Prince Charles has praised the ‘extraordinary grace

and capacity for forgiveness’ of Middle Eastern Chris‐

tians enduring persecution.

Speaking at a special Advent service for perse‐

cuted Christians at Westminster Abbey on 4 Decem‐

ber, the Prince said he had been ‘deeply humbled’ by

meeting Christians from the Middle East ‘who, with

such inspiring faith and courage, are battling oppres‐

sion and persecution’.

Prince Charles assured Middle Eastern Christiansof steadfast support and most heartfelt prayers as

they battle oppression and persecution.

He said that, ‘Extremism and division are by nomeans inevitable … In this season of Advent, as we

celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, who Him‐

self knew exile, injustice and suffering, I can only as‐

sure you of our steadfast support and most heartfelt

prayers as you take forward your works of restora‐

tion, justice and healing, so that God's will might be

done on Earth as it is in Heaven.’

‘In recent years, I have had the great privilege of meeting so many Christians who, with such inspiring

faith and courage, are battling oppression and persecution, or who have fled to escape it’, Prince Charles

said. ‘Time and again I have been deeply humbled and profoundly moved by the extraordinary grace and

capacity for forgiveness that I have seen in those who have suffered so much.

‘Forgiveness, as many of you know far better than I, is not a passive act, or submission. Rather, it

is an act of supreme courage; of a refusal to be defined by the sin against you; of determination that love

will triumph over hate. It is one thing to believe in God who forgives; it is quite another to take that ex‐

ample to heart and actually to forgive, with the whole heart, “those who trespass against us” so grievously.

So, in coming together today, we can only give thanks for the truly remarkable strength of the Faith with

which so many Christians face persecution, and which gives them the courage and the determination to

endure, and to overcome. They are an inspiration to the whole church, and to all people of goodwill.

His words of encouragement for Middle Eastern Christians came days after the Archbishop of Canter‐

bury, who preached at the service, called on the UK government to do more to aid Christian communities

in the region facing ‘imminent extinction’.

15 December 2018 Vol 81 No 12 Free On Request: office@nlife.com.au

‘Tell the people the full message of this new life’ – Acts 5.20b www.nlife.com.au

FREE FOR YOU

ON REQUEST TO:

office@nlife.com.auTELLING THE GREAT WORKS OF CHRIST IN THE WORLD TODAY

Princely Praise For Persecuted Middle East Christians

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamband by the word of their testimony,

and they did not love their lives to the death.Revelation 12.11

– Photo from Westminster Abbey website.

NEW LIFE ADVERTISINGNEW LIFE ADVERTISING

NEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page TwoNEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page Two

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VOLUME 81 NUMBER 12

ISSUE DATE:15 December 2018

FILE NO: NL 2018-12-15

ISSN: 1033-7903

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EDITOR:Rev Bob ThomasPhone: 0417 592 646Email: editor@nlife.com.auPostal Address:PO Box 457Mitcham VIC 3132

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NOTE TO CONTRIBUTORS:New Life is archived by theNational Library of Australia. It is assumed that contributorsagree with this arrangement andso are willing to be published onthis basis.

Throughout the ages Christians have been nothing if not resourcefulin overcoming all the attempts of the world, the flesh and the devil to si‐

lence them. When the Thistles Centre shopping mall in Stirling, Scotland,

cancelled the annual static Nativity Scene, 'Joseph, Mary and Jesus' staged

a walkabout, creating a living Nativity there after news reports appeared

that the shopping mall would not permit a traditional manger scene to

become part of its Christmas display. ‘Thistles prides itself on being reli‐

giously and politically neutral in its behaviour,’ said a spokesman. ‘With

this in mind, we do not feel it would be right to host this type of promotion

in a shopping centre.’

A spokesman for the Church of Scotland said, ‘When a shopping centre

can focus purely on commercialism to the exclusion of the reason for the

celebration of Christmas, it is a sad day for all of us.’

But then John Mallon and Elena Feick took some action. They dressed

up as Joseph and Mary to share the true meaning of Christmas at Thistle

Centre. An unusually talkative Joseph introduced himself and the Holy

Family to shoppers and explained that they were there because the mall

would not permit the traditional Nativity Scene.

‘It was fun,’ John Mallon told LifeSiteNews. ‘It was terrific to be there

and share our faith.’ He said that the best part was the initial reactions of

the shoppers when they saw them – smiles all around. ‘The shoppers

loved us. There were no objections from shoppers.’

Mallon and Feick wanted particularly to underscore the fact that

Christmas is about Christ because their Christian faith ‘is undermined in

the public sphere.’ They also wanted to spread some authentic Christmas

merriment. ‘Isn’t Christmas about Jesus and the joy of His birth?’ John

said. ‘We brought a little of that to the Centre.’

Security guards, refusing to speak to ‘St Joseph’ and ‘St Mary’, asked

their cameraman Brian to stop filming. The trio complied, and the ‘Holy

Family’ walked around a little longer before deciding there was no room

for them in that inn.

The way things are going in Australia and other parts of the world,John and Elena might have set an example for others to follow.

– LifeSiteNews via Breaking Christian News

TELLING THE GREAT WORKS OF CHRIST IN THE WORLD TODAY

Keeping One Step Ahead Of The Game ...

Journey To Jordan & Israel

Would you like to tread where Elijah trod?Walk where Jesus walked?

Sail on the lake where Peter sailed?Float on the Dead Sea?

Then come with me on a journey to Israelfor 13 days in January 2020.

To obtain a brochure with the details of the trip,email mtonkin@genesis.net.au

Rev Mark Tonkin,Belgrave Heights Presbyterian Church

NEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page FourNEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page Four

FROM ALL QUARTERSFROM ALL QUARTERSPop-Up Toy Shop Shines A Light On Dark PlacesChildren around the world are displaced – by conflict, po‐

litical upheaval, famine, and natural disasters – so World

Vision has set up a pop‐up toy store in Melbourne to tell the

story of toys left behind by children forced to flee their

homes. In this way, World Vision seeks to shine a light on

the plight of the world's 30 million displaced children. 'The

Lost Toy Store,' created by artist Emma Davies, aims to pro‐

vide a point of connection between shoppers and displaced

children. It is hoped shoppers will pass on a ‘message of

generosity’ to the children and their families for Christmas.

The messages will be displayed as part of the exhibition and

then translated and sent to children affected by conflict and

disaster in World Vision‐supported communities.

– World Vision

Can You Help Us?Can You Help Us?New Life Needs To Update Its Equipment And Computer Programs.

Donations To Help Us Achieve This Would Be Most Appreciated.If You Can Join Us In Improving The Ministry Of New Life, Please Send Donations To:

New Life Australia Ltd, PO Box 457, Mitcham 3132or By Direct Deposit To: Account: New Life Australia Ltd.

Bank: Westpac. BSB: 033-112. Account Number: 16-8239

Isaiah 41.10 Is Most-Read Bible Verse –No FearThis year’s most‐read Bible verse is Isaiah

41.10, according to the YouVersion Bibleapp. The verse reads: ‘So do not fear, for I

am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am

your God. I will strengthen you and help

you; I will uphold you with My righteous

right hand.’ According to the Bible App,

which has been downloaded to an esti‐

mated 350 million devices, this verse was

the most bookmarked, highlighted, and

shared Bible verse in 2018. Bobby Grue‐

newald, YouVersion founder and pastor at

Life.Church, says that the new data shows

that ‘people are continuing to turn to the

Bible in search of comfort, encouragement,

and hope.’ YouVersion also reported a 27%

increase in daily users compared to 2017.

Through its partnerships with Bible soci‐

eties, YouVersion has produced the Bible in

more than 1,200 languages.

– The Christian Post

Seen On Facebook:

Incoming Moderator General ForThe Presbyterian Church Of AustraliaThe Rev Peter Barnes, Minister of Revesby Presbyterian

Church in Sydney, Lecturer in Church History at Christ Col‐

lege and Editor of Australian Presbyterian, has been elected

Moderator General of the Presbyterian Church as from

September 2019 for a period of three years.

NEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page FiveNEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page Five

FAITH NEWS (From Around Australia) ...FAITH NEWS (From Around Australia) ... With STAN HUNTWith STAN HUNT

The countdown is on for the

opening of the Churches of

Christ aged care community

on the Sunshine Coast, Qld.

The Little Mountain Campus

features a 96 bed residential

service, café, multi‐purpose

community centre, gym and

aquatic centre. It will open

early next year. Bryan Mason,

executive director says there

is a growing need for aged

care facilities in the region as

the Sunshine Coast continues

to be an attractive location

for retirees. He says an esti‐

mated 35% of the total popu‐

lation will be aged over 65

years by 2031. The new facilities aim to bring together families and provide generational connections

for both the residents and the broader community. They will also promote healthy living with a 24‐hour

tailored care and lifestyle program. – Churches of Christ, Queensland

Churches Of Christ Meeting Growing Need In Qld

John 14.14 – Ask In His Name

NEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page SixNEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page Six

Archaeologists have uncovered a 2,000-year-old copper ring that dates

to the time of Christ and may have belonged to Pontius Pilate. The Israeli

daily newspaper Ha'aretz reports that the letters on the ring spell Pilate or

Pilatus in Greek.

Though the ring was discovered years ago, the name has been revealed

with the use of a special camera at the Israeli Antiquities Authority labs. A

Hebrew University professor says Pilatus was a rare name in Israel. He says he doesn’t know of any other

Pilatus from the period, and the ring shows that its owner was a person of stature and wealth.

Pilate, the Biblical figure who was involved in condemning Jesus to death, was the Roman governor of

Judea from 26‐36AD. – Breaking Christian News (Picture by Christian Today)

TWR’s Work Expands In MexicoTrans World Radio is finding ways to expand their

ministry in Mexico. TWR is a powerhouse in global

media outreach, engaging millions of listeners in

190 countries with Biblical truth in their heart lan‐

guage. TWR’s Steve Shantz says that the Telecom‐

munications Authority in Mexico does not grant

concessions to radio stations that are owned by

Christians, run by Christians and are there as a

Christian station. Now TWR has joined with Radio

Encounter, an organization that is trying to get

more Christian content on radio stations in Mexico.

He says TWR has more than 60 excellent radio pro‐

grams in Spanish, ready to go and available at no

cost. Other stations in Mexico are showing interest

in these programs, creating an exciting opportunity

for TWR.

... And Along The Silk RoadTrans World Radio is working on an end‐of‐year

project: the Silk Road Transmitter. The installation

of this transmitter will increase TWR’s overall cov‐

erage area and provide the opportunity to air more

programs to reach around 60 million people. The

200,000‐watt AM signal will cover Kazakhstan,

Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Northwest

China. Brendon Neal, with TWR, reports that while

some of these countries may have tight legislation

regarding anti‐conversion and religious restric‐

tions, radio is strategic. He says radio can be lis‐

tened to privately during a car ride with friends or

at home with family. TWR works with hundreds of

ministries around the world to provide content in

the local heart languages of the people hearing

their broadcasts. The name ‘Silk Road’ comes from

the ancient network of routes that connected the

East and West in the lucrative silk trade.

– Mission Network NewsSharing The Love (Of God) ThailandEvangelist Will Graham’s Celebration Of Love in

Thailand ended on Sunday 9 December with a mes‐

sage on the meaning of Christmas. Most people in

the majority Buddhist nation know little to nothing

about the true meaning of Christmas. In tourist

areas like Phuket, the holiday spirit is especially no‐

ticeable with Christmas trees, decorations and

music in hotels and restaurants. But rather than a

celebration of Christ's birth, these festivities are

simply another way of having fun. So that’s why

Will Graham took the time to explain the Christmas

story in terms of John 3.16. ‘God sent His Son into

the world so He could save it,’ he told the crowd.

‘That's what Christmas is all about.’ Thousands of

people attended the three‐day event in a soccer

field, with hundreds making first–time decisions to

follow Christ.

– Breaking Christian News

Pilate’s Signet Ring Discovered?FAITH NEWS (From Abroad)FAITH NEWS (From Abroad) ...... With STAN HUNTWith STAN HUNT

Missions Working Together To Accelerate Bible TranslationMissions and local churches in Papua are accelerating Bible translation with the help of Mission Aviation

Fellowship. The process could take several years — especially since many tribal groups are in remote

and hard‐to‐reach areas. There are about 275 tribal language groups in Papua, and only five of them

have a complete Bible translation. To accelerate their work it is best for Bible translators to live with

the tribe – and this is where MAF comes in. They partner with the missions and local churches providing

aviation services flying in the supplies to meet the needs of Bible translators serving in remote places.

MAF’s Mike Brown says that the people have a hunger for Scripture, and it’s inspiring to see them con‐

nected with the translation in their heart language. There are currently ten aircraft in Papua providing

aviation services for the Great Commission. – Mission Network News

NEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page SevenNEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page Seven

MATTERS FOR PRAYER MATTERS FOR PRAYER by Elizabeth Kendalby Elizabeth Kendal

Generally it is the case that when serious persecution flares, the

persecuted will strategically retreat 'underground' and endeavour

to continue their ministry in secret. This is a totally legitimate re‐

sponse, rooted in the premise that as 'sheep in the midst of

wolves', we must be 'wise as serpents and innocent as doves'

(Matthew 10.16 ESV).

Sometimes God calls individuals and even whole churches to

resist the oppressor as did the apostles Peter and John in Acts

4.18‐20. This too is a totally legitimate response which exposes

evil by drawing it out into the light, albeit at the cost of one's own

life or liberty. Both responses are legitimate; both are used by God.

Each is a calling and should not cause division.

Located in Chengdu, the capital city of China's south‐western Sichuan Province, Early Rain Covenant

Church has 'about 500 followers but their weekly gatherings spread across 12 meeting points around

Chengdu, attracting more than 800 church‐goers on a weekly basis'. Unregistered on principle, Early

Rain Covenant Church is committed to open ministry, irrespective of circumstances. Undeterred by the

escalating persecution or the new Religious Affairs Regulations. Early Rain has continued to operate

openly. It conducts unregistered worship services, prayer meetings and Bible studies, as well as running

its unregistered Covenant Reformed School (which caters for some 40 primary school students) and

Covenant Seminary (with some 100 students). It has also continued to evangelise openly in the street

and publish sermons on‐line. Its policy is best summed up in its Guide For Churches (May 2018): 'The

highest law of the Christian is the Bible. Any law that contradicts the Bible we will disobey by non‐violent

methods.' As you might imagine, Early Rain church poses a serious problem for the Chinese Communist

Party.

Some 200 Early Rain members were arrested in a crackdown in May. While all were released within

24 hours, the church was put on notice, warned that if it refused to comply with CCP regulations then it

would be closed down by the end of the year. Alarmed by the escalating persecution, Early Rain church

leaders organised a petition. Entitled, A Joint Statement By Pastors: A Declaration For The Sake Of TheChristian Faith, the petition was published on‐line on 30 August with 198 signatures; top of the list was

Early Rain's Pastor Wang Yi (45, a former legal scholar). By 5 September the list had grown to 439 sig‐

natures, leading observers to question if this might mark 'a significant moment in the country's Church

and State relations'. Then, on Saturday 8 December, with persecution soaring to levels unseen in decades,

Pastor Wang Yi published a 7,300‐word manifesto on social media entitled Meditations On The ReligiousWar', in which he condemns the CCP, likens President Xi to Caesar and Pharaoh, and urges Christians to

embrace civil disobedience.

On Sunday 9 December Chinese police fanned out across the city of Chengdu. At around 6pm they

snatched the church's cameraman off the street outside the church. Then, in co‐ordinated lightning raids

throughout the night, they broke into the homes and workplaces of Early Rain members. By 9pm the

church's phone line had been cut and members' social media channels were blocked. Police pressured

members to sign a document agreeing to never again visit Early Rain Covenant Church, which it labelled

an 'evil cult'. More than 100 members and key church leaders, including Pastor Wang Yi and his wife

Jiang Rong, were arrested for refusing to sign. Assistant deacon Zhang Guoqing is one of two church

members released on Monday morning. He is essentially under house arrest, watched around the clock

by 'security personnel' posted in his home. Elder Li Yingqiang, who ditched his phone and fled when he

heard the police were coming, was the sole Early Rain church elder to escape arrest that night. He spoke

to World Magazine's June Cheng: 'Pray that God would give us the courage and the strength to deal with

this persecution,' he said. 'That those [in detention] would be a good witness, and that the church mem‐

bers wouldn't compromise, but instead ... they would know God is real and that He will protect them.'

CHINA: War On Religion Heats Up As Chinese CommunistParty Strikes Chengdu's Early Rain Covenant Church

NEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page EightNEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page Eight

TIME T0 PRAY FOR CHINA’S PERSECUTED CHRISTIANSTIME T0 PRAY FOR CHINA’S PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS

And Inspiring Talkwww.96three.com.auPhone: 03 5241 6550Email: listen@96three.com.au

TURN BACK THE BATTLE: TURN BACK THE BATTLE: Isaiah Speaks To ChristiansIsaiah Speaks To ChristiansToday.Today.With persecution escalating globally, Elizabeth Kendal calls us to revisit the prophecy of Isaiah,

maintaining that Isaiah 1-39 provides an unambiguous treatise on how God's people are to respond to persecution, suffering and existential threat.

For purchasing options, visit: www.turnbackthebattle.com

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PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL:• Be powerfully and palpably present with all Early

Rain members arrested in recent days; may they be

sustained by God's presence, assured of God's love,

filled with God's wisdom and gifted with God's

words.

• Restrain cruel and angry hands, and in grace use

the witness of believers to bring conviction of sin,

liberating truth and the light of life into China's dark

and secret places.

• Be with all China's anxious, fearful, incarcerated

and 'disappeared' believers, that they will experi‐

ence the sustaining reality of God's 'everlasting

arms', especially over the coming Christmas season

... remembering in particular the severely perse‐

cuted (tortured) and 'disappeared' Christian lawyer,

our brother, Gao Zhisheng.

'The eternal God is your dwelling place,and underneath are the everlasting arms.'

(Deuteronomy 33.27b ESV)

AUSTRALIA: Religious Freedom InThe BalanceOn 29 November the opposition Australian Labor Partyintroduced legislation into parliament that proposes reli-gious exemptions be stripped from anti-discrimination law.Because Australia lacks legislation to protect religiousfreedom as a fundamental universal human right, Labor'sBill would mean religious institutions involved in educa-tion, including Christian schools, theological colleges,churches and Sunday Schools, would lose the right toteach, select staff and enforce rules in accordance withtheir values.Religious institutions would immediately fall prey tohostile anti-discrimination 'lawfare' initiated by LGBTQ ac-tivists, before which they would be utterly defenceless.Regardless of what the Labor-led opposition may or maynot be able to achieve now, polls indicate that Labor is ontrack to comfortably win the next federal election (due May2019). Religious liberty hangs in the balance. Please pray.

– Elizabeth Kendal

SPREADING THE WORD SPREADING THE WORD

NEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page NineNEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page Nine

Glorious Things – A Protestant’s Guide

To London

• Revised! • Updated! • Illustrated! • Now Available As An e-Book!Glorious Things will help visitors to London arrive well prepared to make the most of their time there.

The guided tours will take you to places like Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral,but Glorious Things will take you to important sites linked to our Protestant heritage.

COST: $10 for the PDF version, with the right to print two hard copies.PAYMENT OPTIONS:

1. Cheque for $10 payable to New Life Australia. Mail to: PO Box 457, Mitcham Vic 3132.(Please include a letter with your name and email address so that we can email the PDF to you.)

2. Direct deposit $10 to Bank: Westpac; A/c name: New Life Australia LtdBSB: 033-112; A/c No: 16-8239 (Please also notify us by email).

‘The Power Of God For The Salvation Of Everyone Who Believes’Working in the spirit of St Paul, (‘For I am not ashamed of the

Gospel, for it is the power of God for Salvation to everyone who

believes ...’ – Romans 1.16), Crossway Publishing House reports:

The Lord has accomplished ‘far more ... than all that we ask or think’ and ‘to Him be all glory ... through‐

out all generations’ (Ephesians 3.20,21). These are some of the ways the Lord has blessed Crossway in

our publishing ministry:

• More than 26 million printed editions of the ESV Bible were published and distributed during the

last year, with most of these being complete Bibles or New Testaments distributed free through evan‐

gelistic ministry partnerships on six continents.

• During 2017, 100,000 ESV Global Study Bibles were distributed free of charge to pastors and church

leaders in 37 countries around the world. This brings the total to more than 350,000 ESV Global StudyBibles distributed free, with Crossway underwriting the complete cost, to equip pastors and leaders in

areas of great need, especially in Africa and Asia.

• More than 34,000 Bibles, books and Gospel tracts were provided free to prison ministries in the

US and to Crossway ministry partners in countries worldwide.

Many of these efforts will be ongoing next year, as well as additional ministry initiatives, including:

Strategic Translation Projects – Financial support of the translation of ESV Study Bible notes and re‐

sources into Arabic and Tamil – two major strategic languages that are spoken by as many as 343 million

people across the globe. In all, we have 40 additional language translations of the ESV Study Bible notes

in various stages of planning or development with publishing ministries around the world.

Though restrictions in China have become tighter recently, we are deeply grateful for the opportunity

to publish about 100,000 copies of the Chinese Study Bible during this last year in partnership with the

Chinese church throughout Mainland China, including the opportunity to provide a free copy of the Chi-nese Study Bible to 5,000 seminary students in China.

We are likewise continuing to develop and expand the digital Bible resources that we are creating,

for free distribution around the world. Through our open‐handed commitment to provide the ESV free

digitally everywhere in the world, the ESV Bible was accessed for free digitally more than 1.6 billion

times in partnership with other global ministries.

VISITING MELBOURNE?You’re welcome at The Faith Factory:

ST KILDA: Cnr Alma Rd/Barkly St. Every Sunday 11am & 7pm;Living Stones Korean Presbyterian Church. Every Sunday 1pm;

BALACLAVA: Cnr Hotham St/Denman Rd. Every Sunday 9.30am.Rev Paul Lee (03) 9537 1642

You’re Welcome At The Faith Factory– A Friendly, Caring, Bible-Believing Christian Fellowship –

PERSECUTION WATCHPERSECUTION WATCH

NEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page TenNEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page Ten

Jakarta’s former governor, ‘Ahok’, is to be released from prison

four months ahead of schedule. The ethnic Chinese Christian was

sentenced to two years jail for blasphemy against Islam. He was

due to be released in May but has been granted release, scheduled

for 24 January, for good behaviour.

Ahok was charged after accusing his political opponents of using

Quranic verses to dissuade Muslims from voting for him in his bid

for re‐election as Jakarta governor.

In April last year, one day after he lost the election to his Muslim

contender, prosecutors downgraded the charges and recom‐

mended he serve no prison time. The judge, however, decided Ahok

had conducted a criminal act of blasphemy. His sentence received

widespread condemnation globally as politicians, academics and

rights groups expressed their concerns about the growing threat

to religious pluralism in Indonesia. – World Watch Monitor

Early Release For Ahok

NIGERIA: Archbishop’s WarningBenjamin Kwashi, Anglican Archbishop of Jos, is

calling on the Nigerian government to provide se‐

curity for Christians, who are being attacked by

heavily armed Fulani herdsmen in the lead‐up to

Nigeria’s general election in February. Release In‐

ternational, which supports persecuted Christians

around the world, estimates that militants killed

6,000 people in the first six months of 2018 and

drove almost 50,000 from their homes. Archbishop

Kwashi, who has himself survived three assassina‐

tion attempts, has also criticised inaccurate report‐

ing for paralysing the will to intervene to prevent

the Fulani attacks. The archbishop, who is on a

speaking tour with Release International, says the

government of Nigeria must act now to protect its

vulnerable Christian communities. The United Na‐

tions describes the humanitarian crisis in north‐

eastern Nigeria as 'one of the most severe in the

world.’ – Christian TodayTHE GULF STATES: Bible Society Moving AheadDespite DifficultiesThe Bible Society in the Gulf has had a challenging

yet amazing year. Dr Hrayr Jebejian, General Secre‐

tary of the BSG team working in Bahrain, Kuwait,

Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates reports

that BSG is working amidst a backdrop of complex

and volatile local and regional conditions, yet has

achieved a number of key strategic and operational

targets during 2018. ‘Our efforts, determination

and prayers further strengthened our ability to ful‐

fil our mission,’ he reports. ‘Hundreds visited the

BSG stand at the Bahrain International Book Fair,

especially from the neighbouring Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia. Clearly, there is a big thirst in the region to

know more about the Bible and Christianity. We

continued to manage although extreme security

checks at church entrances in Qatar and revoked

church licences in Dubai significantly impacted our

ability to deliver exciting, innovative programs,

such as Adult Literacy, Audio Ministry, Story Telling,

New Christmas Booklet, Children and Youth pro‐

grams, Scripture Distribution, and Trauma Healing

workshops. Moving into 2019, we intend to offer

churches more opportunities through 23 projects.

I would like to thank the staff and volunteers across

the BSG and our donors for making a difference by

touching thousands of lives with the life‐changing

message of the salvation offered by Christ whose

birth we will celebrate soon.

– BSG News via Tom Treseder

Elizabeth Kendal’s New Book ...War! Destruction! Violent Persecution! Martyrdom! Forced Displacement!

For hundreds of thousands of now destitute Christian families, this is the new reality.Yet contrary to all appearances, God is at work in the Middle East.

‘Kendal’s book is a godsend to anyone who is at a loss to understand what lies behind the suffering in the Middle East. Drawingon authoritative voices from the region, her clear-eyed analysis untangles the conflicts with the heart and insight of a prophet.

– Jeff M. Sellers, Editor, Persecution News Service, Morning Star News.For more information go to: www.ElizabethKendal.com

A Win Against Hamas And Hezbollah‘There is nothing more cowardly and craventhan hiding behind defenceless women and chil-dren while waging acts of war, a practice that iscommonplace among the terrorist groups Hamasand Hezbollah.’ – Sarah SternThe US House of Representatives has passed abipartisan bill that would enact sanctions on thosewho use human shields in war. The Senate unani-mously passed it in October. The bill now goes toUS President Donald Trump to sign into law.The STOP Using Human Shields Act officiallycondemns the US-designated terrorist groupHezbollah's use of human shields ‘as a gross vio-lation of internationally recognized human rights.’The bill mandates sanctions on any entity that‘knowingly and materially supports, orders, con-trols, directs or otherwise engages in the exerciseof human shields by the terrorist organizations.

In the 1st Century, Jews looked down on Samaritans. Centuries ago, the Assyrians

had taken the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) into exile, replacing them

with foreigners (2 Kings 17.24–31). These later intermarried with the remaining

Jews, giving rise to the Samaritans, seen as half‐breeds.

Because of her past, this Samaritan woman was considered an outsider, even to

her own people, but here we see that Jesus is for all people. He came to search for

the lost.

Notice how He initiates the conversation, ‘Will you give me a drink?’ (v. 7). He

offers her living water (v.10) and, at her misunderstanding, explains that His gift

is a never‐ending spring (v.14). Jesus diagnoses her problem (vv.16–18): she is

thirsty, but this thirst will not be quenched by multiple marriages.

The woman is theologically aware and seeks to side‐track Jesus by talk of the

relative merits of Mount Gerizim and Mount Zion, places of worship for Samaritans and Jews re‐

spectively. But Jesus persistently cuts deeper: the ‘who’ and ‘how’ of worship is more important than the

‘where’ (vv.21–24). She mentions the expected Messiah. Jesus responds: ‘I am He’ (v.26).

New Testament professor D.A. Carson notes that this response is ‘theologically loaded’. The divine is

present. To worship God is to meet Him in His true temple, Jesus Christ, and receive His Spirit through

the work of Jesus.

The woman becomes the messenger to her village, where she was well known. The villagers believe,

not just because of the woman’s testimony, but having heard Jesus for

themselves, they believe that He is the Saviour of the world (v.42). This

is the beginning of a rich harvest: Philip (in Acts 8.4–8) will reap a rich

harvest in these parts as well.

There is a developing conviction in this chapter:V.11: ‘Sir’, in the sense of respect; v.15: ‘Sir’; v.19: ‘Sir ... I can see that you

are a prophet’; v.25: ‘I know that Messiah is coming’; v.29: ‘Could this be

the Messiah?’; v.42: ‘... the Saviour of the world’.

Jesus is the first to present the Gospel in a cross-cultural context.Contrast John 3 and 4:

• Nicodemus is a man; she is a woman.

• Nicodemus is named; she is left unnamed.

• Nicodemus is a Jew; she is a half‐Jew.

• Nicodemus knows about Jesus; Jesus is a total stranger to her.

• Both have an identity to protect, but Nicodemus comes at night;

she comes at midday.

• Nicodemus approaches Jesus; Jesus approaches her.

• Jesus comes to His own, but is rejected; Jesus comes to outcasts and is

welcomed to stay two days with them (v.40).

Grace initiates, grace offers, grace persists. His mission to do His Fa‐

ther’s will is Jesus’ bread and butter (v. 34).

NEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page ElevenNEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page Eleven

JOURNEY THROUGH JOHNJOURNEY THROUGH JOHN withwith David CookDavid Cook

A Tale Of Two Enquirers – Read John 4.15-42

FOR PERSONALREFLECTION:Consider your own

salvation story:

How did God meet you

where you are?

How might the extrava‐

gant grace

(free, unmerited favour)

of God affect your

reaching out to others,

including the ‘Samari‐

tans’ in your life?

Write their names down

and commit them to the

Lord in prayer.

Reprinted from Our Daily Bread Journey Through Series® – Journey Through John by David Cook(Copyright © 2017) published by Discovery House. Used with permission of Discovery House. All rights reserved.

For further enquiries please visit: journeythrough.org or email: australia@odb.org

STUDENT ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLETwo rooms in the Caulfield Presbyterian Church’s Students’ Share House are available for 2019.

Handy to Monash University, near public transport.$140 per week + share expenses. Conditions apply.

Contact: Rev Phillip Chang, 0413 229 985 or pbchang150@gmail.com

‘THIS IS MY STORY’‘THIS IS MY STORY’

NEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page TwelveNEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page Twelve

Praising My Saviour For A Famous Evangelist And An Unsung HeroRev Len Pearce and his wife Wendy spent many yearsserving the Lord in the Arabic speaking world. Len’s lifein Christ began as a young man many years before, how-ever. He shares his testimony with us here ...‘This is my story, this is my song’. The testimony of Dr

Peter Adam (NL 2018‐11‐01) reminded me of my own

story, for the same grace by which he was saved and by

which I was also brought to salvation shows remark‐

able similarities in the way the Lord performed His

work of grace in bringing us both to saving faith in Jesus

Christ as our Lord and Saviour. When I read and ab‐

sorbed Peter’s beautiful testimony I remembered again

that the grace of God is demonstrated over, and is truly

amazing! In particular the names of Billy Graham and

Harrie Scott‐Simmons sprang out of the page.

I heard Billy Graham preach at least three times in 1959 from the MCG, by land line to the Stratford

(Vic) Mechanics Institute. I was not converted, but deeply impressed. Obviously I was not yet prepared

through coming to the end of myself. Grace’s preparatory work was not yet complete. But there was a

link. Two friends in Stratford were converted through the 1959 Crusade and they became part of the

‘roll‐on effect’ from the Graham crusades. Over the next three years and ten months they befriended me

for the Lord’s sake, and helped me through very difficult days for a young man such as myself. Never un‐

derestimate the value of ‘just friendship’ for His Name’s sake.

Two months before my 21st birthday, one of these friends, who helped me so greatly through his gen‐

uine and concerned friendship, invited me to come to an Australia Day weekend Church Missionary So‐

ciety Summer Conference at Belgrave Heights in January 1963. My first instinctive reaction was ‘no way’

as we say. But before I could say no, I thought ‘how can I refuse when these friends have cared for me,

counselled me, and encouraged me for such a long time without giving up?’

Well, at the Camp I was the proverbial fish out of water. My numbers may be incorrect but it seemed

like tgere was a crowd of 40 or 50 missionaries on leave, another large number getting ready to go out,

and then about 100 supporters – and me the only unconverted person in the whole place! On the Friday

night, at the first meeting, I sat by myself in the back corner of the hall. Gershom Nyereronga, a converted

Muslim from Tanzania gave testimony, and after we had sung a hymn I jumped away and literally raced

down the centre aisle. I went up to Gershom and grabbed him by both arms, and said ‘How can you be

so sure?’ He told me how!

The next two days saw me in a proper mess, and in much confusion. I didn’t sleep well because of

turmoil inside, and my sense of need for cleansing made me think very strange thoughts. On Sunday af‐

ternoon enter Harrie Scott‐Simmons (who must have been one of the campers) with the words ‘Len, you

and I need to have a talk’. He took me to the front seat of Roger’s old falcon ute, and counselled me, ‘hitting

the nail on the head’ time after time. The sense of the Lord’s guiding in the way Harrie counselled, could

not be denied. Then he said ‘Len I’m going to read you some Scripture’ and he began with a selected por‐

tion from 1 Corinthians 6.

All I can say now is that while Harrie read I had this wonderful and amazing sense of being washed

clean inside, and I was a new man. I could surely say ‘I am His and He is mine’. Somewhere in the hours

that followed, the Lord spoke into my heart with the strong impression if not audible words, ‘Len I have

chosen you to go to people who have never heard’. Harrie continued on for a lengthy time as my coun‐

sellor and friend, out of his home in Glendearg Grove, Malvern. About six months after that I was saved.

I notice from Peter Adam’s testimony that Harrie led him to the Lord as well. Only Heaven will reveal

how many young men came into the Kingdom through this unsung and unheralded man of God.

What more can I say? Billy Graham, Roger and Ken (my Stratford friends), and Harrie Scott‐Simmons.

Aren’t these types of links true for so many of us, in God’s amazing grace? – In Him forever! Len Pearce

Returning fire on the secularists in their war against Christianity,Franklin Graham declared: ‘The secularists want to do everything they can

to take Christ out of everything in this country – even His birthday. The sec‐

ularists want to destroy not only the name of Christ but take Him out of our

society completely.’

Franklin Graham was speaking with Todd Starnes on the Todd Starnes-Opinion program on FOX TV. ‘These are more than just an attack on Christ‐

mas. This is an attack on Jesus Christ,’ Graham said. ‘The secularists want

to do everything they can to take Christ out of everything in this country –

even His birthday. The secularists want to destroy not only the name of Christ but take Him out of our

society completely.’

Franklin Graham said he is encouraged that people of faith across the nation are standing up and

fighting back against the attempts to take Christ out of Christmas. And he gave some of the credit to Pres‐

ident Trump. ‘When the President takes a stand, like saying “Merry Christmas”, this emboldens others

to take a stand just like the President – and not just to say, “Merry Christmas”, but to fight back,’ he said.

He referenced an incident in Elkhorn, Nebraska, where citizens complained after a principal banned

anything related to Christmas, including Christmas carols and candy canes. The school district reversed

the ban and placed the principal on administrative leave. ‘People rose up and now she's on the naughty

list,’ Graham said. ‘When the President takes a stand for Christmas and others take a stand, I say “God

bless you”.’ – ToddStarnes.com via Breaking Christian News

NEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page ThirteenNEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page Thirteen

‘THINK ON THESE THINGS’‘THINK ON THESE THINGS’

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FRANKLIN GRAHAM: ‘It's Not Just A War On Christmas, It's An Attack On Jesus Christ’

Franklin Graham read the Scrip-tures at President Trump’s

inauguration.

NEW LIFE EXTRANEW LIFE EXTRA

NEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page FourteenNEW LIFE – 15 December 2018 – Page Fourteen

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WHO CAN WHO CAN YOUYOUFORWARD FORWARD NEW LIFENEW LIFE TO?TO?

Spirits Lifted In The LittleTown Of Bethlehem

Renovation of the Church of the Nativity is lift‐

ing spirits in the Biblical town of Bethlehem

ahead of Christmas. Visitors are looking at an‐

cient mosaics and columns that have been re‐

stored to their original glory for the first time in

600 years. City officials, according to a report

from Sydneyanglican.net hope the renovation

at the traditional birthplace of Jesus will boost

tourism and a weak economy in the Israeli‐occu‐

pied West Bank.

So far, 120 square metres have been restored,depicting images of Christ and Christian saints.

Christian leaders are overseeing the work which

is contracted to an Italian company.

The church was built in the 4th Century by St

Helena over a cave where the Virgin Mary is said

to have given birth to Jesus. The renovation of

the World Heritage site is not expected to be

completed before the end of next year.

– Sydneyanglicans.net

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New Life wishes all our readersGod’s richest blessings

for Christmas and the New Year.This is our last issue for 2018.

We’re looking forward to serving youagain in 2019 with our first issue

dated 15 February 2019.