Streetpaper 83 - The Jesus Army

modern JESUS army Streetpaper No. 83 Page 2
THE GOSPEL of Mark is
part of the Bible and tells the
story of the Life of Christ.
Packed into 60 pages you
can find how one man
bridged the gap between
man and God. Read
about angry Jesus driving out money
changers. Read about compassionate Jesus healing
people. Test for yourself the claims of Jesus.
The Bible in its entirety has now been translated into
414 languages, and parts are now available in over
2,000 languages. If listed in the bestsellers, it would
regularly top the list in all its versions.
For your FREE copy of Mark’s Gospel contact us
(see address below). Or text on 0774 0774 200 or
phone on 0845 123 5550 to reserve your copy.
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GET IN TOUCH
ALL GOOD armies have an HQ, and we are
no exception. We will answer your queries,
provide you with free literature or a Mark’s
Gospel, even pray with you over the telephone
if you are in special need.
You can call us: our National Helpline is
0845 123 5550 (local call rate), and generally
there are real people to talk to, not machines.
Email us at info@jesus.org.uk
Want to have a look at what the mJa is all about?
Check us out from anywhere in the world on our
website: www.jesus.org.uk
But in these days of hi-tech, we still have an
address and lots of people write in.
Jesus Fellowship, FREEPOST,
Nether Heyford, Northampton, NN7 3BR
Across the UK you are welcome to call one of our
local churches if they are near you. There are Jesus
Army congregations and groups around the UK.
They are not all the same size, they meet in different
sorts of premises, but they are all made up of
people who love Jesus and are ready to help you
on in your faith too.
Belfast ........................................................... 0845 123 5552
Birmingham ................................................... 0845 166 8153
Bournemouth ................................................ 0845 123 5558
Brighton ......................................................... 0845 166 8151
Bristol ........................................................... 0845 123 5339
Coventry ........................................................ 0845 166 8154
Croydon ......................................................... 0845 226 1972
Chester/ North Wales.................................... 0845 123 5561
Hastings ........................................................ 0845 123 5551
Huntingdon ................................................... 0845 166 2697
Ipswich .......................................................... 0845 166 8156
Kettering ........................................................ 0845 166 8157
Leeds ........................................................... 0845 166 8167
Leicester ........................................................ 0845 644 9705
Liverpool ....................................................... 0845 166 8168
London Central ............................................. 0845 166 8152
London West ................................................. 0845 833 1319
London South ............................................... 0845 226 1972
Manchester .................................................... 0845 166 8169
Milton Keynes ............................................... 0845 166 8159
Newcastle-upon-Tyne ................................... 0845 166 8187
Northampton ................................................. 0845 166 8161
Norwich ......................................................... 0845 166 8162
Nottingham .................................................... 0845 166 8163
Oxford ........................................................... 0845 166 8164
Preston .......................................................... 0845 123 5554
Sheffield ........................................................ 0845 166 8183
Stoke-on-Trent .............................................. 0845 123 5334
Swansea ........................................................ 0845 123 5556
Wolverhampton ............................................. 0845 123 5563
JESUS Fellowship Church is an evangelical Christian Church with a charismatic emphasis. It
upholds the full historical, Christian faith, in particular it upholds the doctrine of the Trinity and
the full divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Fellowship Church is a part of the Multiply Christian
Network and a member of the Evangelical Alliance. To receive Jesus Fellowship literature
regularly, free, send the response form on page 6 to Jesus Fellowship Central Offices, FREEPOST,
Nether Heyford, Northampton NN7 3BR. Tel. 0845 123 5550. modern Jesus army Streetpaper
No.83 © 2008, published three times a year by Jesus Fellowship Church, Nether Heyford,
Northampton NN7 3LB. Editor James Stacey. All photographs supplied and copyright by Jesus
Army Photo Library or Public Domain unless stated otherwise. Printed by BGP Ltd., Bicester, Oxon.
Reproduction of any part of this newspaper in any form requires written permission. All Bible
quotations are from the Contemporary English Version © 2000 Harper Collins unless otherwise
indicated. All articles are contributed by members of the Jesus Fellowship Church, also known as
the modern Jesus army. Some members live as part of the New Creation Christian Community.
Readers wishing to contact authors may do so by writing to the Jesus Fellowship Central Office.
“IF YOU WERE
GOD
WHAT
WOULD YOU
CHANGE?”
Photo by LittleMan
Streetpaper asked people on the streets of UK cities
IN THE award winning
film Bruce Almighty,
one man gets a chance
to do whatever he likes
while God takes a holiday.
We thought we’d
ask more than 150 people
from around the
UK what they would do
if they were in God’s
shoes.
“I would like heaven on
earth” said Spencer from
Coventry. Lewis, from
nearby Nuneaton, wanted
“an end to child cruelty.”
“Make managers kinder!”
shouted Ben, a friend.
But where do you stand?
What, if you were all-powerful,
would you do?
Surprisingly for the
British, only three people
spoke about the weather.
We actually have far bigger
concerns like drugs, health,
homelessness and equality.
And we’re not that selfish
either: only a handful
of people spoke of wanting
their football team to win
or getting more money.
But a whopping 86 per
cent believe that it’s God’s
job to sort out the world’s
problems. 25 per cent of
those questioned saw this
in terms of world peace.
Another 12 per cent voiced
more specific worries about
poverty and starvation.
Many think it is God
that has the problem. “I
would just make people
believe in me” said Fridolin
from Sheffield. Several
agreed, but an equal
number thought that we
should do away with religion
altogether. “He’s still
doing a better job than the
politicians!” defended Mr
Singh from Leicester.
>>
I BELIEVE IN FRIENDSHIP
80 per cent put friendship top of the list for happiness
“I would stop people
from dying and make them
young again” said Betty
from Nottingham. A nice
idea – just begin again.
Reboot life when it gets
corrupted, wash all the
troubles away. “I’d want to
change everything about
the world. That’s how I really
feel” commented Tracy
from Coventry.
“He’s still doing a
better job than the
politicians!”
17 per cent of those
asked felt that the root of
the world’s problems lay
closer to home. “It’s not
God’s fault, all this trouble,
it’s our fault” concluded
Mrs Johnson. There were
other philosophical answers
too. One person admitted
“I wouldn’t change
anything. Everything is the
way it is so we can learn
“I’LL BE there for you” goes
the well-known theme song
“when the rain starts to pour. I'll
be there for you, like I've been
there before.”
A recent survey of young
people showed that 97 per
cent say it is important to be
happy with life and they saw
“having the right relationships”
as the big secret for
happiness. Over 80 per cent
saw relationships with friends
as crucial to happiness.
What is it about friendship
that means just about everyone
is agreed it’s one of life’s
crucial ingredients? “One loyal
friend is worth ten thousand
relatives,” wrote Euripides, the
ancient Greek playwright (if
you imagine having ten thousand
mothers-in-law you’ll get
him).
A friend chooses you. They
affi rm you by being your friend.
They know all about you and
from it.”
Marc was thoughtful
too: “Peace is the obvious
answer, but it’s impossible.”
In other words, unless
humanity has a change
of heart, nothing else will
change. 17 per cent of those
who answered agreed that
“the heart of the human
problem is the problem of
the human heart”. We need
a “change of attitude”.
The Bible says that it is
because of man’s rejection
of God that we find ourselves
in such a mess.
God may want us to
learn from our mistakes,
but He knows we can’t
repair our wrongs. That’s
why He sent a Saviour:
Jesus. He paid the price for
all our wrong and opened
the way back to God.
There is one prayer that
God might not be able to
answer, however. Jamie
hoped that if he were God,
he could make all the girls
fancy him. Some things
might just be too difficult,
even for the Almighty.
“I believe...” #1
still like you. There’s something
about true friendship which
meets our deepest need. And
– genius! – we get to meet
someone else’s deepest need
at the same time.
But, is there really such a
thing as true friendship? Oscar
Wilde said “A true friend stabs
you in the front.” Is it really a
sentimental dream best kept
for American sit-coms?
The Bible describes God as
a “true friend...closer than your
own family”. And it says that
Jesus has shown us this true
kind of friendship by “laying
down His life” for us. And that
those who are the friends of
Jesus – Christians – become
deep, true friends with each
other.
But – hang on. Does this
all sound a bit too good to be
true? Better have a think about
truth before we get too carried
away? (see page 4)
Debt steals
UK meals
DEBT IS forcing some UK families
to miss meals according to charity
Christians Against Poverty (CAP).
Debt also causes marriage failure
and mental illness.
CAP’s research found that
nearly a quarter of its clients
regularly sacrifi ced meals, 23
per cent of clients’ marriages
broke down and 69 per cent
visited their GP to fi nd help with
debt-driven stress.
“Families and couples…are
being pushed to breaking point”
CAP boss Matt Barlow said.
Blame is levelled at the lending
practices of banks and building
societies and extortionate
interest charged by loan companies
– along with sharply rising
food, fuel and utility prices.
Rich Brits
getting sick
TWICE AS many Brits as mainland
Europeans suffer mental illness,
according to Oliver James,
author of The Selfish Capitalist –
Origins of Affluenza. The reason:
“selfish capitalism” and unrealistic
wealth expectations.
In English-speaking countries
some chief executives earn 133
times the average wage. And
mental illness has almost doubled
in them since the 1970s.
Other European countries have
a less selfish capitalist approach
James claims. What makes such
social inequality dangerous is
the belief that “material affluence
is the key to fulfilment and open
to anyone willing to work hard
enough”. People are “suckered
into” unhealthy work addiction.
Bad role model for kids?
Big Brother
role model
TV shows such as Big Brother
lead to “damaging attitudes in children”
former youth worker, Mark
Russell, told an audience of 100
church school head teachers.
According to research, 50
per cent of children want to be
a celebrity, and a third want to
be Paris Hilton reported Russell,
Chief Executive of the Church
Army. Russell attacked the media
for “generating an image
of life that is unreal” into which
“children are sucked in.”
He argued that “Leading a
school in an age of celebrity and
consumerism requires us to be
counter-cultural” encouraging
spiritual creativity, alternative
role models and an atmosphere
of love.
Bible sounds
like Sir Bob
The Bible sounds like Bob Geldof
– according to 27 per cent of
Britons who could not tell the
difference between speeches
by the social activist and Holy
Scripture.
Another 20 per cent thought
that the cry to defend the
helpless in Proverbs 31:8
sounded like Kofi Annan, the
former head of the UN.
“What this shows is that on
the topics that challenge us
every day, God got there fi rst”
said James Catford, chief executive
of Bible Society, which
has published a Bible that highlights
every time God speaks
against injustice. The poll of
over a thousand adults was
conducted by Theos.