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: 1021 Published: 10 May 2021
THINKING GREEK OR HEBREW
HOW MANY "YOU'S" IN YOU?
Greek (Western) In Western thought, we separate body and soul, assigning different values and behaviours to each.
The body, essentially, is corrupted by earthly desires and sicknesses. We believe it is unimportant, being left behind when we die - maybe the sooner the better! The 'real us', on the other hand, our mind and our emotions, is what is of real importance and what will go to heaven once life here is finished. Hence we place great store upon what we know about God, studying at Seminaries and Bible Colleges, and about how we feel, how happy we are.
Interestingly, by downplaying the importance of the body, we can very easily justify sin as being unimportant and inconsequential. For only the physical you sins, the 'real' you doesn't!
We quote.....
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
..... without understanding that the writer is actually referring to the whole person throughout this passage.
To summarise, knowledge about God and experiencing feelings of happiness, are the priorities of our Christian walk.
Eastern (Hebrew) In Hebrew (and other Eastern) thought, body, soul and spirit are integrated as one, the state of which is reflected through a person's actions.
As God is holy, so man is to be holy also.....
3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5)
Man is created in God's image.....
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)
..... to be holy and righteous, as God is, and as Paul endeavoured to be amongst the people.....
10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. (1 Thessalonians 2:10)
James was 'hot' on this subject, a theme which permeates his Epistle.....
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:14-17)
Upon accepting Jesus, we are to seek to become like Him and do what He would do in the here and now. We need to give ourselves to Him completely, body soul and spirit. We need to seek Him as to how to love our neighbour, how to treat our family, how to live our life. God cares about every part of our life, from the spiritual revelation to the mundaneness of much of everyday life.
As King David said in the well-known Psalm.....
4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:4-5)
Amen.
SOME SPIRITUAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY
1. Following Jesus requires all of us, body, soul and spirit.
2. We are to be Jesus to others. How we act determines our true depth of faith.
3. The church needs to overturn its preoccupation with theology and start living like Jesus.
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FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUS
May we hear what the Lord is saying to us.....
On the Mount of Olives (John:15:1 – 16:33)
The farewell discourse.
The Vine.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every one of my branches that doesn’t bear fruit. He prunes every branch that bears fruit so it can bear even more. You are already pruned and made clean through what I’ve told you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it remains part of the vine, so it is for you: you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. I’m the vine, you’re the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit—for apart from me you can’t do anything. Anyone who doesn’t remain in me is like a branch that is thrown out and dries up. Such branches are gathered together, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, then you can ask for whatever you want, and it will be given you. My Father is glorified as you produce much fruit, proving you are my disciples.
“As the Father loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you do what I say, you will remain in my love, just as I do what my Father says and remain in his love. I’ve explained this to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
“This is my command: love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than to give your life for your friends. You’re my friends if you do what I tell you. I don’t call you servants any longer, for servants are not taken into their master’s confidence. I call you friends, for everything my Father told me I’ve explained to you. You didn’t choose me, I chose you. I have given you the responsibility to go and produce lasting fruit. So the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command to you: love one another.
World hates the disciples.
“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me before it hated you. If you were part of this world, it would love you as its own. But you’re not part of the world, and I chose you out of the world—that’s why the world hates you.
“Remember what I told you: servants aren’t more important than their master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too. If they did what I told them, they will do what you tell them too. But everything they do to you will be because of me, for they don’t know the One who sent me. If I hadn’t come and spoken to them, they wouldn’t be guilty of sin—but now they have no excuse for their sin. Anyone who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not given them such a demonstration through things that no one had ever done before, they wouldn’t be guilty of sin, but despite seeing all this they hated both me and my Father. But this just fulfilled what Scripture says, “They hated me for no reason at all.”
“But I will send you the Comforter from the Father. When he comes, he will give evidence about me. He is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. You will also give evidence about me because you were with me from the beginning.
“I’ve told you this so you won’t give up your trust in me. They will expel you from the synagogues—in fact the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a service. They’ll do this because they have never known the Father or me. I’ve told you this so that when these things happen, you’ll remember what I told you. I didn’t need to tell you this right at the beginning because I was going to be with you.
The Holy Spirit’s work.
But now I’m going to the one who sent me, and yet not one of you is asking me, “Where are you going?” Of course, now that I’ve told you, you’re full of grief.
“But I’m telling you the truth: it’s better for you that I go away, for if I don’t the Comforter won’t come to you. If I go away, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convince those in the world that they have wrong ideas regarding sin, what’s right, and judgment: Sin, for they don’t trust in me. What is right, for I’m going to the Father and you won’t see me any longer. Judgement, for the ruler of this world has been condemned.
“There’s much more I want to explain to you, but you couldn’t stand it now. However, when the Spirit of truth comes, he will teach you the whole truth. He doesn’t speak for himself, but he only says what he hears, and he will tell you what’s going to happen. He brings me glory for he teaches you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine. This is why I said that the Spirit teaches you whatever he receives from me. In a little while you won’t see me anymore, but then a little while after that you will see me.”
From grief to joy.
“Are you wondering about my comment, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me’? I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will turn into joy. A woman in labor suffers pain because her time has come, but once the baby is born, she forgets the agony because of the joy that a child has been brought into the world. “Yes, you’re grieving now, but I will see you again; and you will rejoice, and no one can take away your joy.
“When that time comes you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you haven’t asked for anything in my name, so ask and you shall receive, and your happiness will be complete. I’ve been talking to you using picture language. But soon I won’t use such picture language any more when I speak to you. Instead I’ll explain the Father to you very plainly. “At that time you will ask in my name. I’m not saying to you that I will plead with the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you—because you love me and believe that I came from God. I left the Father and came into the world; now I leave the world and return to my Father.
The disciples now understood.
“Are you really convinced now?” “The time is coming—in fact it’s just about to happen—when you will be scattered, each of you to your own homes, leaving me all alone. But I’m not really alone, for the Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that you may have peace because you are one with me. You will suffer in this world, but be brave—I have defeated the world!”
(Continued next week)
Download the complete 'Words of Jesus' here.
OUR AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
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Katy and Tatwa, our Administrator, cutting his birthday cake. Banana cakes are Kathy's specialty!
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
FROM BLINDNESS TO.....
.....riding his motorbike!!!
Our friend, supporter and Community Health Volunteer, was virtually blind, having developed cataracts in both eyes.
Following two lots of cataract surgery over a month, he can now see so well he visits us on his motorbike!
Giving sight to the blind is hugely satisfying!
Thank you Lord!
A BABY A DAY!
For the past week our Maternity Wing has become operational and we are averaging a ;baby a day' being delivered. We anticipate this will soon build up to 5, as the word gets round.
Bringing new life into the world is a privilege.
Once upon a time, families had many babies as many would die and the others were able to help on the land.
But now, as society develops and land blocks get smaller, Kenyan birth rates are falling. Also, the cost of looking after and schooling a child has become more expensive.
Welcome to the modern world!
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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.
Download the free PDF here.....
DAVID'S DOODLINGS
... doing the right thing because we want to, not because we are expected to.
... being a servant both to God and man.
... honouring God with body, soul and spirit.
... loving the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind.
... being 100% committed to the Lord's cause.
... putting the Lord first in all things.
... placing the Lord's desires ahead of our own.
... applying the Lord's will to our mind and emotions.
... accepting the Lord's correction graciously.
... being joyful in the Lord - even while being corrected!
... subverting our will to His.
... centred upon giving rather than receiving.
... becoming a little more like Jesus every day.
... being prepared to die for our Lord.
Please feel free to quote these quotes. Acknowledgment of David Tait as the author would be appreciated. There are now over 1300 David sayings for you to view at ...
CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK:GOD AND MAN continues.....
as we look at the practical application of the submission of our will, both from an individual perspective and for the church.
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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. ***
45. The Real Truth
Little Johnny had bought Grandma a book for her birthday and wanted to write a suitable inscription. He racked his brain until suddenly he remembered that his father had a book with an inscription of which he was very proud, so Johnny decided to use it.
You can imagine Grandma's surprise when she opened her book, a Bible, and found neatly inscribed the following phrase: "To Grandma, with the compliments of the author."
46. Know We Will Have The Perfect Church When We Hear
1. Hey! It's my turn to sit in the front pew.
2. I was so enthralled, I never noticed your sermon went 25 minutes over time.
3. Personally I find witnessing much more enjoyable than golf.
4. I've decided to give our church the $500 a month I used to send to TV evangelists.
5. I volunteer to be the permanent teacher for the junior high Sunday school class.
6. Forget the denominational minimum salary, let's pay our pastor so he can live like we do.
7. I love it when we sing hymns I've never heard before!
8. Since we're all here, let's start the service early.
9. Pastor, we'd like to send you to this Bible seminar in the Bahamas.
10. Nothing inspires me and strengthens my commitment like our annual stewardship campaign.
QWIK QWIP: “A coincidence is when God performs a miracle, and decides to remain anonymous.”
47. True Faith!
Three nuns were returning to the convent after a day of volunteer nursing at a local medical care centre. They were travelling along a back road when their car stopped.
After a quick memory search, they remembered they had forgotten to get gas the last time out.
As they were deciding which one would walk for to a gas station, a pickup truck drove up. The driver had plenty of gas and offered some, but he didn't have anything to put it in.
The nuns realised they had the ideal container for the donated gas, they thanked the driver and he went on his way.
A few minutes later an eighteen wheeler came down the road and saw the nuns pouring the contents of a bed pan into their gas tank.
The driver nudged his partner and said, "That's what I call true faith."
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
Covid, Covid, Covid! It has ruled the world!
Where I came from, New Zealand, 2 main islands in the southern seas, 2000km away from Australia, we have been blessed with hardly any Covid, having taken draconian measures to get rid of it, and putting a 2 week quarantine on the many who want to come home from other countries.
In Kenya, where we now live, we have not been so fortunate with land borders round most of the country. As you can see from the graph below, we are now emerging from our third wave. In a country of 50 million people, we have had only 2,200 deaths, which is not huge. Fortunately, the average age of our population is under 20, which has been a huge help.
The Government too, has imposed considerable cotrol measures to lessen the spread. This has been essential, as we don't have the intensive care facilities to cope with a major outbreak.
Let's face it, most people are scared of death! Even among Christians, death is feared.
There is a song, 'Everyone wants to go the heaven, but no-one wants to die', which was popular in my youth, (Many moons ago!), which is even more applicable now than it was then.
The world thought it had moved beyond major epidemics, or plagues, as they were called in the Bible. Of course there are some major problems still, but they are in Africa, out of sight and mind! Personally, I had malaria 5 times in the first 18 months we were here in Kenya, which is not nice, I can assure yoiu. We live in the 'Malaria Belt' of Western Kenya. Up to half our clients in the Hospital at times, suffer from, and are seeking treatment for malaria.
Death, tragically, is an ever-present reality in Africa.
But for the dedicated disciple of Jesus,such as Paul was, earth is but the preliminary for the better life to come. As humans, we have a natural instinct to live. We do not let go of life easily.
For those believers with little faith, the situation is the same as in the world.
May we build our faith do that we can become like Paul, who to paraphrase said, to live is good but to die and be with the Lord is better.
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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