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: 171 Published: 31 Jan 2005
THE GOOD, THE BETTER OR THE BEST?
When walking with Jesus, we have options - as we generally do in all of life. For we have been given free will with which to make our life choices. Let's consider some of the possibilities in God.THE GOOD
It is good to work for the Lord, whether fulltime in a paid or unpaid role, or in our leisure time after a hard day at work. The opportunities are endless to follow the 'Golden Rule' of loving God and our neighbour. We can work in a church, for a para-church body, a community organisation, or simply show our love by helping others on an individual basis. We are all called to do this and are given countless opportunities to do so. For there are always churches, organisations and individuals crying out for help.
We are being obedient to the Word of Jesus.
THE BETTER
As we grow in our Lord and start to hear His voice, He gives us individually, instructions as to more specific areas He would like to use us in. This can be by way of prophecy, by passion, or most likely, through the Holy Spirit laying on our heart, either in words, pictures or desire, the personalised direction God would prefer us to pursue. We then choose to do it - or not!
Obedience to the Spirit
THE BEST
But there is also a different place the Lord is calling us to. A place where not many choose to venture. A place where we truly say, believe and enact "your will be done in my life, Lord." Following the Word. Yes! Hearing from the Spirit. Yes! But also being prepared to sacrifice everything for our God. Yes! Yes! Yes! As we fully surrender, follow His will wherever it may lead, through good, through hardship, through life or through death, so we become the ones that the Father is seeking today. Are you willing? I am.
Submission to the Father's will
"But Lord, a healthy bank account would help me help you!" "No David, rely on me for your provision!" "But Lord........ Okay then."
Find out more about us at...
FROM THE WORD
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:1-7)"But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you." (John 16:7-15)
"It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." (2 John 4:4-6)
Read and research the Bible online at...
***DAILY EZINE!*** 'DAVID'S DAILY DOODLINGS' Subscribe Today
Receive one of David's sayings in your mailbox each day to inspire, challenge or maybe, amuse.To register today, simply click here ddd-on@wwj.org.nz
and press send. Then it's done!
If you have an Irish heritage, you will love the background coloring!
Should you prefer to, check out current and back issues (where you can also subscribe) at...
DAVID'S DOODLINGS
214.-235. DISCIPLESHIP IS...... doing the right thing because we want to, not because we are expected to.
... being a servant both to God and man.
... honouring God with body, soul and spirit.
... loving the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind.
... being 100% committed to the Lord's cause.
... putting the Lord first in all things.
... placing the Lord's desires ahead of our own.
... applying the Lord's will to our mind and emotions.
... accepting the Lord's correction graciously.
... being joyful in the Lord - even while being corrected!
... subverting our will to His.
... centred upon giving rather than receiving.
... becoming a little more like Jesus every day.
... being prepared to die for our Lord.
... honouring and worshipping God as Lord, rather than a 'holy Father Christmas.'
... being the one God would like us to be.
... placing God's needs and others godly needs ahead of our own.
... helping others attain to their ministries, even to the expense of our own.
... being Jesus to others.
... retaining the joy of the Lord in times of personal sadness.
... putting wrongs right - graciously!
... walking as one with the Lord, night and day.
FREE DOWNLOAD: You can now download the book of all David's Doodlings in PDF format at DAVID'S DOODLINGS
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. RoyTUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK:A REVELATION OF…….THE 3 RIVERS OF GOD Part 2 of 4Our walk with Jesus is to be an ongoing, growing experience. Ezekiel's vision of the river flowing from his (God's actually) Temple is a beautiful illustration of this.
Let's get our feet wet then, shall we?
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, God's Character and Servanthood and Leadership and the Parable of the Sower can be viewed at...
*** ANOTHER DAILY EZINE FROM WWJ!*** 'LAUGHING AT OURSELVES' Subscribe Today
As Christians, if we can't laugh at ourselves, others will! A fun way to start your day.To register today, simply click here lao-on@wwj.org.nz and press send. Then it's done!
Should you prefer, check out early issues (where you can also subscribe) at...
LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
338. MONKEY TALK
Two monkeys were discussing the theory of evolution while they passed the time in their zoo cage. Finally, one turned to the other and said, "Tell me; am I my keeper's brother?"
337.GOLFING ON SUNDAY
Bill Jenkins served as a deacon in a very strict, fundamentalist church. Skipping church to play golf would be considered a grave infraction, especially for someone in leadership. But the urge was greater than his ability to resist, and Bill found himself at the golf course on a beautiful sunny Sunday morning.
Nearing the end of a very enjoyable 18 holes of golf, Bill suddenly heard a voice from heaven calling out his name. "You may receive either a blessing or a punishment. Which will it be?" "Well, of course a blessing," Bill answered. "Then you may ask for one blessing, what will it be?" "Oh, I would love, just one time, to get a 'hole in one'".
So Bill teed up, took a few practice swings, and sent the ball soaring toward the next green. To his great delight, the ball bounced at the edge of the green, and slowly rolled to the flag and dropped in." "Thank you, thank you", Bill shouted toward the sky. "Well actually," the voice responded, "You asked for a blessing, but you have received a punishment instead."
"Why? What do you mean?" "Because", intoned the voice, "Who are you going to tell?"
FREE DOWNLOAD: You can now download the book 'Laughing At Ourselves' in PDF format at LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
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: Why doesn't the Mona Lisa have any eyebrows?ANSWER: While it seems strange to us now, shaving off one's eyebrows was the fashion in Renaissance Florence. Mona Lisa would therefore have been part of the "in" group.
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is the origin of the phrase "red-letter day"?
Answer Next Week.
717. CRY NO MORE
In space, astronauts are unable to cry. Because there is no gravity, tears won’t flow. (Onion slicers heaven.)
718. ENERGETIC WORK
Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie. (Costly weight control though.)
719. A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH?
On average, people fear spiders more than they do death. (Without spiders, there would be a lot more deaths through rampaging insects!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
MANTLES
Answer at the end of A David Musing
FREE DOWNLOAD: You can download the full version of our Trivia Book at TRULY TRIFFLING TRIVIA
Or view all 1232 online at...
BE INSPIRED WITH A MESSAGE FROM INSPIRATIONAL TAPES
In conjunction with Inspirational Tapesinspirational.org.nz we are pleased to offer you the opportunity to download the following message in MP3 format, free of charge. Inspirational Tapes offers a range of over 4,000 Audio Cassette Tapes, CD's and Videos to members worldwide, for hire, download or purchase.
This week's free download is...
THE SONG OF THE REVOLUTION
By: Murray Robertson
Another download from this popular New Zealand Baptist preacher. Hear it to find out about the revolution - and the song!
Download your free message today at...
DO YOU KNOW? (From Genesis 1)
God decided to flood the earth and told Noah to build an ark of wood to save himself, his wife, his sons and their wives. He was also to take a pair, male and female, of each animal on the ark to save them from the flood and repopulate the earth (Is that right?). How many decks did the ark have???? two
??? three
??? four
??? seven
Answer at the end of A DAVID MUSING.
Heaps more fun and serious God Facts are found at...
JOKES PLUS!
From Sermon Fodder. A daily ezine of jokes and inspiration really helpful for sermon illustrations, or just, personal enjoyment.Check out the Sermon Fodder website and register at...
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM NOAH'S ARK
1. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.2. Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone might ask you to do something REALLY big.
3. Don't listen to critics -- do what has to be done.
4. Build on high ground.
5. For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
6. Two heads are better than one.
7. Speed isn't always an advantage. The cheetahs were on board, but so were the snails.
8. If you can't fight or flee -- float!
9. Take care of your animals as if they were the last ones on earth.
10. Don't forget that we're all in the same boat.
11. When the doo-doo gets really deep, don't sit there and complain -- shovel!!!
12. Stay below deck during the storm.
13. Remember that the ark was built by amateurs and the Titanic was built by professionals.
14. If you have to start over, have a friend by your side.
15. Remember that the woodpeckers INSIDE are often a bigger threat than the storm outside.
16. Don't miss the boat.
17. No matter how bleak it looks, there's always a rainbow on the other side.
For many more humorous 'Extensive Explanations' check out...
BIBLE BITS
The Book of Hebrews is the only anonymous letter in the New Testament, hence why it was placed at the end of Paul's letters by the collectors of the Canon. The King James Version attributes this letter to Paul, but later versions don't, as Paul doesn't identify himself and there are other differences to his writings elsewhere. It is a hugely relevant book to us today!Lots more Godfacts are found at...
THE POWER OF THREE
A brief look at the amazing way both God and HIS Church are patterned in three’s. An insight to the past present and future. Taken from the book 'Eagles Fly High!'Download it for free in PDF format at...
A DAVID MUSING
Over the past week I have had to think about doing my best for God. Writing down the revelation I wrote about last week has been a real struggle. On the other hand, the Lord has given me some excellent insights through it.On Saturday afternoon I watched part of the Woman's Final at the Australian Open Tennis Championship on TV. An amazing match between two American stars. Lindsey Davenport seemed to be running away with the match. But in the middle of the second set (of 3), Serena Williams saved 6 break points in a row. The losing of any one of these would have likely cost her the match. You may or may not understand the unusual scoring system tennis has, but the reality is, by winning these 6 points against all the odds, Serena regained her confidence and ended up winning the match comfortably.
That is what life is like. And in God too. At times we need to struggle on against all odds before making the breakthrough that brings the victory. Thank you Serena. You have inspired me to fight on. And she thanked God first thing after her victory too!
Only thing I didn't agree with was when she said she was getting old at 23! What does that make me! Maybe you too? Oh, well, can't win them all! Particularly the 'match' with time!
So until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: LAMENTS
TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?'ANSWER: The correct answer is: Three.
Genesis 6:14-22. As with the creation story, the Yahwist and priestly traditions are woven together in the story of the flood. In the Yahwist account Noah takes seven pairs of each "clean" animal and one pair of each "unclean" animal (7:2-3) onto the ark, and it rains for forty days and nights (7:12). In the Priestly account Noah takes a single pair of each animal (6:19-20), and the flood is caused not by rain, but by releasing the waters below and above the earth (7:11). The two accounts also differ on how long the flood lasted.
REPRODUCTION OF NEWSLETTER CONTENT
Most weeks we get enquiries about reproducing, in electronic or print form, articles contained in 'PGIM!' We welcome and encourage you to utilize this material. Freely received, freely given. We would ask though, that the source be acknowledged as an encouragement to others to subscribe to this newsletter also.Subscription opportunities are available here Subscribe Here
at the bottom of each newsletter or at...
https://www.macnet.co.nz/wwjesus/pay.html
DONATIONS
Each month, because of the size and nature of our web site and maintenance of our sophisticated emailing system, it costs over $200 in provider fees to bring this ministry to you. If you are able to help us meet this expense your credit card donation would be very much welcomed at Make Donations Here as a live connection or at https://www.macnet.co.nz/wwjesus/pay.phpif you prefer to paste the address into your browser. Thanks.
CHANGING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS? NEWSLETTER STOPS COMING?
Each week we can lose up to 2% of our readers when they change email addresses without letting us know. Or sometimes, by your server acting strangely and just cutting us off! If you are about to change your address, please advise us of both your old and new addresses here atenquiries@wwj.org.nz and we will happily change our records to ensure ongoing delivery. Thanks.
Please also keep our address in your address book, as sometimes servers will automatically delete your address if there is even a one off problem in delivery. If your newsletter doesn't arrive, please let us know and we will reinstate you.
LINKS
If you would like to link your web site to ours, and ours to yours, please advise us onlinks@wwj.org.nz
DOES THIS EMAIL HAVE A BLUE BACKGROUND AND RED HEADINGS?
YES - Great!NO - Your web browser needs to be set to 'Rich Text'. If you have an older 'Text Only' browser, this email may also be viewed on our web site at ...
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