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: 1177 Published: 24 Jun 2024
THINKING GREEK OR HEBREW
LOGIC v FAITH
Greek (Western)
We attempt to explain and justify everything according to human understanding. We apply linear logic to understanding the Bible. This can be likened to lining up dominos on their edge in a line. Push the first one over and that pushes over the next, and so on down the line. Problems arise where a domino is missing (no knowledge), or is placed outside the line (an apparent contradiction in Scripture).
One example is the apparent contradiction of predestination and freewill.
God's order has been 'predestined'.....
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30)
....but we have 'freewill', through prayer, to change God's mind..... 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)
Hence we get a division in the church, and church theology, between those who major on predestination (Calvinism) and freewill (Armenianism) and all shades of opinion in between that divide people, and denominations, one from another! For we cannot accept, from our limited human understanding, that both can be, and are, correct!
Eastern (Hebrew)
Jews acknowledge that God's wisdom and knowledge is infinite, and is sometimes beyond human understanding. Therefore they accept that there can be apparent contradictions in our sight. They apply block logic. While all the facts within a given block are coherent, they accept that one block of facts might present paradoxes and apparent contradictions with another block. They accept the almighty understanding of God.....
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! (Romans 11:33)
.....that affirms that man's knowledge is finite, and limited. Solomon acknowledged this.....
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
An interesting example of this is seen in whether God is visible or not. Most Western Christians will automatically say God is invisible, quoting.....
24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)
Yet God appeared to Abraham in the form of 3 men.....
The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.....33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home. (Genesis 18:1-2,33)
.... and to Moses and 73 others.....
9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up 10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. (Exodus 24:9-10)
Now John would have been aware of the Old Testament Scriptures when he wrote his Gospel, but he didn't see a need to explain the difference between the scriptures, as we would have needed to do, looking with Western eyes. John knew that God, in His infinite wisdom, understood, even if John, in his human understanding, didn't. It simply wasn't an issue for John, as it is for us.
SOME SPIRITUAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY
1. We must understand that God is God, is God! He understands all, even where Scripture is not able to be understood by us. This is true, even when Scripture appears to contradict itself - through our limited eyes of understanding. (A premise that is particularly hard for theologians to accept!)
2. Unnecessary divisions have arisen in the church through different interpretations of Scriptures about which we do not have a full understanding. We all need to repent and reconcile!
3. We must base our theology on the whole of Scripture, not just limited selections of our favourite passages that justify our desired conclusion.
4. May we be gracious and humble enough to accept that we do not have all the answers, and be tolerant and understanding to those who hold to differing viewpoints to ours.
(Continued next week)
His servant and yours
David Tait
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FROM THE WORD
THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS OF JESUS
Jesus Prays (John:17:1-26)
For Himself.
“Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you. For you gave him authority over all people so that he might give eternal life to all those you have given to him. Eternal life is this: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent. I have brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the beginning of the world.
For His disciples.
“I have revealed your character to those you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you; you gave them to me; and they have done what you said. 7Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. I have given them the message that you gave me. They accepted it, completely convinced that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I’m praying for them—not for the world, but for those you gave me, for they belong to you. All who belong to me are yours, and those who belong to you are mine, and I have been glorified through them.
“I am leaving the world, but they will remain in the world; I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name, the name that you gave to me, so that they may be one, just as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you gave to me. I watched over them so that no one was lost except the ‘son of the lost,’ so Scripture was fulfilled.
“Now I’m coming to you, and I say these things while I am still here in the world so they may share completely in my joy. I gave them your message, and the world hated them because they are not of the world, just as I’m not of the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but for you to protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I’m not of the world. 17Make them holy by the truth; your word is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19I dedicated myself for them so that they may also be truly holy.
For all believers.
“I’m not only praying for them, I’m also praying for those who trust in me because of their message. I pray that they all may be one, just as you, Father, live in me, and I live in you, so that they too may live in us so that the world will believe you did send me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, so that they may be one, just as we are one. I live in them, and you live in me. May they be completely one, so the whole world will know that you did send me, and that you love them, just as you love me.
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so they can see the glory which you gave to me—for you loved me before the world was created. Good Father, the world does not know you, but I know you, and these here with me know that you sent me. I have revealed your character to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have for me will be in them, and I will live in them.”
At Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:30-46, John 18:1)
Jesus prays while the disciples sleep.
“Sit down here while I go over there and pray.”
“I am so overwhelmed with sadness that it’s killing me. Wait here and keep watch with me.”
“My Father, please, if it’s possible, let this cup of suffering be taken from me,” Jesus asked. “Even so, may it not be what I want but what you want.”
“What, you couldn’t stay awake with me for just one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you don’t fall into temptation. Yes, the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
“My Father, if this cup cannot be taken from me without me drinking from it, then your will be done,”
“How can you still be sleeping and resting? Look, the time has come. The Son of man is about to be betrayed into the hands of sinners! Get up, let’s go! See, the one who’s betraying me has arrived.”
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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.
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Photo is Jesus Yeshua in Hebrew.
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
903. Religion claims to be truth, revelation is truth revealed.
904. Religion panders to people, revelation reveals God's truth.
905. Religious love is a theory, revelatory love an experience.
906. As soon as man starts interpreting revelation, you get religion.
907. Revelation expands, religion contracts.
908. Revelation builds, religion demolishes.
909. Religion is based upon doctrine, revelation, relationship.
910. Religionists hate revelation, for it is outside their control.
911. The 21st century will be notable for the decline of religion but the growth of revelation.
912. Religion promotes obedience to priesthood, revelation, submission to the will of God.
913. Religion replicates Old Testament priesthood, revelation, the sole priesthood of Jesus.
914. In religion, the leadership claims to hear from God, while revelation is direct from God.
1326. Religion replaces revelation with rules, regulations and repetition.
CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
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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 - A VISION OF THE KINGDOM CHURCH continues
Something completely different as I share a vision the Lord gave me around the time of the millennium.
LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
***Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused***
4. Trumped!
There were two rich brothers who looked great on the outside, even attending church regularly, but whose hearts were evil.
A new, more astute pastor arrived at the church. The congregation grew and a fund raising campaign was started to extend the church.
All of a sudden, one of the brothers died. The day before the funeral the remaining brother sidled up to the pastor and gave him a cheque for the full amount needed to complete the extensions. “Just one condition,” he said. At the funeral you must say that my brother was a saint.”
The pastor gave him his word and deposited the cheque.
The next day, at the funeral, the pastor let it all go. “He was an evil man,” he said, hard on his wife and family, corrupt in business,” and on and on. He concluded, “but, compared to his brother, he was a saint.”
5. The Flock
Three priests were having lunch in a restaurant.
One said, "You know, all summer I have been having trouble with bats in the belfry. I’ve tried everything to get rid of them - noise, spray, cats – but nothing works.
Me too, said the second. I’ve got hundreds living there too. I even had the place fumigated, but still they stay.
That’s simple, said the third. "I baptised all mine – made them members of the church….. Haven’t had a single one back since!"
QWIK QWIP: “Give God what's right - not what's left.”
6. You Can Bank On It!
A woman went into the bank to cash a cheque before going Christmas shopping.
"What denominations would you like?" asked the Teller.
"Oh, good heavens – has it come to this!" said the woman. "Well give me 50 Baptists and 50 Presbyterians, please."
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
God made us all different!
It would not be a great place if the world was full of 'me's,' or 'you's' too, I guess!
We need a variety of people, each to apply yheir own skills, to make the world tick.
Paul talked about these 'spiritual gifts in the body of Christ. We all bring different gifts to make up the whole body.
We are not all heads, hands or feet, or arms or legs, but the whole can operate when we work in harmony. and effectiveness. We should not hold up one above another, Titles are the curse of the church for they bring in separation, as happened in the Old Testament priesthood, which Jeus came to replace.
Our giftings are roles, not positions with titles. For in God's eyes we are all equal.
It is difficult for us to grasp, as we are ingrained in the ways the church has worked since the Roman Emporer Constantine adapted the churches of berlievers to a structural organization.
May we go back to the way church is meant to be, a gathering of believers, ministering one to another.
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