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: 1010 Published: 22 Feb 2021
THINKING GREEK OR HEBREW
PRAYER
Greek (Western) Our prayer is primarily help and request orientated.
In Greek life, prayer was not a consistent everyday event, the gods being called upon when something was wrong or someone had a need. In times of celebration in the great arenas, the gods would be called upon to make the event successful, by leaders praying lengthy and colourful prayers on behalf of the people. The success or failure of the prayer was judged by the results. If fine weather was requested and it rained, the gods were displeased.
Many elements of these early Greek attitudes to prayer remain with us today in our prayer lives. For example, in most services, the minister will pray on behalf of the people. And we will simply agree, by saying 'Amen' (So be it.)
Eastern (Hebrew) Hebrew prayer is short, frequent, at set times, and oriented towards thankfulness for what God has done thus building faith for what He will do.
Prayer is regarded as a communal activity even when the people are apart, as they are praying at similar times. Muslims apply a similar principle in their 5 daily prayers facing towards Mecca. It can be communal or individual, but even in the communal, the people pray individually.
This personal communal element is illustrated in the Lord's Prayer which starts not 'my' but 'our', and which is normally said together, more reflecting the Eastern pattern.....
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
”‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, (Matthew 6:9)
Adoration of God is the preamble to most Jewish blessings.....
"Baruch atah YHVH Elohenu melech haolam"
or "Blessed art thou O YHVH OUR Elohiym, King of the Universe ..."
The result of thankfulness given for past victories and blessings provides the faith to face present battles in life. This was literally so here.....
When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. (Deuteronomy 20:1)
Of course, supplication, that is personal requests, have a role in Eastern prayers, but do not assume the place of dominance they do in our own. Most of the Psalms emphasize God's glory and great deeds, even when making requests of Him.....
19 But you, O LORD, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22 I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the congregation I will praise you.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help. (Psalm 22:19-24)
The major problem, for Jews and Gentiles alike, is we are keener on talking than listening in our prayers. The more disobedient and self-centred we become the less likely we are to listen to what God wants to say to us. For genuine prayer is a two way interaction, us speaking to God, and God speaking to us.....
In the Old Testament.....
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. 3 Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. (Isaiah 55:1-3)
…..and in the New.....
3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. (John 10:3-4)
May we learn to become as one with our Master and Lord.
SOME SPIRITUAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY
1. Prayer is a participatory, not a spectator, activity, even when done in groups.
2. Prayer is to be an ongoing regular, and spontaneous, part of our daily lives.
3. Prayer is not a religious exercise, cased in flowery words, but a simple two way conversation between us and God.
4. We need to adore, confess, and give thanks to God, as well as make our requests known to Him.
5. We need to listen to, and obey Him, when He speaks to us.
(Continues next week)
Acknowledgements: http://www.followtherabbi.com and http://hethathasanear.com and http://www.wildbranch.org
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FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUS
May we hear what the Lord is saying to us.....
Jesus Questioned on Paying Taxes (Matthew 22:15-22, Mark 12:13-17, Luke 20:19-26)
To Caesar, by the Pharisees’ disciples and the Herodians.
“Why are you trying to trap me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that is used to pay the tax.”
“Whose image and whose title is inscribed here?”
“You should give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God,”
Sadducees Question Jesus on the Resurrection (Matthew 22:23-33, Mark 12:18-27,
Luke 20:27-40)
Using the example of who is to be the husband of a woman married seven times.
“Here in this age people marry and are given in marriage,” “But those who are considered worthy to share in the age to come and the resurrection from the dead don’t marry or are given in marriage. They can’t die any longer; they’re like the angels and are children of God since they’re children of the resurrection. But on the question of whether the dead are raised, even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush, when he calls the Lord, ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him they all are alive.”
What is the Greatest Commandment? (Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-34)
As asked by the Scribes and Pharisees.
“The first commandment is, ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your spirit, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There’s no more important commandment than these.”
(Continued next week)
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OUR AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
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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
204. We must remember that without individuals, there would be no 'Law of Averages'.
198. Before complaining about pain, ask a leper if they would like pain in their life.
199. I would have a great body if I ate less, exercised more and became a year younger with every birthday! Therefore I am greatly relieved that God is interested in the state of my soul!
200. The best way to find happiness is to give it away to others.
201. Every time we forego excellence in favour of the average, we succeed in lowering the average.
202. A procrastinator would get a lot more done if they lived tomorrow, today.
203. To overcome procrastination, live tomorrow today.
214. A truly wise person is quick to listen but slow to answer.
248. Life experience has taught me that the most 'forthright' are more than likely to be the most 'forthwrong'.
CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK:GOD AND MAN continues.....
... as we look at the length of wilderness times and our response to the wilderness.
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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. ***
14. Child Childbirth
In Sunday School they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny was particularly intent when they were telling how Eve was created out of one of Adam’s ribs.
Later in the week, his mother noticed him lying down as if he were ill. "Johnny, what’s the matter?"
Little Johnny replied in an anguished tone, "I have a pain in my side. I think I’m going to have a wife!"
QWIK QWIP: “The church is prayer-conditioned.”
15. Getting Priorities Right
Coming out of church Mrs Peterson asked her husband, "Do you think that Johnson girl is dying her hair?"
"I didn’t even notice her," admitted Mr Peterson.
"And that dress that Mrs Hansen was wearing," continued Mrs Peterson, Really, don’t tell me that you think that’s a proper outfit for a mother of two."
"I’m afraid I didn’t notice that either," replied a resigned Mr Peterson.
"Oh, For heavens sake," his wife snapped. "A lot of good it does you to go to church!"
16. More Church Bulletin Bloopers
*** The Low Self Esteem group will meet on Thursday at 7pm. Please use the back door.
*** Ushers will eat latecomers.
*** The third verses of Blessed Assurance will be sung without musical accomplishment.
*** For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
*** The Rev. Merriwether spoke briefly, much to the delight of the congregation.
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
MODERN DAY MESSAGE FOR CHURCH HIERARCHIES WORDWIDE, PARTICULARLY IN AFRICA
Over the years I have been to so many gatherings of church leadership, for ministering to them is the primary ministry function the Lord has given me.
The Lord has graciously enabled me to minister on His behalf in most continents, so I have had a reasonably unique opportunity to study ministers in much of the world, but with an emphasis on Africa, where my wife and I have now lived for nearly 4 years. This problem, while universal, is particularly bad here.
While people are different of course, those in ministry have many things in common also. Most have a heart for God, and at least, at the beginning of their ministries, have a deep desire to serve our Lord. Unfortunately things do not carry on this way.
The single most common similarity, I am sad to say, that I have found is, almost universally, pastors, bishops, and church leaders see themselves as a step above their people.
It doesn’t matter whether it is in New Zealand, where we come from, or Kenya where we now live, or any other country where the church is not persecuted, the reality is the same. Church leadership see themselves, perhaps unconsciously, as being better than their followers.
This is not a new problem. Jesus was highly critical of the religious leaders of His day, the Pharisees and Sadducees. Sadly, in reality, very little has changed today.
So I have updated the Scriptures in Matthew 23 a little, to be more relevant to today’s world had Jesus lived in our day…..
A Warning Against Hypocrisy
23 Then Jesus (might have today) said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The Apostles, Bishops, Pastors impress with their Seminary trained dissertation. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They teach and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to help them.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They wear elaborate robes, or dog collar and purple shirt; 6 they love the place of honour at celebrations and the most important seats on the stage, or in the front row in the church. 7 They love to be greeted with respect in the community and being called ‘Pastor’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Pastor or Teacher’, for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees
13 “Woe to you, Pastors and Teachers, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 14 Woe to you, Pastors and Teachers, hypocrites! For you control the weak, and for pretence make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. 15 “Woe to you, Pastors and Teachers, you are hypocrites! You travel overseas on mission trips to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone believes this theology, it is okay; but anyone who believes that theology is deceived and dammed.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is better in God’s sight, your theology or another’s? 18 You also say, ‘if anyone follows that doctrine they are lost, but anyone who follows our doctrine is saved. 19 You blind men! Which is greater: your doctrine or another’s? 20 Therefore, anyone who believes your doctrine swears by it and by everything about it. 21 And anyone who anyone who comes to your church is specially blessed. 22 And anyone who follows you personally has a seat in heaven!
23 “Woe to you Pastors and Teachers, you hypocrites! You call on your congregation to tithe rather than to give. You have also neglected the more important matters of the Spirit— love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You concentrate on the minor, but miss the major.
25 “Woe to you, Pastors and Teachers, you hypocrites! You look good on the outside, but inside you are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pastors! First clean up your life, and then your appearance will be godly also.
27 “Woe to you, Pastors and Teachers, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, looking beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 “Woe to you, Pastors and Teachers, you hypocrites! You venerate the saintly leaders of old and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in rejecting their new revelations.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who abused and murdered those revered ones. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!
33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill; others you will flog in your churches and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Anabaptists, and more, whom you murdered inside and outside the church. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.
37 “Churches, churches, you who kill the prophets and revile those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who returns in the name of the Lord.’”
May we all repent and change our ways, being humble before our God, while serving those entrusted to us to shepherd, as Jesus did.
David Tait
Walking With Jesus Ministries
21 February 2021
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 website
wwj.org.nz or by contacting us as follows.
Walking With Jesus Ministries
P O Box 2
Webye 50205
Kenya
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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