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: 178 Published: 21 Mar 2005
A MARTYR'S DEATH
If I asked who was responsible for creating the most Christian martyrs, I suspect most would say, 'the Moslems'. Yet this likely perception of today is far from the truth.By far and away the most Christian Martyrs have come from the areas governed by communist regimes, the worst of all by far, being the former USSR, where it is estimated 23,260,000 believers were killed. (See the 10th article for details.) In reality, over 80% of Martyrs in the 20th Century were found in current and former communist counties, mainly in Eastern Europe.
Most were among those of Orthodox and Roman Catholic beliefs, which is understandable in the regions involved. Western Christians scarcely feature.
But of course, these martyrdom figures only tell one part of the story. In one sense, it is the easier path. For we who are left are required to be living martyrs! We are to put aside the desires of earthly life and pleasure for those of God's kingdom. To put off our own life and take on the life of Jesus. And become living martyrs for our Lord.
This is easily said, but not so easily done! For the desires and pleasures of this life still exert a powerful attraction to each and every believer. Overcoming the 'desires of the flesh' is required for those who desire to walk in maturity. To become a 'living martyr' is the ultimate goal of our walk with Jesus.
But what about New Zealand playing in the finals of the World Rugby Sevens tonight? It's only once every 4 years God!!!
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FROM THE WORD
"We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love himâ€â€” but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God." (1 Corinthians 2:6-10)"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained." (Philippians 3:12-16)
"Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so." (Hebrews 5:13-6:3)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
DISCIPLESHIP214.-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.
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK:THE PROPHETIC FEASTS OF THE LORD - Series 1 - THE SPRING FEASTSPart 5 of 7
The truths of Jesus, while detailed in the feast of Passover, are clearly seen in the remaining 2 of the first feasts of the Jewish Religious Year, The Feasts of Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits.
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Previous teachings on this subject, the First Miracle of Jesus, the Book of Ruth, God's Character and Servanthood and Leadership, the Parable of the Sower, The Two Marathoners and The 3 Rivers of God can be viewed at...
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LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
352. NOAH'S ARK
Noah's Ark if it happened today:
And the Lord spoke to Noah and said, "In six months I'm going to make it rain until the whole Earth is covered with water and all evil people are destroyed. But I want to save a few good people, and two of every kind of living thing on the planet. I am commanding you to build an Ark." And in a flash of lightning, He delivered the specifications for an Ark.
"Okay," said Noah, trembling with fear and fumbling with the blueprints.
"Six months and it starts to rain," thundered the Lord. "You'd better have the Ark completed, or learn to swim for a very long time."
Six months passed, the skies clouded up and rain began to fall. The Lord saw that Noah was sitting in his front yard, weeping....and there was no Ark. "Noah," shouted the Lord, "Where is the Ark?"
"Lord, please forgive me!" begged Noah. "I did my best. But there were big problems. First, I had to get a building permit for the Ark construction project, and your plans didn't meet code. So I had to hire an engineer to redraw the plans. Then I got into a big fight over whether or not the Ark needed a fire sprinkler system. Then my neighbor objected, claiming I was violating zoning by building the Ark in my front yard, so I had to get a variance from the city planning commission." "Then I had problems getting enough wood for the Ark, because there was a ban on cutting trees to save the Spotted Owl. I had to convince the Fish and Wildlife that I need the wood to save the owls, but they wouldn't let me catch any owls. So, no owls." "The carpenters formed a union and went out on strike. I had to negotiate a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board before anyone would pick up a saw or hammer. Now we have 16 carpenters on board, and still no owls." "Then I started gathering up animals, and got sued by an animal rights group. They objected to me taking only two of each kind. Just when I got the suit dismissed, EPA notified me that I couldn't complete the Ark without filing an environmental impact statement on your proposed flood. They didn't take kindly to the idea that they had no jurisdiction over the conduct of a Supreme Being. Then the Army Corp of Engineers wanted a map of the new flood plain. I sent them a globe." "Right now, I'm trying to resolve a complaint from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over how many Croatians I'm supposed to hire. The IRS has seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to avoid taxes by leaving the country. And I just got a notice from the state about owing them some kind of use tax. I really don't think I can finish the Ark for at least another 5 years."
Then the sky began to clear. The sun began to shine. A rainbow arched across the sky. Noah looked up, "You mean you're not going to destroy the earth?" he asked hopefully.
"No," the Lord said sadly. "The government already has."
FREE DOWNLOAD: You can now download the book 'Laughing At Ourselves' in PDF format at LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
80 new jokes added! One of the most comprehensive sources of Christian Humour on the Net with 751 sermon fillers for your entertainment and use at ...
FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Does anything live in the Dead Sea?ANSWER: The Dead Sea is a large inland lake which measures about 50 miles (80 kilometres) long and 10 miles (16 kilometres) wide. It's located in Judea, in south-eastern Israel, approximately 12 miles (19 kilometres) east of Jerusalem. Known through the Bible as the Salt Sea, the Sea of the Plain, or the Eastern Sea, it today forms part of the international boundary with the Kingdom of Jordan.
The Dead Sea has numerous extremes. Its surface is 1,290 feet (393 metres) below the surface of The Mediterranean Sea, which is just 50 miles (80 kilometres) to the west. It's only 10 feet (3 metres) at its shallowest, but reaches a depth of 1,300 feet (396 metres at its deepest. The salt content of the Dead Sea has been measured as 5 times that of the oceans. The high salinity is the reason that very little life is found in the waters - it truly is a dead sea.
The Jordan River is the main source of water for the Dead Sea, with a few smaller rivers also emptying into it. Despite the constant inflow, and the fact that it has no outlet, the level of the Dead Sea changes very little over the year. This is the result of the extremely high rate of evaporation from the heat of its wide-open, below sea level, desert location. The water quickly evaporates, but the salt remains.
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What animal has rectangular pupils?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS
696. ‘CAK-PAWED’
Dogs and cats, like humans, are either right or left pawed. (Had to pour over this one.)
697. FLUTTER BY
The original name for the butterfly was 'flutterby'! (Can we change it back again?)
698. REVERSE FLOW
An earthquake on Dec. 16, 1811 caused parts of the Mississippi River to flow backwards! (What goes down may come back up!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
TIDINESS
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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CAN I HEAR FROM GOD?
By: Murray Robertson
An appropriate message for this week! (See 'A David Musing) Presenmted by one of the leading Baptist pastors in New Zealand.
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DO YOU KNOW? (The Death & Resurrection of Jesus)
Who was the first person at the tomb early on Sunday Morning?7. Which of the following is False?
??? One hundred pounds of spices were used to prepare His body for burial
??? When Christ said, "It is finished," he was referring to having fully paid for our sins.
??? Simon Peter wept at the foot of the cross.
Answer at the end of A DAVID MUSING.
Heaps more fun and serious 'God Facts' are found at...
STATISTICS OF MARTYRDOM
LARGEST MARTYDOM SITUATIONS1. 1921-1950, Christians die in Soviet prison camps 15,000,000
2. 1950-80, Christians die in Soviet prison camps 5,000,000
3. 1214, Genghiz Khan massacres 6 million Christians 6,000,000
4. 1358, Tamerlane destroys 15-million-strong Nestorians 4,000,000
5. 1929-37, 14.5 million Orthodox killed by Stalin 2,700,000
6. 1560, Conquistadors kill 15 million Amerindians 2,000,000
7. 1925, Soviets attempt to liquidate Roman Catholics 1,200,000
8. 1258, Baghdad captured in massacre by Hulaku Khan 1,100,000
9. 1214, Diocese of Herat sacked by Genghiz Khan 1,000,000
10. 1939, Nazis execute thousands in death camps 1,000,000
MOST SEVERE MARTYRDOM SITUATIONS
1. 1630, all 400 Tibetan Christians wiped out. 100.00%
2. 1938, Nazis exterminate 500,000 Gypsies 89.74%
3. 1975, Khmer Rouge slaughter 2 million 88.79%
4. 1570, Huguenot corsairs murder 52 Jesuits 86.67%
5. 1241, Mongols ravage Hungary killing Christians 86.67%
6. 287, Martyrs of Agaunum 83.33%
7. 1933, Assyrians (Nestorians) murdered by Iraqi troops 80.00%
8. 1843, Turks use Kurds to massacre 20,000 Nestorians 80.00%
9. 1970, Massacre of 40,000 Vietnamese Catholics 76.92%
10. 1918, Turks massacre 80% of all Syrian Orthodox 75.00%
PERSECUTORS OF MOST MARTYRSCOUNTRIES WITH THE MOST MARTYRS (in the past)
1. USSR 23,260,000
2. Uzbekistan 4,000,000
3. Iraq 1,954,000
4. Russia 1,544,000
5. Turkey 1,047,000
6. Sudan 668,000
7. Turkestan 600,000
8. Yugoslavia 450,000
9. Uganda 203,000
10. Western Empire 200,000
TRADITIONS WITH THE MOST MARTYRS
1. Russian Orthodox 21,626,000
2. Assyrian or Nestoran (East Syrian, Messihaye) 12,379,000
3. Latin-rite Catholic 11,024,000
4. Ukrainian Orthodox 3,500,000
5. Armenian Orthodox (Gregorian) 1,215,000
6. Coptic Orthodox 1,068,000
7. Pentecostal (Protestant; Classical Pentecostal) 1,021,000
8. Messianic Jewish 1,000,000
9. Quasi-Christians 1,000,000
10. Lutheran 987,000
CENTURIES WITH MOST MARTYRS
1. 1900s 41,323,000
2. 1600s 11,484,000
3. 1200s 7,228,000
4. 1300s 4,906,000
5. 1500s 3,418,000
6. 300s 2,761,000
7. 1800s 1,577,000
8. 1400s 763,000
9. 400s 513,000
10. 200s 409,000
(c)2001 World Christian Trends, William Carey Library, David Barrett and Todd Johnson.
Heaps more interesting facts on evangelism and the Bible at...
WORDS TO LIVE BY
!!! Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.!!! Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
!!! Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
!!! Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
!!! If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
!!! If you lend someone $20, and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
!!! It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
!!! Never buy a car you can't push.
!!! Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you don't have a leg to stand on.
!!! Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
!!! When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
!!! Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live.
!!! You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
!!! Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.
!!! We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colours but they all have to learn to live in the same box.
!!! A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
!!! Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open.
Hundreds of sayings to make you think and smile at...
BIBLE BITS
There are 929 chapters in the Old Testament and 260 in the New, making 1189 in all in the Protestant Bible.Lots more 'God Facts' are found at...
REVELATION’S REVELATION
†To him who overcomes†An exciting illumination of the promise made to those who are prepared to give their “all†to Christ. - 14 pages from Eagles Fly High!Download it in PDF format at...
LAUGH, GROAN AND MOAN!
WILLIAM TOLDWilliam Tell was not only a great patriot and a great archer, he was also a great cook.
One day, after he had prepared a new dish for his friends, he said, "I think there is one or more spices missing. What do you think?"
Their answer was, "Only thyme, Will Tell!"
ELEPHANT STEW
1 Elephant, Medium Size
2 Rabbits (Optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Brown Gravy
Cut elephant into small bite-sized pieces. This should take about two months. Add enough brown gravy to cover. Cook over a hot fire for about four weeks. This will serve 3800 people. If more are expected, two rabbits may be added, but do this only if necessary as some people do not like to find a hare in their stew.
Precious Puns in all flavours at...
A DAVID MUSING
It is wonderful when God speaks to you personally and even better when He confirms it through someone else!I had such an experience this week at the New Life Churches of New Zealand Conference. A 'Presbytery' was held, where recognised prophets spoke into the lives of those attending who wished to hear from God. For me, it was amazing! The prophets repeated all the things the Lord has been telling me recently! How faith building is that!
Thank you Lord. Thank you Peter and Ian.
Oh - and what was said? Watch this space!
So until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: INSISTED
TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?' ANSWER: Simon Peter wept at the foot of the cross. "Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.†And he went outside and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:75)
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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