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: 1068 Published: 04 Apr 2022
TRANSITION FROM ‘THE CHURCH’ TO ‘THE KINGOM’
FROM “PAID” TO “CALLED” Part 1
The question of clergy appointment and remuneration is often one of extreme sensitivity in the church!
It reminds me of another, related question. Do we 'eat to live, or live to eat?' For, in the end, we are talking of a question of motivation, of the calling of God on our lives. For God specifically calls.....
11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, (Ephesians 4:11)
For the purpose of....
12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:12)
To attain a specific result.....
13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.(Ephesians 4:13)
The role of leaders then, is to bring people to spiritual maturity in order that the body of Christ, (that includes all of us), will do the work of the church, which is.....
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20a)
How simple, yet how difficult!
Most interestingly, when the Disciples, the first leaders were given the 'Great Commission' as it is known, and in spite of being with the resurrected Jesus, some still had doubts.....
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. (Matthew 28:16-17)
He had to motivate and reassure them.....
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me............ And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18, 20b)
It was not until the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost that the Disciples and others were empowered to overcome all their doubts and proclaim the Word with boldness.....
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! (Acts 2:14-15)
So, boldly that all, except John, were martyred for their faith! And John was boiled in oil and banished to Patmos! Even 'doubting Thomas' travelled to India, arriving in Kerala State where he converted some Hindu priests through a miracle of throwing water into the air and, defying gravity, having it stay there! I have been to the site, upon which now stands a Roman Catholic Church. The presence of the Holy Spirit was powerful. Thomas travelled across India, spreading the Word, and was finally martyred outside Chennai, where you can visit his grave in a cave to this day.
Paul, of course, was called in a dramatic way, on the road to Damascus.....
3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. (Acts 9:3-9)
Certainly a dramatic call!
My own call to ministry came as I was tending to our commercial flower crops. The Lord spoke to me personally in an audible voice within my head, explaining how it was to be based on Revelation 12:11.....
11 They overcame him 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)
.....and gave me the name 'Walking With Jesus Ministries'. While I did not immediately walk away from the business as the initial disciples did.....
16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. (Mark 1:16-20)
.....I did give from that day onwards half of each day to the ministry.
The first requirement then, for specific ministry (of course, we are all to be ministers - literally, servants!), is a definite call from God through the Holy Spirit.
'The first requirement for specific ministry (of course, we are all to be ministers - literally, servants!), is a definite call from God through the Holy Spirit.'
The second requirement is to be prepared to do what God calls you to, irrespective of the cost.
The one thing I can assure you of is, a true, godly ministry call will require sacrifice on our part! As it did of Jesus, on the cross.....
9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:9-10)
All believers are called to imitate Christ and to sacrifice our lives through love.....
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)
Part 2 next week.
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FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUS
May we hear what the Lord is saying to us.....
The Lamp of Your Body (Luke 11:33-6)
No one lights a lamp and then hides it or places it under a bowl. No, you put it on a lamp stand so that those who come into the house can see the light. Your eye is the light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body is in the dark. So make sure the light you have in you is not actually darkness. If your whole body is full of light, with no areas of darkness, then it will be completely illuminated, just as a bright lamp gives you light.”
Six Woes Declared on the Pharisees and Lawyers (Luke 11:37-54)
When Jesus joined them for lunch without ceremoniously washing His hands.
“You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you’re full of greed and wickedness. You’re so foolish! Don’t you think the One who made the outside made the inside as well? If, acting from within, you do acts of kindness to others, then everything will be clean to you. Shame on you Pharisees! You pay tithe on herbs and plants, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You need to pay attention to the latter, while not leaving the former things undone. Shame on you Pharisees! You love to have the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect when you go to the markets. Shame on you! You are like unmarked graves that people walk over without knowing.”
“Shame on you lawyers too! You place burdens on people that are too hard to carry, but you don’t lift a finger to help them. Shame on you! You build memorial tombs to honor the prophets, but it was your own fathers who killed them in the first place! By doing this you are witnesses showing that you agree withwhat your fathers did. They killed the prophets, and you build their tombs!
“This is why God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles; some they will kill, and others they will persecute.’ Consequently, this generation will be held accountable for the blood of all the prophets shed from the beginning of the world, from the blood of Abel right up to the blood of Zachariah who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held accountable for all of it. Shame on you lawyers! You have removed the key of knowledge. You didn’t go in yourselves, and you prevented others from going in too.”
Jesus Teaches His Disciples and a Great Crowd (Luke 12;1-12)
To the Disciples.
In the meantime the crowd had grown to several thousand and they were trampling each another. Jesus spoke first to his disciples. “Beware the yeast of the Pharisees—hypocrisy. For there’s nothing hidden that won’t be revealed, nothing secret that won’t be made known. Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and whatever you whispered in private will be announced from the rooftops. I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, for once they’ve done that there’s no more they can do. Let me make it clear whom you should be afraid of. You should be afraid of the one who after he has killed has the power to dispose of them in Gehenna. That’s the one you should be afraid of. 6Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? But God doesn’t forget a single one of them. Even the hairs on your head have been counted. Don’t be afraid—you’re worth more than many sparrows!
“I tell you the truth, those who declare they belong to me, the Son of man will also declare they belong to him before God’s angels, but those who deny me will be denied before God’s angels. Everyone who speaks in opposition the Son of man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
“When you’re brought to trial before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, don’t worry about how to defend yourself, or what you should say. The Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what’s important to say.”
Download the complete 'Words of Jesus' here.
OUR AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
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So sorry there are no stories and pictures this week. It has been qnother difficult one for us.
Please pray the Hospital and for Kathy and myself so that the many challenges may be overcome.
Thank you.
BOOK OF THE WEEK
SERMON ON THE MOUNT
THE KINGDOM WAY
JESUS’ GUIDE TO LIVING THE KINGDOM LIFESTYLE TODAY
Let us begin…..
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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
886. Religion suffocates revelation.
887. Religion is centered upon man's needs, revelation upon the will of God.
888. When religion embraces a revelation, it's time for new revelation!
889. Revelation builds, religion stifles.
890. Many say, 'give me religion', but few, 'give me revelation'.
891. Religion fosters pride, while revelation comes from a broken heart.
892. Religion promotes people, revelation, servanthood.
893. Religion builds. Revelation breaks down, then builds.
894. Religion breeds status, revelation, servants.
CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
TUESDAY: A REVELATION OF…….THE CHARACTER OF GOD
That simply won't work. Have tried several times now. So sadly, will have tp skip it and go onto something else. Wait and see.
A real pity as it was an excellent, short teaching.
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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. ***
176. A Real Prayer
A couple was touring the Capitol in Washington D.C., and the guide pointed out a tall, benevolent gentleman as the congressional chaplain.
The lady asked, "What does the chaplain do? Does he pray for the Senate or House?"
The guide answered, "No, he gets up, looks at the Congress, then prays for the country!"
QWIK QWIP: “Men are from earth. Women are from earth. We have to live with it.”
177. A Real Stayer
The sermon had gone on a long time. A visitor leaned over to the person next to him and asked, “How long has he been preaching?”
Came the reply, “Almost thirty years.”
“Oh,” said the stranger. “Guess I’ll stay. He ought to be through soon.”
178. Lateral Wisdom
A preacher stepped into the pulpit one Sunday morning with a Band-Aid on the side of his face. He explained at the start of his sermon, “I cut myself while shaving. I guess I was meditating on my sermon.”
An hour and fifteen minutes later a sleepy member of the congregation whispered to his wife, “He should have meditated on his shaving and cut his sermon!”
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
We all need prayer to sustain and encourage us, particularly in tough times.
So when someone you know is going through tough times, please think to pray for them.
If you see someone looking sad, offer to pray for them too!
And this week, if you spare a thought, a prayer for us too, as we go through difficult times, it would be much appreciated too.
Let's never forget the power of prayer.
Until next time.
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
Webuye 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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david@wwj.org.nz