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: 1095 Published: 10 Oct 2022
THINKING GREEK OR HEBREW
DESCRIBING GOD
Greek (Western)
We focus on the being of God.
We like to imagine God as a 'super-sized' human being! We look at the creation of man as being in the physical image of God.....
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-7)
Whereas, as Matthew Henry explains, the image is in the spiritual.....
God’s image upon man consists in these three things:-1. In his nature and constitution, not those of his body (for God has not a body), but those of his soul. This honour indeed God has put upon the body of man, that the Word was made flesh, the Son of God was clothed with a body like ours and will shortly clothe ours with a glory like that of his. And this we may safely say, That he by whom God made the worlds, not only the great world, but man the little world, formed the human body, at the first, according to the platform he designed for himself in the fulness of time. But it is the soul, the great soul, of man, that does especially bear God’s image. The soul is a spirit, an intelligent immortal spirit, an influencing active spirit, herein resembling God, the Father of Spirits, and the soul of the world.
Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Bible, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers) 1997.
We seek to define God by the wonders of the physical world about us. Its form, its beauty, and the miraculous for which there is no other explanation. We rationalize God.
Eastern (Hebrew)
Hebrews focus on relationship with God.
Some bragged about their relationship with God.
17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; (Romans 2:17)
What God looks like, or even natural wonders are not the focus of Jewish thought. The Psalms major on relationship with God. As so many were written by King David, it explains why God considered David son of Jesse a man after my own heart;
The Psalms are all about relationship, in both good times and bad.....
7 Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— he is the King of glory. Selah (Psalm 24:7-10)
28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. (Psalm 118:22)
7 The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. 8 He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. 9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 10 Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. 11 Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done. (Psalm 9:7-11)
God is a spirit, as we see when He appeared to Elijah.....
11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. (1 Kings 19:11-13a)
And, in the New Testament too, we are to worship our spirit God in spirit and in truth....
23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-4)
Selah.
SOME SPIRITUAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY
1. We need to take our focus off the natural and look to the spiritual.
2. God is not interested in great buildings and religious ceremonies. He is interested in you! He wants to build a deep personal relationship with you. It does not matter whether you are beautiful or ugly, talented or simple, of high position or low; God loves you and wants to know you better, so He can then share more of Himself with you.
3. The end time kingdom church, the bride for whom Jesus is returning is not a new denomination but is being built informally, on the basis of relationship, firstly with God and also with one another.
FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUS
Jesus Warns the Disciples to be Prepared (Luke 22:35-8)
For His death.
“When I sent you out without money, without a bag, and without an extra pair of sandals, did you lack anything?”
But now, if you have money you should take it, as well as a bag, and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. I tell you that this statement in Scripture about me must be fulfilled: ‘He was counted with the wicked.’ What was said about me is now being fulfilled.
Jesus Comforts the Disciples (John:14:1-31)
In general
The way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and you have seen him.”
To Philip
“Have I been with you such a long time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know me? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I live in the Father and the Father lives in me? The words I speak are not mine; it’s the Father living in me who is doing his work. Believe me when I tell you that I live in the Father, and the Father lives in me, or at least believe because of the evidence of all that I’ve done.
“I tell you the truth, anyone who trusts in me will do the same things I am doing. In fact they will do even greater things because I am going to the Father. I’ll do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified through the Son. Whatever you ask for in my name, I will do it.
If you love me, you will keep my commands. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who will always be with you. The world cannot accept him because it isn’t looking for him and does not know him. But you know him because he lives with you and will be in you.
“I will not abandon you like orphans: I will come back to you. Soon the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. On that day you will know that I live in the Father, you live in me, and I live in you. Those who keep my commands are the ones who love me, those who love me will be loved by my Father. I will love them too, and will reveal myself to them.”
To Judas (not Iscariot)
“Those who love me will do as I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with them. Those who don’t love me don’t do what I say. These words don’t come from me, they come from the Father who sent me.
“I’m explaining this to you while I’m still here with you. But when the Father sends the Comforter, the
Holy Spirit, in my place, he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.
“Peace I leave you; my peace I’m giving you. The peace I give you is nothing like what the world gives.
Don’t let your minds be anxious, and don’t be afraid.
“You’ve heard me tell you, ‘I am going away, but I will come back to you.’ If you really loved me, you would be happy because I’m going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I’ve explained this to you now before it happens so that when it does happen you will be convinced. I can’t talk to you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no power to control me, but I’m doing what my Father told me to do so that the world will know that I love the Father.
Now get up. Let’s go.”
(Continued next week)
OUR AFRICAN EXPERIENCE IN NEW ZEALAND
Basically, the experience is COLD!
We have had the coldest weatter in October for over 60 years!
All for me!
Looks to be improving a little now - I hope! LOL!
Pictures next week.
Thanks
David
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PHOTO: Possible look of Jesus in society of the time
DAVID'S DOODLINGS
SIN
1183. There is no such thing as hidden sin. God's eyes are everywhere!
1184. As we grow in God, sin is frequently exposed in an attitude rather than an act.
1185. In God's view of sin, what we think is what we are. Now that's a scary thought!
1186. Under the New Covenant, sin includes intention as well as action.
1187. Sin is - our self revealed.
1188. It is a lie that people are inherently good. Sin number one!
1189. Sin leads you to Hell. If I lied about it, I'd end up there too!
1190. Jesus overcame our sin - if we choose to accept Him!
1191. If Jesus didn't die for our sin, why did he choose to go through the agony of the cross? For the decision was His!
1192. If we don't nip it in the bud, the nature of sin is such that it feeds upon itself until it grows to be out of our control.
1193. 'Sin' is 'in' me!
CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK: THE PURGING OF THE CHURCH Parts 9 & 10
INTRODUCTION
The Lord has led me to go back to a sermon/prophecy I received in a group mailing, and filed, some time ago. It is by David Wilkerson.
David was the Founding Pastor of Times Square Church in New York City. He was called to New York in 1958 to minister to gang members and drug addicts, as told in the best-selling book, The Cross and the Switchblade.
After the introduction, he gave 11 bullet points about THE GLORIOUS FUTURE JUST AHEAD. As the Lord leads, I will expand on these challenging but inspiring aspects
Let us begin…..
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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. ***
257. They Won't Leave
The year was 1492 A.D., and the citizens of Rome wanted to expel the Jews. The Pope, being somewhat more openminded than his followers, decided to give the Jews a chance to be heard on this question, and challenged them to a public debate. The elders of the Jewish community considered the matter carefully.
"We have many learned and erudite men among us," they reasoned, "but the Pope is also learned and erudite. By learning and erudition alone, we may not prevail. Perhaps we may prevail by common sense." So they chose the most common-sense man among them, a crusty old fellow named Moishe, to represent them. Moishe agreed, but on one condition: The debate must be held in silence, without words.
Surprisingly, the Pope agreed. On the appointed day, the Pope and Moishe took the stage and seated themselves before the crowd.
The Pope held up three fingers.
Moishe held up one finger.
The Pope pointed with his three fingers to the four horizons: East, South, West, and North.
Moishe pointed with his one finger to the ground at their feet.
After some moments, the Pope held up the elements of the Eucharist -- the wine and the wafer.
Moishe immediately held up an apple.
Suddenly, the Pope stood up and declared, "The debate is concluded. The Jews have won. The Jews can stay."
Some days later, a cardinal finally got up the nerve to ask the Pope, "Your Holiness, just what exactly did you and Moishe say to each other?"
"First," began the Pope, "I held up three fingers to symbolise the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Then Moishe held up one finger to represent the essential Unity of God. Okay, so he got me on the first round.
"Next, I pointed to all the horizons to indicate that God is all around us. But Moishe pointed to the ground between us to indicate that God is right here with us. Okay, he got me again.
"Finally, I held up the Eucharist to indicate the redemption of humankind through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. But Moishe held up the apple to indicate the original sin of Adam and Eve that made that sacrifice necessary. I realized that he was right - that we are all one in Adam, and announced the Jews' victory."
Not long after that, one of the rabbis asked Moishe the same question.
"The Pope," said Moishe, "held up three fingers to say, 'The Jews must leave Rome in three days.' I held up one finger to say, 'Not one Jew will leave.' Then the Pope pointed to the horizons to say, 'The Jews must disperse into the wide world.' I pointed to the ground between us to say, 'We are staying right here!' Then," Moishe shrugged, "he held up his lunch, I held up mine, and it was all over."
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A DAVID MUSING
I am back into New Zealand, right into cold weather - the coldest for October in 60 odd years!
OH DEEEEEEAR! BRRRRRRR!
Confirms that living in Kenya is a great weather, idea!
Settling in here well, but still looking for a house sit ar something similar, but we have to advertizeto do our part. and wait for the Lord to provide.
Sadly, the shortage of housing is a real problem in New Zealand currently.
But the Lord never lets us down, when we trust and obey Him in all we do.
Until next time.
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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