The $26 million question.

What would you do with $26 million dollars to improve lives? Build more affordable homes?   Invest in job creating opportunities?  Would you use that money to help our neighbours in devastated Vanuatu or Nepal?

Or would you hold a referendum on changing New Zealand’s flag?   Maybe when you are a politician overseeing a multi-billion dollar budget, such a cost seems insignificant. But $26 million is significant to children and elderly who would benefit from warmer homes, or to the completely homeless in Vanuatu.

I am personally ambivalent to a change, as I imagine are many New Zealanders, but it seems to be an unnecessary cost and distraction when there are greater issues to address.

Proponents for change argue that a new flag would improve pride in our country and our visibility on the economic stage.  But what really can a piece of cloth do to help our national prosperity or happiness? 

If our identity is placed on external things, even in our private lives – cars, clothes, homes – we will never be truly fulfilled.   Trying to stir up a greater sense of identity and pride through a change of flag will never come close to what we need as a nation.  We need forgiveness, unity and peace.  We need love, joy, patience, faithfulness, self control all of which the bible says are the “fruit” of a relationship with God (Galatians 5:22), and which lead to better home and work environments and therefore to a healthier more prosperous country.   We could then be truly proud of our country and as Israel’s King David said “May we shout  for joy over [God’s] victory.  May we lift up our flags in the name of our God” Psalm 20:5.   

Larisa Hockey – Mangapapa Church.

Larisa is a homeschooling,wannabe farmer enjoying God's creation and gift of family on a rugged little bit of Gisborne hill country.  A proud New Zealander she believes that God has great plans for our country, if only we will turn back to Him as a nation.

ANZACs and the Bible

The Bible is the world’s bestselling book of all time. It contains many different genres of writing including historical narrative, poetry, prophetic books and letters of instruction. 

The first section of the Bible, known as the Old Testament, narrates the creation of the world, the fall of mankind and the selection of one very special man of faith, Abraham, through whom all nations of the earth would be blessed. Abraham was the father of the Israelite people.  

In the first books of the Old Testament we read how God promised Abraham’s descendants a land of their own where they could live in a theocracy which would demonstrate God’s character to the world. However they were warned that if they failed to follow God’s laws and stopped recognising and following Him as their God they would lose their land and be dispersed among ‘all the nations of the world’. 

Although this did in fact happen and in 70AD the last of the Israelites were scattered throughout the world, God sent prophets who foretold a time when God would gather His people back, restoring them both to their land and to Himself. 

Fast forward to the twentieth century and we find the ANZAC soldiers playing a pivotal role in the First World War where they captured Be’er Sheba, a crucial town which allowed the Allies a foothold in the ‘Promised Land’ and ultimately led to the restoration of part of the land of Israel to the Jewish people in 1948. This was in fulfilment of many Biblical prophecies. We still await the time when God will restore the hearts of the Israeli people to Himself. In the meantime those who are not descendants of Abraham now have an opportunity to get to know Jesus, the Jewish Messiah (Chosen One) as the Saviour of the world. 

What an encouragement to know that God is watching over His word to fulfil it, is watching over His people, and has allowed this tiny nation of New Zealand, through its ANZACs, to play a critical part in establishing the reliability of the prophecies in His Word.  

For historical detail see http://www.lighthorse.org.au/famous-battles/world-war-one/famous-battles-the-battle-at-beersheba  

Esther Henderson 

Grace Christian Fellowship 

Esther is the Co-ordinator of Bible in Schools in Gisborne and teaches children at Motu school, her local school, about God's word in the bible.

Published in the Gisborne Herald 25 April 2015

An Easter Challenge

As Easter egg remnants are consumed do we stop to think “What was the point of that?” For many, Easter will have been another expensive time with little to show for it other than scattered glittery foil and unwanted smeared chocolate finger marks. Is it really necessary or potentially detrimental to lie to children about a mythical rodent, the Easter Bunny?

The Bible advises not to lie to each other in Colossians 3:9, and in Proverbs 12:22 we are told God detests lying lips. Nowhere does it say it is OK to lie to children as eventually they will discover the truth. There is nothing wrong with fairy tales or made up stories, they often contain good moral messages, as long as children are aware that that is what they are, made up stories. I wonder what God thinks about people’s lack of appreciation for what he did for them in creating them a beautiful country and giving us a Saviour who died many Easters ago?

I have always tried not to lie to my children. Wise friends of ours pointed out that if you lie to your children about things, including the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy when they discover you have been lying to them for years will they not question what else you have lied to them about? Will this cause them to lose some respect for you as a parent?

There is much to enjoy in our world, including chocolate, that God has created. We are currently enjoying watching our chrysalis’ hatch into beautiful monarch butterflies and my son is looking forward to being able to stay up late in the school holidays to look at the majesty of the night skies. Let’s remember these things throughout the year and cease lying.

Nicola Hawkins - Mangapapa Church

Published in the Gisborne Herald Saturday 11 April 2015

Game over?

“I can't stand for this anymore, we're going at them as hard as we can.” So said Aussie Cricketer Brad Haddin, who couldn't stand the 'love' shown to him and his team, by Brendon McCullum's Black Caps. They chose to be 'verbally nasty' instead on the field of play. 

Well, the Cricket games are over and Easter is here, with the greatest celebration and revelation of 'Love' through Jesus Christ, that mankind will ever know in this age. Yet it was also men who said, "We cannot stand this anymore", who rejected love personified, and crucified the Son of God. Game over on Good Friday? No, Sunday's coming, and Love wins! 

We can never define love in human terms, because 'God is love', says the Apostle John, therefore it is only God who can define Himself. That is why when He came amongst us in Jesus Christ, no one recognized Him! This Easter, do a check again on God's definition of love. His love is an absolute. His love is a standalone love. His love never needs feeding. His love is not dependant on another. Just as a tree is a tree, a man is a man, and the sun is the sun, so love is love. Nothing that happens on earth will affect the sun. It stands alone and does not shine on condition. Unlovable simply does not exist for perfect love. 

Do you have the revelation? God loves you! But words are inadequate to describe love. God did not even try to describe love with words, because they were not good enough! So the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. To know love, we must know Jesus Christ. (Oh, just to clarify, He does love our sledging Aussie bro's too).



Stewart Patrick
Leader, Mangapapa Church, Gisborne

Published in the Gisborne Herald Saturday 4 April 2015

People of the Cross

On, or around 15 February, twenty-one Coptic Christians were martyred in Libya on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Calm, resolute, faithful to the end, these martyrs are shaping a new generation. Humiliated in this life, they will reign with Jesus for all eternity. In a world largely consumed with selfish ambition, the martyrs stand out by laying down their precious lives as an act of devotion to Christ. Like seeds they have fallen into the ground, but Jesus promises, "Their deaths will reproduce a rich harvest after their kind" (John 12:24). 

They were called "the people of the cross". The glorious message of the cross is the good news that God loves humanity so much that He gave His only son, Jesus Christ, so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. Jesus carried our sins in his own body to the cross, and taking our punishment, he died, on the cross, as a sacrifice. The prophet Isaiah wrote, "He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed" (Isaiah 53). The Bible also says, "God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of the world ... Christ never sinned! But God treated Him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God" (2 Corinthians 5:19 & 21). 

For these divine truths the young Egyptian men died, and as a tribute to them their first names are listed: Milad, Abanub, Maged, Yusuf, Kirollos, Bishoy, Somaily, Malak, Tawadros, Girgis, Mina, Hany, Bishoy, Samuel, Awr, Ezat, Loqa, Gaber, Esam, Malak, Sameh. They believed Christ Jesus is worth living and dying for. Do you?


For further information please see http://time.com/3718470/isis-copts-egypt/

Julia Martin 
Wife, mother, grandmother, Julia has been engaged in the battle for LIFE since the 1980’s. She believes human life is of ultimate implication because each one is created in the image of the Divine.

Published in the Gisborne Herald 21 March 2015.   

Standing against terrorism.

The recent attacks in Sydney and Paris warn us that radicalised terrorism is not just a distant issue in Arab or African nations, but is emerging right in the heart of western café culture.

Could it happen here? 

Most of the radical front-liners are disaffected young men and women who are attracted to the solidarity and antiestablishment mentality offered by these groups.  Gangs have always been effective at recruiting members for the same reasons so radicalised youth is a possibility here.  Our nation’s slim hold on spiritual truth also increases the risks:  if there are many sources of truth, then why not join a group which offers spiritual guidance?

What can we do?    

If we follow the command to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37) we can create an environment in which radicals cannot get a foothold.   If we love the youth around us they will be less likely to join radical groups.  Showing that love could involve starting conversations with young neighbours, offering them baking or excess fruit,  helping with their cars, learning their names.   If you know people who work with youth then support them in their work.  They might need resources, babysitters, or prayer.

We also need to seek the truth in God’s word – The Bible – and ensure our families and friends know the truth too so that when someone presents an alternative they can recognise and reject the counterfeit.  

Be bold for “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against… the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground” (Ephesians 6:12-13).

We can fight radicalism before it starts because “perfect love drives out fear” ( 1 John 4:18).

Larisa Hockey – Mangapapa Church.

Larisa is a homeschooling Mama and green-horn farmer enjoying God's creation on Hikuwai Farm with husband John and three kids.  She is also an occasional Worship Leader and speaker at Mangapapa Church.  

The New Year Challenge

Christian Comment for 27^th December 2014

Another Christmas Day has been and gone. Some of us gathered in churches to welcome the Baby Jesus – who became the man to show us what it means to be perfectly human. Others agreed with the TV host’s announcement, welcoming the ‘silly season’; a welcome break from work and school, catch up with family, and a chance to just do what comes to mind.

And the post-Christmas clock ticks on! 2014 will soon be history. When the clocks chime at midnight on New Year’s Eve, and the either loved or tedious Alde Lang Sine is sung once again, it is time for serious stock taking.

2014 was for our world a year of disasters! – One passenger airplane gone missing, still a mystery; one passenger airplane shot down, being a victim of military aggression; millions of hungry, homeless, hopeless, people. Many of them exiles, who are too frightened to return to lands where terror and death stalk. Isis – the inhuman killers who blaspheme by taking Allah’s name in vain (Allah is the Arabic for “God’).

And for Aotearoa New Zealand – the revelation that one quarter of the child supporting population are seriously deprived. In the words of the Inter-Faith Report, “One in five of our kids don’t have the fundamental essentials of life.” A slogan from the 1930s is true once more: "The rich get richer while the poor have children.”

So let us not ignore the people outside our family circle, because the clock ticks on and the grim events overseas and the present sad state in our country when it comes to kids and housing, call us to get out of our comfort zone and act. A men-created ‘doomsday’ can be prevented by our following the caring model of Jesus.

May 2015 not be a replica of 2014, but the triumph of a caring humanity.

The Rev’d Petra Barber is the vicar of the Gisborne Anglican Parish