RELIGION KILLS - JESUS FREES

While watching (but not understanding) the national TV news in Ethiopia, I saw footage of the May 1 'celebration' of the birthday of Mohammed, in the mosque in Addis Ababa. It was interesting to watch, but what struck me immediately was, that the people looked as if they were at a funeral, rather than a celebration. Why should this be?

It really brought home to me what I have observed all round the world. Wherever you have a religion (Christians included) based on law and doing good works, people are basically unhappy!

The amazing difference in following Jesus is that He came to set us free from the bonds of the law! The only religious figure in history to do that! Not a system of rules to earn a passage to heaven, but only through the grace of His ultimate sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary. How blessed we are! To be set free from religion!

But then, why do we so often fall back into the clutches of the law? Where our church rules and doctrine take precedence over God's love. And so soon, our faces come to look like those I saw on the TV that night. Severe! Cross! Striving!

My Jesus came to set me free from all this! And you too? May we never forget!

Now..... will I be banned from heaven if I don't wear a tie to church? I'm doomed!

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FROM THE WORD

THE NATURE OF GOD (1 OF 3)
Contrary to much popular belief today, God is both a loving and a judgmental (but just) God. God loved and judged early man, loved and judged Israel, loved mankind enough to send His Son Jesus to die on the cross for us. He will finally judge ALL mankind on Judgement Day. Living as we do in the Age of Grace, it is easy to forget this.

OLD TESTAMENT
“The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.
The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. 8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s; upon them he has set the world. 9 He will guard the feet of his saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness." “It is not by strength that one prevails; 10 those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder against them from heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth." (! Samuel 2:6-10)

NEW TESTAMENT
"We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." (1 John 16:13-16)

"He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” (Revelation 14:7)

DAVID’S DOODLINGS

HEAVENLY TRUTHS GOD HAS SHOWN ME (7 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...

... when there is less of me there is room for more of Him.

... salvation is a privilege, not a right.

... He can change me if I let Him.

... while salvation is free, the walk with Jesus is to cost us everything we have.

... our love for Him is reflected through our service to others.

... His love is infinitely greater than my hurts, and His grace, than my sins.

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 ...

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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. Roy

FROM YOU - TO ME - TO YOU

ON DIVORCE
David,
I've really enjoyed your insights into varying subjects concerning our walk with the Lord. And I can't tell you how many times I've heard different people quote the same statistics as you've given concerning divorce in the church. And I agree that it's a terrible indictment against those of us who claim the name of Jesus. But I wonder if those statistics take into account the drop in the number of actual marriages outside the church. At least half the people who would have gotten married (and then perhaps divorced) a number of years ago, aren't even bothering to go to the trouble today. When we take that figure into account, I think we're still a bit ahead of the game; not to say we don't have a major issue with which to contend.
In Him,
Bill

Oh, by they way, the Darwin Award is given each year to someone who's done something so incredibly nonsensical that it serves to prove the theory of the survival of the fittest couldn't be true; if it were that person wouldn't have made it. David:

David
Thanks for the information on divorce in "Praise God It's Monday."

The 40-50% divorce rate has troubled me for years. And yet I know many people who do their "best" to alter these statistics. One lady I know has been divorced 5 times. Another lady I know remarried to the same man when the divorce didn't work out. And yet our church seems to be full of couples around the 50 year golden anniversary mark.

The Barna Research Group reported that only about 25% of all adults have experienced a divorce. So a good number of people seem to be not learning from their mistakes and are inflating the divorce rate. I was troubled to also find in the report that Baptists have the highest divorce rate of any Protestant denomination with 29% (nondenominational churches have a higher rate at 34%). And a more troubling rate was that my state (Tennessee) has the second highest divorce rate in the United States. One report that I saw seemed to think that Christians pressure young people into marrying too early (spiritually or physically ???). --We offer Divorce Care Counseling -- why not premarital counseling classes???

There seem to be statistics for everything. The South and Mid-West had a 27% rate while the Northwest was only 19%. Whites have a higher rate with 27% than African-Americans at 22%, Hispanics at 20% (Is Catholic background a factor? Catholics only 21%), and Asians at only 8% (but rising). The University of Denver reported that the divorce rate has been dropping since the '80s, but the University of Ohio reported a growth rate. Austin Peay University showed a correlation between divorce, lack of auto insurance, and the Tennessee rate of those filing for bankruptcy.

Probably the most troubling statistic I saw was that Europe has a divorce rate of half that of the US and attend church less. Shouldn't church be a place to strengthen marriages? Shouldn't there be more counseling before taking that big step? Law in Tennessee was changed last year making the marriage license cost 3 times as much -- unless you had counseling. Let's hope that helps for the future.

By the way, one rate I have looked for over the years is divorce among Viet Nam veterans. If you have anything on that, I would be interested -- being a veteran, Baptist, white, living in Tennessee, and divorced (one time only) for 20 years.

Garey Southern

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." ***

265. NO EXCUSE SUNDAY
To make it possible for everyone to attend church this Sunday, we are going to have a special "No Excuse Sunday":

!!! Cots will be placed in the foyer for those who say, "Sunday is my only day to sleep in."
!!! There will be a special section with lounge chairs for those who feel that our pews are too hard.
!!! Eye drops will be available for those with tired eyes from watching TV late Saturday night.
!!! We will have steel helmets for those who say, "The roof would cave in if I ever came to church."
!!! Blankets will be furnished for those who think the church is too cold, and fans for those who say it is too hot.
!!! Scorecards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites present.
!!! Relatives and friends will be in attendance for those who can't go to church and cook dinner, too.
!!! We will distribute "Stamp Out Stewardship" buttons for those that feel the church is always asking for money.
!!! One section will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to seek God in nature.
!!! Doctors and nurses will be in attendance for those who plan to be sick on Sunday.
!!! The sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who never have seen the church without them.
!!!We will provide hearing aids for those who can't hear the preacher and cotton balls for those who think he's too loud.

Hope to see you there!

264. THE LESSON OF LOT'S WIFE
In a Sunday school classroom, a teacher was telling the story of Sodom and Gomorrah to her children. She explained that Lot was told to take his wife and flee, but then Lot's wife looked back and was turned to a pillar of salt.

A boy in the class asked, "What happened to the flea?"

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AN ETHIOPIAN EXPERIENCE

Never has a country been so different to expectations! Addis Ababa is a clean, green, thriving city, so unlike the Ethiopia portrayed on our TV screens. It is relatively cool too, being at a high altitude. Maximum Summer 27C, minimum 12C in the cooler season. The people are energetic and optomistic. Their appearance is different to other Africans reflecting a Semetic (Middle Eastern) influence. Straighter hair, longer noses and thinner lips give them a unique appearance. The Queen of Sheba came from northern Ethiopia. Her beauty has been inherited by many of the ladies there today.

An unexpected African experience.

FACTS FOR FUN

LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Is it true that hippos sweat blood?

ANSWER: No. In fact they don't sweat at all! But they do have an unusual gland that excretes a reddish-looking substance resembling blood. They do this when they are excited or scared.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: How high were women's hairdos in the eighteenth century?

Answer Next Week.

SOME FUN FACTS
801. BEWARE OF BIROS!
On average, 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year. (Will have to chew on that.)

802. EXPENSIVE
Pound for pound, hamburgers cost more than new cars. (One short step for a hamburger, many miles for a Hyundai.)

803. MAKE 'EM TOUGH
No NFL team which plays its home games in a domed stadium has ever won a Superbowl. (Grunt can still beat technology – occasionally!)

A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
LAMER

Answer at the end of A David Musing

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ANOTHER ETHIOPIAN EXPERIENCE

Have always thought that if I could introduce one Western item to make lives easier, it would be our broom. For Africans use a broom like a 'whisk' and have to bend over to use it. And they sure use it plenty!

It is however most ineficient and hard on the back compared to the western variety. However, I have been beaten to it in Ethiopia, where they were using the ones I am used to. Then arrived in Accra, Ghana, and saw them on salt on the side of the road too!

Africa has a lot to teach us in the West, spiritually particularly, but our brooms will make their lives easier.

An nteresting African experience.

SIMPLE DEFINITIONS OF 'RELIGIOUS' TERMS

RECONCILIATION - Being made friends with God through the death of Jesus on the Cross.

REDEMPTION - To be set free from our sins.

REPENTANCE -
1.Complete acknowledgement of our sin without excuse. Of admitting that Christ is always right and we are always wrong in every matter.
2.To hear, to believe and to obey God.
3.Admitting our wrong. Turning from our wrong and obeying God. A raising up from the dead. In Christianity 3 elements are involved.

RESURRECTION -
1. PAST: The resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2. PRESENT: The spiritual resurrection of the believer.
3. FUTURE: The future bodily resurrection of everyone. (not just Christians)

RIGHTEOUSNESS - Right with God, right with man.

SALVATION - The saving of man from the power of sin through the death of Jesus on the cross.

SANCTIFICATION - The process of being made like Christ. (to be made Holy)

SIN - Our refusal to obey God and to reject His gift of salvation in Jesus.

Many more terms explained at…

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A FURTHER ETHIOPIAN EXPERIENCE

Ministered mainly to Lutherans here. As there are very few Lutherans in New Zealand, this was a new experience for me. But their worship (and even their looks!) were very similar to our Anglicans in New Zealand. It is amazing how people in a denomination can have a certain 'look' about them!

Was speaking in a Lutheran Seminary. The Holy Spirit came. People were ministered to by Him, falling etc. Didn't think much of it at the time as it is normal for me, but realised afterwards that this was a Lutheran Seminary where such things don't happen. The teaching of holiness in preparation for the return of Jesus was well accepted too. Just maybe, the 'church' is coming nearer to being the 'one righteous bride' the Lord is coming back for.

A hopeful African (worldwide?)experience.

IT'S TIME FOR A LAUGH

HOW HOT'S HOT?
I walked into Dairy Queen the other day and asked for a hot fudge sundae with extra hot fudge.

The girl replied, "The hot fudge only comes in one temperature, ma'am."

BRAINS BEFORE BRAWN
The strong young man at the construction site was bragging that he could outdo anyone in a feat of strength. He made a special case of making fun of one of the older workmen. After several minutes, the older worker had enough. "Why don't you put your money where your mouth is?" he said. "I will bet a week's wages that I can haul something in a wheelbarrow over to that outbuilding that you won't be able to wheel back."

"You're on, old man," the braggart replied. "Let's see what you got."

The old man reached out and grabbed the wheelbarrow by the handles. Then, nodding to the young man, he said, "All right. Get in."

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FAITH

Faith is to be a living, growing, dynamic feature of our walk with our God - isn't it?

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FAMOUS WORDS AND PHRASES FROM THE BIBLE

HE FAT OF THE LAND

Means bountifulness. Taken from Genesis 45:18 where the Pharaoh promised Joseph the best land for his family when they came to Egypt.

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A DAVID MUSING

Seeing the other side of Ethiopia was a real eye opener to me.

Made me muse. Why is it so different?

Half the country is wracked by war and drought, the rest peaceful and go ahead. Why?

The people of Addis Ababa value life and get on well together. Yet in the countryside to the north and west there is fighting between tribes, with neighbours, and a sense of hopelessness with their situation. Life is cheap, because it is hardly worth living. Corruption, poverty and war go hand in hand. The answers are not easy, but need to be faced here and in many parts of Africa and the rest of the world.

His servant and yours

David Tait

Word Puzzle Answer: REALM

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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 website
wwj.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!

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