Transcript of Speech given by the Right Honorable Sir Peter Kenilorea at the Winds of Change Campaign, Lawson Tama Stadium, Honiara, Solomon Islands, November 15^th, 2002.

Thank you very much indeed for your very wonderful welcome, and the very special privilege that has been accorded to me to be part of this wonderful closing evening of this one week’s powerful crusade.  Our minds are on the people in Honiara but certainly throughout the islands with the help of the media.  Various dignitaries who are here present; visiting evangelist Julie Young and your wonderful team; church leaders; and the wonderful people of God who are here gathered tonight for yet another wonderful feast: I count it a very great honor and privilege for me to have been graciously invited by the organizers of this crusade to participate tonight in this way.  At the outset and on your behalf and that of our entire nation, Solomon Islands, I’d like to thank the humble servant of God Mrs. Julie Young and her visiting team for their God-inspired decision to grace our nation at this difficult time with the only message of hope I know, the suffering Saviour Jesus Christ who is our soon-coming King.  I congratulate you for coming against all international adverse media publicity about Solomon Islands.  The composition of the team itself, in my personal observation, is both a spiritual indictment and an encouragement to the Christians of our land; those who may still find it difficult to understand the unity in the Body of Christ, those of us who continue to pride ourselves in our doctrinal moral high grounds as a rationale for our un-Christian endorsement of disunity and division in the Body of Christ.  Those of us whose fate is colored by the comfort of our denominational boundaries; those of us who are yet to understand that great discovery and affirmation of that great apostle Paul, that as Christians there is neither Jew or Greek, there is neither bond or free, there is neither male or female, for we are all one in Christ.  While our omniscient God created and enjoys a world of extensive varieties it is His heart’s desire that the reality of His transcendent triune nature, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, yet one God, is reflected in His church which is made up of all true born again believers.  Unity, whose importance is such that the psalmist acknowledged it as a prerequisite to the blessing of God: “behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity ”for there the Lord commanded the blessing giving life forevermore.  Jesus himself affirmed this to His disciples :”that they may be one as Thou Father art in Me and I in Thee.  And later Apostle Paul admonished the Church in Ephesus in this truth when he said, “endeavoring to keep the unity in the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

This oneness in the Lord is clearly evident amongst the visiting servants of God.  Despite the fact that its members come from the two continents of Europe and America-- the message that God has used them to share with our people and nation during this time here with us (in particular during this past week)-- was one.  Whether it be a powerful personal testimony, or a profound and simple exposition of the biblical truth of salvation, the message was one.  It is that God loves and there is nothing that He cannot do.  He is more than able to heal to the uttermost.  He alone has the power and authority to heal spiritually, physically, economically, socially, and politically.  He is our only hope.  He is the answer to man’s problems in the world today, including Solomon Islands.  The precondition for this is within our reach.  If us, a people and nation, we can but dethrone the spirit of pride and instead enthrone in our lives, in our midst, the spirit of humility and love, which is the Spirit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  One, “who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man.  And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”  Again the Bible recorded this truth in the Old Testament for our learning, when in answer to the earnest prayer of King Solomon on behalf of the people of Israel in their moment of downturn in life, God said, “If My people who are called by My name shall humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land,” simple as that.  By God’s grace and mercy the answer is in our hands.  Repent of our human pride, selfishness, arrogance, and greed, and be united in the Spirit and love of God, as true born again children of God, and see whether God will deny Himself as we earnestly and in singleness of heart seek His divine intervention for the healing of our current situation of national desolation.  For those of use who have enjoyed this spiritual feast for this week, I remind you in love that you can no longer plead ignorance for failing to be a practical Christian in your families, workplaces, churches, communities and our nation, Solomon Islands.  You cannot say that you have not heard of a Savior named Jesus Christ.  You cannot say that you were not exposed to the great teaching on how to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord.  There is now no excuse for you to be living a defeated Christian life.  For your victor, who is your Savior, does not only promise never to leave you alone, but at all.  For He does not only walk with you daily but has taken permanent residence in you if you have sincerely and honestly received Him by faith.  His Word assures us, “if God be for us who can be against us?”  Or as the Apostle John put it, “ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is He that is in you, than He that is in this world.”  The war is still very much raging but the battle has been won.  And our enemy Satan is not only the greatest liar there is around but he is a defeated foe.  I therefore urge you all in Jesus name never to give him any credence what so ever.  As we leave this place tonight let us therefore resolve in our heart of hearts that by God’s grace we shall truly continue to be committed to serving His purposes in our market places.  Let us be a light of hope and the salt to preserve peace in our homes, in our churches, in our communities, and in our beloved nation, Solomon Islands.  Let us be worthy agents of the Kingdom of God drawing men and women, boys and girls, to the saving knowledge of our Savior, Jesus Christ, our only hope in this chaotic and decaying world.  By our faith we are accountable, in the final analysis, to God.  And as we exalt Jesus by living a life commensurate with our faith in Him, He said He shall draw all men unto Him.  Every parent should see their children as their mission field; every local church pastor or minister, his congregation; every church, the entire nation.  Let us together vow no rest for us until every child of Solomon Islands comes to the saving knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  As we see the reality of this in our nation only then can we say with some sense of truth and satisfaction that our nation, Solomon Islands, is truly a Christian country.  If this is so, we can be sure that Solomon Islands will also be a victorious nation against the vagaries of life.  To this end and in conclusion, let us together offer our nation to God as we renounce, denounce, repudiate and nullify in Jesus’ name all works of the devil that has caused so much misery and heartaches to our people and country in recent years.  Let us in the spirit of reconciliation and love forgive those who have brought disrepute to our nation as we remind ourselves afresh that the price of our own reconciliation to God and His forgiveness brought about at Calvary 2000 years ago defy our own human logic: a sinless Savior dying a sinner’s substitutional death.  Let us learn to hold no grudge against a brother or a sister however much obnoxious their human attitude.  Remember, God keeps no record of wrong, why should we?  Instead, be a child of God for an instrument of peace.  Let your preeminence be Jesus Christ so that like the prophet Isaiah of old you can truly affirm, “Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusted in Thee.”  As we therefore preoccupy our life with Jesus, the Prince of Peace, we are not only assured of peace with God, but the peace of God that passes all understanding shall rule our hearts.  Resolving not only in a guaranteed eternal life with God in the sweet by and by, but here and now, the blessing of living peaceably with all men would be our portion.  Finally, as we bid farewell to our friends from across the seas, it is my hope and prayer that God will continue to enrich their lives and ministry so that they will continue to be a blessing to many more throughout our needy world.  For those of us who must continue to serve our people and country here at home I would again encourage us to be ever more resolute in our spirit to continue with this good work and saturate, infiltrate, and permeate every aspect of our national life with the good news of Jesus Christ for the salvation of our nation.  To God be the glory, great things He has done.  Thank you and God bless you.