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: 999 Published: 07 Dec 2020
TEASER!
Have you noticed the Issue No. in the small print above???
THINKING GREEK OR HEBREW
ULTIMATE TRUTH
Greek (Western)
We view the ultimate in truth as being scientific and rational. We focus on how things are done, both in Scripture and in life. We come to believe in truth as we think things logically through.
In the natural, arguments such as creation versus evolution are hugely important to us. Logic and reason are generally the foundation of our faith.
We also analyse revival. When it occurs we work out what God is doing and proceed do it for Him! The revival dies.
Men are particularly susceptible to the tyranny of logic.
Eastern (Hebrew)
Hebrews see the ultimate in truth as being religious and experiential. When looking at Scripture they focus on what was done and who did it. They come to believe truth as they experience it.
Hence the great interest and importance the Jewish people place on history and inheritance, on genealogy. Matthew, as a Jew understood this and included the genealogy of Jesus in his Epistle, which was primarily targeted to the Jewish people. It was so important that it was the first thing he wrote about.....
The Genealogy of Jesus
1 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4 Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, 7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, 9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. 12 After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, 15 Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. (Matthew 1:1-16)
Jesus quoted the sins and unrighteous deeds of their forefathers in His teachings. For example.....
45 One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.” 46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them. 47 “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your forefathers who killed them. 48 So you testify that you approve of what your forefathers did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49 Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ 50 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all. (Luke 11:45-51)
Faith is enhanced by the experience of the great men of yesteryear.....
17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. 20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones. 23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. (Hebrews 11:17-24)
And events that occurred in the past.....
29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. (Hebrews 11:29-30)
A TESTIMONY FROM DAVID
As the people experience truth, so their faith is built up. I remember a time in Nigeria when a lame man got up his bed and walked. I can't understand it logically. But I did experience God's power moving through my hands and into him. It certainly increased my faith in a greater way than any than any theological belief I have ever had!
SOME SPIRITUAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY
1. Just do it! We can spend a lot of time learning about Jesus but real faith is built through experiencing the power of Jesus in our lives.
2. We are not to get so entranced by minor points of theology that we miss the point of truly 'walking with Jesus'.
3. We must let Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, lead and guide us in our daily walk, growing in faith as we experience more of Him in our life.
4. Do not try to outthink God!
(Continues next week)
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FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUS
May we hear what the Lord is saying to us.....
Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1-13)
Told to the disciples.
“There was once a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting what belonged to his master. So the rich man called in his manager, and asked him ‘What’s this I hear about you? Bring in your accounts, because you won’t be continuing as manager.’
The manager said to himself, ‘Now what will I do since my master going to fire me from my job? I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg. Oh, I know what I’m going to do so that when I’m sacked as manager people will make me welcome in their homes.’
“So he invited all those who were in debt to his master to come and see him. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ The man replied, ‘A hundred units of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Sit down quickly.
Take your bill, and change it to fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?” The man replied, ‘A hundred units of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and change it to eighty.’
“The rich man commended his dishonest manager for his cunning idea. The children of this world are more cunning towards one another than are the children of light.
“I tell you, use the wealth of this world to make friends for yourselves so that when it’s gone, you’ll be welcomed into an eternal home. If you can be trusted with very little you can also be trusted with much; if you are dishonest with very little you will also be dishonest with much. So if you can’t be trusted when it comes to worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you can’t be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will trust you with what is yours? No servant can obey two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Money.”
Heard by and scoffed at by the Pharisees.
“You appear pious to people, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detested by God.
Further Teachings (Luke 16:14-18)
On that day.
What was written in the law and the prophets lasted until John. From then on the good news of the kingdom of God is being spread, and everyone is forcing their way in. However, it’s easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the smallest point of the Law to disappear. Any man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and a man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
The Rich Man and the Beggar Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)
Jesus continued.
“Once there was a man who was rich. He wore purple clothes and fine linen, and enjoyed a luxurious life.
A beggar named Lazarus used to sit at his gate, covered in sores, longing to eat the leftovers from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“Then the beggar died, and angels carried him away to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the far distance, with Lazarus beside him.
“‘Father Abraham,’ he called out, ‘Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I’m burning in agony.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘My son, remember that you enjoyed the good things of life, while Lazarus had a very poor life. Now he is here being comforted, while you suffer in torment. Apart from that, there’s a great gulf stretches between us and you. Nobody who wants to cross from here to you can do so, and nobody can cross from there over to us.’
“The rich man said, ‘Then Father, I beg you, please send him to my father’s house. For I have five brothers and he can warn them so that they don’t end up here in this place of torment.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. They should listen to them.’
“‘No, father Abraham,’ said the man. ‘But they would repent if someone went to them from the dead!’
“Abraham said to him, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be convinced even if someone returns from the dead.’”
(Continued next week)
Download the complete 'Words of Jesus' here.
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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
275. We must exercise faith to accept God's grace. But once done, God returns the compliment in unlimited measure.
276. God creates a mountain of faith out of a molehill of obedience.
277. Grace and faith make God's world go round.
278. Hope is expressed through faith. Faith is expressed through love.
279. For God so loved the world that He gave... us grace and faith.
280. Faith and doubt are constant companions. For it is only in accomplished faith that we see the devil's defeat.
281. If there is no room for doubt in faith, there was no need for faith in the first place.
282. 'Blind faith' is 'blindingly blind'!
283. Doubt is to faith as butter is to bread.
CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK:GOD AND MAN continues.....
As we look at the very practical subject of how the Holy Spirit communicates with us.
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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. ***
482. The Newborn
A proud mother named Ella brought her newborn baby to a church social one afternoon.
The ladies were all making a fuss over Ella's baby.
Like any good mother, Ella was closely watching her newborn when she saw a little girl approach. The little girl started having a very one way conversation with the infant.
When the little girl began asking the newborn questions, Ella smiled at her and said, "The baby can't talk yet."
The little girl, in all innocence, looked up at Ella and asked, "Does it need new batteries?"
QWIK QWIP: “God can mend broken hearts. You just have to give Him all the pieces.”
483. Left Handed
The story told of a little girl and her mom discussing the morning Sunday school class. The child told her mom that they talked about Jesus is going up to heaven, and that He is now sitting beside God. As they continued to look at the Sunday school paper, the mother noticed a picture of a rainbow. She said, "Look at that beautiful rainbow that God pointed for us!" The little girl replied, "And just think, Mommy, God did it all with His left hand." The mother replied, "What do you mean? Can’t God use both His hands?" The girl stated, "Of course not, Mom, my Sunday school teacher said that Jesus is sitting on His right hand."
QWIK QWIP: “Funny how laborious it is to read a chapter in the Bible and how easy it is to read 200-300 pages of a best selling novel.”
Childrens Sermon
One Easter Sunday morning as the minister was preaching the children's sermon, he reached into his bag of props and pulled out an egg. He pointed at the egg and asked the children, "What's in here?"
I know!" a little boy exclaimed. "Pantyhose!"
Download the book 'Laughing At Ourselves' in PDF format at LAUGHING AT OURSELVES One of the most comprehensive sources of Christian Humour on the Net with 800 sermon fillers for your entertainment and use at ..... https://www.wwj.org.nz/content/wwj18p47.pdf
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A DAVID MUSING
In times of challenges, problems, disappointments and tragedy, we need to remenber that the sun comes up again in the morning, every day.
Our first blessing is that we are alive to to face another day.
Problems and challenges just may be solved today. Where there is life there is hope.
Tragedies will be one day further in the healing process of time.
Of course, the clouds may still be grey, but nothing is surer than one day the sun will shine through again.
In the natural, sunshine almost always is a healing agent, for Vitamin B4 is a natural anti-depressant.
In the spiritual also, the sun, light and the Son are related.
May sunshine come into our lives, and may we remember the Son, who is always there to guide us through the challenges and tragedies of life.
Currently, I have to remind myself of this every morning.
Until next time.....
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD
His servant and yours
David Tait
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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 website
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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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