THE POWER OF YESTERDAY

Governments may do it, nature does it, age does it, businesses usually do it, the church doesn't do it (easily), nor do we! What is it? It is 'change'.

Most of us want to be like God - the same, yesterday, today and forever! Unfortunately, this could well be the only aspect of His character we wish to adopt!

Yes, we like, like, like, routine. We're most comfortable doing what we did yesterday, simply because we can be reasonably sure of the outcome of our actions. Often too, when the outcomes are not optimal, or possibly, even negative! We moan about being in a rut, yet do little to re-route our lives. Yesterday is a magnet, strongly attracting us back to itself. Yes, to repeat behaviours we know aren't the best we can have, but with which we are comfortable. For we are too lazy, or frightened, to change.

Unfortunately for Christians, this is not acceptable to the Lord. Until we have attained perfection, that is! I haven't got there yet - and I'm almost certain you're with me. In fact, I'm certain! The Bible though, requires us to change, to take on the character of Christ.

One of the major problems with our Greek based, Western way of thinking, is that we view life as a series of experiences, one following another, but not necessarily related. This is not however the Eastern way of thought, where life is regarded as an ongoing process of development, rather than a series of events. In a God sense, this difference in outlook is most clearly seen when it comes to prophesy. In the West, we see a prophecy fulfilled, tick it off, then move on to the next one. Yet, this is not the way of the Bible, nor the Jewish view. To the Jews, prophecy can have past, present and future fulfilment. While we argue about the timing of the prophecies in the Book of Revelation, to the Jew it can have all three of 1st century, current and end time fulfilments.

So often, when we accept Jesus, we believe 'we have it all'. Or maybe this arrogant view comes with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Altogether, a very convenient justification for living under 'the power of yesterday'. Yet, 'walking with Jesus', changing day by day, daily growing more into His likeness, is what Jesus' teaching is all about.

If we truly desire to be His disciples, we must replace the power of yesterday, with openness to change today, in order to fulfil the promise of tomorrow.

Lots of us have received promises from the Lord. Yet, so many of these promises have not come to fruition. This may be a matter of timing. For His time is eternal, while ours is finite. We want it now, because soon we will die! But more often, failed promise in God is because we are not prepared to make the changes required in our lives in order that His will may be fulfilled. Blessing is always conditional upon obedience, upon change. Of putting aside the comfort zone of the past, in order to walk into the promises of God for our life.

Are we prepared to change for Jesus?

Perhaps shifting houses this weekend has something to do with this word. Now, where DO you find the light switch in the dark? Change, change, change!

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FROM THE WORD

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Romans 8:28-9)

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18)

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11)

"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)

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DAVID'S DOODLINGS

DISCIPLESHIP

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.

Please feel free to quote these quotes. Acknowledgement of David Tait as the author would be appreciated. There are now 1000 David sayings for you to view at ...

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CRANWELL'S CARTOON

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

FROM YOU - TO ME - TO YOU

David-
Regarding your column of August 1 (which is actually tomorrow- it's still July here) about Vision and Religion- several years ago I made a sign to remind me of an eternal truth. I have not hung the sign up in my office because I do not want people to misunderstand. But I keep it in my desk to remind me. The sign says "This ain't Jerusalem, and I ain't Jesus." It reminds me that no matter how good a church may be, and how much I like it, or even how much they think of themselves, it ain't Jerusalem. Be ready to move. And it reminds me that no matter how good things are, I'm not the Savior. Be ready to follow him at all times, not me.
Thanks for all you do!

Grace and Peace,
Michael B. Henderson
Cayce UMC
Cayce, SC USA
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Dear Dave,
Keep on, Keeping on!
God bless you and the family,

With love and kindness,
Marie & Jack

P.S. When Jack and I studied Judaic Studies at the NY University we listened to the very same stories and fables that Jesus had listened to thousands of years ago. I can remember Rabbi asking the class "What is G_d like?" We listened with earnest to hear the answer to his question.... after a moment of silence he replied "already I have said too much."
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Subject: Re: PGIM! A WEEKLY ENCOURAGEMENT FOR YOU - 01 Aug 2005
I am so encourage by this because back here in Papua New Guinea some churches are managed by Doctrines and by religious leaders whom I have experienced as Blockage to revival....

Thank God for your Ministry...

Cheers
Bill Wartovo
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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

A REVELATION OF... REVELATION 12:11 WALKING WITH JESUS
Part 3 of 7 THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB - 1

Now for something completely different!

This week, we are not going to directly study Scripture but experience it. Today will provide a wonderful link between what Jesus did for us on the cross at Calvary and making our faith personal and real through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I am just going to ask you to read this poem the Lord gave me a number of years ago and to give thanks to the Lord for what He has done for you, personally.

I have read this poem around the world. It doesn't even matter whether the hearers have understood English or not, for the Holy Spirit always makes it real, irrespective of language barriers.

My prayer is that He will do that for you too.

Check it out in your letterbox tomorrow. If you aren't on the mailing list, you can register now 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, the Parable of the Sower, The Two Marathoners, The 3 Rivers of God The Spring Feasts, The Power of 3 in God & the Church, A Layman's History of the Times of the Feasts and The Autumn Feats, 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." ***

402. LOOKING AFTER JESUS
Kiersten, 5, was having a discussion with Destini, 6. Destini was insisting that Jesus is dead. Kiersten insisted that Jesus is alive.

They began to argue, so Kiersten's mother, Penny, interfered.

"Destini," Penny said, "Kiersten is right. Don't you know that's why we celebrate Easter? Easter is the day that Jesus rose from the dead. He was killed and they buried Him and three days later He arose from the dead."

Destini asked where they buried Him. Penny told her it was actually in a cave in Israel. "And after they put Him in the cave, they rolled a very, very, very big stone over the doorway," Penny said.

At that point Kiersten interrupted and added, "That was to keep Him warm!"

401. A SMALL BOY'S PRAYER
"Dear God, I hope you take care of yourself. 'Cause if anything happens to you, we would all be in a terrible mess."

400. A MATTER OF PRIORITY
Jerry was walking along the street, when he passed by a Catholic Church and noticed smoke pouring out of the building. Jerry ran inside, and yelled to the Priest, "Father, Father!! Your Church is on Fire!" The Priest grabbed the New Testament, and ran out.

A little farther up the road, Jerry was passing a Jewish Synagogue. Smoke was pouring out of the building. Jerry ran inside. "Rabbi, Rabbi!! Your building is on fire!", he cried. The Rabbi grabbed the Old Testament and ran out.

A little farther down, Jerry came to a liberal church. It too was on fire. Jerry rushed inside. "Minister, Minister!!" yelled Jerry, "Your Church is on fire!" The minister grabbed the coffeepot and ran out.

FREE DOWNLOAD: You can now download the book 'Laughing At Ourselves' in PDF format at LAUGHING AT OURSELVES

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FACTS FOR FUN

LAST WEEKS QUESTION: What is the only bone in the body that does not connect to other bones?

ANSWER: The hyoid bone, in the throat, is the only bone in the human body that does not connect to other bones. Its particular job is to support the tongue and its muscles. (Gets a greater workout from one sex than the other! See No. 780!)

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Is there really such a thing as a flea circus?

Answer Next Week.

SOME FUN FACTS

627. BANANA RHIZOMES?
The romantic Banana Palm is not a tropical tree, but in fact a very large rhizome. (Doesn’t stop bananas from being the world’s most popular fruit though.)

628. RADIO-INACTIVE
The character, Les Nessman, in ‘WKRP in Cincinnatti’ wore a band –aid in every episode. (The humour didn’t get better, either!)

629. CAT TALK
Cats are able to produce over 100 vocal sounds while dogs are restricted to only 10. (More sounds to make more commands, to rule their kingdom – us – with.)

A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU

Make another word from this word using all the letters.

DOGLEG

Answer at the end of A David Musing

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DO YOU KNOW? (About Relationships)

Who was the first King of Israel?

a. David
b. Samuel
c. Saul

Answer at the end of A DAVID MUSING.

Heaps more fun and serious 'God Facts' are found at...

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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!

"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""

!!!!!!! Never leave your wife's anniversary present in a Wal-Mart bag.

!!!!!! The person who pays for the pizza gets the toppings that fall off in the box.

!!!!! Definition of a will: It's a dead giveaway.

!!!! I don't need beauty sleep, I need a coma.

!!! When you breathe, you inspire. When you do not breathe, you expire.

!! A skeptic is a person who when he sees the handwriting on the wall claims it's a forgery.

! It isn't difficult to make a mountain out of a molehill - just add a little dirt.

100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...

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BIBLE RIDDLE

Q. Why do people think Moses wore a wig?
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A. Because sometimes he was seen with Aaron and sometimes without Aaron. ('air on! Bad, isn't it?)

Find out more Bible Facts at...

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IT'S PUN FUN!

THE PUNY PUNNER
There was the person who sent ten different puns to friends, with the hope that at least
one of the puns would make them laugh. Unfortunately, no pun in ten did.

THE POURER
Years ago there was a baker's assistant whose sole job was to pour the dough mixture for making sausage rolls (apparently the royal family loved sausage). Because people were identified by their professions, he was just called Richard the Pourer.

One day Richard ran out of some key ingredients, namely a secret spice he used in the batter. He called his apprentice and sent him to the store to buy more spices. When the apprentice arrived at the store, he found that he had forgotten the name of the ingredient. Hoping that the storekeeper might be able to figure it out, he described it to him,

"it's for Richard the Pourer for batter for wurst."

BIRD BAGGAGE
As migration approached, two elderly vultures doubted they could make the trip south, so they decided to go by airplane. When they checked their baggage, the attendant noticed that they were carrying two dead raccoons.

"Do you wish to check the raccoons through as luggage?" he asked.

"No, thanks," replied one of the vultures. "They're carrion."

Run to pun fun at...

http://www.wwj.org.nz/groans.php

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN BIBLICAL LANDS

BALDNESS

Baldness was scarce in Old Testament times, often being associated with leprosy. When the youth told Elisha, "Go on up, you baldhead,", (2 Kings 2:23) he was invoking an extreme curse.

Baldness disqualified a man from the priesthood. (Leviticus 21:5) Priests were not allowed to shave their heads or rip their clothes, or even mourn a mother or father's death. (Leviticus 21:10-11)

Lots more 'God Facts' are found at...

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FREE DOWNLOADS

Check out our freely downloadable teaching and vision booklets, posters, and materials today. Lots of different titles available to strengthen your walk with Jesus. Proved most popular when mentioned last week.

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FOR LOVERS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

The following two verses are unique in the King James Version of the Bible. One verse as written contains every letter in the English language. The other verse is missing one letter.

Which verse as written has all the letters?

Which letter is missing from the other verse?

Daniel 4:37
Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase. KJV

Ezra 7:21
And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily, KJV
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Daniel 4:37 is missing the letter “Q”
Ezra 7:21 has every letter in the verse except the “J” which was written in KJV!

Lots more 'God Facts' are found at...

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A DAVID MUSING

Being very organised (?!), I am writing PGIM before our weekend shift. Just in case we aren't so organised then! At one stage today, we thought we weren't going to be able to shift into the house on Saturday as planned, for the previous tennants haven't yet moved out! All seems to be okay now though. Challenges, challenges! Change, change!

Well, I had better be off to finish the packing. Such fun! You do tend to find things you had mislaid or forgotten though. Almost like a birthday or Christmas!

For locals, our new phone no. is (06) 8799911.

So until next week...

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.

His servant and yours

David Tait

Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: LOGGED

TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?' ANSWER: c. Saul 17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.” I Samuel 9:17)

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!

For comments upon and contributions to this service, please contact
david@wwj.org.nz