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: 132 Published: 03 May 2004
SPIRITUAL REALITY
SPIRITUAL REALITYOver the past two weeks, God has certainly taught me the both the harsh and beautiful realities of the spiritual world, in ways that we rarely experience in the West – in spite of what we sometimes say.
From the beauty and healing power and peace of a powerful visitation of the Holy Spirit (see story below) to an unsettling spirit brought into a 3 day conference that had proceeded beautifully for 2 ½ days. It took an hour or two and lots of praying to dislodge. To a (near fatal) tragedy at home with one of our children – adult actually! And of course, my wife Kathy has had to deal with this, the greatest devastation to hit our family in 34 years of marriage (our anniversary yesterday) on her own. But she is determined not to let satan win the battle! It may, or may not, delay her for a few days in joining me in Nigeria in 10 days or so.
Now I am truly understanding, even in my programmed Western mind, that we are participating in a giant spiritual battle, for which there is only going to be but one victor! But the enemy is not giving up without a fight! As I am finding out too!
They say that ‘experience is the best teacher’. I’ve learned Lord!
Your special prayers for our family over the next 6 weeks would be truly appreciated.
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FROM THE WORD
THE MYSTERY OF THE GODHEAD - WHAT IS GOD?" (6 of 6)There are 3 essential areas to understanding what God is.
GOD IS A SPIRIT
A living being without visible form, therefore not subject to decay. Able to be everywhere at once!
"No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known." (John 1:18)
"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. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.†(John 4:23-4)
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17)
Most commonly described as the ultimate source of light and power, far more powerful than the sun.
"The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. " (Isaiah 60:19-20)
“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, when his lamp shone upon my head and by his light I walked through darkness!" (Job 29:2-3)
DAVID’S DOODLINGS
HEAVENLY TRUTHS GOD HAS SHOWN ME (6 of 12)Unexpectedly given one afternoon when I wasn't feeling very well. How often God works like that! Kept my human input to a minimum.
God has shown me that...
... revelation is given in His timing - which generally isn't ours.
... we learn more about Him in the hard times than the good.
... He can turn our failure into His success.
... when we put others first in this world, He does the same for us in His.
... in the end, He always wins.
... in Him, to die is to live.
Please feel free to quote these quotes. Acknowledgement of David Tait as the author would be appreciated. There are now more than 800 David sayings for you to view at ...
A MESSAGE FROM ROY
Although this PGIM! e-letter is sent free, some readers have decided to support this Ministry one or more times a year by sponsoring a week's PGIM! @ USD $50.00. Can I ask you to consider sponsoring a specified week/s? You will get an acknowledgement on your particular week/s of sponsorship (unless you do not want it). If you are interested to help this very informative & helpful newsletter, please email me, Roy McGreevy, as it is God who authored this idea through me in the USA. roy@kscbtv.com. I look forward to hearing from you... thanks. RoyA CONGOLESE EXPERIENCE
Coming to the border after a 12-hour trip in a crowded bus, my friend Naphtali and I were greeted by our friend Basile, whom I met in Uganda on my last visit. Great rejoicing!Then the adventure really began! First of all, we entered Zaire. Wrong country? No! The name had been changed from Belgian Congo to Zaire under the tyrannical dictator Mobutu. Then to the Democratic Republic of Congo - to help erase the terrible memories!
We caught a public van. Stopped at the first checkpoint where the driver was declared to be drunk. Not surprising by the way he drove! After long discussions he was allowed to proceed – at a more respectable pace! Second checkpoint. Another discussion. Soldiers everywhere. Trying to stop Hutu militia crossing from Rwanda into the Congolese jungle. They murdered 19 villagers in one incident while I was there. Then a puncture. Finally stopped to buy vegetables. Someone had an argument with the sellers, so we just took off. The roads were bad. As we get near the city of Goma, they will improve, surely! They simply got worse! An incredible 99km introduction to the heart of Africa!
A fascinating African experience, like no other!
LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
263. SERMONS
The congregation liked their new clergyman, but were somewhat puzzled by his speaking style. His first sermon ran only 8 minutes; the second Sunday he spoke for 45 minutes; the third week he rattled on for an hour-and-a-half. That was enough for the Board to summon him for a little chat.
To their relief, Wilkerson had a ready explanation. "The Saturday before the first sermon, I had my teeth pulled and my mouth was still terribly sore. But, by the time a week had gone by, I'd gotten used to my new dentures." Here the minister paused, and blushed deeply. "And as for last Sunday . . . well, I'm afraid that I picked up my wife's set of teeth by mistake!"
262. WATER TO WINE
A Lutheran minister is driving down to New York and gets stopped for speeding in Connecticut.
The state trooper smells alcohol on the minister's breath and then sees an empty wine bottle on the floor of the car. He says, "Sir, have you been drinking?"
"Just water," says the minister.
The trooper says, "Then why do I smell wine?"
The minister looks at the bottle and says, "Good Lord! He's done it again!"
Now one of the most comprehensive sources of Christian Humour on the Net with 670 sermon fillers for your entertainment and use at ...
FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: What are snow fleas?ANSWER: "Snow algae" helps feed "snow fleas." No matter how inhospitable the environment, you'll almost always find that something will live there. Snow fleas are tiny bugs that swarm in enormous numbers on snowfields where snow algae is also found. Snow algae also nourishes snow worms, nematodes, and other cold-loving organisms.
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Is it true that hippos sweat blood?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS
804. LIGHTENING STRIKES GALORE
The Empire State Building gets hit by lightning approximately one hundred times per year. The building is designed to serve as a lightning rod for the surrounding area. (Perhaps the electricity could be harnessed for light – ening and power?)
805.SNAKE SPRINT?
Many people think snakes are fast, but they aren't. Most only move about three to four miles per hour and both children and adults can easily outrun them. In any case, snakes do not normally chase humans anyway. They're more likely to flee. But here is that exception again! For there is one fast snake - the black mamba of southern Africa. This snake is said to move as fast as 25 to 30 miles per hour, which would beat the fastest human over 100 metres. (Proves that legs move faster than bellies – nearly always.)
806. LAND SHY
The swift, which flies as fast as 100 miles per hour, is almost always in flight. They eat insects in the air, mate in the air, and rarely land on the ground. When they do land, it's usually in a high tree. (Could be said not to have their feet on the ground!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
GAZER
Answer at the end of A David Musing
You can download a 250 item sample Trivia Book at Truly Trifling Trivia
Or view all 1200 online at...
ANOTHER CONGOLESE EXPERIENCE
The Pastors Conference was a battle for me the first day. In spite of being reassured that they were taking in every word, their faces didn’t show it. Perhaps because of the language barrier, French being the alternative language to Swahili here. And my schoolboy French is very limited!But the second day, the universal language of the Holy Spirit intervened. Nearly everyone present came forward to be prayed for. Unusual for pastors!
At the final, ‘open meeting’ that day, the Holy Spirit gave me a rest! He took over and did the ministering for me. Just stood and watched!
A beautiful Congolese experience - unusual for them too.
BE INSPIRED WITH A MESSAGE FROM INSPIRATIONAL TAPES
This amazing New Zealand resource has over 4,000 messages ranging from old classics to the latest revelation and teaching. A number of free MP3 downloads are available or you can order tapes and CD’s from the site for worldwide delivery at a most reasonable cost. Our free weekly MP3 download selections will be available again from mid-June.Visit the library now at…
IS IT REALLY 50%?
By Rich BuhlerIt's been called America's most-often-cited statistic. It's so widely held to be true that it is repeated without question by authors, speakers, broadcasters, politicians, counselors and ministers.
Here are some examples from just a few Web sites on the Internet:
*** "Fifty percent of marriages will end in divorce."
— An infidelity support group
*** "Fifty percent of all marriages now end in divorce."
— Promotion for a book on divorce
*** "Fifty percent of all marriages in America end in divorce."
— From the treasurer's office of a Midwestern state
*** "Over 50 percent of marriages end in divorce."
— From a men's counseling center in California
Divorce is too common in America and that should not be taken lightly, but those who are committed to a lifetime of marriage don't need the discouragement accompanying the notion that half the marriages are going to self-destruct anyway.
Read the rest of this article and many others on the importance of marriage and family in society at…
A FURTHER CONGLESE EXPERIENCE
The City of Goma (800,000 people) has seen more tragedy than most places on earth. From colonial oppression and exploitation to even greater hardship under 34 years of the home grown dictator, Mobutu. From tribal wars to the backlash of the Rwandan genocide of the Hutus against the Tutsis, just 10 years ago, the effects of which are still being experienced today as the Hutus flee to the Congo jungle to avoid prosecution. And finally, 2 years ago, a considerable part of the city was literally wiped out by lava flows from a nearby volcano, for the second time in 27 years.The lava doesn’t come from the top of the volcano, but rather from 2 fissures (holes) in the ground, a couple of kilometers away, right next to the city. To give and idea of the extent of this, the lava flows traveled up to 60km! God is so powerful! Now the people are rebuilding on top of the lava, hoping for another 25 years before the next eruption! The government simply doesn’t have the money or will to shift the city!
But, in spite of all this, the people are amazingly positive and normal – with the same desires as you and I. A better life for themselves and for their families! And the food! The best in Africa!
An incredible African and God-fearing experience!
AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!
A BIG MISTAKEPatrick O'Reilly was lucky. Since the day he had found that four leaf clover, everything good seemed to come his way. He had met the wonderful Rosie, and after a whirlwind romance, they were married. And now, a year later, he was the proud father of beautiful twins, a boy and a girl.
At work, the story was the same. He had been promoted and had received a substantial raise, and now the firm had come up with a profit sharing plan.
Patty was certain his good fortune was due to his 4-leaf clover. Everywhere he went, he was certain to be carrying the talisman in his suit pocket.
One morning, Patty could not find the clover.
He searched the house, but it was not there. In panic, he tried to recall when he had last seen it. He finally recalled it was in his gray suit that he had dropped off at the dry cleaners.
He rushed to the cleaners only to find that the work had been completed and his suit was ready to be picked up. He searched the suit and found the 4-leaf clover, still in one piece but now flattened from the dry cleaning.
From that day on, Patty's fortunes changed. Life was good but was no longer perfect.
The little inconveniences were always there.
He had a flat tire as he was driving to an important meeting.
The twins developed measles when his boss and his wife were over for dinner.
No, Patty's life had changed. He still carried the amulet, but he was certainly not living under the silver lining he was used to and had come to expect.
Finally, he had had enough. He visited the parish priest to see if he could help him understand what had happened.
"This certainly was to be expected," he was told. "You should have known ... One should never press one's luck."
Many more great groans at…
A KENYAN'S FURTHER EXPERIENCE
Dear Apostle David Tait,Calvary Christian greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Thanks for your E-mail.We are so excited to hear from you.Everybody in the seminar was so blessed withe your teachings and the illustrations of each carrying a lamb for a burnet offering to the alters.We all remember the 7 places where Christ shade His blood for the remision of our sins.We also remember the Poem and the material accompaned.
There are so many testimonies of what the Lord has done from the Day you left for Uganda.Many souls are added to the church.Last Sunday we had a cribled woman brought to the door of the church and we pleated for her healing and complete recovery.
Please Apostle , kindly pray with us for the completion of our church constraction very soon.
The Church is Praying with you and we Love you. Pass our Love to all.
God bless.
Rev. Kellam & Rose Nyongesa.
THE TWO MARATHONERS
A thought provoking and entertaining allegory about our journey through life.How will we run our race?
A free PDF download at…
FAMOUS WORDS AND PHRASES FROM THE BIBLE
NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUNTaken from Ecclesiastes 1:9, this statement of Solomon means that in spite of temporary changes from day to day, there is nothing truly new or unexpected under the rising and falling of the sun.
Many more God Facts at...
A DAVID MUSING
It is really nice meeting and making new friends during one’s travels. But there is something really special about meeting old friends again. Such as Andrew and Diana and the extended ministry family in Uganda and Basile in the Congo.I remember my parents, who traveled a lot, finally traveling to see friends, rather than sights. They had learned this truth too.
But of course, this time’s new friends, will be next time’s old ones! It is wonderful to meet so many people of different backgrounds, all sharing the most unifying link of all – a love for Jesus.
So until next week – with more new and old friends!
His servant and yours
David Tait
Word Puzzle Answer: GRAZE
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ABOUT US
WALKING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES is a non-profit, non-denominational, Bible based ministry located in Mount Maunganui, 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 websitewwj.org.nz or by contacting us as follows.
Walking With Jesus Ministries
3 Hetley Crescent
Taradale
Napier 4001
New Zealand
Phone: (06) 8449-377 International (+64) 8449-377
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