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: 213 Published: 21 Nov 2005
THE 3 PLACES OF PRAYER
Over the years I have noticed a progressive change in my prayer life.When I first became a child of Jesus, I have to admit my prayers were self-centred. For a while I saw God as a 365-day Father Christmas! I could ask for gifts to satisfy my needs and He would generally supply them! Didn't complain! Quite enjoyed it really!
But as I grew in Jesus, I found my prayers changing. No longer centring on myself, but more upon the needs of others. Eventually I even became part of the intercessors group in our church, finally becoming comfortable in that role. That was great! Surely the peak of powerful prayer!
But no! Over the past few years my prayer life has changed yet again. Now my prayers centre upon the majesty and worship of my God. Gone are all (well nearly all!) thoughts of me and my own benefit. Even prayer for others has taken very much second place to worship, to adoring God; including a growing desire to hear directly from Him and do His will, rather than my own. (Once again, most of the time!)
While I have seen this process taking place in my own life, it wasn't until last weekend when one of our pastors, Ruth Patterson, related types of prayer to the various areas of the Tabernacle of Moses, that I had my thoughts confirmed. Surprising in a way, when so much of the Lord's revelation to me centres around the Tabernacle! Just goes to show that we can always learn more! Thank you Ruth!
I would therefore now like to share with you:
THE 3 PLACES OF PRAYER
Self-Centred (Outer Court) Prayer
As a child is self-centred, of necessity being cared for and nurtured by its parents, so our God is a generous benefactor to young believers. As we learn the basics of faith in the Outer Court; repenting at the Altar, washing, learning, growing, in the 'water of the Word' of the Washing Basin, so our God looks after us; as our 'God-parent' - with a capital G!
Because we naturally love receiving, many Christians choose not to grow up! And so we find many believers of 10, 20 years or more, still absorbed in self and in what God will do for them! When God tries to train them by withholding blessing, as any good parent should, they blame Him for all the problems in their life, like a spoilt child throwing tantrums.
People-Centred (Holy Place) Prayer
As we grow up, both in the natural and the spiritual, we generally start developing consideration for others. When we allow the Holy Spirit to penetrate our life, daily changing us more into the image of Jesus, we start to place the needs of others above our own, both in prayer and practise. Intercession on others' behalf both develops and grows.
Many fine Christians seek this high place in prayer, having much influence in heavenly realms. And stay there!
God-Centred (Holy of Holies) Prayer
But there is yet a higher calling for mature 'spiritual wrinklies' (mature believers of all ages, wrinkled or not!), to aspire to. When the veil in the Temple was supernaturally torn in two from top to bottom at the time Jesus died, the spiritual Altar of Incense (representing our worship of God) was taken from the Holy Place and placed in the entrance of the Holy of Holies.
At this Altar is found the highest place of prayer. Worshipping our God in spirit and in truth. An intercessory burden may well remain, but this time it is generated from God's heart rather than our own. For we are now bearing His burdens.
As we lose ourselves in worship of Him, so the Holy of Holies opens up to us. The glory of God overwhelms us. Our own desires become unimportant as we submit ourselves 100% to do His will.
Very few are prepared to make such a total sacrifice of self, but the amazing thing is, when you do, you find out that it is not really a sacrifice, but an amazing fulfilment of the real purpose we were created for - to fellowship with the Lord! Hallelujah!
Worth considering, isn't it!
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FROM THE WORD
"“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,†declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your waysand my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)
WORSHIP IN THE EARTHLY TABERNACLE
"Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now." (Hebrews 9:1-5)
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire;" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
PRAYER951. Pray every day to keep the devil at bay!
952. Meaningful prayer originates from the heart, not the mouth.
953. Effective prayer is not how much you say but how you say it!
954. My 'Personal PrayerLine' is open 24/7. Love, God.
955. Prayer proves faith. Answered prayer improves faith.
956. Prayer builds relationship with God.
957. Prayer is to be an ongoing process, not an occasional experience.
958. Little and often is better than lots occasionally when it comes to effective prayer.
959. Prayer is like having an internal, open telephone line to heaven. Only trouble is, we too often forget to use it.
960. Ringing God is toll free. Take advantage of it now!
961. Share God's heart. Pray for others!
962. The most powerful prayers are the Word of God.
963. The least liked people are those who talk about no-one but themselves. Why do we do this with God?
964. Prayer is a two way communication process. we must listen to God too!
965. Listening in silence is the best way to hear from God.
966. In prayer, silence often speaks louder than words.
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CRANWELL'S CARTOON
15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.†(Joshua 24:15)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
A REVELATION OF……. 3 MIRACULOUS CONCEPTIONSPOINTING THE WAY TO THE ROLE OF JESUS
PART 2 of 4
THE SHUNAMMITE'S SON
I just love it when I find Old Testament typology that foreshadows the coming of Jesus.
The story of the Schunammites son is one of these. A biological story of sadness, happiness, sadness and happiness! Of infertility, of supernatural healing and birth, of death and finally resurrection. Sound at all familiar? Yes and yes again!
A short study but a real faith builder!
I trust you find it as encouraging as I have done.
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, Revelation 12:11 and The Way of Holiness 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." ***
434. CHOW DOWN...
A little boy went to stay the night with a friend and ate supper with their family. Before they ate, the boy bowed his head and waited for the blessing to be said. But everyone started helping themselves to the food and he looked back up, puzzled.
"What's wrong, why aren't you eating?" asked his friend's mom.
The boy, who had been taught to give thanks, asked, "Don't you pray at meals?"
The father said they didn't.
"Oh, I see," said the lad, "You're just like my dog--you start right in!"
433. MY APPETITE IS MY SHEPHERD
My appetite is my shepherd; I always want.
It maketh me sit down and stuff myself.
It leadeth me to my refrigerator repeatedly.
It leadeth me in the path of Burger King for a Whopper.
It destroyeth my shape. Yea, though I knoweth I gaineth,
I will not stop eating for the food tasteth so good.
The ice cream and the cookies they comfort me.
When the table is spread before me, it exciteth me for
I knoweth that I soon shall dig in.
As I filleth my plate continuously, my clothes
runneth smaller. Surely bulges and pudgies shall follow
me all the days of my life and I shall be "pleasingly plump" forever.
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: Is it true that the yo-yo was based on a weapon?ANSWER: Yes. American Donald Duncan thought of the toy after watching a Philippine yo-yo in action. It was made of large wood disks and twine and used to hunt animals. The hunter would hurl it at his prey and the twine would catch the animal by its legs and so throw it to the ground. The name ‘yo-yo,’ was a word from Tagalog, an Indonesian language used in the Philippines. Duncan made his yo-yo smaller, but kept the name. This wasn't really the first yo-yo toy, though. Kids in China played with similar toys way back as far back as 1,000 BC. (Small things amuse small minds – and smaller minds notice them!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: When did ‘Superman’ first appear in print?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS582. FROM BIG TO BIGGEST
The Earth weighs around 6,600,000,000,000,000,000,000 tons (5,940 billion billion metric tons) yet the sun is 330,330 times again larger than the earth! (No wonder it has so much energy!)
583. FROM THE RIDICULOUS TO THE SUBLIME
The South American sloth (a mammal that lives in trees) moves so slowly that green algae can grow undisturbed on its fur, while a mole can dig a tunnel 300 feet long in just one night! (From ‘slothful sloth’ to ‘eager beaver’.)
584. COMFORTING - TO MEN
In Natoma, Kansas, it is illegal to throw knives at a man wearing a striped suit. (But not at a woman though!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
HOISTER
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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DO YOU KNOW? (About Relationships)
How are Amnon and Tamar related?a. Father/Daughter
b. Sisters
c. Brother/Half Sister
Answer at the end of A DAVID MUSING.
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""!!!!!!! WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning.
!!!!!! Plan ahead - It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
!!!!! Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Bible.
!!!! Exercise daily - walk with the Lord.
!!! Never give the devil a ride - he will always want to drive.
!! Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it.
! Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
BIBLE RIDDLE
Q. What did Jesus have in common with the fish that swallowed Jonah?>
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A. Jesus had dinner with a sinner, and the fish had a sinner for dinner.
Find out more Bible Facts at...
PET'S RULE
KITTEN CAPERSAs chaplain in a university residence hall, I am supposed to uphold all of the school rules, which include a ban on pets. That changed when a kitten adopted me.
The freshmen in my dorm kept my secret. They covered for me by calling my kitten "the Book," since I had so many in my room.
One morning I was leaving the dorm with the kitten in a carrier. A student stopped me and asked, "Where are you taking the Book?"
I explained that I was taking the kitten to the vet. "She's getting neutered today," I told him.
"Hmmm," the student responded, "no sequels."
PERFECT!
My sister-in-law, a truck driver, had decided to get a dog for protection. As she inspected a likely candidate, the trainer told her, "He doesn't like men."
"Perfect," my sister-in-law thought and took the dog.
Then one day she was approached by two men in a parking lot, and she watched to see how her canine bodyguard would react. Soon it became clear the trainer wasn't
kidding. As the men got closer, the dog ran under the nearest car.
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MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN BIBLICAL LANDS
ROOMSHouses with more than 1 room would be found in the cities rather than the villages. If two roomed, the rooms weren't joined but separated by a courtyard. If 3 roomed, the third room would be constructed on another side of the courtyard for extra privacy.
Lots more 'God Facts' are found at...
IS IT REALLY 50%?
By Rich BuhlerIt's been called America's most-often-cited statistic. It's so widely held to be true that it is repeated without question by authors, speakers, broadcasters, politicians, counselors and ministers.
Here are some examples from just a few Web sites on the Internet:
"Fifty percent of marriages will end in divorce."
— An infidelity support group
"Fifty percent of all marriages now end in divorce."
— Promotion for a book on divorce
"Fifty percent of all marriages in America end in divorce."
— From the treasurer's office of a Midwestern state
"Over 50 percent of marriages end in divorce."
— From a men's counseling center in California
Divorce is too common in America and that should not be taken lightly, but those who are committed to a lifetime of marriage don't need the discouragement accompanying the notion that half the marriages are going to self-destruct anyway.
I was once told by a young bride-to-be that she and her fiance had decided not to say "Till death do us part" in their wedding vows because the odds of it really happening were only 50-50.
Let me say it straightforwardly: Fifty percent of American marriages are not ending in divorce. It's fiction. A myth. A tragically discouraging urban legend.
If there's no credible evidence that half of American marriages will end up in divorce court, where did that belief originate?
Demographers say there was increased focus on divorce rates during the 1970s when the number of divorces rose, partly as a result of no-fault divorce. Divorces peaked in 1979 and articles started appearing that claimed 50 percent of American marriages were ending in divorce.
A spokesperson for the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics told me that the rumor appears to have originated from a misreading of the facts. It was true, he said, if you looked at all the marriages and divorces within a single year, you'd find that there were twice as many marriages as divorces. In 1981, for example, there were 2.4 million marriages and 1.2 million divorces. At first glance, that would seem like a 50-percent divorce rate.
Virtually none of those divorces was among the people who had married during that year, however, and the statistic failed to take into account the 54 million marriages that already existed, the majority of which would not see divorce.
Another source for the 50-percent figure could be those who were trying to predict the future of divorce. Based on known divorce records, they projected that 50 percent of newly married young people would divorce. University of Chicago sociologist and researcher Linda Waite told USA Today that the 50-percent divorce stats were based more on assumptions than facts.
So what is the divorce picture in America? Surprisingly, it's not easy to get precise figures because some states don't report divorces to the National Center for Health Statistics, including one of the largest: California.
Some researchers have relied on surveys rather than government statistics. In his book Inside America in 1984, pollster Louis Harris said that only about 11 or 12 percent of people who had ever been married had ever been divorced. Researcher George Barna's most recent survey of Americans in 2001 estimates that 34 percent of those who have ever been married have ever been divorced. One of the latest reports about divorce was released this year by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). It is based on a 1995 federal study of nearly 11,000 women ages 15-44. It predicted that one-third of new marriages among younger people will end in divorce within 10 years and 43 percent within 15 years. That is not a death sentence, however; it's a forecast. Martha Farnsworth Riche, former head of the Census Bureau, told USA Today, "This is what is going to happen unless we want to change it."
Most important, the statistics and predictions about Americans in general don't tell the whole story about the future. There are other factors that affect a person's chances for a long marriage. The NCHS study of women, for example, shows that age makes a difference. Women marrying before age 20 face a higher risk for divorce. Marriages that have already lasted for a number of years are less likely to end in divorce. If your parents did not divorce, your chances are better than if you came from a broken home. Couples who live together before marriage are more likely to divorce.
The bottom line is that marriage is still what it's always been: a commitment between two people who choose to remain faithful to each other. And they don't need to feel doomed because of scary statistics — least of all ones that are urban myths.
Check out many more Marriage and Family Facts at...
A REVELATION OF... SERVANTHOOD & LEADERSHIP
A timely reminder of what our calling as 'Jesus Followers' and particularly as leaders is really all about. Essential reading, especially for anyone involved, or wanting to become involved, in Christian leadership. You might well change your mind!Download your free PDF File at...
A DAVID MUSING
This past week has seen our country, New Zealand be selected to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup. For those who don't know the glorious game of Rugby, this 4 yearly event is ranked next in size to the Olympic Games and the Football (Soccer) World Cup. So it is a very big event for a country of only 4 million people to host.Beating South Africa and Japan for the hosting rights has sent the nation, or much of it, into euphoria. If only we Christians could be so enthusiastic about God! Guess the date of His 'World Cup', that is His return, is not actually known yet! But it is an event we will all participate in, like it or not! It is our choice whether we will be winners or losers on that, most important of all days!
Of course, the New Zealand 'All Blacks' are winners! Well, most of the time! And looking forward to winning the World Cup at home in 6 years time, after beating the current world champions England, 23:19 on Saturday, to retain the ranking of the No. 1 team in the world.
New Zealand is also known as 'God's Own Country' because of our beautiful scenery. Unfortunately, not because of the beliefs of the people! If only we could be as enthusiastic about God as we are about rugby!
So until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: SHORTIE
TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?' ANSWER: c. Half Brother/Sister 2 Amnon became frustrated to the point of illness on account of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her. 3 Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man. 4 He asked Amnon, “Why do you, the king’s son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?†(II Samuel 13:3-4)
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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