
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Paul went on to say that although God is so great and powerful “He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17, vs 27). God is the great omnipresent Spirit who is close to us. He is even here as you read this magazine, and if you seek Him you will find Him. Finally Paul said that God, having overlooked the times of ignorance, commands all of us, whoever we are, to repent. To repent means to turn. We must turn from our own sinful way of not acknowledging the true God. As we turn to Him, we must put our trust in the One who died for us and who was raised from the dead, Jesus Christ, and simply call upon Him. God will forgive us of our sins and place His Holy Spirit within us. Then we will have a living relationship with the one true God. God does not want to be the unknown God to you, and you can know Him right now by turning to Him and, from your heart, praying this simple prayer: “Lord Jesus. You are the real God, my Creator and my Redeemer! Thank you for making the way so that I could know you. Thank you for dying for my sins. I believe in You as the One who was raised from the dead. I receive you into my life now”. Living Stream Ministry.
COVER PHOTO Castle Point Lighthouse, located near the village of Castlepoint in the Wairarapa Region of the North Island is the North Island’s tallest lighthouse standing 52 metres above sea level and is one of only two left in New Zealand with a rotating beam. It is owned and operated by Maritime New Zealand. The light was built in 1913 and was originally fueled by oil. It was officially lit for the first time on Sunday 12 January 1913, sending out a triple flash every 45 seconds that could be seen for 35 kilometres. In 1954 the oil lamp was replaced with an electric one powered by a local diesel generator. This was subsequently replaced by a connection to the mains grid in 1961. The nearby Castlepoint beach is popular with holiday makers and the lighthouse itself became a popular tourist attraction, acquiring the nickname “The Holiday Light”. The light was fully automated in 1988 and is now managed from a central control room in Wellington.
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GUERRILLAS! by Angela Crichton
Angela has been a missionary in Colombia for almost 30 years. For some of the time she was working with YWAM (Youth With a Mission) as well as various other mission organisations. She now resides in Wanganui. Here she shares with us one of her many experiences of God’s deliverance. At the time of writing, Colombia had been in a civil war for just on 50 years. It is a beautiful country with much to offer. But it is sad, because of a minority group, both the reputation of the country and the people have suffered greatly. After having spent a number of years in Colombia’s capital, Bogota, working with YWAM’s street kids’ team, together with a friend (Enith), we offered to “spy” out the land for beginning a new work both in Medellin, and a town on the north west region, Montelibano. Our first stop was supposed to be Colombia’s second largest city, Medellin, but something unexpected happened on the way. The bus on which we were travelling came to a sudden stop. As we looked out the window, we saw armed men dressed in soldier’s uniforms. Their footwear revealed their identity: FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). Gumboots are used instead of the normal army boot. I had often heard of kidnappings, extortions and killings, but this was getting a bit close to home! Enith, who is of a darker complexion, turned pale, not for her sake, but for mine, a foreigner. Enith, a rural nurse, had been kidnapped by the FARC on various occasions to attend to the wounded in their bush camps. She was well aware of what these people were capable of. One of the rebel soldiers, armed with an AK-47 machine gun, came on to the bus to order us all off. I was busy stuffing my money and ID into my shoe and praying fervently at the same time. The first miracle occurred when women were not required to show ID, therefore not revealing my identity as a foreigner. (The obvious danger is that foreigners are kidnapped and held hostage for ransom). Shots were fired in the air as we were herded up the road to join others where vehicles had also been stopped. A large articulated truck and trailer had purposely been jack-knifed across the highway to stop traffic in both directions. The goal of the FARC was twofold: Firstly to stock up on supplies through raiding and, secondly, to demonstrate their power among the people by instilling fear. It worked!
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A couple of teenage girls were travelling on the bus with us. Once the shots were fired they became hysterical. One of them grabbed me and asked if we were going to be killed. I remember trying to calm her down, saying with a confidence I did not feel, “Everything will be alright.” Another woman who had given birth only the day before was forced to run with us carrying her new born in her arms. We were all to be held together as one group. It was at this point I became separated from the others. Some rebel soldiers wanted to instil yet even more fear by shooting the 26 tyres of the truck. The screams together with gunfire, bullet shells, smoke and exploding of the tyres paralysed me. This wasn’t a movie; it was real life! At the time, I was unaware that a soldier had started to shoot the tyres from the opposite direction. A stray bullet would have meant the end. It was only when I heard Enith scream my name that reality set in. Believing that I would be either shot or kidnapped, I closed my eyes and prayed. Taking deliberate steps towards Enith and the other people, a strong resolve welled up within: “I am too young to die; there’s so much more to do in this world serving You. Protect me Lord!” And He did! Standing together on the road as a group, we looked up and saw behind the trees another 100 or so soldiers acting as reinforcements. The greatest fear was the presence of the Colombian Army. Should they arrive, a free for all fire-fight would be inevitable. After what appeared to be an eternity, we were permitted to return to our vehicles. Again weapons were fired to confirm the order. Because of the blocked road, barbed wire fences were ripped off paddocks in desperation as vehicles found the quickest exit. It was then that reality hit, the majority of passengers bursting into tears, men included. As the bus continued to its safe destination, behind us the articulated truck used for blocking the road, was set aflame by rebel soldiers as an act of defiance. (A few days later it was announced on the news that a British man travelling the same road was recognised as a foreigner, removed from the bus and shot dead on the side of the road). That night, as shock set in after the day’s drama, Enith and I tied our ankles together as we tried to sleep. The last separation almost cost a life! “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you; when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned” (Isaiah 43:2).
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Tauwhare KFC
Otira ka karangatia atu ratou e Ihu ki a ia, ka mea ia, Tukua nga tamariki nonohi kia haere mai ki ahau, kaua hoki ratou e araia atu: no nga penei hoki te rangatiratanga o te Atua. He pono taku e mea nei ki a koutou, Ki te kahore e rite te tango a tetahi i te rangatiratanga o te Atua ki ta te tamaiti nohinohi, e kore rawa ia e tomo ki roto. -- Ruka 18:16 -17
Tauwhare Gospel Chapel is found alongside Te Iti o Hauā marae at
Tauwhare Pa, not far from Kirikiriroa (Hamilton). It serves the people of the Ngāti Hauā iwi alongside the fellowships at Waharoa and Rukumoana. It is not a big church and one of the unforeseen side-effects of the arrival of Covid 19 into the world was the decline in attendance at the church’s Sunday School. The lockdown at level 4 and the restrictions at different levels during the year, together with the children’s and parents’ commitment to weekend sports led to their attendance becoming erratic or ending. However, with much prayer, and with the support of a group of enthusiastic parents, it was decided to make a change – to have the ministry moved to Friday afternoon and to rebrand it as KFC (Kids For Christ). In February the KFC got off to a flying start with singing, activities and a BBQ to follow. The children were all given Maori Postal magazines and colouring books to take home. The Lord has blessed the faithfulness of the leaders and there are now up to 60 children on the roll. They are currently working through the Creation story, and the emphasis is on creativity and learning by doing. The weather has been good and so they have been doing many of their activities outside.
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They are also working together with the rangatahi (youth) on a presentation to be given to the church at the end of the term. Preparations are being made for local volunteers and a Mobile Missionary Maintenance team to refurbish the building next to the chapel so that it is once again suitable for KFC and youth activities. Thanks to the Lord for His guidance and encouragement, and all glory to Him as His word is sown into the lives of these tamariki. “Jesus called the children to Him and said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it’.” (Luke 18:16 -17). Photos: Top -- Te Paea-Jo. Left -- Mike and Tuiti.
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To Jesus, I surrender ALL
A testimony by Zoe Grant
Kia ora koutou katoa. Ko Zoe Mihi (Williams) Grant ahau. No te whakatohea no Torerenui-a-rua me te whanau a Apanui ahau. Tena koutou, tena koutou katoa. My Grandfather, my Mother’s Dad, Rev Timutimu Tawhai, went to Te Aute College with Ta Apirana Ngata (the first Maori MP) and Sir Peter Buck (the first Maori Judge). My Grandad trained to be a minister in the Waiapu Diocese, working with brothers Henry and William Williams – prominent, and very effective missionaries in the mid 1800’s. I am a direct descendant of these humble servants of the Lord, and am named after William William’s daughter, Zoe. I had an excellent upbringing at Omaio. Our parents, grandparents and great grandparents were there for us, and we belonged to everyone. Our homes were never locked. We knew what it was to care and share, even with strangers. We were loved and disciplined and we lacked nothing, spiritually and holistically. Today I am believing for that communal lifestyle to be relived among our whanau, our hapu, and our iwi on a national scale. Miss Skinner, our shopkeeper, was our Sunday school teacher, and all the children attended at her home. She was a pianist and we sang beautiful choruses. One chorus that really spoke to me was “Come into my heart, Lord Jesus...., come in today, come in to stay....” I gave my heart to Jesus as a 5-year-old. Miss Skinner gave us Bible lessons using Maori Postal Aotearoa. At 10 years of age I moved to Omaramutu to live with my Grandma, Hema (Nikora) Williams. School was just over the fence. I enjoyed accompanying my Grandma over the paddocks to the Waiaua Catholic Church. Later when I went to Opotiki College, 7 kilometers north of Omaramutu our principal Mr Williams, always began assemblies with a prayer. That set the atmosphere for the whole day. His daughter, Jocelyn Williams, invited me to Christian Crusaders meetings once a week. After graduating from College, I went on to Ardmore Teachers’ Training College. These were two special years as far as my Christian growth was concerned, because there I attended a vibrant Christian Fellowship. Under the Godly leadership of Murray Godwin and Lyn Laskey we were all encouraged to get together for prayer and weekly fellowship. At one of these gatherings, the speaker, Campbell McAlpine, said, “If God is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.” That is when I completely surrendered my ALL to Jesus Christ. My desire was to serve the Lord as a single lady missionary overseas. During my probationary assistant year as a teacher at Omaramutu I felt so drawn to my whanau there, that I asked the Lord if I could change my mind, because I longed to have children of my own. I made it clear to the Lord that I desired to meet someone of His choice who loved Him as I did.
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My next teaching appointment was at Edgecumbe, and on one occasion when I was in a support singing role at one of John Komene’s Crusades, I spotted a very handsome young man. My heart leapt! “Lord, when we travel to the next Crusade at Birkenhead in Auckland, if what I am feeling is of You, please could I end up travelling in Frank’s car?” The driver of the car who brought me from Edgecumbe to Tauranga, realised he had too many passengers, and would I mind going in Frank’s Zodiac? Would I what? Not only that, but the front seat passenger slipped out to let me in in the middle of the front seat! Hallelujah, Jesus! Frank Grant, from Manoeka, Te Puke at the time lived on Motiti Island near Tauranga. We married in 1965. The Lord has given us a “quiver full” - 5 wonderful sons, who all love and serve the Lord, 20 mokopuna and 7 great grandchildren. We lived in Manoeka, Te Puke for 23 years. Three of our boys now live in Tauranga/Papamoa, and their hearts’ desire is still to minister fortnightly amongst their whanau and friends in Manoeka at Hei Marae, where everyone is invited and welcomed. In 1976 Mission Outreach to the Suffering Church behind the Iron and Bamboo Curtains, was formed in Te Puke by Eddie Cairns, Sam Applanalp, and Frank with the support of their wives. In 1977 Mission Outreach asked us to smuggle Bibles into Hungary and Romania. This was no easy decision, as by this time we had 5 boys. Our fears were allayed when Frank and I received a direct word from the Lord in Matthew 19:21 to “go and ….follow him”. A week later my ex-Ardmore College friend, Julia Davidson (now Brown), rang offering to be of help as she was on Sabbatical from her Maori Evangelical Church work. During our 2 month absence she cared for the boys. After we received such affirmation from the Lord we had no fear in accomplishing this mission. The Lord gave us success, and the recipients really appreciated the Bibles they received. Encouraged by that experience, I was ready to go on a similar mission when the Lord called me – this time to China in 1981. Again it was successful, through the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Sometime later I was called to Burma to deliver Bibles, and my son Joshua, then aged 19, volunteered to join me at his expense. The delivery was made safely to the glory of God. Whilst in Te Puke I was manager of the Maori Affairs office, under the watchful eye of Wishy Jarram, Joe Malcolm and Trevor Maxwell at the Rotorua branch. On moving to Manurewa in 1989 I returned to teaching, this time at Clydemore Zoe and Frank with sons, from left Frank Jnr, Joshua, Archie, Paul, with Caleb in front.
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Primary, and then Hillary College. At the latter I enjoyed working in the Disabled Unit. Our fellowship continued at the Elim Church. It was a joy to work with Aunty May
Mackey and evangelist John Komene and his wife, Tapeta, in visiting the prisons. My sister Taku, and her husband Simon Hoete, were also involved. The prisoners looked forward to our visits and responded to the Word and the worship with great joy. While holidaying in Brisbane in 2002 I had a vivid dream of my mother’s difficult position back on the East Coast, so upon our return we detoured directly to Omaramutu to see her. She wept over Frank and me when we arrived and pleaded with us to return and take care of her. What I had seen in my dream was exactly her situation! It was difficult for us to leave our comfortable position in Auckland, but Mother was my priority. I applied for a position as resource teacher of learning and behaviour in all the schools from Whangaparaoa at the East Cape to Torere, nearer Opotiki. We had the use of the school house at Te Kaha, with an office at Te Whanau-A-Apanui High School. Mum was from Otuwhare Marae, the Rutaia hapu, in Omaio. Incidentally, the whare kai there is named after Ta Apirana Ngata. In 2004 our boys, by now qualified builders, built our current home in Omaio. Mum was delighted to be back with us on her own whenua. Eventually I gave up my teaching job to look after her full-time. She lived with us until 2010, her 90th year. For many of these years Frank pastored at Opotiki Baptist. Since then we have been fully immersed with the ministry of the Word up and down the East Coast to all people, especially to our whanau, hapu, and iwi at different Marae gatherings Back in May 2012 I suffered a major heart attack. I was taken by ambulance to Whakatane Hospital. Doctors assessed the seriousness of my condition, and immediately flew me by helicopter to Waikato Hospital. I was told I died in the helicopter and I well-believe that, because I experienced Heaven. In the spirit I arrived outside one of the pearly gates. It was there that I heard many voices on the inside including those of my parents, of Taku my sister, and of others known to me, saying to me in Maori, “Go home! There’s enough of us up here. The work is at home among our whanau, hapu and iwi.” Immediately the Lord spoke to me in Maori, saying, “The choice is yours.” My family and church family were praying for me, and I immediately had the desire to come straight back. The Lord assured me by giving me Acts 1:8: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria.” I said “Lord I have been to Jerusalem!” He shared clearly with me that my “Jerusalem” was my five sons. He showed me Lazarus coming forth from the grave, but needing help to be stripped of his grave clothes. I saw clearly that I was to spend much time in the closet, praying for my five sons to shed their “grave clothes”. To my great joy, I have seen major changes in their personal lives. To the glory of God I can confidently say that they are now all acknowledging and serving Him with passionate hearts, and realising their responsibilities to their wives, our 20 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.
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Emere’s Testimony My Name is Emere and I’m from Waihi, living now with my husband and 12 year old son in Woodville. I first heard about Jesus when I was attending primary school in Waihi. The Bible teachers told us how Jesus loved us all and I remember feeling hope at that young age of 5 that there was someone who could make me feel special. I was bought up in a disfunctional family with a father and mother who abused us children and, coming from an environment where I felt confused and unsafe, the concept of Jesus really loving me was something new. But I believed it and there was something in my little being that knew it was true. My siblings and I never received presents at Christmas time, but I remember one Christmas getting a balloon each. I blew up that balloon and threw it up in the air for Jesus and said happy birthday. I gave my life to Jesus when I was 17 and attended church in Waihi taking a lot of my cousins along with me and they also gave their lives to God. But I ended up moving away from the church a year later and eventually moved in with a man I got pregnant to. We had 3 children together. This man was violent and abusive in every way. My next encounter with Jesus didn’t happen until I was 50 years old when I was visiting Waihi. I was involved with unchristian practices and had been depressed for years, becoming suicidal and spiritually unwell. I believe God led me back to Waihi that weekend where my sister prayed for me and took me back to the Baptist church to be prayed for by a team of people and then I was baptized the next day during Sunday service. Since then my life has been changed. I’m no longer suicidal or depressed. I know Jesus is by my side forever and that He was always there with me. I was always called Emily for different reasons but when I came out of the water during baptism I claimed my name back -- ko Emere taku ingoa. Life is good because I have God and a beautiful church whanau. I wish you all God’s mighty love and blessing in the name of Jesus Christ. Emere enjoys receiving and reading the “Tupu Whakarangi” magazine.
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WHAT CHANGED THE CROSS?
“And sitting down they watched Him there” (Matthew 27:36 KJV). “Na noho ana ratou ki te tiaki i a ia i reira” (Matiu 27:36).
One of the most common symbols we see today is the cross. On almost every church spire one can be seen. People wear them as ornaments around their necks or dangling from their ears, and they are commonplace on many tombstones. But do we really understand the significance of the cross? Until a certain point in history the cross was nothing more than a terrible instrument of human torture and indescribable suffering. Crucifixion was a common means of execution, especially among the Romans, and thousands of people died this way. It was a cruel and horrible death. But there came a time when the significance of the cross changed, and instead of being an emblem of suffering, torture and death, it came to be seen as one of hope and virtue. What caused such a radical change? The reason for such a change is seen in our verse above. Let’s take time to think about it. There are three words in this short verse we need to carefully consider. 1. “THEY”: Who were “they” – these people who were prepared to sit down and watch the hideous death throes of a fellow human being? None of them understood the tremendous significance of the scene they were watching. They
knew nothing of the truth of “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). The military are the first to be referred to – the soldiers who were responsible for carrying out the executions that day. There had been three of them, but the Prisoner on the centre cross was so entirely different from every other prisoner they had handled. These soldiers had previously surrounded Him in the governor’s residence to mock Him, during which they had twisted a branch of the long-thorned briar into a grotesque crown and cruelly pushed it down on His head. But these hardened soldiers would never forget His words, as with careless blows they drove the jagged spikes through His hands and feet – “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing!” Nevertheless they had completed their gruesome task and now they were sitting down to guard the scene and see the end result. The religious people were also there – the scribes and Pharisees, the hypocrites, leaders of the Jewish nation. (Most likely the unbelievers were standing alongside them). They too had done their work. For some time they had clamoured for
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the death of the One on the centre cross. Time and again He had castigated them for their blatant hypocrisy. Finally they had arrested Him and cunningly manipulated the Roman governor into passing the death sentence. It had been difficult, for the governor had pronounced Him innocent on three occasions and they were galled by the fact that they could not pass sentence themselves, being under Roman rule at the time. But they had eventually pulled it off and now they exulted in what they supposed was their ultimate victory. The common people were there – many being caught up in the excitement and intensity of the occasion. Some were confused: They had received loaves and fishes from His hand, and they could not understand why He must die. A mother with a little child kept asking, “Why are they putting Him to death? He brought my child back to life. What harm could there be in that?” Others had been blind and lame, and some had been outcasts because of leprosy, but all had received His healing touch. Now they wept in their despair as
they watched in stunned horror the ugly scene unfolding before them. You and I were there too. Not physically, but we were all represented on Calvary that day. It was our sins that put Him there, and pardon for them all is freely available in His blood that was shed. The great truth that shines down through the ages from that “old rugged cross” is that Jesus died for YOU and ME. All our sins were laid upon Him. There is no sin too big for God to forgive. The next word for us to consider is – 2. “HIM”: The reason the meaning of the cross changed so much was because of the One who died upon it that day, and the purpose for which He died. He was not just another good man, nor just an innocent man. Hundreds of good people have been crucified and died as martyrs, but their deaths never changed the cross. Jesus Christ was who He claimed to be – the Son of God. The Bible tells us that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God (for He was with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit), and the Word was God!” (John’s Gospel 1:1). This means that by nature of being, Jesus Christ is God! By nature of being we are human, but by nature of being He is God (Deity), one of the members of the Godhead (the Trinity). No mere human being could ever change so radically the meaning of the cross, however virtuous he may be.
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Indeed His resurrection was a miracle, and is necessary for the validity of the Christian faith. But do we ever stop to think about the miracle of His death? The One who is the very author of life itself, the One who is the Agent of creation – submitted Himself to death, and that the death of the cross! He commands the hosts of Heaven and could have called upon more than twelve thousand angels to deliver Him. Any one of them could have swept that whole scene into oblivion in seconds, but Jesus did not do that because He had voluntarily chosen to go to the cross. He, the Word of God became flesh (human), in order that He might become the Lamb of God as the perfect sacrifice for our sins (John’s Gospel, chapter 1 verses 14 and 29). The third word is – 3. “THERE”: This word brings before us the reason for which Jesus was on the cross. It was the place of death, and because of our sins it was really our place. The Bible says that “the wages of sin is death . . .” (Romans 6:23). This refers not just to physical death, but spiritual death which means separation from God forever in Hell. Jesus took our place in death; He died in our place so that we could be forgiven, cleansed from every sin we have ever committed, and have eternal life. The Bible further says in the same verse, “But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. There were two thieves crucified with Jesus that day. Both of them deserved to die for their crimes. One of them hurled insults at Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, save Yourself – and us!” He sought salvation from the terrible suffering of his execution, not salvation from his sin. But
the other thief recognised Jesus as the sinless Son of God and received Him as his Saviour there on the cross. He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” In response, Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in Paradise”. Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who passed sentence on Jesus, asked a question of the religious leaders that day. When, to his dismay, they chose a notable criminal called Barabbas be released to them instead of Jesus, he asked, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” From that great Praetorium – that infamous hall of Roman judgment – the same question has been presented to men and women, boys and girls, down through the years to this present day. And now it comes to you: “What will you do with Jesus who is called Christ?” Think about it carefully, for what you do with Jesus will determine what God will do with you in a coming day. Eternity is forever! We will spend it in one of two places – Heaven, if we receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour; Hell if we reject Him. – Editor.
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DANGER BENEATH THE WAVES
A story for the younger age group by Karen M. Leet
KRYSTAL was waist deep, splashing in the waves, when something bumped her leg. She stood absolutely still, instantly stopping the wild splashing. She wanted to run. She wanted to make a dash for the safety of the beach. Instead she took a deep breath and called to Rolf. “Something just bumped me. Get the kids out of the water quickly and quietly!” Rolf stared at her for a moment. She could see his blue eyes widen with alarm, but he stayed calm. He moved closer to shore, while she stood with her back to the open sea, watching to be sure none of the children ventured too far. “Kids,” Rolf called, his voice low and calming, “walk quickly and quietly to the beach. No running. No splashing. Move now. See who can be the quickest and quietest. Good, Missy. Quieter, Shawn. Good, good. Keep moving everyone.” He threw a look over his shoulder as he began herding the children toward the sandy beach. Even while she admired his handling of the children, Krystal wished she could be with them, close to shore, almost safe. Maybe it was a crab. There were plenty of crabs around. Or a jellyfish. But even as she thought of the possibilities, she scanned the ocean surface, searching for a dorsal fin. Somehow she knew that whatever had bumped her had not been a crab or a jellyfish. She had a feeling it was something large. Krystal had wondered sometimes how she would handle an emergency if one occurred. She wondered whether she would panic or keep her head. Keeping still in the water took tremendous control. She wanted to run, thrashing and flailing through the breakers. Instead she watched as Rolf urged the youngsters to safety. The moment the last child was clear of the water, Krystal moved. Gently she edged forward, bit by bit. She felt a sense of urgency, yet knew she must remain calm, not churning or agitating the sand beneath her feet or the water around her. She didn’t want to draw any attention to herself. Glancing at the beach, she saw Rolf talking with a lifeguard, gesturing toward her. The lifeguard raced for his station and began signalling people to get out of the water. Krystal could see the children clustered together on the beach, snatching at the colourful towels, bickering normally. They didn’t understand. But what mattered was that they were safe.
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Her mind felt partially numb, but she realised abruptly that she had been praying the entire time, a sort of automatic reflex prayer. First she had prayed for the children’s safety. Now the prayer was praise that they were on the beach out of danger. Her feet moved steadily and gently towards the shore. She saw Rolf bending, his back turned, to help one of the children with something. Bobby, always the adventurous one, always off on his own, had wandered close to the water’s edge again. Abruptly he was wading into the waves, splashing and bobbing up and down. He was several metres from her. She didn’t dare yell at him. He could easily turn and come in her direction. Rolf saw him and then rushed to the water to call the child. Krystal was distracted for a few moments. As she studied the sea’s surface for a dorsal fin, she suddenly thought she saw one. It was close to where Bobby thrashed cheerfully, jumping up and down. Was it the tip of a fin? Had she actually seen it or only imagined it? She yelled a warning to Rolf. Could he reach Bobby in time? Would Rolf be safe? There wasn’t time to think or plan. Krystal didn’t know what she was going to do until she did it. She halted her cautious progress toward the safety of the shore and dropped flat into the water. She thrashed her legs and arms, splashing as hard as she could. If anything in the ocean was going to attract attention, she was determined it would be her. Where was that fin? Had it abandoned Bobby? Was it driving toward her through the frothing whitecaps? With part of her attention she saw Rolf scoop up Bobby and hurry him onto the sandy beach. She saw the other children gathered into a tight group, holding hands in pairs, seated in a row. Rolf was being firm with them. They were all safe. The moment they were safe, she stopped her thrashing. No one was in the water. Everyone was OK. On up the beach, two lifeguards struggled with a boat, slogging it between them, bringing it to rescue her. But she couldn’t wait. Trying to stay calm, trying to keep her movements smooth and steady to avoid exciting any big predators nearby, she rushed for the beach. “O God, thank You. Thank You God. Help me, Lord. Thank You!” Her mind was a confused jumble of pleading and praise. And then she felt the sand beneath her stumbling feet, and hands gripped her arms, pulling her to shore. Rolf wrapped a towel over her shoulders, as she shuddered standing there. The children clutched at her, frightened, now that they understood what might have happened.
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“Look!” cried a voice nearby. She glanced up. A lifeguard was pointing out to sea. Krystal wasn’t sure she wanted to look. There, on the horizon, a dorsal fin cut through the water clearly. Beyond the fin suddenly appeared a second one, and then a third. Then the fins were arching up out of the water, and sleek, powerful bodies leaped above the waves, one after another. “Dolphins!” yelled a swimmer. Everyone ran closer to the water’s edge, pointing and exclaiming over the sight. Dozens of large, grey bodies, undulated through the water. Rolf put his hand on her arm. Their eyes met. Krystal knew her face was fiery with embarrassment. She couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry. “It could just as easily have been a shark,” Rolf said in his low calm voice. “you did the right thing. In fact, I couldn’t have done what you did. You were willing to sacrifice yourself for Bobby. That was the bravest action I’ve ever seen. If being a Christian helps you to behave like that, then I’d like to hear more, OK?” “OK!” Krystal agreed, amazed. Rolf had never been interested in her efforts to witness about her faith before. “Krystal,” muttered Bobby, tugging at her hand. “Could we say a prayer now? The way you always do at lunch. Could we say a Thank-You prayer?” “Yes, Bobby, we can,” Krystal agreed, hugging him firmly as they gathered their belongings together. “We sure can say a Thank-You prayer!” After they had prayed together, Bobby looked at Krystal for a moment and then said in a quiet voice, “You know, Krystal, what you did out there sort of reminds me of what you sometimes tell us about Jesus. You could have been killed trying to save me, but Jesus did die so that we could all be saved.” “That’s so right, Bobby. Jesus died so that we could be saved from our sin and have eternal life,” replied Krystal. “I’m so glad that what has happened today has helped you to understand this better because we all need to receive the Lord Jesus as our own Saviour”.
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Tena Koutou Katoa
Anei Nga Korero Pai
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