In Brief

crisis in kenya

Shortly after Christmas the world’s media reported on rioting, looting and tribal conflict in Kenya, unheard of for over 60 years. Major disputes had arisen over the legitimacy of the election that had just been held.
In the 2 months since then over 1000 people have been killed and 350,000 are classified as ‘internally displaced’ as a result of homes being burnt and gangs running riot – refugees in their own country now living in tents in large encampments.

Recently a peace formula has been jointly signed by the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties. Only time will tell how successful this will be.

Meanwhile, Edward and his team from well over 100 Newfrontiers churches have sought to play their part alongside NGOs and aid agencies in helping alleviate the situation. They have been travelling widely delivering food (21 tonnes of nutritious Unimix, 1412 sacks of maize, 300 sacks of beans, 400 kg of cooking oil, 50 sacks of sugar), blankets, mosquito nets and medical assistance, and providing transport for people who wished to return to their tribal villages for safety. They have targeted about 3000 people, many from our own churches, although, due to the extended family culture which pervades in Africa, they have in fact touched about 9000.

Open air meetings have also been held and Edward has broadcast on television, sharing the message of forgiveness and repentance.

An appeal has been launched so that we can stand with our Kenyan brothers and sisters once again (we helped with the severe drought-induced situation on 2005/6). Please pray for the nation as they seek to re-establish peace, and for Edward and his team as they share the compassion of Christ in these very practical ways.

Regular updates are posted on www.newfrontiers.xtn.org/kenya/crisis-report/ where you will also find details of the appeal.

‘To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour’ (Isa. 61:2)

‘It is one thing to look back with joy over a season of blessing and acknowledge the favour of God. Have we not had many occasions to do just that? God has been so good to us in the past that we thrill at the m emory of His faithfulness and goodness. But here, it seems to me, we are in an altogether new place. It is a place of fresh anointing. Isaiah says that this anointing of the Spirit of God upon us will result in good news for the poor, binding up the broken hearted and, not merely reflecting on God’s favour in the past – actually proclaiming His favour into the future! The anointing of the Spirit of God upon us enables us to so trust in the faithfulness of God that we can proclaim with certainty the bounty of God’s favour in advance of those challenges and opportunities He has set before us! Hallelujah!’

This is the opening paragraph of an e-mail from Lex Loizides when testifying just how the Lord has shown his favour on recent Front Edge events. (see more on page 19)

NEW WORD ALIVE

Alongside Don Carson and John Piper, Terry Virgo will be speaking at this year’s New Word Alive conference at Pwllheli, Wales, UK from 7–11 April (www.newwordalive.org)

Will God forgive us whatever we’ve done?

Arthur went to the first Senior Alpha lunch in Biggin Hill (see pages 22–24). His grandfather had been in the Welsh Revival but his parents had not brought him up to go to church. One day he asked, ‘Will God forgive us whatever we’ve done?’ When we said ‘yes’ he seemed unable to accept this. After some weeks he was still struggling. ‘Are we to blame if we just obey someone else’s orders?’

At the end of the Second World War he was involved in liberating prisoners in the camps and arresting the guards. He was ordered to shoot any guard that tried to escape; he had shot men in the back as they ran away. He had never forgiven himself and had carried the guilt for 50 years. As I shared that, as we confess, Jesus ‘is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness’ a huge load seemed to fall away. He straightened his shoulders and said, ‘Right oh then! I’ll sign up now!’ When he was baptised he declared to the whole church, ‘Today is my 89th birthday and I can honestly say this is the best day of my life!’ He died in hospital just over a year later, aged 90!

West Africa conferences

February 10 – 17 saw another great gathering of the Newfrontiers family in West Africa, with two conferences held back-to-back: the West Africa Leadership College and City Power Camp 2008. Delegates were drawn from the nine churches and church plants in Ghana as well as from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. Friends also visited from South Africa and the UK. Highlights included many healings, for instance, a 60-year-old lady was healed of partial paralysis of the face.

A man, also in his 60s, arrived in great pain from a bad chest problem; he was healed by the end of the week. A young lady was healed of lower abdominal pain, and a demonised man was set free. Praise God!