The Rev. K.K. Devaraj has found his mission field among Mumbai’s orphaned children, drug addicts and prostitutes
Despite its Eastern mystique and pockets of great wealth and opulence, thousands in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India, live in abject poverty. They know only homelessness, hunger, prostitution, drug addiction and a growing AIDS epidemic.

Yet India’s abandoned have become one man’s mission field. Since 1990, the Rev. K.K. Devaraj has combed the streets of Mumbai’s notorious red-light district offering refuge to abandoned children, addicts and women sold into prostitution.

Devaraj, or “Uncle,” as he is called, is described by locals as a gentle man with a big heart. Though the city’s name has changed, the ministry Devaraj leads is still known as Bombay Teen Challenge (BTC). The outreach operates six safe houses for women rescued from sex work, as well as health clinics and homes for street children and AIDS orphans.

“Uncle saved my life, and gave me hope and a home,” said Vanita, who was rescued in 1999 at the age of 11.

“I met Jesus and His love through [the ministry],” said another teen known as Neelam. “They helped me study and gave me medicine when I was sick. I want to share Jesus with others and hope to be a minister myself.”

BTC sends medical vans daily into the heart of the city to offer food, health care and the chance of a new life. It also operates a drug-detoxification program and offers former addicts education, job training and employment opportunities.

“When [Devaraj] walks through the streets, he’s like an apostle, an apostle to the people God has called him to,” said Mike Zello, who oversees 590 ministries in 86 countries as director of Global Teen Challenge. “And he has a tremendous amount of respect.”

Just blocks from the hub of Mumbai’s sex trade, where more than 10,000 prostitutes work and live under abysmal conditions, BTC operates a clinic for HIV-positive prostitutes. “I’ve been offered many jobs where I could earn considerably more money and enjoy great prestige, yet God has called me here,” said a volunteer doctor. “I cannot imagine leaving this remarkable place.”

After visiting Mumbai in 1998 and touring the city’s brothels with Devaraj, former Rep. Linda Smith launched Shared Hope International, through which she funds safe houses for women who had been sold into prostitution. She helped Devaraj build six such homes in India, and has also lobbied to end the trafficking of women worldwide, including in the United States.

“The thing I always liked about Devaraj was that he always looked at these women as beautiful and not as prostitutes, but as recoverable,”.Smith said. “He never just wrote them off like most societies.”

In Mumbai, the women’s stories are both heartrending and inspirational. One woman was drugged by her uncle and woke up in a cage. Another known simply as Sunita was sold by her father and forced into prostitution to repay her “debt.” She later became a brothel operator.

“Devaraj never judged me, never gave up on me,” she said. “He told me every day that Jesus loved me and would always welcome me in His family. When I finally responded to God’s call, I could not leave [the eight girls working in the brothel] behind. So when I left, I took all of them with me, and we all serve the Lord today.”

Many women are lured to Mumbai under false pretenses, only to find themselves forced into a life of brutality and shame. BTC maintains a constant presence among the brothels, operating a Spirit-filled church in the area and offering prayer, acceptance and hope. “Whenever you are ready, your Father’s house is waiting,” Devaraj tells them.

Hundreds have responded to his invitation, and Devaraj has no plans to slow down. The ministry operates a night shelter for children whose mothers work in the red-light district, and for those who have been abandoned or orphaned by AIDS. Devaraj also is building a hospice for HIV-positive children.

“It’s not easy, all you see,” Devaraj said. “It takes courage. Silver and gold we do not have. And food and medicine is not enough. But what we have is the bread of life. We have fruit that lasts and life everlasting. It is this we freely give.”
Michele L. Lombardo in Mumbai, India

Anti-Conversion Bill to Be Considered in Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan government may adopt legislation in April that would make it illegal for someone to convert to Christianity. The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka reported that if the bill which was introduced last year by Rathnasiri Wickramanayake, the Minister of Buddhist Affairs were to become law, relief groups may face increased scrutiny, as some might think the humanitarian work was merely a ploy to entice conversion. Violating the proposed law, which is wider in scope than another anti-conversion bill declared unconstitutional last year, could lead to as many as seven years in prison.

Christian Students Arrested in Eritrea

In a continuing crackdown of Christians, a group of Sunday school teachers and students were recently arrested in the capital of Asmara. On Feb. 19, 131 children between the ages of 2 and 18 were attending classes at Medhane Alem Orthodox Church when they were apprehended by police, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide. At press time, most of the students remained jailed with their teachers, Compass Direct reported. The Medhane Alem congregation has normally been exempted from the government’s harsh crackdown against Protestant churches. But recently the entire ministry was ordered closed down by government officials without explanation. At press time, 214 Eritrean Christians had been arrested in two months, Compass reported.

Turkish Pastor .Reconverts to Islam

A former Turkish pastor announced on several national TV stations that he converted back to Islam after being a Christian since 1987, Assist News Service reported. He also told viewers they should guard against Christian workers in the nation. The man claimed the missionaries wanted only to help the United States undermine the Turkish government. The report of the man’s claim was distributed by Turkish World Outreach (TWO), which noted that a call was to be issued March 11 for all Muslims to unite and stand firm in Islam, Assist reported. TWO expressed concern that the call would trigger violence against Christian workers in the area.

The group’s 78-year-old leader says she wants “to love and to rock and to hold” the children as only a grandmother can
Miriam Machovec said her heart broke last year as she watched a 12-year-old HIV-positive child in South Africa playing both mother and father to her nine younger siblings after their parents died of AIDS.

The 78-year-old grandmother said she returned to her Fort Lauderdale, Fla., home with a heavy prayer burden. During intercession for the children, she said God told her to organize a Granny Brigade to take grandmotherly love and care to the orphans infected with HIV and living in African refugee camps.

“I had to look in the dictionary to see what the word “brigade” meant,” Machovec said. “I knew it had a military meaning. I changed the definition a bit. The Granny Brigade is a group of grannies with a purpose to accomplish much.”

The widowed mother of three, grandmother of six, and great-grandmother of three is leading a group of 11 women, whose average age is 60, back to South Africa from April 29 to May 9 to minister to thousands of kids.

Book of Hope, a Pompano Beach, Fla.-based international ministry focused on reaching children with the gospel, is sending the Granny Brigade under its umbrella, but the women are paying their own way.

The grannies will visit an orphanage, a refugee camp and a small village to bring the love of God to hurting people. The brigade will also visit public schools to distribute Book of Hope’s Scripture books to schoolchildren at the request of the local government. Book of Hope books contain all four Gospels.

“We can’t cure AIDS, but we can hold and rock and love the children of the world that have AIDS, as only a grandmother can do. And we will,” said Machovec, a longtime member of Christian Life Center, an Assemblies of God congregation in Fort Lauderdale. “We are going to hold them and love them and tell them grandma stories.”

While the Iowa native enjoys rollerblading with her grandkids, Machovec is not content to live a leisurely life in the warm South Florida climate when so many children are suffering in remote South African villages. Even while she is on the home front, Machovec has the work of the ministry on her mind.

This out-of-the-ordinary near octogenarian has been a full-time volunteer with Book of Hope since 1988. Before taking the gospel to South Africa last year, Machovec made two trips to Siberia, two trips to Russia, and individual trips to Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania and the Dominican Republic. But God has put South Africa’s children on her heart.

“How easy it is for me to hold my own healthy grandchildren and so many other children in my lifeÑand give them the love they need,” Machovec said. “But how much more do these dying children need the human touch and genuine love in their lives, which will be cut short by AIDS?”

Book of Hope executive director Rob Hoskins said he immediately embraced what he believed was an inspired initiative and set out to help the can-do granny make the vision a reality.

“The love that the grandmas are going to provide to those desperately needy kids will be powerful,” Hoskins said. “Miriam is my hero. I wish every grandma in America had her spirit and vision. She always says to me time after time that a vision without action is just a dream.”

Hoskins still remembers overhearing Machovec making calls to other grannies across the country in what he calls her “no-nonsense Iowa way” and telling them, “YouÕve got to come with me to South Africa!”

One of the women she called was Arlene Allen, national director of Women’s Ministries for the Assemblies of God. Allen rallied behind her, helping her recruit willing women.

“The Granny Brigade is right up my alley,” Allen said. “I am 60 years old and have two wonderful grandkids. I am excited about the work we will be doing to train older siblings how to take care of their little brothers and sisters whose parents died of AIDS.”

Machovec believes the Granny Brigade will make additional trips to South Africa. She says the Lord knows how old she is, and she’s depending on Him to help her carry out this mandate.

“If He tells me to train someone else, then I would be happy to do that,” she said. “So far no one has shown up to lead the Granny Brigade into South Africa.”
Jennifer LeClaire

Ministers Unveil Black Contract With America

The newly formed High Impact African-American Leadership Coalition unveiled its Black Contract With America on Moral Values during a Feb. 1 press conference. Released in concert with the group’s first summit, held at Crenshaw Christian Center in Los Angeles, the contract is aimed at lobbying for better access to health care, revision in the education and criminal justice systems, more funding to fight AIDS and the genocide in Sudan, and a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The group, led by Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr. and formed in partnership with the Traditional Values Coalition, later set a goal of getting 1 million signatures in support of the document.

Virginia Officials Allow Bible Classes to Continue

In a 5-1 decision, the Staunton, Va., school board ruled Feb. 14 that Bible classes can continue to be taught in area public elementary schools, the Associated Press (AP) reported. First-, second- and third-grade students will continue to be bused to nearby churches for the weekly Bible lessons, which have been offered in the small rural community since 1929, the AP said. Officials said they would conduct a one-year review of the classes to determine if there is validity to some parents’ concerns that the 30-minute lessons are divisive and unnecessary since students also take character-education courses. The Supreme Court ruled in the 1950s that the classes do not violate the separation of church and state because they are held away from school property, the AP said.

Ohio Governor Proclaims Feb. 14 ‘Day of Purity’

Ohio Gov. Bob Taft declared Feb. 14 a Day of Purity to encourage youth to support abstinence. The move was motivated in part by the efforts of a 14-year-old girl in Ohio who had launched an abstinence-education campaign in her school. Florida-based Liberty Counsel launched the Day of Purity last year. Since then, hundreds of schools, churches and Christian organizations have participated, with elementary- to college-age students wearing special white T-shirts symbolizing purity and encouraging their classmates to remain virgins until marriage.

The prolific charismatic author is best remembered for his in-depth teaching on worship and intimacy with God
Renowned Pentecostal Bible teacher Judson Cornwall, whose itinerant ministry was cut short by cancer four years ago, died Feb. 11 at his Phoenix home. His family said that he had suffered a severe stroke three days earlier and had trouble communicating. Cornwall was 80.

“When he died, his wife, Eleanor, and their daughter, Justine, were singing ‘Into Thy Presence We Come’ to him, and Eleanor told him it was OK to leave, and he did,” said Terri Gargis, Cornwall’s longtime secretary.

A third-generation minister, Cornwall was preaching at the age of 7 during the Depression era, and later was regarded as an apostle and pioneer. After starting and pastoring churches in the West, Cornwall, a former Assemblies of God preacher, ministered worldwide for more than 20 years, preaching, teaching and training ministers and laity of various denominations.

Grant Thigpen, pastor of 2,000-strong New Hope Ministries in Naples, Fla., who had known Cornwall for about 15 years, said he had “a profound knowledge of the Word, and he loved to worship the Lord.”

“Judson encouraged me by telling me I would never fail as a pastor if I continued to love the Lord and love the people God placed me over,” Thigpen, 54, told Charisma. “He was a man of integrity, deep revelation and an excellent communicator.”

While preaching at the International Worship Institute (IWI) in Bedford, Texas, in July 2001, Cornwall suffered excruciating pain in his back. After returning to Phoenix, he was diagnosed with an inoperable, malignant tumor on his spine. For several years, he also battled diabetes.

Gargis said Cornwall’s pain grew increasingly worse in the last year, forcing him to stay in his lounge chair for most of the day.

“He was eaten up with cancer, so his whole body was shutting down,” Gargis, 60, told Charisma. “It is sad to lose Judson. He has been a wonderful friend and boss for the past 19 years. And yet I rejoice to know his worn-out body is dancing before the Lord.”

LaMar Boschman, founder and dean of IWI (www.WorshipInstitute.com), said during Cornwall’s last visit at the institute, “he had visions of heaven and angels.”

“He was anticipating the worship and the presence of the Lord, the celestial realm,” Boschman, 51, said.

Although cancer ended Cornwall’s traveling ministry, which featured speaking engagements at four churches monthly, he stayed busy. In 2003, Cornwall started recording his books on tape for the Oklahoma City-based Library for the Blind. Gargis noted that he recorded 41 of his books on tapes and three other books from other Christian authors.

Iverna Tompkins, Cornwall’s sister, said her brother will be best remembered for his in-depth teaching on worship. “Multiple thousands have testified of their lives being changed by the practice of this revelation,” Tompkins, 75, said.

Boschman agreed, noting that Cornwall was “one of the fathers and pioneers of contemporary worship.”

“Before worship became a style of music and worship companies grew into an industry, before there were worship leaders and worship CDs, Judson had a message of spiritual worship,” Boschman told Charisma.

“Like a farmer with a holy seed, he crisscrossed the globe and cast it into the earth, and it caught root and grew into the mature revelation we enjoy today.”

A prolific author of more than 50 books, many of which have been translated into other languages, Cornwall wrote classics such as Let Us Worship, Elements of Worship and Let Us Praise.

“His last book was written at the urging of the publisher after learning that Cornwall continued to counsel others from his wheelchair,” Tompkins, a Bible teacher and conference speaker, said. “The book is well named Dying with Grace, for this is exactly what he did to his last breath.”

In the book, released last year by Charisma House, Cornwall wrote: “I believe that just as He gives us a grace to live, God gives us a grace to die. Dying is a part of living. Death is not a cessation of life–it is merely a stepping into the next realm, into the divine, heavenly realm, and God will give me–and you–grace to take each step from this life to eternal life.”

Eleanor, Cornwall’s wife of 61 years, said he “never complained about anything while he was sick.”

“He was an excellent patient and did everything that was asked of him,” Eleanor, 82, told Charisma. “He never lost hope that he would be healed. In the last few months, he physically couldn’t take the trip to church every Sunday, so we held our own services at home.”

Gargis added: “Judson never stopped praising the Lord during the years he was fighting his cancer. He read the Bible all day long and his heart stayed in a constant state of praise. He wanted to be healed and get back out on the road, but that didn’t happen.”

Other well-known charismatic leaders who have died in the last year-and-a-half include Fuschia Pickett, Derek Prince and Kenneth Hagin Sr.

In addition to three brothers and a sister, Cornwall is survived by his wife, three daughters, nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, including a great-grandson born just before Cornwall’s 80th birthday. The boy was named after Cornwall.

Hundreds of people attended Cornwall’s memorial service, which was held Feb. 17 at Scottsdale Worship Center in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Eric Tiansay

SWEDISH COURT CLEARS PASTOR ACCUSED OF HATE SPEECH
Pentecostal pastor Ake Green said he is relieved that a Swedish court has cleared him of charges that he incited hatred against homosexuals when he preached a sermon in 2003 saying homosexuality was “a cancerous growth in the body of society,” Reuters news service reported. In June, Green, 63, was sentenced to one month in jail for his condemnation of homosexuality, becoming the first person ever to be convicted under Sweden’s hate-crimes legislation passed in 2002. The court ruled that there was no indication Green “used his position as a preacher as a cover for attacking homosexuals,” Reuters reported. The court added that he had the right to preach “the Bible’s categorical condemnation of homosexual relations as a sin,” even if those views were “alien to most citizens.” Green said he would continue to preach as usual, “but I won’t be dedicating so much time to this issue,” Reuters reported.

CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST CHRISTIANS ARRESTED DURING GAY EVENT
Court of Common Pleas Judge Pamela Dembe dropped all charges against four Philadelphia Christians arrested while preaching during an October OutFest gay-pride event. “We are pleased and relieved for our clients that justice has finally been done in the criminal system, and though it is apparently slow and rusty, the system still works,” said Brian Fahling, senior trial attorney for the American Family Association, which is pursuing a civil lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia and certain local officials for allegedly abusing their power. Charges against a 17-year-old girl arrested during the event also were expected to be dropped.

COMEDIAN SAYS CHRISTIANS HAVE BRAIN DISORDER
Former Politically Incorrect host Bill Maher said Christians and other religious people have a neurological disorder that stops them from thinking, WorldNet Daily reported. The remarks were made during Maher’s Feb. 17 appearance on MSNBC’s Scarborough Country. The host of HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher said he believed the nation was “unenlightened” because of religion. “When you look at belief in such things as do you go to heaven, is there a devil, we have more in common with [Muslim nations] Turkey and Iran and Syria than we do with European nations and Canada and nations that, yes, I would consider more enlightened than us,” Maher said. He added that he was not singling out evangelicals, saying voters had rejected same-sex marriage in states such as Missouri “because people are religious. They don’t have to be evangelical, but they’re religious.”

ALABAMA LAWMAKER ISSUES $5,000 BIBLE-VERSE CHALLENGE
An Alabama lawmaker offered $5,000 to anyone who could show him a Bible verse that defined marriage as between one man and one woman, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Dozens responded to state Rep. Alvin Holmes’ challenge, but none offered a satisfactory response. “I got lots of answers dealing with morality, but nobody told me anything new,” the Democrat from Montgomery told the AP. “It doesn’t say that a husband and a wife has to be a man and a woman.” Holmes issued the challenge while debating a proposed ban on same-sex marriage in Alabama. Both the House and the Senate passed the proposed constitutional amendments to prohibit same-sex marriages. But the two chambers will have to agree on the same version of the amendment before it can go before voters in a statewide referendum, the AP said.

Stephen Sumrall Resigns
Stephen Sumrall, son of LeSEA Broadcasting founder Lester Sumrall, has resigned as pastor of the church his late father founded, The (South Bend, Ind.) Tribune reported. During a Feb. 6 service at Christian Center Church in South Bend, Ind., Stephen Sumrall announced that he was stepping down as its pastor and resigning from his post as president of LeSEA Ministries and LeSEA Global Feed the Hungry. Sumrall said he would “continue his call to ministry” as a pastor with Provident Ministries International. Sumrall’s brother, Peter, who serves as CEO of LeSEA, said his brother’s resignation came as a complete surprise and that he did not know Stephen Sumrall’s future plans. Peter Sumrall’s son, David, is to serve as the church’s interim pastor. Stephen Sumrall began holding services in an area theater Feb. 13.

Florida Pastor Scrutinized For Opulent Lifestyle
Florida pastor Clint Brown has been the focus of headlines since details from his divorce papers were publicized in Orlando news media. The recording artist and pastor of FaithWorld in Orlando has faced scrutiny for allowing his church to pay for $500,000 and million-dollar homes for himself and his wife, Angela, who filed for divorce last year. The Orlando Sentinel reported that FaithWorld also pays for two of Brown’s seven cars, though in 2002 his income topped $650,000. Brown has declined to comment, but church members have come to his defense, describing
Brown as down-to-earth and generous.

Ralph Reed to Run for Georgia Lt. Governor
Former Christian Coalition director Ralph Reed plans to run for lieutenant governor of Georgia in the state’s 2006 election. Current Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor, a Democrat, is expected to challenge Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue in that race. Reed, 43, promised to “work tirelessly” in support of Perdue, the Associated Press (AP) reported. When Reed led the state’s Republican Party from 2002-03, Republicans elected their first governor since Reconstruction, the AP said. Both houses of the legislature have since come under Republican control.

Have you ever asked yourself if you made the right choice when you purchased your last Bible? Did you feel you were sacrificing accuracy for readability–or vice versa–when deciding on a translation?

It’s no wonder. A simple online search for comparisons of different Bible translations can uncover everything from controversy to claims of conspiracy. It can be a bit overwhelming to process all the points made in a comparison, much less come to a conclusion. However, the task becomes easier when you boil it down to a few key questions that can help you evaluate which translation best meets your needs.

1. What method of translation was used? There are three basic methods of Scripture translation. The first is word-for-word (sometimes called literal translation). Translations that fall into this category include the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the King James Version (KJV) and the New King James Version (NKJV).

The second method is thought-for-thought (sometimes referred to as dynamic translation). Translations that fall into this category include the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), the New International Version (NIV), the Contemporary English Version (CEV) and the New Living Translation (NLT).

Very loose translations called paraphrases make up the third category. These include The Living Bible and The Message.

2. Who did the translating? Some translations are done by individuals, some by nonprofit organizations and others by international teams. In general, the broader the group doing the translating, the better.

Another closely related aspect to consider is whether the translation has gained widespread acceptance in the Christian community. The person or group behind the translation may have a lot to do with its popularity–or lack thereof.

3. Which manuscripts did the translators use? Many of the handwritten original copies of the Bible were lost during the time of the early church, but quite a few have been discovered during the last three or four centuries. Translations can differ depending on which manuscripts and therefore which languages–Hebrew and Aramaic for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament–are being used as a primary source.

For example, the KJV was published in 1611 before many older manuscripts had been discovered. These older manuscripts are considered by some scholars as more reliable than the ones used for the translation authorized by England’s King James I in 1611. For this reason, groups such as the International Bible Society (IBS) point out that the KJV may not be as accurate as modern translations such as the NIV.

With all that in mind, let’s take a look at a few of today’s offerings.

MUSIC

Faithfully Yours (Psalms)
By Margaret Becker,
Cross-Driven Records.

A new release brings a new sound for a familiar name. Margaret Becker produced and co-wrote the 11 songs on her first studio work for Cross Driven Records, Faithfully Yours (Psalms). Titles such as “Create in Me” and “I Enter Your House” show that this collaboration between Becker and David M. Edwards celebrates the lyrical art of the psalms and a heart of worship.

It is easy to recognize that the style and spirit of more recent psalmists, the late contemporary Christian music pioneers Keith Green and Rich Mullins, permeates the mostly acoustical tracks. There is a force behind the music that says there is an all-powerful God and He cares about our troubles. Becker and Edwards know of which they sing and provide powerful material for worship leaders.
J. James Estrada

More
By Mary Alessi, Miami Life Sounds.

Mary Alessi, a praise and worship leader, songwriter and co-pastor of Metro Life Worship Center in Miami, just released her second project recorded live at Covenant Church in Dallas. With More, Alessi provides the praise and worship lover with not only a great new collection of songs but also a time of intimacy with God.

Starting with beat one Alessi (www.maryalessi.com) gets the listener involved in the worship experience on this 13-track recording. She showcases rousing renditions of well-known tunes from Israel Houghton (of Israel & New Breed), including “Again I Say Rejoice” and “Another Breakthrough.” On “You’ve Made Me Glad,” Houghton leads, giving us the energetic, Spirit-filled performance we’ve become accustomed to from him.

“Praise the Lord” is a riveting anthem. “With My Whole Heart” is another feel-good, hyperactive cut. Moving into the presence of the Lord with worship, Alessi gives us “So We Lift,” a song about lifting hearts and hands to the Lord. With twin sister, Martha Munizzi, Alessi wrote the magnificent title tune, “More,” offering memorable melody and lyrics.

The theme of worship is woven in the remainder of the project, especially on the impressive track “I Worship You With All of Me.” After hearing about a tragedy in her community, Alessi wrote “Pray,” reminding us that prayer is always the answer. Listening to the blending of “Another Breakthrough,” “New Day Dawning” and “Lord of the Breakthrough,” worshipers will find themselves entering the holy of holies. Rounding out the collection, Alessi closes this solid and impressive project with the up-tempo, Latin-tinged “In Him I Live.”
René Williams

Men and Angels Say
By Ashley Cleveland, Rambler Records.

Two-time Grammy Award-winner Ashley Cleveland releases her sixth solo disc titled Men and Angels Say, a collection of traditional hymns of the church that Cleveland has added her unique talents to. Because of Cleveland’s broad musical influences, including rock, blues and gospel, Men and Angels Say will appeal to a wide range of listeners.

For those who prefer a more traditional approach, such songs as the quiet “I Need Thee Every Hour” and “All Creatures of Our God and King” will please. And more contemporary arrangements of “Come Ye Sinners,” “It Is Well With My Soul” and the Easter classic “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” give these hymns a new appeal. Cleveland’s bold vocals never overshadow the lyrical content of the songs; instead they enhance the already rich and relevant message of each piece.

This disc runs from reverent worship to uplifting praise, always bringing a freshness to timeless classics. Uniquely arranged and updated, the 12 tracks are sure to bring back a love of the old hymns and perhaps introduce these hymns to a younger audience who may not know them.

There is something for everyone on Men and Angels Say, and Ashley Cleveland fans will be especially pleased as these hymns showcase this accomplished artist’s vocal ability and deep love for these great songs of the church. Men and Angels Say is worth listening to over and over.
Debbie Gibboney

BOOKS

The Father’s Embrace
By Danilo Montero,
Charisma House, softcover,
224 pages, $13.99.

A uthor and recording artist Danilo Montero accepted Jesus into his life at age 9, but at 19, after a period of rebellion, he found himself returning to the Lord with his whole heart. Raised in a home where his alcoholic father abused and abandoned his mother, the native Costa Rican struggled to be accepted by God as well as his earthly father. His compulsion to perform spiritually led him to intercede five hours a day and fast three or more times a week until he learned that God’s love was in no way linked to his service.

Using his own testimony and accounts of biblical figures, Montero inspires and instructs, showing that human tendencies toward pride and perfectionism distract from fellowship with God, often leading to religiosity and away from true worship.

Just as he does with his popular music, worship leader Montero helps fellow believers see that worship is more than just singing praise songs on Sunday and guides them into a biblical understanding of God’s character to inspire their worship. Brief, heartfelt prayers close each chapter.
Christine D. Johnson

A Woman’s Forbidden Emotion
By Gary J. Oliver and H. Norman Wright,
Regal, softcover,
224 pages, $14.99.

It seems there is a double standard when it comes to the emotion of anger. In men, it is viewed as being assertive, in women, it is irrational and emotional. Many women live with shame and confusion when it comes to their anger. Not only do they believe they can’t be angry, they also wrestle with guilt when they feel the very way they “shouldn’t” feel.

Gary J. Oliver and H. Norman Wright offer the truth about anger in A Woman’s Forbidden Emotion. Women will feel a sense of relief but will also welcome the challenge of having the tools to know what anger is, how to understand it and what responses are appropriate.

The authors biblically prove that emotions, even anger, are God-given. Women will understand the different types and appropriate forms of anger used in the Bible. There is a difference between rage, seeking to do wrong; resentment, seeking to hide wrong; and indignation, seeking to correct wrongs–the right kind of anger.

Oliver and Wright show women that anger is “only a symptom. The real problem is our difficulty we have in identifying and understanding our anger and thereby choosing healthy ways to express it.” With the truths in this book, women can experience freedom to move into a new era as they assert themselves with the correct response and with the right attitude.
Leigh DeVore

FICTION

The Warrior
By Francine Rivers, Tyndale House

Publishers, hardcover, 232
pages, $14.99.

Second in Francine Rivers’ Sons of Encouragement series, The Warrior examines the life and faith of Caleb. Marvelously, Rivers weaves known and little known facts about the biblical hero’s background, producing valuable insights into his character formation and motivations.

Caleb certainly turns out to be the uncompromising warrior, but the reader sees that the journey taught him to fear the Lord above all else. It also demonstrates how he grieves over the unbelief of his people and how he tempered his zeal with patience and compassion in his dealing with his brethren.

In the end the focus comes back to the fact that the battle is within as well as without as our hero fights not only ungodly pagans, but also his own bent to sin as well. Hope for ultimate victory clearly rests in God’s unfailing love and redemption. As in the Lineage of Grace series, this series encourages readers to go to the Bible for further study and provides questions and points to ponder to encourage the reader to go deeper.
Deborah L. Delk

A Thousand Tomorrows
By Karen Kingsbury,
Center Street (Warner Faith),
hardcover, 256 pages, $18.95.

A ward-winning author Karen Kingsbury grabs readers’ attention with the very first scene in A Thousand Tomorrows. She ushers her audience into an emotional tale about a boy whose fury only intensifies as he becomes a man. Cody Gunner’s anger fuels him to become the best bull rider around. On the rodeo circuit, Cody meets Ali Daniels, an expert horse rider with a secret to protect. Both have to decide whether or not to allow each other into their lives. Only one thing can break through their hidden dreams and hurts–love.
Leigh DeVore

Billy Goat Hill
By Mark Stanleigh Morris,
Multnomah Publishers,
Hardcover, 450 pages, $17.99.

God uses even fiction to bring people into a relationship with Him. Mark Stanleigh Morris became a Christian after writing the original version of Billy Goat Hill. The book reveals Morris’ talent, as he seems to write in color. The vivid descriptions will capture readers from the get-go. Eight-year-old Wade Parker and 6-year-old brother Luke explore their town, often getting into dangerous situations. During one excursion Wade does the unimaginable, and Luke sees it happen. Then Wade sets off on a journey to find God. This novel focuses on forgiveness and salvation.
Leigh DeVore

Evangelist Patricia Bailey wants women to “reach higher, stand stronger, push harder” in her recent release, Women Risktakers (Harrison House). She examines the lives of Abigail, Hagar, Jochebed and others.

Bailey is a risktaker herself. She has ministered around the globe for more than 20 years, and for the last 10 of those her ministry focus has been on the 10/40 window–the most densely populated but least evangelized area of the world.

“I grew up seeing churches on every corner and it seemed like taking water to the ocean to just stay here. And I just wanted to go where He needed me the most. … I began to prepare to minister to Muslims.

“What kind of sense does that make–for an African-American, single woman to be called to teach Arab men and train Arab men? Only God could do it.”

Like the apostle Paul, Bailey identifies with the people. “My life is their life. I dress like them. I eat like them. … I live out in the camps. … You’ve got to get out there and get with the people and that’s why they embrace you.

“We experience God in His greatest manifestation as we serve each other. … That’s ministry. So I don’t look at it as some kind of mission impossible. I see it as a simple lady who fell in love with her Master, and she goes out to try to represent His love to those who don’t know Him. … I just believe He goes ahead of me, and if He will never leave me or forsake me, that’s what works for me.”
Valerie G. Lowe

We must refuse to relate to society with self-righteousness or spiritual condescension.
This month there are so many noteworthy issues to comment on that I decided to touch on several. My response to them is indicated by a “thumbs up” or a “thumbs down.” All are important for Christians to be aware of.

Thumbs up. To Jack Hayford and a group of 50 other charismatic leaders who issued a list of affirmations in
January that declared their renewed sensitivity to several key points, including “the potential of an aware and awakened church to influence a … renaissance of values in America.”

These men and women also acknowledged the need for church leaders to, among other things, influence others to commit to:

Through her Smile of a Child foundation, the TBN co-founder is helping the world’s children
Jan Crouch is no stranger to the limelight. But on a warm day in January, the co-founder of the world’s largest Christian TV network worried that media attention would spoil the work she says God has called her to do.

“I’ve been doing it for 20 years, and I would do it as long as I lived if nobody knew about it but the children,” said Crouch, who leads the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) with her husband, Paul. Keeping it out of public view “kind of kept it precious in my heart,” she said. “It’s a personal thing the Lord just keeps blessing me to do.”

That “personal thing” is the humanitarian work she funds through her nonprofit foundation, Smile of a Child (SOAC). She gives out toys and dolls stamped with the message “Jesus loves you and He has a place in heaven for you,” as well as supplies to needy children around the world. In Costa Rica she’s building a medical facility, and in Port au Prince, Haiti, where her private plane landed for a day in January, she’s funding a hospital.

Built in cooperation with Bishop Joel R. Jeune of Grace International Inc., the $2 million project will be the most sophisticated medical facility in the nation. And despite Crouch’s efforts to remain low-key during her Jan. 27 visit, her generosity, like her signature pink hair, hardly went unnoticed.

For most of the day she was escorted by Alix Baptiste, secretary of state of Haitians living abroad. Later she met with Interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue to present him with the keys to six fire trucks and three ambulances, more gifts to Haiti “from Jesus and the Christians of America,” she said.

“Let me officially thank you and the Christians of America,” Latortue said during a private meeting with Crouch and several other American Christians.

He told Crouch of his nation’s need for fire trucks last summer, and their conversation was broadcast on TBN’s Behind the Scenes in late August. “I realized I was dealing with pure Christians,” he said of the meeting. “I had no doubt one day you would be here to help the people of Haiti.”

Crouch’s work in Haiti began more than 20 years ago. When a local minister took her to a hospital for abandoned children, she saw children lying on cardboard beds, covered in newspaper, so thin “they looked like skin wrapped around a bone skeleton,” she said.

“I just kept saying: ‘Jesus, that could be me. That could be me.'”

The memory of one child still haunts her. “As I was holding him, all I could say was, ‘Jesus loves you.’ And as I was holding him, he just quit breathing and died in my arms. I said, ‘One day children won’t have to die on cement floors.'”

When the 60,000-square-foot hospital is completed this summer, it will house at least 85 beds and two operating rooms–unlike any other on the island. Crouch said the project has evolved organically, as a result of a handful of low-key requests.

Joseph Montopoli, assistant fire chief for the City of Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue in South Florida, was watching TBN one night when he saw Latortue telling Crouch that his nation needed ambulances and fire trucks.

Montopoli quickly went to work, getting his station to donate two vehicles. He then located a vendor who sold decommissioned trucks. SOAC purchased six fire trucks for roughly $35,000. One is valued at $24,000.

“As a Christian man, your heart definitely goes out to them,” said Montopoli, who will also help Haiti develop its fire department and teach rescue workers how to operate the vehicles. “Whatever I can do to help out.”

Ministers working in Haiti see the construction of the hospital and the donation of the trucks as one small sign that God is turning things around in a nation long plagued by violence, poverty and government corruption. Since the ouster of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide in February 2004, local ministers say the nation has seen more calm and the beginnings of needed improvements, such as road construction and sanitation work.

“The church here in Haiti is very strong,” said Luke Weaver of Florida-based Gospel Crusade, which has partnered with Jeune to oversee 260 churches in Haiti.

Weaver, who has visited Jeune’s ministry annually for 30 years, said adherence to Voodoo has decreased since 1997. That year Jeune led a team of 150 pastors in confronting a demonic spirit they believed to be behind Haiti’s involvement with Voodoo, which under Aristide had been declared the national religion.

“Haiti is in the midst of a big blessing because so many Christians have been praying for Haiti,” Weaver said. “With a stable government, other nations will pour resources into Haiti. I believe God is going to cause Haiti to become the pearl of the Caribbean; I believe it will turn into a tourist attraction.”

Other observers agree that the elections in October and November will signal a turning point. “It’s time for this nation to have God at the center of this country,” said Dr. Luc Mesadieu, a dentist and pastor who is running for president. “Forty-six percent of the nation is Christian. We have the power to take this nation for the Lord. When the right people lead a country, we have blessing.”

Mesadieu said his house and car were burned during Aristide’s regime, and his bodyguard was burned alive because he opposed the former president’s policies. Though he says Haiti is safer now that Aristide is gone, he still faces threats. “We are ready with God’s help,” Mesadieu said. “We are for progress and development. We are for a Christian movement for a new Haiti.”

Changing a nation isn’t exactly what the “little girl with the pink hair,” as Crouch called herself, expected to do when she met Jeune 20 years ago. She simply wanted to help him feed hungry children, provide them with a school and later develop a clinic.

But she said surviving colon cancer last year convinced her that God had a big work for her to do. Founded just six years ago, Smile of a Child uses all the donations that come in to fund ministry work, Crouch said, adding that none of the money is spent on administrative costs.

Now she has her sights set on building a similar hospital in Kenya with help from her friend Makena Marangu, a Kenya-born plastic surgeon. Her experience in Haiti is challenging her to think big.

“I am just one of 2.5 billion Christians,” Crouch told Charisma. “If everyone would undertake something that only you and God could do … can you imagine what would happen?”
Adrienne S. Gaines in Port au Prince, Haiti