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: 1151 Published: 06 Nov 2023
A REVELATION OF....... HOLINESS
THE HOLINESS MOVEMENT
The Holiness Movement grew out of the life and teachings of John Wesley (1703 - 1791), a giant of the faith, fully committed to Jesus.
Like all of us, he had his strengths and weaknesses. He was not perfect although he desired to be and believed he could become so. A frail, little, man in the physical, yet a huge giant in the Spirit in his 100% pursuit of holiness, which he considered to be God's gift. In many areas of his life he was a living example, though he did not always manage to achieve the perfection he desired, particularly in his marital relationships. Wesley believed that after being saved from sin, God could transform the individual into a saint, able to lead a perfect, unflawed life.
A loyal Anglican to the end, although ostracized by most of the church, his followers eventually separated and set up the Methodist Church, so named because John and his brother Charles were very methodical in their approach to life and religion.
As is often the case when the visionary dies, it did not take long for the Methodists to move away from the difficult lifestyle and commitment level Wesley required. So it was left to the Holiness Movement, primarily based in the United States from the 1840's onwards, to perpetuate and popularize the Wesleyan message of sanctification (the means by which holiness is attained) within Christian circles. The teaching was, that to achieve, and remain in, a state of holiness, requires intense, sustained effort, constant self denial, careful observance of the Word, a reliance upon God's forgiving grace, looking for God's glory in everything, and exercising love. Some streams worked in Holy Spirit anointing, others not, but the 'second blessing' as it is widely known, was considered to be sanctification.
Early 20th Century Pentecostalism, when God outpoured His Holy Spirit in a major way back into the church, sprung out of the Holiness Movement. However while generally accepting sanctification as part of the 'second blessing', greater emphasis was placed upon the baptism of the Holy Spirit, signified by speaking in tongues, than in sanctification. During the 20th Century, Pentecostalism got stronger and the influence of the Holiness Movement waned.
THE PROBLEM WITH HOLINESS CHURCHES
I have been blessed to preach and teach in a wide range of church situations, from Traditional (e.g. Anglican and Lutheran) through Evangelical (e.g. Baptist), Pentecostal (e.g. AOG, Independents) as well as others in the Holiness stream.
Each grouping has its own flavour, emphasis and revelation. My practical experience of Holiness churches has been in line with general comment generally about the Holiness Movement. For it has become divided, moving in two different directions.
Some Holiness Churches have watered down the holiness message in order to become accepted within the general Christian evangelical community, remaining Holiness Churches in name only.
On the other hand, others have become very legalistic and generally judgmental, whether accepting the power of Holy Spirit anointing or not. They live by rules, normally very conservative ones, where items such as hair length and the wearing of jewelry assume greater importance than Holiness itself. They are typically highly judgmental and intolerant of others who don't abide by 'their' rules.
It has been my privilege to be available and used in seeing a breakdown of this rigidity. In exciting times when the Holy Spirit has taken over and released the people from their 'religious' limitations. For as in all church movements, religious form so easily takes over from the original, Spirit inspired substance. Holiness Churches are very susceptible to this.
(Continued next week)
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FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUS
The Jews Confront Jesus’ Claim to be The Christ (John 10:24-39)
In the Temple at the Feast of Dedication.
“I already told you and you refuse to believe it. The miracles I do in my Father’s name prove who I am. You don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life; they shall never be lost, and no one can snatch them from me. My Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone else; no one can snatch them from him. I and the Father are one.”
“You’ve seen many good deeds that I’ve done from the Father. Which one are you stoning me for?”
“Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’?” He called those people ‘gods,’ the people to whom the word of God came—and Scripture can’t be altered. So why are you saying the one whom the Father set apart and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said ‘I am the Son of God’? If I’m not doing what my Father does, then don’t believe me. But if that is what I’m doing, even though you don’t believe me, you should believe because of the evidence of what I’ve done. That way you can know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.
How Many Will be Saved? (Luke 13:22-30)
A question put to Jesus.
“Try very hard to enter the narrow doorway, because I tell you that many will try to go in, and won’t succeed. Once the house owner gets up and closes the door, you’ll be standing outside knocking on the door, saying, ‘Master, please open the door for us.’ But he’ll reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you’re from.’
Then you’ll say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets!’ He’ll reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from me, all of you who don’t do what’s right!’ There will be crying and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you are thrown out. People will come from the east and the west, the north and the south, and they will sit down to eat in the kingdom of God. For the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.”
Pharisees Warn Jesus About Herod (Luke 13:31-5)
And his intention to kill Jesus.
“Go tell that fox that I will go on driving out demons and healing people for today and tomorrow, and on the third day I’ll achieve what I came to do. Well anyway I must continue on my way for today and tomorrow, and the day after. For it wouldn’t be right for a prophet to die outside of Jerusalem!
“Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have wanted to gather all your children together just like a hen does with her chicks under her wings, but you refused! Look, your house is left desolate, and I tell you that you won’t see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
(Continued next week)
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***NOW***NINE BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!!!
9 BOOKS are now available on Amazon (Kindle)!
All are available worldwide for electronic download on Amazon (Kindle) for $US0.99c . Unfortunately there has to be a charge in order to list.
Your support would be appreciated and they could well change your life!
These and many more are availble for free online at https://www.wwj.org.nz/more-free-downloads
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*DAVID"S DOODLINGS
Enjoy some of David's sayings here, plus 1300 more on the website at.....
'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.
Download the free PDF here.....
Pic: The pic is an illustration of Jesus from several people who have been to heaven and returned.
DAVID'S DOODLINGS
616. True joy is a positive peace about your eternal destiny.
617. Joy is the ballast that stabilizes your ship on its voyage through the sea of life.
618. Laughter lasts but a moment, but joy is eternal.
619. Joy is a bottomless well that bubbles up from within the soul.
620. To laugh is great, but to be joyful, everlasting.
621. One of life's greatest assets is the ability to turn tears of sadness into pools of joy.
622. Tears of joy soothe the soul.
623. Joy is the outward expression of the certain hope of your eternal destiny.
Many more at.....
CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
Visit the Toon Fever website for more cartoon fun..... http://www.toonfever.com
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'LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
Another laugh or three for you today
Many more on our website below. Also many, may, many more under these categories on our website, wwj,org,nz Look under the heading MAINLY LAUGHS. Choose from.....
THIS WEEKS TUESDAY TEACHING.....
THIS WEEK: REVELATIONS REVELATION! Part 2
We will look at the first 2 of the 7 churches, those in Ephesus and Smyrna to see what rewards were promised to the overcomers there.
LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
***Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused***
420. Not Lost For Long
Two men were marooned on an Island. One man passed back and forth worried and scared while the other man sat back and was sunning himself. The first man said to the second man, "aren't you afraid we are about to die." "No," said the second man, "for you see I make $100,000 per week and I tithe faithfully to my church ever week. My Pastor will find me."
QWIK QUIP: “The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not protect you.”
421. The Three Envelopes
The new preacher moves his things into his new office and comes across the former pastor, taking his items out. The former pastor says, "I left three envelopes in your desk. If you have any trouble, open them." Well, of course the new preacher thinks he will never have to use them, but in his youthful enthusiasm, he tries to change the order the kids march in during Vacation Bible School. Well, this makes the workers absolutely furious and there is a lot of ugly talk about the new pastor. He remembers the envelopes and opens the first one. It says, "You haven't been here long, but you decided to make a change in the Vacation Bible School; now everyone is mad. Tell everyone that the former preacher had told you this was how you preferred to do it." So the young preacher did that and it worked well.
He had been there about a year and a half when he tried to change the deacon position from being a life-long job to a position that rotated annually. Well, this made the deacons really mad, and they were the ones who made his salary recommendation. So he went back to the drawer and got the second envelope: "You did something to make the deacons mad and there's talk of replacing you. Tell them this is the official denominational policy; that you thought they wanted to comply, but it doesn't make you any difference what they do." He tried this, and again it worked great.
You guessed it. After three years, he finally told the women's organisation that they were going to have to open the kitchen so that it could be used without a representative from the women's group being present. This put the women's organisation in open revolt. So he went back to that third and final envelope: "You've been here about three years and you finally got the women's organisation mad. The only thing to do is prepare three envelopes ... "
QUIK QUIP: “We set the sail; God makes the wind.”
422. Why Daddy?
A preacher's young daughter noticed that her father always bowed his head and closed his eyes for a few seconds before he went to the pulpit to preach. When she asks him why he did that, he explained, "I'm asking God to help me preach a good sermon.
His daughter thought about it for a minute and said, "Well daddy, Why doesn't he do it?"
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
Or read even more online at.....
A DAVID MUSING
"And the greatest of these is LOVE."
I am sure we all know the theory, but putting it in practice is the challenge!
It took me time to understand that love is not just for the receiver, but the giver benefits even more!
Carrying hatred or anger to another, does us no good.
Did Jesus hate the pharisees? No. But He sure tried to give them understanding. He was rejected.
And His plea to His Father on the cross to forgive them who had harmed Him, was the ultimate in both forgiveness and love.
How could He do that with all they had done to him!
Jesus hated the sin, but loved the sinner, in spite of everything!
I have a case now, where someone who was a good friend, has done all he could possibly do, to keep me from returning to Kenya.
In the natural, I should be really angry with him. But I have learned that this would do me no good. I would reduce myself to his level.
Instead, I am sorry for him. I have forgiven him and need to show God's love through my actions.
One day we may reconcile. that would be great. It is up to him. But in the meantime, I will love him with the love Jesus showed throughout His life and illustrated perfectly on the cross.
It benefits me so much more, for all bitterness is gone.
How about you, in your life today?
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!
For comments upon and contributions to this service, please contact
david@wwj.org.nz