For here is a young man once again ‘in his right mind’ after having almost killed himself through overdoses, self-harm and suicide attempts. It’s impossible to imagine how he could have turned his life around – expect for Jesus.

‘From as young as I can remember, I was never able to handle my temper,’ says Jason. ‘I was always in trouble in school, always smashing up my mum’s house, always running away from home. I even stabbed my own sister. My mum put me in care because she didn’t know what to do with me. I was just out of control.’

Introduced to drink and drugs while in a children’s home, Jason’s life was soon marked by violence and criminal behaviour.

‘I had no good influences. Looking back, 
I know I didn’t want to be that way. I remember thinking, “This isn’t me.” Deep inside my heart, I was always upset, always crying on my own. But I didn’t know how to get out of it.’

Jason was given his first prison sentence aged just 15, and went on to spend most of the next 12 years in custody. Prison itself didn’t help him – he continued taking and dealing drugs, still full of anger and unable to understand his emotions.

His self-destructive streak took over, as he tried one thing after another to harm himself: ‘I stopped eating for a week. I cut my wrists. I took overdoses. I whipped myself with a belt and buckle, cutting myself open. There was a point I was screaming so loud and for so long that blood was coming out of my lungs.’

After one of his sentences, he was so afraid that he would kill himself, he voluntarily handed himself in to a psychiatric unit. Jason was confined to a cell, with staff at a loss what to do. But then, one night, Jason had a dramatic encounter that would change everything.

 ‘I remember shaking, the blood in my veins was boiling – my whole body was in pain. I began walking round my cell, thinking that if I stopped moving, I would die. That was when it happened. I didn’t know anything about Christianity or God but I knew Jesus was speaking to me. I felt like I was getting cleansed and cleaned by him right there in my cell.

‘After three hours, everything just stopped. All the pain, all the bad thoughts disappeared. My brain was empty and hungry for what God was showing me. I asked someone to go and bring me a Bible I had seen once on the hospital wing.

‘I opened it and started reading about sorrow, repentance and salvation. It was for me! God was speaking to me. I started crying my eyes out. Over a small space of time, he built me up rapidly. Before I knew it, I was finding out I can sing and play the guitar. I can speak to people about God. The staff couldn’t believe it.’

Soon after his life-changing encounter, Jason heard about some courses Reflex were running on the wings. Impressed with his new state of mind, staff gave him permission to join a group, where Jason met Simon, Matty and Nick from the Reflex team. They began to mentor him in his walk with God.

‘They’ve become like brothers to me – I feel like I’ve known them all my life. When it came to getting out, they set me up with a church. They come and pick me up, bring me into The Message, encourage me and help me out with what God’s got planned for me.’

Jason is now being considered for a place in one of the new businesses to be housed in the Message Enterprise Centre, opening later this year. He is eager to work to establish a good life for himself and even has business ideas of his own.

‘I feel like a tree that’s come into the light – I’m getting the right nutrition at last. Words can’t describe what he’s done for me in my life — and this is just the beginning!’

Yet the 35-year-old rapper is now also our newest Eden team leader, moving on to the underprivileged Andover estate in Islington, North London with his wife and daughter this autumn.

So how did this award-winning gospel MC find himself moving to lead the newly formed Eden Tollington?

‘I never planned on having a career in music,’ says Jahaziel. ‘It was fun and people said I was good, so I kept doing it. I put out a record and one thing led to another and I was full time for two and a half years. I’ve had opportunities to travel around the world and met loads of different people who say that they’ve been blessed by my music, which is amazing’

‘But music isn’t, and never has been, a priority for me. It’s not my ambition in life. I’ve always had an itch for something more.’

It’s not surprising therefore that Jahaziel’s CV is lot more interesting than most rappers’. Jahaziel has worked with young people in schools and in prison, through a post working in Feltham Young Offenders’ Institution, helping ex-offenders back into education and employment.

But working as a member of staff, Jahaziel found the atmosphere could be restrictive: ‘You would find you had to be careful about what you could and couldn’t say. I was working with one of the boys and gave him an assignment to write some lyrics about friendship, using a Bible verse for inspiration. But I couldn’t tell him it was a Bible verse — although it would’ve been fine if it was from Shakespeare!

‘It was the opposite problem with music. You can say what you like during your show, but you don’t get any time to do anything deeply. You jump in, you do a couple of songs, say a few things and you’re out, you’re done.

‘So I found myself praying, God, how can I do both of these things — to talk about Christ and go deep with people?’

His search ended with an invitation to get involved with a new Eden partnership in Tollington N4. There, a local parish team was seeking to deepen its work on this close-knit multicultural estate, building on successful summer outreaches as part of Soul in the City.

‘I’d been involved in Soul in the City for a few years — that was how my relationship with the church started. One thing I was always impressed with was the church’s obvious passion to reach the community. My experience in the past has often been that there’s a church in the heart of the community but the community has no idea they’re even there. But this church was putting energy and effort into to being visible and blessing the community – so much so that would be difficult for you to live there and not be blessed by them. I wanted to be a part of that.’

He believes there are major needs that the church can help address by being a positive presence in the community: ‘Violence and crime in the area aren’t frequent, but they’re still too frequent,’ says Jahaziel. ‘We had a murder and some stabbings in the space of just a few weeks earlier this year. We’ve got Night Pastor teams going out which are as much about socialising as evangelising, but that’s kind of the point — it’s about making our presence felt. At the funeral of the guy who was murdered we were at the grave side with a load of young people, helping to lead the singing.’

And this summer’s riots proved how important consistent and regular youth clubs and provisions are, believes Jahaziel: ‘It’s very apparent that young people need some kind of activities to engage in. It might not be much — a pool table and table tennis — but for some of the kids from the estate, it’s better that we know they’re there than somewhere else.’

Targeted mentoring with young people, and sessions on CV writing and other practical topics are helping to pastor young people in practical ways, as well as opening opportunities for contact with parents. Jahaziel says it’s rare that he walks through the estate without stopping to say hello to someone.

A new youth centre on the estate is equipped with facilities for the performing arts, including a recording studio. A proposal to run rap workshops there has already been approved, meaning Jahaziel may soon have the opportunity to disciple and mentor the next generation of Christian MCs.

The Eden team in Tollington is starting to take shape to support all these opportunities. Alongside Jahaziel, wife Nadine and daughter Azaliah, are James, a young man from the estate, and teacher Naomi recently moved from Croydon.

Have there been sacrifices for Jahaziel and his family in moving to be a part of Eden Tollington? ‘No doubt, it’s been an adjustment. There is a sacrifice to moving to a new situation and leaving people behind. But it’s definitely worth it. If God’s leading you, you need to do it.’

Find out more about Eden.

Download a free sample of Jahaziel’s latest music at: www.jahazielmusic.com

October’s episode is now available for download. Listen on your computer, your phone or your iPod. And it’s completely free!

Subscribe today so you never miss an edition.

What’s in the October 2011 episode?

Joining Ian Henderson in the studio is Andy Hawthorne who shares stories from the summer festivals and his personal reactions to the riots at the start of August: ‘There’s so much that needs to be done to offer young people a better way… life to the full in Christ.’

Eden is one of the answers, and Andy talks about our huge vision for 80 new Edens by the end of 2015 and the mass mobilisation of people needed to accomplish it.

There’s also the latest news from the Message Enterprise Centre, our brand new Genetik course and a look ahead to our plans for the Message’s 20th anniversary next year.

Simon Sullivan from Reflex joins us and tells some amazing stories from his work in the prisons around the North West.

He also lets us in on some of his plans for the future, including a new course called Peacemakers and a new drama production based on the Prodigal Son together with In Yer Face: ‘It’s about values… The way I see it, you’re putting values in them for when they get out.’

And Ryan and Christina from Twelve24 are in the studio, back from a busy summer with stories and highlights from Detling and other festivals.

Plus find out about their new EP, Better Words (Available now! In exchange for money!): ‘We felt that God wanted to speak better words into young people’s lives.’

Listen (and subscribe) to the Flow Podcast in iTunes

Listen to latest teaching and media from The Message on the main Message Podcast

Starting September 12, young people across the nation will be taking part in Textify, the first youth campaign of the relaunched Hope Revolution movement.

Young people taking part in Textify are being challenged to pray for three friends for three weeks, texting them to start a conversation about Jesus. The organisers hope the ensuing conversations will result in many young people beginning a journey of faith.

Textify promo on YouTube

Some young people have started already and have been in touch to say how it’s going.

One texted to say: ‘Praying for my friends… they seem to be more open about Christianity everyday since I’ve started.’ Another wrote: ‘I casually mentioned Soul Survivor to my friend, she then started to ask loads of questions about God and Christianity – she is now staying over for Bible study Praise the Lord )’

Message Founder and CEO Andy Hawthorne is one of the youth agency heads warmly endorsing the Textify initiative.

He said, ‘Something really, really cool is going to happen through Textify. Bit by bit, people are going to be open to spiritual truth, then we’re going share the good news with them… The only thing we can take with us into eternity is people. And as a result of Textify this September that is exactly what is going to happen.’

Watch more Textify promo videos on Youtube

Sign up to the Hope Revolution mailing list

Andy was the keynote speaker at the event which had the theme ‘Raising the aspirations of young people’.

He told breakfast delegates: ‘The Bible works – and Jesus is the answer. The message of the Bible raises the aspirations of young people – we ditch it at our peril. The best of our society is built on this precious book.’

He went on to say, ‘The more we invest in today’s young people the values that God gave us in this book the better our society will become.’

One delegate, Jon Kuhrt, was at the breakfast and wrote afterwards, ‘He spoke with a rock-solid conviction about his faith in a Jesus who shakes things up, who brings hope to the marginalised and subverts the way things are.  A Jesus who transforms lives.  It was the kind of speech that I bet someone like William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, would have made 150 years ago.’

Thanks to Inspire Magazine for the reporting and the Bible Society for use of the pictures.

The latest Flow Podcast is now out, packed full of great news from our work in schools, communities and prisons.

Hosted by Ian Henderson, this regular ‘behind-the-scenes’ update is designed to fuel your faith and guide your prayers for The Message.

Here’s what’s on the April 2011 Flow Podcast:

Andy talks about his hero George Verwer, who came to speak at our Message Prayer Day last month: ‘He has this incredible anointing of raw passion, humility, humanity, vision, faith… he’s like a whirlwind’. (Download his talk on the Message Podcast too.)

We hear the latest from the big Eden adventure: Our biggest need is workers – the opportunities are growing faster than the applicants coming forward. Could it change your life too?

In Yer Face (Christian) Theatre Company are in the studio talking about their brilliant two new members Emily and John, and how their hard-hitting theatre works at communicating the gospel in schools and prisons and encouraging people to discover God’s Word.

Lindz West from LZ7 talks about how the This Little Light single has ramped up their effectiveness in schools and how they’ve seen lives turned around in Manchester and further afield.

Don’t miss this fantastic faith-building hour – listen now!

View (and subscribe) to the Flow Podcast in iTunes

Listen to latest teaching and media from The Message on the main Message Podcast

The latest film, number four in the series, features Chris and Laura, team leaders of Eden Byker, who talk about how God interrupted their lives to call them to the North East. Watch it below now!

Number three in the series, tells the amazing story of Tony Grainge and his work with young people on the Easterside estate near Middlesbrough.

Click to watch Part Three  on YouTube.com

It follows Part Two, featuring Jackie and Simon Blanchflower, part of Eden Notting Barns (W10). They talk about how they moved on to the Lancaster West estate, the thrill of living in multicultural London and their dream to build ‘a local church for local people’.

Click to watch Part Two (featuring Jackie and Simon) on YouTube.com.

Part one featured Ben and Amy Woodfield, team leaders of Eden Old Trafford, which gives glimpses of life on Eden Old Trafford together with some of the couple’s experiences and motivation behind being part of Eden.

Watch Part One (featuring Ben and Amy) on YouTube now.

Eden is looking for 100 people to join their teams up and down the country in 2011. Could you be one of them?

Find out more at the Eden Network website.

Message band LZ7 has swept the board at this year’s Louder Than The Music awards, winning no less than three trophies – Best British Album, Best British Artist and Song of the Year for This Little Light.

It crowns a breakthrough 2010 for the band which spends most of the year working in schools in Greater Manchester but which is fast gaining a wider following.

After a busy summer touring the UK, September brought LZ7 a chart hit with anthem This Little Light. The song scored a number 26 UK chart position and won airplay on BBC Radio 1, MTV, The Box, Viva, Smash Hits and 4Music.

Hard on its heels, the band released their third album Light in October to some great reviews. ‘Light is the sound of now,’ wrote Jono Davies of Louder Than The Music in the original review. ‘The album is jammed packed with anthems that ooze truthful and honest lyrics.’

The Louder Than The Music awards page concludes: ‘What a year it has been for British rap group LZ7. Following their success in the UK singles chart earlier this year, their loyal following of fans have helped the group earn no fewer than three LTTM Awards this year. As well as picking up Best British Artist, LZ7 also win Best British Album for Light, and Song Of The Year for This Little Light.’

But the accolades mean nothing compared to the impact the chart success and mainstream airplay is having on their face-to-face work in schools.

Lead singer, evangelist Lindz West, explains: ‘Our heart’s desire in releasing the single was to give us a bigger platform to speak to more young people about Jesus. It’s done exactly that! We are finding that as we go into school after school young people are recognising us from MTV. That level of credibility is going before us so the young people know the songs and know who we are even before we get there. It’s another level entirely!’

The band are currently planning a national tour between a full schedule of schools work in Manchester and beyond. ‘Like’ the LZ7 Facebook page for full details about the band’s upcoming national tour.

Get a copy of Light together with a signed poster for just £9.99 (free P&P) from Message Trading.

Writing on website The Kaje, Jeremy Williams calls Light ‘without doubt one of the strongest pop albums of 2010’ citing its ‘upbeat message of positivity … delivered in a manner that reeks authenticity’.

Jono Davies at Louder Than The Music says, ‘Light is the sound of now … The album is jammed packed with dominant anthems [and] soulful dance songs that ooze truthful and honest lyrics.’

The album’s opening track is This Little Light (described by reviewer Bill Williams as ‘surely the best bit of pop to come out of the Church in the last decade, full of bounce and upward energy’) – the anthem of the Shine Your Light campaign.

Throughout the summer the schools band toured to promote Shine Your Light, an underground movement challenging young people to share God’s love through word and actions.

Light takes this simple message forward, showing that real faith is about both putting a ‘lamp on a stand’ and being ‘salt and light’ serving others in Jesus’ name.

Light is out on Fierce Records on Monday 25 October but can be purchased now via the Message Trading web store, priced £9.99, inclusive of shipping. Get your copy now.

A special fans-only gig takes place on Friday 22 October. Click here for more details.

We’re all thrilled that the LZ7 single debuted at number 26 in this weeks single charts. Now let’s see what God will do with this fantastic ‘lamp on a stand’.

Thanks to all our supporters for getting behind the song. Today LZ7 are back in school doing a full schools week in a school in Bolton, please pray that many young people would respond to the gospel this week.

Please also pray that radio and music TV stations get behind the track and hundreds of thousands of young people find out about Jesus because of the single.

We obviously want to keep this in the charts so if have not bought your copy of This Little Light it’s not too late Click here