A Weekly World Wide Word of Encouragement to those in the Ministry
PRAISE GOD IT’S MONDAY!
A WEEKLY ‘WWW (world-wide word) OF ENCOURAGEMENT’
TO THOSE IN MINISTRY
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Issue No: 982 Published: 10 Aug 2020
A REVELATION OF……. THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER - The Call of the Kingdom
APPLICATION TO OUR LIVES
There are numerous examples Biblical patterns of three that relate to our lives. (See again A Revelation of… The Power of Three) However we are going to limit ourselves to one that succinctly and beautifully sums up the basis of God's desire for how we should walk with Him. Found in one verse, tucked away in the middle of the last 'Book of Revelation' of the Bible, incidentally the one on which Walking With Jesus Ministries is based, clearly defines the path God wants us to take. The path towards becoming one that produces a 100-fold crop.
One day as I, in my usual, unusual fashion, was feeling good with myself for nearing my goal of finishing reading the Bible from beginning to end, the Lord stopped me at Revelation 12:11. He told me to base a ministry upon this verse and went on to explain what it meant. Once I got over the initial shock, I did it!
The special verse talks about a particular, some would say 'peculiar' group of people, who are able to overcome satan. We know from experience that these are not your normal Christian, for our lives surely reflect the obvious - that in most of us, satan has not yet been fully overcome. Yet in these simple 29 words, Jesus reveals through the revelator, John, how it is to be done. And here it is.
"They overcame him (i.e. satan. See verse 10) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." (Revelation 12:11)
Here we are given a cumulative three-step process as the means by which we can fulfill the ultimate goal in our Christian journey, to overcome the power of satan in our lives. To become fully reconciled with the Father! To become reflections of Jesus! As taught by the Holy Spirit! What Jesus did 'positionally', spiritually, for us on the cross, we still have to apply 'experientially', practically, to our lives. This dilemma of the ongoing battle within us between our old earthly and new heavenly natures, the Apostle Paul describes so vividly.
" I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." (Romans 7:15-20)
I have met but two extra 'super-spiritual' men in my life, those who effectively claim to have reached perfection. One was shown not to be so by his treatment of his wife and his teachings, the other by his reaction to the Holy Spirit coming in a way he couldn't control. Very definitely, spouses and the Holy Spirit are two critical areas that expose our old earthly natures!
So let's now have a look at the 3 ways in which satan is overcome in our lives.
THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB (Jesus)
Belief in Jesus, is the first and foundational step in our Christian experience. The words used by John the Baptist in announcing the ministry of Jesus were:
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)
And of course we are forgiven through the blood that represents life. His life for our life, as God requires.
"In him we have redemption through his blood (His life), the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." (Ephesians 1:7-8)
We take the first step on our walk through believing and personally accepting that Jesus died for us, as 'the blood of the Lamb'. We cannot earn our salvation through living a good life, but are accepted back into relationship with God the Father through the blood of Jesus. Jesus is our one and only 'hope' of salvation.
Walking in this amazing truth of the salvation of Jesus enables us to produce a 30-fold crop.
THE WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY (Holy Spirit)
Receiving forgiveness for our sins though, is just the beginning of our Christian walk. We next have to grow into the likeness of Jesus, not physically, (fortunately ladies!) but spiritually. To enable us do this, Jesus promised that the Father would send the Holy Spirit. He arrived 50 days after Jesus rose from the dead, having overcome satan and sin on our behalf, on the day of the Jewish 'Feast of Weeks', which we call the Day of Pentecost. ('Pente' meaning 50)
" “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:25-26)
The Holy Spirit empowers us to make the necessary adjustments and changes in our lives required to become more and more like Jesus. As Paul said:
"Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done — by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit." (Romans 15:17-19)
But how do we relate, 'the word of their testimony' to the Holy Spirit, I can hear you asking? Well, that was my question of the Lord too, when he first stopped me at this verse. And as usual, He had the answer! He took me to.....
“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34)
The book of James similarly tells us that “no man can tame the tongue (3:7)”. Yes, in the end, no matter how we try to cover things up, when tested, the words we speak reflect our heart attitude. And our heart, the symbolic seat of our emotions or feelings, is the realm of the Holy Spirit. That is why, when we are baptized in or released into the power of the Holy Spirit, our ability to express our emotions in our worship, in the adoration of our God, increases amazingly.....
“so that with one heart and mouth (by the Holy Spirit) you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:6)
The power of 3 once again! The Holy Spirit builds the reality of Jesus into our life. He increases our level of 'faith'. I have found this to be reality too, when looking at individual Christians and churches. For those who are empowered by the release of the Holy Spirit in their lives, while still having lots of faults, are more open to allowing Him to change their lives and generally show a greater dedication towards the expansion of God's Kingdom. Enabling us to produce a 60-fold harvest.
OBEDIENCE EVEN UNTO DEATH (The Father)
The ultimate goal of every Christian is to become like Jesus. And the key area of difference in His life to ours, (excluding resisting sin 100%) was his 100%, absolute obedience to the will of God the Father - even though it would ultimately cost Him his life. This is amazingly illustrated in the hours before His death.
"Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”" (Matthew 26:36-39)
Yes, Jesus was literally prepared to sacrifice His life for the Fathers will. So we too, are expected to deny our own human desires to do His will. For most of us this, at least until now, this has not required literal martyrdom. In a way though, it's equally difficult living a life of total obedience as it is facing death for the cause. So for most of us, the death talked about in this verse is 'death to self.' It is hard and it is painful, but it reaps the richest of rewards.
"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:7-11)
And confirmed in:
“The mind controlled by the spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. (v16) Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 8:6-8,16)
And which forms the basis of the Golden Rule, the 'new commandment' of Jesus.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31.
Yes, the precious ones throughout the ages who have been prepared to commit their all to Jesus by doing the Fathers will as revealed by the Holy Spirit, are those whom truly display God's 'love.' These are the hearts that God truly desires. For 'love' is the greatest of all.
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)
Truly those who produce the 100 fold harvest.
(Continued next week)
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FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUS
May we hear what the Lord is saying to us.....
Lawyer Tests Jesus About Receiving Eternal Life (Luke 10:25-37)
“What is written in the law? How do you read it?”
The lawyer replies with the ‘golden rule’.
“You’re right,” “Do this, and you will live.”
Jesus then tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.
“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He was attacked by robbers who stripped him and beat him, and left him for dead. It so happened that a priest was going the same way. He saw the man, but he passed by on the other side of the road. Then a Levite came along. But when he got to the place and saw the man, he also passed by on the other side. “Finally a Samaritan man came along. As he passed by, he saw the man and felt sorry for him. He went over and treated the man’s wounds with oil and wine, and bandaged them. Then he placed the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn where he took care of him. The next day he gave two denarii to the innkeeper and told him, ‘Take care of him, and if you spend more than this, I’ll pay you back when I return.’ Which one of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers?”
“Go and do the same,”
Martha Works While Mary Listens (Luke 10:38:42)
Jesus comments when Martha complains.
“Martha, Martha,” “you’re worried and upset about all this. But only one thing is really necessary. Mary has chosen the right thing, and it shall not be taken away from her.”
Jesus teaches the Disciples How to Pray (Luke 11:1-13)
Lord’s Prayer and explanation.
“When you pray, say, ‘Father, let your name be honored as holy. May your kingdom come. Give us every day the food we need. Forgive us our sins, just as we forgive everyone who sins against us. Keep us from temptation.’”
“Say you have a friend and you go to him in the middle of the night and ask, ‘My friend, lend me three loaves of bread because a friend of mine has come to visit me, and I don’t have any food to give him.’ Your friend in the house might reply, ‘Don’t bother me—I’ve already locked the door, and I and my children have gone to bed. I can’t get up to give you anything now.’ I tell you, even though he refuses to get up and give you anything, despite you being his friend, if you are persistent, your friend will get up and give you everything you need.
“I tell you: ask, and you shall receive; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and everyone who seeks, finds; and to everyone who knocks the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, won’t give him a fish but a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will you give him a scorpion? So if you, even though you are evil, still know to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Teaching on Beelzebub and Demons (Luke 11:14-26)
Jesus states.
“Any kingdom divided against itself will be destroyed. A family divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? You say that I cast out demons using the power of Beelzebub. But if I drive out demons by the power of Beelzebub, by whose power do your own people drive them out? They themselves will condemn you as wrong!
“However, if I am driving out demons by the power of God, then this proves God’s kingdom has arrived.
It’s right here among you! When a strong man who is fully armed guards his house, all he owns is safe. But if a stronger man comes and defeats him, taking from him all his weapons that he depended on, then he can carry off all his possessions. “Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who doesn’t build together with me is breaking it all apart.
When an evil spirit leaves someone, it goes through the desert looking for a place to stay. When it doesn’t
find anywhere, it says, ‘I’ll return to the house I left.’ When it returns, it finds its old home is swept and tidy.
So it goes and finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there. In the end that man is worse off than before.”
A Woman Blesses Mary (Luke 11:27-8)
Jesus corrects her.
“Even more blessed are those who hear God’s word, and follow what it says.”
(Continued next week)
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A MUZUNGU’S (White Man’s) THOUGHT – Issue 42
REPENTANCE & OBEDIENCE TO GOD – THE MISSING LINKS
THIS WEEK – OBEDIENCE TO GOD
Last week we saw the importance of repentance in our lives and that of the church. Without the foundation of repentance, the Western and other churches promoting an ‘Easy Christianity’ will continue to lose members and relevance in the world as they blend in with it.
Today we are looking at the other pillar that needs to be rebuilt in order for the church and Christians to be resurrected to their true place of living like Jesus. And that is obedience to the will of God.
How do we do that?
Firstly, by reading and obeying God’s Word contained in the Bible. Sadly, most Christians in this day and age are too busy to read the Bible on a regular basis. Or so they justify themselves. But in reality, it is a matter of priority and choice.
Secondly we must set aside time to pray. Prayer is our connection with God and His with us. Prayer is a 2 way communication – us with God and God with us. Most Christians, or those who do pray, simply pour out their problems and ask for the things they want rather than those they actually need. God is not Father Christmas! True prayer is a 2 way conversation.
Hearing what God says to us both through the Word and from the Father directly, and through guidance of Holy Spirit, is the foundation of obedience.
Of course, hearing is only the first part! Putting into practice what we are asked to do is much harder!
We always have freewill to accept or reject what God tells us to do. And many, likely most of us, are not prepared to do what God asks.
It can be a simple thing. Maybe it could be a simple thing like looking in on your neighbour or taking them a meal. Once the moment has passed, it has likely gone forever, as that was their specific time of need.
In a bigger sense, I know of a couple who were asked to set up a Children’s Home in New Zealand. They kept coming up with excuses until the vision was taken away.
I am not perfect by any means but there have been several big moments my life has changed dramatically when I have obeyed God’s unexpected words to me.
Setting up Walking With Jesus Ministries was one. I was simply weeding flowers on our commercial flower farm when the Lord stopped me and spoke clearly to me, asking me to set up a ministry for Him based on Revelation 12:11. He explained the verse to me, and what it really meant. I will not explain that here, for then we will miss the point. The Holy Spirit then incredibly wrote a discipleship course for me while I held the pen, for I was but a new Christian.
He set me up in a garden mail order business which was most successful. After some years He told me He would bring a buyer in one month so I could go into full time ministry. No buyer came for 30 days. On the 31st day I mentioned it to a supplier friend I was trying to witness to. He said he had been waiting for me to say that as one of his staff wanted to buy the business! Sold just like that! Amazing!
As I said I am not perfect, for David then came to the fore. I put the profits into a property development so that we wouldn’t have to rely on others to support us. Bad idea! It went broke before the job was finished and I lost everything! Then the Lord told me, “Now you will rely on me!” “Yes Lord!”
Since then He has done many amazing things. But the biggest of all, I guess, was telling me to come here to Malaha in Kenya. It took us about 3 years to get here, but now we have been here for 3 years of ups and downs, and have built the Kingdom Faith Based Hospital while ministering as we have been able.
But there is still much more to come. All because we do our best to try tand listen to, and obey, what the Lord tells us to do. It is not always easy, and many people think we are mad, especially since we are in our 70’s. But God knows best.
Obedience and holiness go together for the one leads to the other. Hebrews 12:14 tells us that without holiness, no one will see the Lord.
We are talking about a direct relationship to God here, not through a church hierarchy.
Along with repentance, obedience to God the Father through the Holy Spirit, are the 2 primary pillars for the church to get back to its roots.
May we personally repent of our wrongs and seek God for His personal guidance today, and apply it in our lives today.
Shurakini
(Thank You)
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'THE WORDS OF JESUS' REMAIN AVAILABLE FOR PDF DOWNLOAD
Join the many who have downloaded the 'The Words of Jesus'. I am sure you will be blessed by it, as I have been.
One key element here is the setting out in chronological order (as far as it is possible to do so) our Lord's words drawn from all the Gospels, and the elimination of repetition between Gospels.
You may be surprised by the different perspective this presentation gives you both in understanding of His life and ministry, and in achieving a closer relationship with Him.
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
93. Forgiveness lubricates the healing that both time and love bring.
94. Time heals, love heals better, but only forgiveness heals totally.
95. He who has suffered the greatest rejection, most appreciates the comfort of God's acceptance.
347. God's love is bigger than any human hurt.
348. The secret of inner healing is to draw nearer to God, not run away like most of us do.
349. The bigger the problem, the bigger we can discover our God is.
CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK: TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCH: 4. CHARACTERISTICS OF KINGDOM PEOPLE contcludes,,,,
..... with a look at 'the seemingly impossible' unity of Spirit!
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LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
***Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused***
*** Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others. ***
QWIK QWIP: “Criticism is like dynamite. It has its place but should be handled only by experts.”
447. Being Prudent
A little boy walked down the beach, and as he did, he spied a woman sitting under a beach umbrella on the sand.
He walked up to her and asked, "Are you a Christian?" She said, "Yes."
"Do you read your Bible every day?" She nodded her head, "Yes."
Do you pray often?" the boy asked next, and again she answered, "Yes."
With that he asked his final question, "Will you hold my quarter while I go swimming?"
448. God's Way?
ï‚· And God populated the earth with broccoli and cauliflower and spinach and green and yellow vegetables of all kinds, so man and woman would live long and healthy lives. And Satan developed the fast foods industry. And fast foods brought forth the 99 cent double cheeseburger. And Satan said to man, "You want fries with that?" And man said, "Supersize them." And man gained pounds.
ï‚· And God created the healthful yoghurt, that woman might keep her figure that man found so fair. And Satan froze the yoghurt, and he brought forth chocolate, nuts and brightly coloured sprinkle candy to put on the yoghurt. And woman gained pounds.
ï‚· And God said, "Try my crispy fresh salad." And Satan brought forth creamy dressings, bacon bits, and shredded cheese. And there was ice cream for dessert. And woman gained pounds.
ï‚· And God said, "I have sent your heart healthy vegetables and olive oil with which to cook them." And Satan brought forth chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And man gained pounds, and his bad cholesterol went through the roof.
ï‚· And God brought forth running shoes, and man resolved to lose those extra pounds. And Satan brought forth cable TV with remote control so man would not have to toil to change channels between ESPN and ESPN2. And man gained pounds.
ï‚· And God brought forth the potato, a vegetable naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy centre into chips and deep-fried them. And he created sour cream dip also. And man clutched his remote control and ate the potato chips swaddled in cholesterol. And Satan saw and said, "It is good." And man went into cardiac arrest.
ï‚· And God sighed, and created quadruple bypass surgery, angioplastys, and stents. And Satan established HMOs...
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A DAVID MUSING
2, 4, 6, 8, Bog in, don't wait!
This is an old saying we had in New Zealand as kids, as an alternative quick grace before our meal! Needless to say it didn't please our mothers who had spent much time preparing it!
Right round the world, this statement applies to many in reality, if not in words.
That is, if you have food to eat, of course! Currently 820,000,000 people are suffering food shortages and around 25,000 of these die of hunger each day! Can you believe that?
Compared with Covid, today there are 4 times as many people daily dying of hunger as are dying of Covid!
Which gets the most publicity? And more importantly, which gets the greater funding? Covid of course!
Human beings are simply selfish in our human nature!
May our attitude to hunger change. There is plenty of food wasted worldwide to feed all those who suffer deprivation through no fault of their own. It just takes willpower to make it happen.
May Covid help us tp better understand the plight of those dying elsewhere and to do something about it!
Until next time.....
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD
His servant and yours
David Tait
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ABOUT US
WALKING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES is a non-profit, non-denominational, Bible based ministry located in Hastings, New Zealand. A ministry dedicated to developing discipleship, fostering unity amongst God's people to achieve the Great Commission, and in doing so, preparing for Christ's return. It is securely based upon the foundational principles of the Apostles Creed while recognising the wide and rich diversity of beliefs amongst Christians in other areas. In accordance with the Lord's direction, materials produced by the ministry are available, free of charge, to genuine enquirers upon request. The ministry is solely funded by donations, as the Lord provides. A list of materials available (plus some fun!) is obtainable and freely downloadable from our websitewwj.org.nz or by contacting us as follows.
Walking With Jesus Ministries
7 Bull Street
Ahuriri
Napier
New Zealand
Phone: (06) 835 0567 International (+64) 6 835 0567
Email: enquiries@wwj.org.nz
Web: wwj.org.nz
Our role is to bless and encourage those in ministry while promoting co-operation and unity of direction amongst the body of Christ, as emphasised 3 times by Jesus in His longest prayer, immediately prior to His arrest and crucifixion. "... so that they may be one as we are one." (John 17:12, 21, 23-4) Our website is currently being developed to encourage your participation one with another, to share resources, and to enable you to promote events and items of interest to the body as a whole - and have a smile while doing it!
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david@wwj.org.nz