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
A FREE service, currently connecting with Christian leaders from 3,000 denominations and ministries, in 70 countries.
Issue No: 1015 Published: 29 Mar 2021
THINKING GREEK OR HEBREW
THE RESURRECTION 'BODY'
Have you ever wondered why Jesus was resurrected with a physical body? Surely, if the kingdom is purely spiritual, way up there in the sky, a spiritual body would have been better, to show us what our own heavenly body would be like?
Greek (Western) In the Greek, the concept of God being interested in both our bodies and spirit is rejected.
We see God being only interested in the spiritual. We spiritualise Biblical prophecy eg. Inventing Replacement Theory, replacing the literal return of the Jews to Israel. (This became an initial, formal reality in 1948!)
We downgrade the physical to being bad; to be shunned or hidden, while the spiritual is elevated to the extreme.
The concept of the Holy Spirit coming to dwell in our physical bodies is a very difficult one for us to accept. (Today my body is wracked with diarrhoea, due to something I ate yesterday! I certainly find it difficult to understand that the Holy Spirit would want to live there! I don't want to today either! Can you see how we think?)
Continuing with the toilet humour, David Pawson relates how that mentions of a Jewish blessing for going to the toilet amuses Christian audiences – because of the Greek mindset that God is not interested in the proper working of our bodily functions, but a Jewish audience would not react because Jews see no separation between physical and spiritual. (Please may I think like a Jew, as today I have spent lots of time in there.)
Earth is bad, heaven is amazing. Lord rapture us (another false teaching in the escapist way it is taught) there quick!
Greek minds do not accept revelation; only reason. The Greek mind asks “Why must I do it?”
Eastern (Hebrew) In Hebrew thought, the interrelation of physical and spiritual is regarded as being natural.
Jesus explained it first......
20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-1)
After the resurrection, the Jewish believers, while surprised to see Jesus, expected and accepted a bodily resurrection, for the kingdom of God is to rule both the spiritual and the natural. How could Jesus rule on earth if He only had a spiritual body? Jesus was seen, touched and ate fish.....
Jesus Appears to the Disciples 36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
Paul understood the conundrum gentiles have.....
22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. (1 Corinthians 1:22-5)
Hebrew reliance is on God and His Torah. The Hebrew mind asks “What must I do?”
SOME SPIRITUAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY
1. We must banish escapist theologies from our theology and teaching.
2. We must choose to live godly lives now, not to wait until we die and go to heaven.
3. We must work out our free salvation through physical actions that cost us our life.
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FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUS
May we hear what the Lord is saying to us.....
Jesus Final Appeal to Unbelievers (John 12:20-36)
Prior to His death.
“The time has come for the Son of man to be glorified. I tell you the truth: unless a grain of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains just one grain. But if it dies, it produces many more grains of wheat. If you love your own life you will lose it, but if you don’t love your own life in this world you will keep your life forever. If you want to serve me you need to follow me. My servants will be where I am, and my Father will honor anyone who serves for me.
”Now I am troubled. What should I say? ‘Father, save me from this coming time of suffering’? No, for this is why I came—to go through this time of suffering. Father, show the glory of your character.”
Prior to His death again
“This voice spoke not for my sake, but for yours. Now is the judgment of this world; now the prince of this world will be thrown out. But when I am lifted up from the earth I will attract everyone to me.” (He said this to point out the kind of death he was going to die).
The crowd asked, “Who is the Son of man?”
“The light is here with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light so that the darkness doesn’t overtake you. Those who walk in the dark don’t know where they’re going. Put your trust in the light while you still have it so that you can become children of light.”
The Jews Continue to Reject Jesus (John 12:37-50)
In spite of His miracles.
“If you trust in me you’re not just trusting in me but also in the one who sent me. When you see me you’re seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light shining into the world, so if you trust in me you won’t remain in the dark. I don’t judge anyone who hears my words but doesn’t do what I say. I came to save the world, not to judge it. Anyone who rejects me and does not accept my words will be judged at the endtime judgment in accordance with what I have said. For I’m not speaking for myself but for my Father who sent me. He is the one who instructed me what to say and how to say it. I know that what he told me to say brings eternal life—so whatever I say is what the Father told me.”
Preparations for the Passover (Matthew 26:17-19, Mark 14:12-16, Luke 22:7-13)
Instructions to Peter and John
“Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”
“When you enter the city you’ll meet a man carrying a jar of water. Follow him and go into the house he enters. Tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks you, “Where is the dining room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ He’ll show you a large upstairs room that already has the necessary furniture. Prepare the meal there.”
(Continued next week)
Download the complete 'Words of Jesus' here.
OUR AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
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(Kathy with Selina, our hostess in whose house we have lived for 3 1/2 years now!)
FINALLY OUR JAPANESE IMPORT VAN ARRIVES!
But not without challenges! LOL!
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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
382. There is no absolute measure of prosperity for our perception of it relates to what we see others have. I wonder what God sees?
383. The problem with prosperity is that we all want to own God's 'cattle on a thousand hills' personally.
385. It is a sad fact that if the rich gave all they had to the poor, poverty would merely be delayed, not allayed.
811. In the Old Testament, success is measured by prosperity, in the New, by sacrifice. Many believers prefer to live in the past!
812. May I learn to rest content with my 'daily bread'.
813. There is no problem with prosperity, only our definition of it.
814. In the Old Testament, prosperity is provision for the future, in the New, sufficiency for today.
815. Worldly provision comes through people, godly provision through the Providor, for whom people are but one resource.
816. Jesus redefined prosperity from wealth for the future to provision for today.
CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
Visit the Toon Fever website for more cartoon fun..... http://www.toonfever.com
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK:GOD AND MAN continues.....
... as we look towards the next two steps in claiming our inheritance.
*** ANOTHER DAILY EZINE FROM WWJ!*** 'LAUGHING AT OURSELVES' Subscribe Today
As Christians, if we can't laugh at ourselves, others will! A fun way to start your day. To register today, go down to the bottom of the page link below, click on the subscribe link lao--on@wwj.org.nz (or paste the address in an email yourself and send) Then it's done!
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. ***
29. Even More Bulletin Bloopers
*** The music for today’s service was all composed by George Friedrich Handel in celebration of the 300th anniversary of his death.
*** Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.
*** The 8th Graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the church basement this Friday at 7pm. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
*** The concert held in the Fellowship Hall was a great success. Special thanks are due to the minister’s daughter, who laboured the whole evening at the piano, which as usual fell upon her.
*** Don’t let worry kill you. Let the church help.
30. The Heavenly Artist
A Sunday School teacher began their lesson with a question, "Boys and girls, what do you know about God?"
A hand immediately shot up in the air. "He is an artist," said the youngster.
Really, "How do you know?" the teacher asked.
"You know – Our Father, who does art in heaven….."
31. Back in Time
A little boy opened the big old family Bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the pages. Suddenly something fell out. It was an old leaf that had been pressed between the pages.
He yelled out to his mum, "Mum, come hear quick, I think I’ve found Adam’s underwear!"
QWIK QWIP: “Man's way leads to a hopeless end - God's wayleads to an endless hope.”
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
This morning (Sunday), as I write our Administrators wife, Pamela, is having a cancer removed. We all would be most grateful if you could pray for her recovery.
While we run a hospital, we do not yet have the facilities to do such an operation here. And, of course we tend to look the to the doctors for healing.
However we have a heavenly healer as well, and He says she will be healed. So, in that we believe.
God gave us medicine, but we need to remember that while we heal, God is the healer!
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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