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: 163 Published: 06 Dec 2004
THIS WEEK'S SPONSOR
Is Paul Richards of the 'helpful' UK organisation, Help For Christians. Thanks so much, Paul.Help For Christians is a free resource web-site contains a wide range of written material for your guidance and use. Many of the articles have sold in there thousands as pamphlets published by 'Renewal Servicing'. This new site replaces the printed pamphlets and makes their teaching and guidance even more widely available around the world, for no charge.
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THE DREAMER,THE DOER AND THE GODLY
One of the ongoing dilemmas in the life of a Christian leader is the need to get the right balance between letting God fulfil His vision through us and doing it, or rather, trying to do it, in our own strength. To our story...Once upon a time there were three friends, Donald Dreamer, David Doer and Graham Godley. All were keen on God and remarkably, given the same vision - to bring the Word to millions. A worthy and exciting life purpose!
DONALD DREAMER thought this was wonderful! He dreamed about preaching to stadiums full of people, seeing himself as the next Billy Graham of the church. He visualised the scene over and over again in his mind. It was so real! God will do it! His faith was so amazing that others believed him too. There was nothing God couldn't do. "I will just wait on His timing and when He is ready, He will give it to me." In fact over the years, his dreams got bigger, while his following got less, as others saw that Donald's dreams were no more than that. One day Donald suffered a heart attack. "Oh God, I had such faith in you. I left it all to you and you let me down!" His vision had foundered.
DAVID DOER, on the other hand, was a 'hands on' man. He immediately analysed how he could reach the world. He worked hard and quickly, found some financial support (God's provision, of course), and set about sharing the Word. "Yes, my vision is coming to reality!" he thought as he travelled the world. Unfortunately however, he was never asked back to the same place twice. "I must keep reaching new people," David thought to himself as he raced from place to place, speaking to ones, twos and threes. However, after years of trying, he suffered burnout. "People don't want to hear!" he exclaimed sadly. The final nail in his coffin (almost literally) came when his financial support was withdrawn. His vision too foundered, unfulfilled.
GRAHAM GODLEY treasured his vision too. But he realised his inadequacies. Knew he wasn't prepared for the task. If he was to share the Word with millions, his life had better be right first. "Lord, prepare me, Lord change me," was his cry. The Lord took Graham at his word. For the next few years his vision died as the Lord put him through the fire of trials and testings. "Surely, that's enough God!" But as he got closer to his Lord, he started to understand what was happening in his life. "Your will be done, my Lord." One day, most unexpectedly, Graham was asked to speak at a convention. Nothing like this had happened before! "Why did you ask me?" "Because we could see Jesus in you," was the reply. And as time went on Graham got asked to speak more and more. His audiences grew and finally, his vision came to fruition.
Donald Dreamer and David Doer couldn't understand. "How come you have been successful while we haven't?" they asked in unison. "I was prepared to pay the price?" said Graham gently, yet firmly.
Donald and David cried. They went before their Lord and repented. And they were restored, firstly to health, then to ministry. No, they didn't join Graham in ministering to millions, for that time had passed. But they both were able to make worthwhile contributions to God's Kingdom, as had been their heart's desire from the very beginning. For mercy indeed, triumphs over judgement.
Now, next time I grizzle about life's little lessons...
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FROM THE WORD
"Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!" (James 2:12-13)"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (James 1:2-7)
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:22-25)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
GROWING IN GOD25. To the believer Jesus is Saviour, but to the disciple he is also Lord.
26. The stairway to great faith is climbed one step at a time. A single leap courts disaster.
29. As we grow in God, what we are to do assumes greater importance, than what we are not to do.
31. God’s word is a two-edged sword, revealing both love and judgement.
32. To believe in God is good, to hear from God is great, but to obey God reaps the ultimate reward.
33. A man’s wisdom is based upon experience, but God’s wisdom comes through revelation.
34. It’s easy to be wise in theory, but a lot more difficult in practise!
314. The major difference between childhood and adulthood is taking responsibility. Many Christians dislike responsibility!
315. In nature, human growth occurs naturally. We expect the same in the Spiritual and get offended when others grow more quickly than us.
316. Human growth is measured in height, girth and wrinkles, spiritual growth by the 'fruit of the Spirit.' Often we confuse the two.
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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 ...
FROM YOU - TO ME - TO YOU
On 28/11/2004 at 3:50 p.m. CLEVE BISHOP wrote:BIBLE BITS
It wasn't until the 16th Century, many years after it's first printing (even more since it was compiled) that the Bible was divided into the chapters and verses we use today. They were designed for ease of reference. And are a tool organised by man, not put there by God!
NOW WHO DO YOU SUPPOSE PROMPTED MAN TO DO THAT (?!) GIVEN THAT GOD IS "IN CHARGE" AND WORKS ALL THINGS TOGETHER FOR GOOD.
Hi Cleve
Good point. But just getting across that chapter and verse are primarily an access reference tool, not a means of dividing God's Word into minute bite-sized pieces that must be quoted exactly that way.
Thanks
David
David;
Yes, of course. I knew the intent. And I agree. And... I also frequently point out that when our Lord quoted Scripture, He never cited chapter and verse. What's more, He often paraphrased in the vernacular of His day!
Thanks for your response.
Enjoy your GOoD day!
Cleve
David
Regarding the question of why no windows in a kingdom hall, many do have windows.
The most logical answer I found is that there is a group which can put up a small Kingdom Hall in 3 days (symbolic of Christ's rising???), if they do it without windows. And it is cheaper. There was some question regarding building codes, but in our area, as long as there is an exhaust fan to vent fumes and odors (primarily a bathroom code), building without windows is permissible.
Garey Southern
webservant@haywoodhills.org
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!
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. RoyTUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK: A REVELATION OF... SERVANTHOOD: Part 7 of 7At last the final 7th (7 being the number of completion!) of our 7 week series relating to servanthood, with an emphasis on its application to leadership.
Occasionally God impresses something important on you that you never forget. One of these occasions for me was a vivid dream. And I don't normally remember dreams! Or many other things, for that matter!
Not only did He give me the dream, but on a trip to Africa a short while later, God precisely confirmed my dream in the natural. A bit upside down - like servanthood really! 'First in the spiritual, then in the natural!'
This week, I want to share my dream with you too.
And finally, as we conclude our seven weeks study of servanthood, we must look to the ultimate servant of all - our Saviour and role model, Jesus.
Mailed to subscriber's mailboxes tomorrow. If you are not on the mailing list you can register at tteach-on@wwj.org.nz
Previous teachings on this subject, the First Miracle of Jesus, the Book of Ruth and God's character can be viewed at...
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LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
323. GOD IS REAL AND TRULY WORKING IT OUT!
There was a Christian lady who lived next door to an atheist. Everyday, when the lady prayed, the atheist guy could hear her. He thought to himself, "She sure is crazy, praying all the time like that. Doesn't she know there isn't a God?" Many times while she was praying, he would go to her house and harass her, saying "Lady, why do you pray all the time? Don't you know there is no God?"
But she kept on praying. One day, she ran out of groceries. As usual, she was praying to the Lord explaining her situation and thanking Him for what He was gonna do.
AS USUAL, the atheist heard her praying and thought to himself. "Hmph...I'll fix her." He went to the grocery store, bought a whole bunch of groceries, took them to her house, dropped them off on the front porch, rang the door bell and then hid in the bushes to see what she would do. When she opened the door and saw the groceries, she began to praise the Lord with all her heart, jumping, singing and shoutin' everywhere!
The atheist then jumped out of the bushes and told her, "You ol' crazy lady, God didn't buy you those groceries, I bought those groceries!"
Well, she broke out and started running down the street, shouting and praising the Lord. When he finally caught her, he asked what her problem was...
She said, "I KNEW THE LORD WOULD PROVIDE ME WITH SOME GROCERIES, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS GONNA MAKE THE DEVIL PAY FOR THEM!"
322. THEIF
There is the story of a minister in a small town who was having trouble with his offering collections.
So one Sunday he announced from the pulpit: "Before we pass the collection plate, I would like to request that the person who stole the chickens from Brother Smith's hen house please refrain from giving any money to the Lord. The Lord doesn't want money from a thief."
The collection plate was passed around, and for the first time in many months everybody put something in.
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FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Why are skimpy two-piece bathing suits called "bikinis"?ANSWER: Surprisingly, the "bikini" is named for the Bikini Atoll! This arose when panic set in as the US government announced in the summer of 1946 that it planned to conduct its first public atom bomb tests on the Pacific's Bikini Atoll. Rumours started flying and people went so far as to suggest that the test would mark the end of the world. So they decided the best thing to do was go out happy, and hold fabulous end-of-the-world "Bikini" parties. During that same summer, a swimwear fashion show was held in Paris, France. Promoters for the show decided to take advantage of the "Bikini" party craze by creating a "bikini" swimsuit that would be as scandalous as possible. The first two-piece suit, which attracted international attention, was worn by model Micheline Bernardini. Been in the news ever since!
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What were early swimsuits made out of?
Answer Next Week.
741. EVER HUNGRY
The average person will consume about 60,000 pounds of food over their lifetime! (What goes in must come out – well, most of it!)
742. THE GREATEST INVENTION
Sliced bread was invented by Otto Frederick Rohwedder, and first sold in May 1928. (What was the greatest invention before sliced bread?)
743. GOT THE BOUNCE?
Cranberries are sorted for ripeness by bouncing them; a fully ripened cranberry can be dribbled like a basketball. (Anyone for a game of basketberry?)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
CHOLERA
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BE INSPIRED WITH A MESSAGE FROM INSPIRATIONAL TAPES
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BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
By: Bill Subritzky
New Zealand's leading evangelist over many years. A successful lawyer, businessman and servant of the Lord.
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DO YOU KNOW?
Q. Why was Goliath so surprised when David hit him with a slingshot?Answer at the end of A DAVID MUSING.
Heaps more fun and serious God Facts are found at...
LASTING MARRIAGES: MEN AND WOMEN GROWING TOGETHER
'There is a growing together . . . like a tree around a boulder underneath the ground. The root eventually goes around it.' (57 year old man, married 25 years; pxii)Mackey and O'Brien (1995) interviewed 60 couples who married during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. They selected a sample of couples whose youngest child had completed high school that would provide a diverse sample representing major American religious, ethnic, racial and occupational groups. The interviews explored how their marriages had developed and progressed across the years, in particular the three broad phases of the early years, the childrearing years, and 'empty-nest' years.
In broad terms spouses' satisfaction with their marriage was not related to their sex or their age, to how many years they had been married, or how many children they had. Social demographic characteristics had minor effects. Husbands tended to be more positive about the relationship than wives, although wives reported both positives and negatives. Satisfaction was higher for those with less education and for those in the higher and lower versus the middle income brackets.
Mackey and O'Brien identified five factors that appeared to be important to marital longevity.
Containment of conflict ...
Mutuality of decision-making ...
Quality of communication ...
Relational values of trust, respect, understanding and equity ...
Sexual and psychological intimacy ...
The themes of adaptability, resilience and commitment recurred throughout the interviews. Satisfied couples adapted to change and drew on the marriage as well as the resources and support around them to help them cope. Commitment was seen as the glue that held them together . . . the 'assuring sense of being together, no matter what' (Mackey and O'Brien 1995: 144). While some of their values and attitudes underwent significant changes over the years, their views of marriage as a permanent commitment of love and fidelity held fast.
Mackey, R. A., and O'Brien, B. A. (1995). Lasting Marriages: Men and Women Growing Together. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger.
Taken from Robyn Parker http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/parker2.html
Read the details at...
TILL DEATH DO US PART!
TROUBLEA man went to the doctor complaining of insomnia. The doctor gave him a thorough examination, found absolutely nothing physically wrong with him, and then told him,
"Listen, if you ever expect to cure your insomnia, you just have to stop taking your trouble to bed with you."
"I know" said the man, "but I can't. My wife refuses to sleep alone."
MAY I?
My girlfriend took her five-year-old daughter shopping with her. The little girl watched her mother try on outfit after outfit, exclaiming every time, "Mommy, you look beautiful."
A woman in the next fitting room called out, "May I borrow your daughter for a moment?"
WITH THIS RING....
A young bride and groom to be had just selected the wedding ring. As the girl admired the plain platinum and diamond band, she suddenly looked concerned.
"Tell me," she asked the elderly salesman, "is there anything special I'll have to do to take care of this ring?"
With a fatherly smile, the salesman said, "One of the best ways to protect a wedding ring is to dip it in dishwater three times a day."
Laugh (or cry in sympathy) at the marriage humour found at...
BIBLE BITS
The first copy of the Guttenberg Bible(printed on a printing press) took 3 years of constant printing to produce, being finished in 1445. Printed in 2 volumes, totalling 1284 pages. Nearly 200 originals were printed and remarkably, 48 still exist today.Lots of Godfacts are found at...
TABERNACLE TO TABERNACLES
How the pattern of the first Church, The Tabernacle of Moses, has applied to the Church through the ages and predicts the Church to come.Download this now in PDF format at...
A DAVID MUSING
My father had a friend, at one time well known in New Zealand, whose motto was "victory to the swift!" Particularly when driving a car! Driving with him was an experience, even for one who raced cars! Today you could not do such things, as your chequebook (also becoming obsolete) would rapidly run into overdraft, and the national debt reduced!He wasn't a Christian, and with his motto, would unlikely to have been successful, had he been. As we wait for background music to arrive from Africa for our TV programme, I am once again reminded that patience is a virtue. One I have needed to develop. And remarkably, seem to be doing so! There is hope for us all yet!
Not sure I am quite ready to try it out on Christmas queues though! But I guess Bethlehem was busy too, for there was no room left in the inn!
So until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: CHORALE
Today's 'Do You Know?' A. The thought had never entered his head before.
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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) 6 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