CHRISTIANITY v CHRISTENDOM

Many of the misconceptions that abound about the Church today arise from a blurred distinction between 'Christianity', or Christ followers, and 'Christendom'. Christendom is not countries of Christians, but those countries whose heritage has been influenced to a greater or lesser degree by either the Church or, Christian principles and ways of thought.

Interestingly, in the Western world, particularly in Europe, politicians are now claiming to live in a post-Christian era, but they really mean a post-Christendom era. For Christianity is a lifestyle, not a governmental system. It is a personal relationship with Jesus, not membership of an organisation, even a church, which may or may not influence or run the government of a country.

While the church is a mixture, too greater and lesser degrees, of mankind and God, governments are human based, motivated to perpetuate and extend power and influence over others. Government is the means by which society is organised, so that people can work with each other, ostensibly for the greater good of all - in reality though, often for the benefit of the leadership class. While it can be influenced by Christian principles, there can't be a Christian government as such, for the aims and objectives are different. So many societies have been based, not on the 'relationship' basis of Christianity, but on a 'governmental control' system, known as Christendom. It is this era that is passing.

Governments too, often use 'religion' as a reason for justifying actions. There are numerous, sad examples, familiar to us all.

In Islam however, the state, the land, and the church, are regarded as being one. Hence they look at the West, at Christendom, as being Christianity. Theirs is a religion based upon works, rather than faith and grace, one that more comfortably sits within a governmental system. Is it any wonder, when for instance, they see pornography rampant in the West, they don't want anything to do with what they perceive as being Christianity.

The challenge then, of today's church, is to witness the love of Jesus, to illustrate by example the difference between Christianity and Christendom. Ironically, as the world moves to a post-Christian era, this is going to get easier! For less and less, can the church and the state be seen as one. In the West in particular, there are now greater opportunities for the church to differentiate itself from society, to be as different as it always should have been. To be the reflection of Jesus to a world that is increasingly running out of answers to the problems facing it. True Christianity thrives in times such as these! Let us not be dismayed by the direction of society, but rather, take the opportunity to be Jesus to others today.

Now, let me take off your sandals and wash the dust off your feet!

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FROM THE WORD

"“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16)

"Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." (John 12:23-6)

"“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they (The Disciples) may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified." (John17:13-19)

DAVID'S DOODLINGS

561. It is better to be ‘led’ by God than ’bled’ by life.

564. To serve is to…
… love the unlovely
… help the helpless
… befriend the lonely
… rebuild the brokenhearted
… soothe the sick
… bless the poor
… raise up the downtrodden
… seek the lost
… comfort the dying

565. True servants add their own desires to the end of the queue.

566. Pride demolishes, while servanthood builds.

569. A servant serves by choice, a slave through fear.

570. For down to be up, up must first be down.

571. A ‘servant leader’ is beyond the world’s comprehension. And many Christians too!

573. Show me a true servant and I will show you one whom God truly loves.

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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

Dear Bro.Tait,
Thank you for reminding us the church is the people and not the building..
We all need to be the church and not play church. Your newsletter is blessing a South Alabama country boy. I found your site through my friend Elder Don Spooner.

Agape,
Bro.Scott Hutchinson

David
The article on house churches raises a number of issues that I would like to address from a different perspective.

I agree with David Tait that structure and location of meetings does not determine whether we achieve God's goals or not. It is the commitment of the people in the church to follow the Word of God and His Spirit that determines whether or not we please Him. Further, it is the responsibility of spiritual leaders to equip their people for the ministries God has called them to and releasing them to follow God rather than believing that only they can have powerful ministries and refusing to allow their people to have any meaningful ministry because they feel threatened and fear that their followers will no longer think they are indispensable. It is a five-fold minister's job to reproduce himself and work himself out of that job and into another.

The house church is different than a cell-based church. Most true house church leaders have no desire to build a church larger than they can fit into a house. They would rather see a new house church come out of their house church.

On the other hand, there are cell-based churches of all sizes. The smallest would look like a house church because it is only one cell group meeting in a home. The largest cell-based church in the world is Pastor Cho's 750,000 member Yoido Full Gospel Church in Korea (an AG church).

There are a variety of 'structures' used by different cell-based churches but all would agree that natural families and cell groups are the most basic units of their churches as cells are the most basic unit in our human bodies. Cell groups see themselves as parts of the larger congregation rather than being separate congregations.

Cell-based churches meet in both cell groups and in gatherings of these cell groups for 'celebration' services which look much like what we often think of as a regular church service. The purpose of the cell group is different than the celebration service however. Cells meet to (1) minister to the Lord in praise, worship and prayer (2) minister to each other in the power of the Holy Spirit as He gifts each person to serve the other body members (3) minister to unbelievers who may attend the cell group or plan outreach to other unbelievers and (4) receive equipping and training for ministry from their leaders. Celebration services give us opportunities to experience the presence of God through corporate worship and receive teaching and other ministry from anointed apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Both the cell group and the celebration service are essential to the health and growth of the local church.

The concern I have for the more traditional building-centered church is that we do not experience true fellowship in the context of a church service regardless of the number of people attending it. Relationships are not an option we can choose to commit to or avoid if we choose to. The 'one another' Scriptures in the New Testament mandate that each believer be in relationship with other believers. Cell groups provide a means to develop those relationships and apply the one another passages.

I believe that cell-based ministry is a return to the Biblical pattern seen in Acts of meeting both publicly and from house to house. It is certainly not the 'latest fashion.' God has used such small groups throughout church history. John Wesley's class meetings are perhaps the most prominent example since the book of Acts.

I would wholeheartedly agree that 'seeking God for His leading in our uniqueness' is an absolute necessity. The principle of building the church on living relationships rather than dead programs must be applied in ways that meet the unique needs of the people we minister to.

I would also agree that 'commitment to spreading the Gospel of Jesus is the true foundation for growth, whatever church structure we operate within.' I believe that groups of believers working together in teams to build loving relationships with and meet the needs of lost people will often be more effective than individuals reaching out on their own without the specific prayer support and encouragement of their brothers and sisters in their cell groups. It is also easier to get an unbeliever or new convert to join a small group of people who have become their friends than it is to get them to make a commitment to a larger group where they do not feel connected..

Pastor Bob Silvia
Plymouth, MA USA

David
You have reminded me of one of my favorite poems by Ogden Nash.

I give you now Professor Twist,
a conscientious scientist.
Trustees exclaimed, "He never bungles!"
And sent him off to distant jungles.

Camped by a tropic riverside,
one day he missed his loving bride.
She had, a guide informed him later,
been eaten - by an alligator.
Professor Twist could not but smile.
"You mean," he said, "a crocodile!"

Cheers!
Linda

David,
At Haywood Hills Baptist in Nashville, we are doing a little reorganizing and trying to sync up some e-mail and web site addresses. Please change our listing from org to net (www.HaywoodHills.net).

Also, as I scanned down the list, I found that Asbury United Methodist is misspelled (shows Ashbury). I was born near the Asbury community in Albertville, AL. Francis Asbury was an early missionary to the American colonies around 1780 or so. It is said that he traveled over 300,000 miles preaching some 16,000 sermons. And he had to do his traveling on horseback -- no 747 like you use. He is now honored by churches being named after him in a multitude of places.

Gary Southern

Your comments to me or fellow readers are always welcomed at... david@wwj.org.nz

This is an opportunity for you to express your views, which may not be my views. But none of us have a mortgage on all the truth - except for Jesus!

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." ***

289. LAND OF OUR FATHERS
A Jewish father was concerned about his son who was about a year away from his Bar Mitzvah but was sorely lacking in his knowledge of the Jewish faith. To remedy this he sent his son to Israel to experience his heritage.

A year later the young man returned home. "Father, thank you for sending me to the land of our Fathers, " the son said. "It was wonderful and enlightening, however, I must confess that while in Israel I converted to Christianity."

"Oi vey," replied the father, "what have I done?" So in the tradition of the patriarchs he went to his best friend and sought his advice and solace.

"It is amazing that you should come to me," stated his friend, "I to sent my son to Israel and he returned a Christian."

So in the traditions of the Patriarchs they went to the Rabbi. "It is amazing that you should come to me," stated the Rabbi, "I too sent my son to Israel and he returned a Christian. What is happening to our sons?"

"Brothers, we must take this to God," said the Rabbi. They fell to their knees and began to wail and pour out their hearts to the Almighty. As they prayed the clouds above opened and a mighty voice stated, "Amazing that you should come to Me. I, too, sent My Son to Israel."

288. PASTORAL CANDIDATES
MELCHIZADEK: Great credentials at current work place, but where does this guy come from? No information on his resume about former work records. Every line about parents was left blank and he refused to supply a birth date.

JOHN: Says he is a Baptist, but definitely doesn't dress like one. Has slept in the outdoors for months on end, has a weird diet, and provokes denominational leaders.

PETER: Too blue collar. Has a bad temper-even has been known to curse. Had a big run-in with Paul in Antioch. Aggressive, but a loose cannon.

PAUL: Powerful CEO type leader and fascinating preacher. However, short on tact, unforgiving with younger ministers, harsh and has been known to preach all night.

JAMES AND JOHN: Package deal preacher & associate seemed good at first, but found out they have an ego problem regarding other fellow workers and seating positions. Threatened an entire town after an insult. Also known to try to discourage workers who didn't follow along with them.

TIMOTHY: Too young!

METHUSELAH: Too old . . . WAY too old!

JESUS: Has had popular times, but once his church grew to 5000 he managed to offend them all, and then this church dwindled down to twelve people. Seldom stays in one place very long. And, of course, he's single.

JUDAS: His references are solid. A steady plodder. Conservative. Good connections. Knows how to handle money. We're inviting him to preach this Sunday. Possibilities here.

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FACTS FOR FUN

LAST WEEKS QUESTION: What is the difference between a crocodile and an alligator?

ANSWER: The alligator is a subspecies of the crocodile, with a rounded snout (crocodile snouts are usually pointed) and a generally (relatively speaking!) less aggressive attitude. It's part of the family, Crocodylidae. You can also tell them apart by their teeth, for nearly all the crocodile's teeth stay on the outside of the mouth when closed. With the upper and lower teeth showing, it makes them look like they are smiling - seeing a meal in you and me! The alligator, on the other hand, has a slight overbite - the bottom teeth fit inside the top ones.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Where is the heart placed in our body?

Answer Next Week.

SOME FUN FACTS
765. THE BUSY BEE
A queen bee may lay as many as 3,000 eggs in a single day. (Like the world is becoming. Men all working for a woman.)

766. THE ULTIMATE FLAPPER
A bumblebee flaps its wings an incredible 160 beats per second. (Yet according to physics it shouldn’t be able to fly! Of course, the bumblebee doesn’t know that.)

767. WRONG - AND ALWAYS WRONG
An ordinary TNT bomb involves atomic reaction, and should really be called an atomic bomb. What we call an A-bomb involves nuclear reactions and should therefore be called a nuclear bomb. (And should never be used.)

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

SECRETOR

Answer at the end of A David Musing

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BE INSPIRED WITH A MESSAGE FROM INSPIRATIONAL TAPES

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UP THE MOUNTAIN

An exciting yet challanging allegory, based on birds, of one man’s spiritual journey and his participation in the fulfilment of God’s plan.

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PUN FOR FUN

THE PIGEONS
I was driving to work this morning when my car stalled in the damp weather. I was sitting in the car at the side of the highway, contemplating my next move, when a pigeon flew down and landed right in the middle of the hood of the car.

It seemed fairly tame, and I soon became fascinated in watching it up close as it strutted around and made cooing noises.

A few minutes passed, and two more pigeons flew in and joined the first bird. Pigeons seem to be attracted by crowds, and soon I was sitting there with a whole hood full of pigeons, all cooing loudly and beginning to change the color of my hood.

Gradually I noticed that the birds seemed to be trying to get my attention, which was unnerving, since I had always regarded pigeons as rather stupid birds. But, sure enough, several of them were dragging a piece of rope around on the hood, and several others
were flying out in front of the car and returning to the hood.

All of a sudden, I realized what they were doing, so I yanked open the door and wildly chased them all off. No way was I going to be pigeon towed!

CANVESSLESS
A news item this morning was about a local coal miner.

It seems That his vocation was painting, but since he couldn't afford to buy canvasses he simply painted on the wall of his small cottage. Unfortunately, a gang of youths broke into his cottage earlier this week and defaced his paintings.

Yesterday the young miscreants were charged in court with having "corrupted the murals of a miner."

THE BOSS
The Head of The Church of Humor is the Puntiff.

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INTERESTING WORDS AND PHRASES FROM THE BIBLE

A THORN IN THE SIDE

Comes from the Paul, the great apostle, using the phrase in 2 Corinthians 12:7 to describe an ailment or problem that he couldn't get rid of. And God left him with it, to keep him humble!

Today, the phrase is used to refer to an ongoing problem.

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'CHURCHSPEAK'

Some brief definitions of 'religious' terms as used by us - which sometimes even we don't understand!

ATONEMENT - ‘at-one-ment’ – at one with God

BAPTISM - A symbolic acknowledgement that a believer has been crucified and buried with Christ and is now living a new life in Him.

BELIEVER - One who believes Jesus died for them, and has therefore received eternal life through establishing a personal relationship with Jesus.

CHRISTIAN - Literally means ‘Christ-like.’

ETERNAL JUDGEMENT - The bringing to account of all mankind at the end of this age.

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A NEW SERVICE COMING SOON - 'TUESDAY TEACHINGS'

After requests for more teaching, we will shortly be starting a new ezine of revelatory teachings from God's word on a Tuesday. These studies will increase your insights into scripture and help in your walk with Jesus.

This will be brief enough for you to easily read online and so allow you to economically print them off, if you so desire.

IF YOU DON'T WISH TO RECEIVE THESE, PLEASE CLICK ON THE ADDRESS BELOW AND SEND A BLANK EMAIL TO

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You will still receive PGIM as per normal, even if you decide to come off the 'Tuesday Teachings' list.

Looking forward to serving you more.

A DAVID MUSING

This week we expect to start filming a pilot TV programme, based on the theme of 'The Fruit of the Spirit.' It will be a half hour (actually 28:30) magazine style programme, similar to PGIM. This is both exciting and scary! Both in the presentation - we all love to criticize those on TV don't we - and of course, financially. The Lord has arranged for the first programme to be produced free of charge. Thank you Ray and Elaine for your faithfulness and obedience to the Lord.

While I could worry, I am learning to take one day at a time, and to let the Lord do the worrying for me! His shoulders are broader than mine! Not sure about the theological correctness of that! Does a Spirit have shoulders?

So, I had better finish now and go practice my "P's and Q's"!

Until next time then... 'How now brown cow'!

His servant and yours

David Tait

Today's Word Puzzle Answer: ERECTORS

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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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