Newsletter - Summer 2009

My dear friends,

Recently on my travels, as I was reading 1st Peter chapter 2, verse 24 leapt into my heart. It says, "... Jesus bore our sins ... that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness (1 Peter 2 v.24). As ever, these words of God immediately encouraged my soul. Often I lean to my own understanding, not on purpose, but it happens. Reading the Scriptures always uplifts my mood, and tells me that the battle is not my affair. Christ alone, in the power of the Holy Spirit, can defeat sin.

In the past....

Over 35 years ago I was in the notorious C-Wing of Parkhurst Prison. There were only around two dozen convicts in that wing, all deemed to be very violent and difficult to handle. This wing was the pet project of Dr. Cooper, the Parkhurst psychiatrist. He was also head of Psychiatric Services for the South-West region of the Prison Service - and a very powerful man; if he decided you were certifiably insane, he had the final say in shipping you out to one of the special hospitals: Broadmoor, Parklane or Rampton. The reason I was in C-Wing was simple: I had committed serious violent acts on other prisoners. My broken feet, as ever, were the real reason. Simply because I could not run away, I was (at the beginning) looked upon as an easy target, a vulnerable man - but this was the big mistake made by the foolish convicts .... So this, along with the fact that I'd broken out of prison on one occasion, was the reason for my C-Wing residency. We were dubbed "Cooper's Troopers" as we staggered and stumbled, handcuffed and heavily drugged with liquid Vallium, over to Dr. Cooper's office for therapy. There I would sit with the finest collection of severely mentally disturbed convicts you could ever dream up - the Kray twins and the London Chaps among them. Now, Dr. Cooper did not like to admit that there were "patients" for whom he could do nothing - except increase their Vallium intake. On one day only, out of my whole time in C-Wing, did Dr. Cooper say to me, "I can cure a person's madness, but not his badness." Admitting this is really getting to the root of the problem:- SIN. That one statement from a top psychiatrist helped me more than all the humanistic explanations I had ever heard. The only way to make bad people good is to expose them to the Gospel.

God does change society:

A few years ago, while in eastern Europe, an old missionary told me a remarkable true story involving Charles Darwin, the man who contributed so much to today's evolutionary mind-set. Darwin wrote in a letter to a minister, "Your services have done more for our village in a few months than all our efforts for many years. We have never been able to reclaim a single drunkard, but through your services I do not know if there is one drunkard left in the village!" Later, Darwin visited the island of Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America. What he found among the people was horrifying - savagery and bestiality almost beyond description. But when he returned there after a missionary had been working among the people, he was amazed at the change in them. He acknowledged that the Gospel does transform lives; in fact he was so moved by what he saw that he contributed money to the mission until his death. Yes, dear souls, 1st Peter reminds us that Christ's sacrifice on the cross not only paid sin's penalty, but also broke its power. The Apostle Paul, listing some terrible sins, wrote to the Christians in Corinth, "... such were some of you. But you were washed ..." (1 Peter 2 v.9-11). Praise God, Jesus does make bad people good. Remember: God formed us, sin deformed us, Christ transformed us."

Now that I am a "Papa" and Carole a "Nana", we are spending a few days most months in Edinburgh. Our lovely daughter Rebekah and son-in-law Ben always make us so welcome. Rebekah has even given us our own room in their wonderful home. Wee Lydia is already 14 months old and has taken her first steps. Hallelujah! My free bus pass takes us right to the door, all but a short drive. However, each bus journey is also an outreach for the Lord. Nine times out of ten we meet someone, or a group of individuals at the bus stop. Many DVDs, tracts, books, newsletters and CDs are given out on these trips - not to mention the tracts left at the service station on our 3-minute comfort stop!! It certainly does amaze me the diverse number of people we come across on our "Lydia outreach trips."

Preaching & Witnessing:

Recently George Perrie and I were back on the road - this time to Cumbria & Lancaster. David Nelson had invited us to the Bethel Church in Preston for the weekend. We spoke at the Saturday night special rally, and again at the Breaking of Bread service on the Sunday morning. Also at Leyland Pentecostal Church in Broad Street we spoke on Sunday night. Three very powerful meetings with comments varying from "never heard the Gospel preached like that for years" to "we are so settled that we don't even see how stagnant we are!" We were also in Accrington, the Blackburn area and Clitheroe.

The open-airs are still very well "listened-to", with Geordie, big Pat, Lachlan and myself having carved out a great hour's witness every Saturday in Dumfries town centre around midday. Big Pat usually goes up town around 10.30 and gives out about 300 tracts, until the rest of us arrive. Then it's banner up, and more tracts given out. With me being able to physically stand for no more than an hour, it's fantastic to have these dedicated Christians to work with. So much to say, so little time - yes, the wonderful Gospel just flows on and on.

New edition of "Impossible with Men":

I have been asked to add two extra chapters about my past prison experiences, and in addition write an update (around 50 A4 pages) of events between 1996, when "Impossible with Men" was published, and the present time. Mr. Roger Penney is publishing the 2nd edition of the book, and had requested the inclusion of this additional material. I would ask you to pray about the book venture. It's not that I don't have plenty to say, but it is all about what God wants me to say. I could write 500 pages about events in my past, but 50 is what has been requested, so you see it's not about what to put in, but rather what to leave out. Please pray for Mr. Penney's grandchildren, Jamie and Charlotte, who are helping to put the book together. It may be that the new edition will have a new title; at this point I don't know, hence the importance of prayer, prayer ad more prayer!

Prisoner and celebrity contacts:

Two men on death row, Joe Albert and Alex Phiri, whom we have looked after for a few years, have requested boots and clothes. Now the money we have is for Gospel literature; however these guys are having it pretty bad, so I am sending them boots, trainers, long johns, thermal vests, beanie head socks and a few other things. The nights are cold in central Africa, and these two have been with us for a long time. Obviously I can't send the boots and clothing all at once, but will send when funds allow. I have already bought two pairs of trainers and head socks, and sent them. For each prisoner I have also got two sets of thermal johns and vests and a pair of American army boots. On the Internet I can track down and get the strongest and longest-lasting kind of boots and underwear. One of the men (Alex) has had his sentence commuted to 30 years' imprisonment. Keep praying for him and for Joe. Also pray for other prisoners with whom we are in touch:- George (wife not well - needs prayer for healing), Chaz (that he will be let out of the segregation unit where he has been for years), Scott, Sammy, John, Bev, and many other 'Dumfries-born' prisoners; also Robert (in supermax prison in Florence, Arizona, and never to be released). This outreach alone is very demanding, so pray hard for the salvation of prisoners. The parcels to prisons are still flying out, with dozens of men, women and young offenders being ministered to on a near daily basis. I do not appeal for money, unless it's a real emergency (like the 400 books). The beautiful Lord Jesus knows His people better than I, and if He uses their gift of giving to help the Trust, then He can do it without me asking for anything. All I know is that He has never ever stopped running this little outreach. He has supplied all our needs. Whether you supply finance, or do the parcelling, or hand out the Gospel, or travel with it, or whatever, it's all by the grace of God alone! We should simply be full of joy to be an active part of His plan - as I'm sure we are.

At the opposite end of the scale, I have had signed photos from Britney Spears, David Macallum (the man from UNCLE!), Millvina Dean (youngest and last survivor of the Titanic tragedy - died 31st May 09), John Travolta (just lost his son), John Mahoney ('Martin Crane' in 'Friends') and Timothy Dalton (ex-James Bond). Now it may seem that many of these 'stars' have made it, but believe me, unless you are reconciled to Jesus through faith, no-one has made it. The famous are no different from Alex and Joe in God's sight. You either accept or reject Jesus, and this is where life begins and ends.

For Prayer:

Mark Thomas has asked me to speak to the students at Capernwray Bible College about the work done by the JWT. This will not be happening until next term (Sept./Oct./Nov.09), but when the time comes we will have the chance to encourage many up-and-coming mission workers; so please pray. Speaking of Capernwray brings to mind two other prayer requests: first, that the cost of the new conference hall currently being built will be fully met by donations by the time it is finished; over the years thousands, including myself, have found the Christian teaching at Capernwray very beneficial. Secondly, Derick Bingham, the well-respected Bible teacher, and a very dear friend, has not been well. We ask you to uphold him, his wife Margaret and two daughters in prayer as they go through this trying time. Over the years Derick has been used to encourage millions with his gifts as a writer and speaker. Other friends that we would ask you to pray for regarding difficult health circumstances include Jim & Fran Currie (Baillieston), Sandy & Marlin Laird (Shotts), Ellie (Dumfries Baptist Ch.), Agnes, Emma &David (Bethany Hall, Dumfries), Anthea (Fiona's sister) and lastly a special request for wee Ryan, who is 15 months old and very ill in Newcastle Infirmary. His mum & dad are there with him.

So, dear folks, I will finish at this point. It certainly is a fact that I could mention dozens of other incidents and events connected in some way with the JWT. However these snippets should give you some idea of what is happening. Please, please continue to pray for the whole outreach, for without prayer we might as well all quit.

Last Saturday at the open-air a lady looked at my twisted feet and right leg, and said, "John, how can you face the world so confidently, with your physical condition so blatant?" I replied, "Simple, my disability never touched my heart. God sends us trials, not to impair us but to improve us!"

Despise not small opportunities: they are often the beginnings of great enterprises.