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: 206 Published: 03 Oct 2005
TO ME BE THE GLORY!!!
In the words of the immortal hymn, 'TO ??? BE THE GLORY'To me be the glory, great things I have done,
So loved I myself, cause He gave me His son,
Who yielded his life, to make me look good,
I've opened the life gate, that I might be blessed.
Praise to me!, Praise to me!..........
I have got the words right, haven't I?
But perhaps, I might be blind, as was the original author, Fanny Crosby! Or maybe, as would be understandable in the case of Fanny, my memory has slipped! For she wrote 8,000 hymns under 200 pen names, other than her own! A justifiable lapse then!
Or just maybe, once my fine oratory, my 'preacher parlance', is stripped away, this interpretation is actually my real heart!
An American friend, one whom I much respect, once told me that nearly every preacher in America desires revival - provided, of course, it comes through them! For there is no-one worthier than I that God could use, is there?
Joking aside, self-glorification is a big problem in today's Christian world. This starts with the obvious issue of Job Titles being given to those in leadership positions. Of course, the New Testament only ever uses the 5 fold ministries as job descriptions. Only in the army do you regularly find as many titles as are accorded in the church!
Next, within denominationalism, and in other organisations, appointed or elected leaders all too frequently become looked upon as being 'next to God', within the group. Invariably too, the people as a whole, sees themselves as having a 'special place' in God's plan.
How often too, do we get jealous when God moves in that other group - that inferior one down the road? Yes, spiritual jealousy is a huge weapon that satan uses to reduce the effectiveness of God's church.
I could go on - and on!
WWJD?
The most amazing thing about Him, next to His sacrifice, was that He took no glory upon Himself. Satan tempted Jesus with Gastronomy (instead of Girls), Gold and Glory. Jesus resisted the triple temptation. Then, and throughout His entire ministry life, He gave all the glory for His incredible actions to His Father. He obeyed Him absolutely. He was not proud. He was not self-serving. He was humble. He was a servant..... And we are called to become like Him.
It's only by putting on the character of Jesus, both individually and collectively, that we will become the 'living Word', He so desires us to be.
"But God! But God! Use me!" "My sovereign will is perfect, my son. My will, will be done." "Okay God, I will now learn to rest content in your will, be it big, small, or not at all."
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FROM THE WORD
"Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." (Psalm 115:1)"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?†“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?†For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:33-36)
"The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:7-11)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
RELIGION, REVELATION AND GOD'S KINGDOM1012. I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that the biggest hindrance to God building His kingdom is man building his. It's called religion.
1013. Man organises the god out of God!
1014. Religion builds tradition, the Spirit, change.
1015. Religion builds tradition, the Spirit breaks tradition down.
1016. One person's vision becomes their successor's job.
1017. The kingdom of God is built upon relationship, not organisation.
1018. Mankind cannot build the kingdom of God for He has already done it far better than we ever could.
1019. While religion may desire to build God's kingdom, it finally succeeds in building its own.
1020. The kingdom of God doesn't need to be built, rather, grasped hold of.
1021. Religion is of the proud, the kingdom of God, of the humble.
1022. Religion revolves round organisation, the kingdom of God, relationship.
1023. Religion is planned, God's kingdom, spontaneous.
1024. God's kingdom is visionary, religion, managed.
1025. Religion is birthed in the institutionalisation of a revelation of God's kingdom.
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FROM YOU - TO ME - TO YOU
David,Some of the letters have prompted me to write a note.
I am not sure that denominations are always a bad thing.
Firstly, The Body of Christ has many parts - using Paul's own imagery. Clearly we can see some parts that sing and some that clap their hands and others that are very keen on doctrine. So what? Providing they do not try and say 'I'm better than you because you
clap your hands' or 'I don't need you doctrine people' Then I do not see a problem.
Secondly, We as individuals are different, some of us don't like to worship in a noisy way; for others, unless, the whole body is involved they feel stifled. I believe that the denominations are a way God has graciously given us to find a way to him that is
congenial to us as individuals.
Thirdly and related to number 2, Some decades ago I would have said that among other things they are a 'scandal'='stumbling-block' for unbelievers, Now I am not so sure. In this age of individualism, that kind of division is no longer a problem for them, in fact
rather the opposite, it is a chance for evangelism... You don't feel at home here, try there. The *only* stumbling block should be the cross, not happy-clappies nor serious faces, not middle-class demure whites nor animated black worshippers, The Cross of Christ
must be the only problem and we with our petty preferences must get out of the way.
Of course, I am talking about this in a rather simplistic way. But I truly believe that providing we all do not try to be the perfect way; and we do not try to specify our own way as the only way; but rather acknowledge that the Church is bigger by far than
our little group; and it isn't our church but His church; and stop worrying so much about the purity of the church - that is God's problem, not ours - wheat and tares will grow together and the disciples were instructed not to try and weed out the tares lest they
also uproot the precious seed for whom Christ has died. Let us make the most of our diversity rather than condemning it.
JohnB
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Dear Dave and Kathy,
Amen to your "Godly Work - God's Work" message.... you "hit the nail on the head " in your last paragraph.
"So let's put aside our natural desire to imitate other's seeming success in imitating worldly principles to the operation of the church. Instead, let's seek the heart of God for His specific leading and guidance in our unique situation. Forget about the 'growth seminars' and 'how to' books. Instead, spend time on our knees, seeking God's heart for our situation. Then, to be satisfied with what He asks us to do, be it big, small, or for a season, not at all. In this way, we will find peace and rest in our Lord, and will truly be effective in building God's kingdom upon the earth." and may I please add..."let keep on hoeing in God's Garden, a row at a time"
We remember the promise of Jesus Christ, "Wherever two or three are gathered in My Name there am I with them." (Matthew 18:20). "With God nothing is impossible" (Meditative Readings: Luke 18:27; Matthew 17:20; 19:26; Mark 10:27)
We ask you and your WWJ family to please pray for the people and all the leaders in the US who are caught up in the hurricane tragedies of Katrina and Rita.
God Bless you and the WWJ family,
From The Shea Ministries, Wheatfield, NY
www.sheaministries.org
Marie and Jack Shea
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Dear David,
Thank you for your Tuesday Lesson "The way to Holiness", Part 3 of 9, "Moses Tabernacle" ...it was inspiring and I felt your every word coming from the thoughtful heart and soul of a loving person guided by the Holy Spirit, as he continues his journey on his "way to Holiness' ...may I please quote your words... " Holiness is not an instantaneous event, but a challenging lifetime process, to be approached one step at a time." Amen.!
Thank you for the website http://www.followtherabbi.com I surfed onto the site and stayed quite awhile, I enjoyed the journey. I definitely will add this site to my Toolbars and will return again another day.
God bless you and the WWJ Family,
With love and Kindness,
From the TSM QC Surfer, Marie Shea, Wheatfield, NY, USA
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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!
CRANWELL'S CARTOON
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. (1 Corinthians 2:1-3)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
A REVELATION OF……. THE WAY OF HOLINESSPART 4 OF 9
PARABLE OF THE SOWER
The Parable of the Sower too, points the way to holiness. In fact, most of the teaching of Jesus does one way or another, particularly the parables.
A short, summarised teaching of the full version elsewhere, this week, so let's get into it!
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, The Autumn Feats and Revelation 12:11, 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." ***
421. THE NEW PREACHER
There was a new preacher who wanted to rent a house in the country. The only house available was rumoured to be haunted. Since the preacher didn't believe in such things, he rented it.
It wasn't long before the ghost made its appearance. The preacher told his friends about the ghost, but they didn't believe him. They told him the only way they would believe was if he would take a picture of the ghost.
The preacher went home and called for the ghost. When it appeared, the preacher explained the situation and asked the ghost if it would mind having its picture taken. The ghost agreed.
When the picture was developed, the ghost wasn't visible. Feeling very disappointed, the preacher called again for the ghost. When it appeared, the preacher showed it the picture and wanted to know why the ghost wasn't in it.
The ghost thought a minute and replied, "Well, I guess the spirit was willing, but the flash was weak."
420. COWBOY JOE
Cowboy Joe was telling his fellow cowboys back on the ranch about his first visit to a big-city church.
"When I got there, they had me park my old truck in the corral," Joe began.
"You mean the parking lot," interrupted Charlie, a more worldly fellow.
"I walked up the trail to the door," Joe continued.
"The sidewalk to the door," Charlie corrected him.
"Inside the door, I was met by this dude," Joe went on.
"That would be the usher," Charlie explained.
"Well, the usher led me down the chute," Joe said.
"You mean the aisle," Charlie said.
"Then, he led me to a stall and told me to sit there," Joe continued.
"Pew," Charlie retorted.
"Yeah," recalled Joe. "That's what that pretty lady said when I sat down beside her."
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 bird migrates from the Arctic to the Antarctic each year?ANSWER: The Arctic tern. This travelling bird flies nearly 22,000 miles each year in its migration (roughly the circumference of the Earth), making it the animal with the greatest migratory range. Takes six months to fly each way. It migrates to live! It lives to migrate! (Gets there, then ‘terns’ round and goes back!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What controversy involving Pluto occurred in 1999?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS603. A UNIQUE MILLION
The first prime number after 1,000,000 is 1,000,003. (Check it out longhand? Maybe you will take my word for it, after all!)
604. PATIENCE REQUIRED
There are 1,929,770,126,028,800 possible combinations on a Rubik’s Cube. (Must have tried them all – but one!)
605. DOMINANT
99% of our Solar System’s mass is concentrated in the sun. (Massive!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
AILMENTS
Answer at the end of A David Musing
FREE DOWNLOAD: You can download the full version of our Trivia Book at TRULY TRIFFLING TRIVIA
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DO YOU KNOW? (About Relationships)
How are Jacob and Dinah related?a. Husband/Wife
b. Father/Daughter
c. Brother/Sister
Answer at the end of A DAVID MUSING.
Heaps more fun and serious 'God Facts' are found at...
IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""!!!!!!! It seems like every time history repeats itself, the price doubles.
!!!!!! Children are natural mimics; they act like their parents in spite of every effort to teach them good manners.
!!!!! It is when we forget ourselves that we do things that are most likely to be remembered.
!!!! If we find life on other planets, what would happen to the Miss Universe pageant?
!!! Generally, a man has two reasons for doing something. One that sounds good, and a real one.
!! If you put your nose to the grindstone, you'll get a flat face.
! If you start thinking you're a person of influence, try ordering somebody else's dog around.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
BIBLE RIDDLE
Q. What was William Shakespeare's favourite book of the bible?>
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A. The book of Acts
Find out more Bible Facts at...
PUN ALERT!!
SO BAD !Q: Whats the difference between a batman and a thief?
A: Batman can go without Robin.
Q. Why did the lady go outdoors with her purse open?
A. Because she expected some change in the weather.
Q. How do you attract a vegetarian?
A. Make a noise like a wounded vegetable.
Q. Which is worth more...an old ten dollar bill or a new one?
A. An old ten dollar bill is always worth more than a new ONE.
Q. What did the salt say to the pepper?
A. Season's Greetings.
Q. What flower is in between your nose and your chin?
A. Two lips!
Q. What's brown and sticky??
A. A stick.
A DOG NAMED MACE
A mechanic who worked out of his home had a dog named Mace. Mace had a bad habit of eating all the grass on the mechanic's lawn, so the mechanic had to keep Mace inside.
The grass eventually became overgrown.
One day the mechanic was working on a car in the backyard and dropped his wrench, losing it in the tall grass. He couldn't find it for the life of him, so he decided to call it a day.
That night, Mace escaped from the house and ate all the grass in the backyard.
The next morning the mechanic went outside and saw his wrench glinting in the sunlight. Realizing what had happened he looked toward the heavens and proclaimed, "A grazing Mace, how sweet the hound, that saved a wrench for me!"
Many, many more at...
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN BIBLICAL LANDS
TENTSTents are one of the earliest forms of family shelter the Bible mentions. First found in Genesis 4:20, Jabel is described as 'the father of such that dwell in tents.' Following the flood, Japeth was said to have lived in the tents of Shem (Genesis 9:27). The patriarchs lived most of their lives in tents in and around Canaan. The children of Israel also lived in a similar fashion during their time in the wilderness and for many years after entering the Promised Land. In 2 Samuel 11:11, during the time of King David, the Ark, Israel and Judah were also said to live in tents.
Lots more 'God Facts' are found at...
REVOLUTION - An Extract from a New Book by George Barna
-From George Barna's pre-manuscript of a forthcoming book.As we journey together, I want to show you what our research has uncovered regarding a growing sub-nation of people, already well over 20 million strong, who are what we call Revolutionaries.
What "established systems" are they seeking to "overthow or repudiate" and "thoroughly replace," in Webster's words?
They have no use for churches that play religious games, whether those games are worship services that drone on without the presence of God or ministry programs that bear no spiritual fruit.
Revolutionaries eschew ministries that compromise or soft sell our sinful nature to expand organizational turf.
They refuse to follow people in ministry in leadership positions who cast a personal
vision rather than God's, or who seek popularity rather than the proclamation of truth in their public statements, or who are more concerned about their own legacy than that of Jesus Christ.
They refuse to donate one more dollar to man-made monuments that mark their own achievements and guarantee their place in history.
They are unimpressed by accredited degrees and endowed chairs in Christian colleges and seminaries that produce young people incapable of defending the Bible or unwilling to devote their life to serving others. And Revolutionaries are embarrassed by language
that promises Christian love and holiness but turns out to be all sizzle and no substance.
In fact, many Revolutionaries have been active in good churches that have biblical preaching, people coming to Christ and being baptized, a full roster of interesting classes and programs, and a congregation packed with nice people. There is nothing overtly
wrong with anything taking place at such churches. But Revolutionaries innately realize that it is just not enough to go with the flow. The experience provided through their church, although better than average, still seems flat. They are seeking a faith experience that is more robust and awe-inspiring, a spiritual journey that prioritizes transformation at every turn, something worthy of the Creator whom their faith reflects...
Revolutionaries zealously pursue an intimate relationship with God, which Jesus Christ promised we could have through Him...
Read more on this story (scroll down) at...
GODS VICTORIOUS CHURCH
A revelation of the church to come from the book of Ruth + a prophecy on the 3 armies (type of Church ) of God. Fascinating.Naomi and Ruth pictured.
Download this 11 page booklet in PDF Format for free from...
A DAVID MUSING
This has been a very busy week for Kathy and myself. We have travelled long distances, had happy times visiting family and friends, a sad but celebratory time at a friend's funeral, interspersed with new challenges for us both. Just one of those memorable weeks!Isn't it funny how things tend to come in groups. You move on steadily for a while, then everything seems to happen at once.
It's like this in God too. We carry on at a level for a period of time, often thinking we are getting nowhere. Suddenly, we have a breakthrough and move to a higher plateau. Both the ways of the world, and those of God, can be a mystery to us. But the thrill of new experiences, new challenges and new accomplishments, finally makes it all worthwhile, if we are prepared to adapt to them.
So until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: MANLIEST
TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?' ANSWER: b. Father/Daughter Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. (Genesis 34:1)
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ABOUT US
WALKING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES is a non-profit, non-denominational, Bible based ministry located in Hastings, 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
290 Flaxmere Avenue
Flaxmere
Hastings
New Zealand
Phone: (06) 8799 911 International (+64) 6 8799 911
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