THE IMPORTANCE OF 'MENTION'

Just for fun, (and to satisfy my curiosity once I had the idea) I thought to count the number of verses in which some of the words we commonly use, appear in the NIV New Testament.

Don't worry, I didn't bother with 'a' or 'the'! Also, I was able to call on the assistance of my computer Bible concordance, to make the job a lot quicker. Thought I would tell you that, just in case you think I must have too much time on my hands!

The hypothesis is, while not foolproof, that the number of times words are mentioned gives a good indication of the emphasis God places on them. I restricted my analysis to the New Testament, the relevant Covenant we live under today. No doubt, I have missed out some important ones (Have to admit that 'God' and 'Jesus' were afterthoughts!) but the aim of the exercise is to see if our emphases are the same as God's.

I have included all the relevant tenses of a root word eg LOVE, loves, loved, and loving, and relevant derivatives. eg SERVE, service and servant.

Here are the words I have chosen in usage order.

THE GODHEAD
JESUS (SON)............1225...(332)...1557
GOD (FATHER)...........1107...(322)...1429
LORD....................559
SPIRIT..................299...........................3844

OTHER
LIFE....................358
DISCIPLE(S).............284
LOVE....................274
FAITH...................269
DEATH...................241
SERVE...................236
BELIEF..................216
HOLY(NESS)..............190
JUDGE(MENT).............153
PRAY(ER)................149
RIGHTEOUS(NESS).........133
SALVATION(SAVE).........130
MONEY(WEALTH)-NEGATIVE..124
GRACE...................118
PEACE....................87
BLESSING.................83
OBEY.....................79
JOY......................64
MERCY....................60
FEAR.....................57
MONEY(WEALTH)-POSITIVE....2

Have we got our priorities right in what we believe and what we preach? If we concentrate on the RECEIVING (peace, blessing, joy, mercy, money(wealth)-positive) are we truly encompassing the message of the Gospel? No! It is readily apparent that the real emphasis is upon our GIVING (life, discipleship, love, faith, death, service, belief, holiness, judgement, prayer, righteousness, money(wealth)-negative).

Overwhelmingly, the Gospel is about God, specifically about Jesus. I wonder, is this the gospel we truly believe, preach and share?

I am sure you really wanted to know that the word 'the' appears 55,728 times in 23,203 verses in the whole Bible, beating 'and' at 29,600 in 18,991 verses and 'a' at 10,444 uses in 7741 verses. Maybe we should be preaching the 'the and a' gospel! How many do?

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FROM THE WORD

"You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:20-24)

Jesus the Way to the Father
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 31 but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. (John 14:5-31)

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DAVID'S DOODLINGS

KEEPING THE MIND OFF THE DENTIST’S DRILL!
60. Oh for more than two cheeks to turn! (Conservatory after dentist 21 May 2001)

61. When holiness meets with helpfulness a harvest is reaped. (Car 21 May 2001)

62. Jesus turns our human ‘LESS - ness’ into His ‘FULL - ness’.

63. From:
- restless to peaceful,
- hopeless to hopeful,
- careless to careful,
- thoughtless to merciful,
- mirthless to cheerful,
- powerless to powerful,
- humourless to gleeful,
- spineless to forceful,
- penniless to bountiful……..(Dentist 21 May 2001)

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CRANWELL'S CARTOON

11 “O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
I will build you with stones of turquoise,
your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your sons will be taught by the LORD,
and great will be your children’s peace.
14 In righteousness you will be established:
Tyranny will be far from you;
you will have nothing to fear.
Terror will be far removed;
it will not come near you.
15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
whoever attacks you will surrender to you.

16 “See, it is I who created the blacksmith
who fans the coals into flame
and forges a weapon fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;
17 no weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:11-17)



TO READ THIS CARTOON AND SEE THE OTHER PICTURES IN THIS EMAIL YOU NEED TO BE ONLINE.

FROM YOU - TO ME - TO YOU

Hi David,
I loved the picture accompanying your piece about the British Lions. It looks suspiciously like the Aussies scoring a try against the All Blacks!

Keep up the good work. ( This statement is serious even if the first is a little tongue in cheek!)

Kind regards
Paul Faulkner

Paul
We won't mention a certain one day cricket match between Australia and Bangladesh on Saturday, will we! Congratulations Bangladesh!
David
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David
The newsletter is so much nicer with all the images. I occasionally read it off line, but then have to go back to view it online so I can view the neat images.
Lisa
--------------------------------------------------------------------
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!

TUESDAY TEACHINGS

THE PROPHETIC FEASTS OF THE LORD - Series 2 - THE AUTUMN FEASTS
Part 6 of 10 - THE PATTERN OF THINGS TO COME
More amazing stuff this week! Only this time, it applies to us! For these are the fulfilments of the Day of Atonement that have left for the church to accomplish.

Let's see how we are getting on.

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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, The 3 Rivers of God The Spring Feasts, The Power of 3 in God & the Church and A Layman's History of the Times of the Feasts can be viewed at...

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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." ***

385. FOR THE PREACHER - GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS
Good News: You baptized seven people today in the river.
Bad News: You lost two of them in the swift current.

Good News: The Women's Guild voted to send you a get-well card.
Bad News: The vote passed by 31-30.

Good News: The Elder Board accepted your job description the way you wrote it.
Bad News: They were so inspired by it, they also formed a search committee to find somebody capable of filling the position.

Good News: You finally found a choir director who approaches things exactly the same way you do.
Bad News: The choir mutinied.

Good News: Mrs. Jones is wild about your sermons.
Bad News: Mrs. Jones is also wild about the "Jerry Springer show," "Beavis and Butthead" and "Texas Chain Saw Massacre."

Good News: Your women's softball team finally won a game.
Bad News: They beat your men's softball team.

Good News: The trustees finally voted to add more church parking.
Bad News: They're going to pave the front lawn of your parsonage.

Good News: Church attendance rose dramatically the last three weeks.
Bad News: You were on vacation.

Good News: Your deacons want to send you to the Holy Land.
Bad News: They are waiting until the next war.

Good News: The youth in your church have come to your home to pay a surprise visit.
Bad News: It's midnight and they are armed with toilet paper & shaving cream to "decorate" your house.

384. CONSTIPATION
Q: Where is constipation mentioned three times in the Bible?
A: (1) Satan is bound. (2) Elijah said, "Nothing will move me." (3) Moses took 2 tablets.

383. WHAT NOW?
The young priest rushed into his superior's office. "Father Murphy," he exclaimed. "Come quick! Our Savior is in our church!"

The two clerics rushed into the church and sure enough, there was the Lord Jesus praying at the Altar.

"What should we do?" whispered young Father McLaughlin.

"Try to look busy!" answered the older priest.

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FACTS FOR FUN

LAST WEEKS QUESTION: From where does the saying ‘Hobson's Choice’ originate?

ANSWER: ANSWER: Hobson's Choice doesn't simply mean a difficult choice. It means no choice at all, rather like having to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea. It originated from Thomas Hobson, a 16th-century stable-keeper, and a paid-up member of the amalgamated union of the bloody-minded. He only hired out his horses on a strict rotation system. Customers couldn't choose a horse for themselves. You got the one nearest the stable door or none! (What other choice did Hobson have?)

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: : Is it true that hair and nails continue to grow after death?

Answer Next Week.

SOME FUN FACTS

657. AFLOAT
If there were an ocean big enough to hold the planet Saturn, it would float. (We will never be able to prove this theory though.)

658. DIVERSE INTERESTS
The very famous World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Gene Tunney, lectured on Shakespeare at Yale University in later life. (From ‘celebrity’ to ‘soliloquy’.)

659. SONG SHY
The opera star, Enrico Caruso, liked practising his singing in the bath. His pianist accompanied from a nearby room. (Were the low notes waterlogged?)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.

REACTIVE

Answer at the end of A David Musing

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BE INSPIRED WITH A MESSAGE FROM INSPIRATIONAL TAPES

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This week's free download is...

GOD'S WAY OR MAN'S WAY

By: Frank Peretti

With more than nine million novels in print, it’s no secret that Frank Peretti is a publishing phenomenon and has been called “America’s hottest Christian novelist.”

Frank is a natural storyteller who, as a youngster in Seattle, regularly gathered the neighborhood children for animated storytelling sessions. After graduating high school, Frank began playing banjo with a local bluegrass group. He and his wife were married in 1972, and Frank soon moved from touring with a pop band to launching a modest Christian music ministry.

Frank studied English and film at UCLA, and then assisted his father in pastoring a small church. In 1983, he gave up pastoring and while working at a ski factory, began writing This Present Darkness, the book that was to catapult him into the public eye.

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DO YOU KNOW? (About Relationships)

How are Zebedee and James related?

a. Father/Son
b. Uncle/Nephew
c. Brothers-in-Law

Answer at the end of A DAVID MUSING.

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SPIRITUAL MEANINGS OF VARIOUS PLANTS IN THE BIBLE

ALMOND ROD----Word of God

FIG-------------Tree Strength

FIRSTFRUITS---Overcoming or mature Christians

FRUIT/S--------Results or attributes to be developed in a Christian

HYSSOP--------Faith

MYRTLE--------Joy, Fragrance

OLIVE TREE----Anointing

PALM----------Victory, Righteousness

PINE-----------Oil

SEED-----------Life, Spiritual man

THORNS--------Non-Christians

THISTLES------Non-Christians

WEEDS---------Non-Christians

WILLOW--------Weeping

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JUST JOKES

287. LATE
Harry came into the office an hour late for the third time in a week. "What's the story this time, Harry?" his boss asked sarcastically. "Let's hear a good excuse for a change."

Harry sighed, "Everything went wrong this morning, boss. The wife decided to drive me to the station. She got ready in ten minutes but then the drawbridge got stuck. I swam across the river - see? My suit's till damp - ran out to the airport, got a ride on Mr. Trump's helicopter, landed on top of Radio City Music Hall, and was carried here piggyback by one of the Rockettes."

"You'll have to do better than that, Harry," said the boss. "No woman can get ready in ten minutes!"

288. ONE, TWO, THREE.......
The farmer stood in his chicken yard watching hundreds of baby chicks running here and there. He kept pointing to them and trying to count them. "One, two, three, four, five, six,... oh, no..." then he would start over, "one, two, three, four, and,... oh, no."
Then he'd start over again.

Finally he said, "I give up. They say don't count your chickens before they hatch but it sure is easier to do that than it is to count them after they hatch."

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BIBLE BITS (The 'Minor' Prophets)

MALACHI

The 12th and last of the minor prophets. Malachi was concerned about the morality of the Priesthood of his time. Even after God's chastening through the prophets and the resultant fall of Jerusalem, the Priests still lacked diligence upon their return. Malachi warned them that they wouldn't get a 'free ride' because of their position.

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A FRIEND IS THERE

One of the first poems I ever wrote. Written in a time of trouble - as most of the best
poetry is.

A FRIEND IS THERE

A friend is there to lend an ear,
To listen while you shed a tear,
To understand while others scorn,
To give you comfort as you mourn.
Yes, a friend is there.

A friend is there about you to care,
The one with whom you can always share,
Is there to help you carry your load,
As you walk along life’s wearying road.
Yes, a friend is there.

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A DAVID MUSING

As mentioned last week, the British and Irish Lions Rugby Team is currently visiting New Zealand. They play the First Test against our national team, the All Blacks, next weekend. More to follow then.

But this week, the most talked All Black is one who retired from playing rugby 10 years ago! He was one of the tough, burly men, playing in the position of 'hooker' for the team. You really need to be tough to play there.

This week however, Norm Hewitt won a celebrity 'Dancing With The Stars' competition. What a transformation! From rugby 'hard man' to twinkle toed dancer! Nobody believed it possible! But it has happened! (Picture is of Norm and partner training. Not a rugby ball in sight!)

I have seen Christian conversions of a similar magnitude too. For God too is in the changing business. Some spectacularly, others over time. Norm was prepared to 'give it a go'. Are we prepared to give it a go for God? We might be amazed with our results too!

So until next week...

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.

His servant and yours

David Tait

Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: CREATIVE

TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?' ANSWER: a. Father/Son. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. (Matthew 4:21)

REPRODUCTION OF NEWSLETTER CONTENT

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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) 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!

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