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: 223 Published: 30 Jan 2006
GOD'S FAVORITE WORSHIP!
I have a picture of many people reading today's headline 'GOD'S FAVORITE WORSHIP!' and knowingly nodding, "MINE, of course!"Worship style is the biggest area of disagreement in many churches and often, between churches. Yes, we all know what God likes best! Or we think we do! For, of course, God is just like me! Isn't He? Oh, I thought He was!
So, if we are into loud music and lots of clapping, then God is too! If we prefer a more laid back style, then that too, is God's favorite! If we dislike the Worship Leader's style, then so does God! Let's be honest about it - that's right, isn't it!
But I have good - or bad - news for all of us! God enjoys all our types of worship... IF! And it's a BIG IF! But only IF our worship comes from our heart, from the depths within. A sacrifice overflowing in thanks, praise and worship to our Lord for all that He has done for us.
Wonderful though it is, our heart worship is still not God's favorite! For there is single, superior type of worship that God is searching for amongst His followers, the worship that brings a satisfied smile to His face and joy to His being. (Metaphorically speaking, that is, for He is Spirit, neither can we see His face and live!) And it is, THE WORSHIP OF CHARACTER. For talk, for song, is cheap! Or as birds twitter twittingly, 'cheep, cheep!' But our character reveals our true heart, our nature and our devotion, offering deep worship to our God.Yes, God smiles appreciatively as we love the unlovely and help the helpless. For it is in our daily actions, that we reveal - or don't reveal - the nature and character of Jesus. True worship then, is shown in our modelling of Jesus to a world that needs Him more than it ever has. With this worship of lifestyle, God is truly pleased - as He was with Jesus.
May our life not be '3 fast followed by 3 slow' songs, but an ongoing, developing pattern of worship, one of being moulded into the image of Jesus.
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FROM THE WORD
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?†Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.†Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.â€" (Matthew 3:13-17)
THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN
"On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,†he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?†“What is written in the Law?†he replied. “How do you read it?†He answered: â€â€˜Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’†“You have answered correctly,†Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.†But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?†In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?†The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.†Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.â€" (Luke 10:25-37)
"Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.†The woman said, “I know that Messiah†(called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.†Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.â€" (John 4:21-26)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
CHARACTER1089. Character to a Christian is as water to a ship. Without it we are left high and dry!
1090. To be as one with the character of Jesus is our highest call.
1091. To believe in Jesus is wonderful, but to develop His character, divine.
1092. Many say, "Lord, give me faith." But I say "Lord help me develop my character" and faith will automatically come.
1093. It is easy to believe, but a godly character reflects the true disciple.
1094. Our character is truly visible in the reflection of our love for God and for others.
1095. Rather than asking God for gifts, develop character, and gifts will automatically follow.
1096. A sin forgiven is of the moment, but developing godly character lasts a lifetime.
1097. The only proven way to avoid sin is to develop the character of Jesus in our lives.
1098. Character is 'walking the talk.'
Please feel free to quote these quotes. Acknowledgement of David Tait as the author would be appreciated. There are now over 1200 David sayings for you to view at ...
FROM YOU - TO ME -TO YOU
DavidI've been reading your Monday messages for some time with appreciation for your concerns for unity and holy living. (I generally read them on Sunday night here in the USA.)
I really liked your emphasis on the spiritual nature of the Kingdom of God which Jesus taught and Jesus' emphasis that the kingdom of God is within you -- or among you.
Then near the end of that section in your teaching for today, received here on January 22 (# 222), you made the following statement: "Of course, the final, physical, kingdom will be established when Jesus returns."
There are some of us who truly believe that THAT kingdom which Jesus will establish at his return will be some sort of spiritual kingdom also. It was clear that it will be a NEW heaven and a NEW earth.
I think all our efforts to describe it and understand it are feeble efforts based on our finite abilities to understand something far more wonderful and glorious than we are capable of understanding. But as my father-in-law used to say when he was with us on this earth: "Whatever it is, it will be just right because Jesus himself is preparing it for us."
Blessings -- Thank you for your ministry.
James E Sharp,
Knoxville TN, 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
20 In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. 21 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David’s brother, killed him.
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
GIVING TO GOD -PRAISE AND WORSHIP 2
While we now understand the pattern of praise and worship as set out in 'type' in Moses Tabernacle, we still have to apply the principles it reveals to our life.
Let's have a look now at this challenging yet wonderful progression.
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, The Way of Holiness, the 3 Miraculous Conceptions and Up the Mountain 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." ***
456. EVERY WORD
One Sunday morning, after attending church services in Hartford, Connecticut, Mark Twain said to Dr. Doane, the minister: "I enjoyed your services this morning, doctor. I welcomed it like an old friend.
I have, you know, a book at home containing every word of it."
"You have not," said the indignant Dr. Doane. "I have so,"
countered Twain. "Then send it to me. I'd very much like to see it."
"I'll send it," promised Mark and the following day he sent the Reverend Dr. Doane an unabridged dictionary.
455. WHO WAS JESUS?
There were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Black:
1. He called everyone "brother"
2. He liked Gospel
3. He couldn't get a fair trial
But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Jewish:
1. He went into his father's business
2. He lived at home until he was 33
3. He was sure his mother was a virgin and his mother was sure he was God.
But then there were three equally good arguments that Jesus was Italian:
1. He talked with his hands
2. He had wine with every meal
3. He used olive oil
But then there were three equally good arguments that Jesus was a Californian:
1. He never cut his hair
2. He walked around bare foot all of the time
3. He started a new religion
But then there were three equally good arguments that Jesus was Irish:
1. He never got married
2. He was always telling stories
3. He loved green pastures
But the most compelling evidence of all - 3 proofs that Jesus was a woman:
1. He had to feed a crowd at a moments notice when there was no food
2. He kept trying to get a message across to a bunch of men who just didn't get it
3. Even when he was dead, he had to get up because there was more work for him to do.
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: How long can honey be stored and still safely eaten?ANSWER: Apparently, honey can last forever, if stored well. The ancient Egyptians left honey, among other assorted luxuries, in burial chambers to make the dead happy. Some of it, unearthed in modern times, is still edible! (Though one wonders how they determine this. Are archaeologists eating the evidence?)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is the sleeping sickness?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS552. LEFT FOR DEAD
Over 2500 left handed people a year are killed from using products made for right handed people! (It’s a cruel world if you’re different from normal!)
553. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
While Wrigleys missed out on producing the world’s first chewing gum by 11,000 years, they redeemed themselves by being the first product to sport a bar code. (The bars though, had to be straight, not ‘wriggley’!)
554. HOW THIN CAN YOU GET?
A lump of pure gold the size of a matchbox can be flattened into a sheet the size of a tennis court! (The heavenly streets are paved, not thinly flattened.)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
NIGGLED
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BIBLE QUESTION - THE GOSPELS
The "kingdom of God" was the centerpiece of Jesus' teachings, but one of the gospels substitutes the phrase "kingdom of heaven." Which one?Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Answer at the end of A DAVID MUSING.
Source: "TwoPaths Bible Study, www.twopaths.com"
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""!!!!!!! When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.
!!!!!! People are funny, they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and the back of the church.
!!!!! Opportunity may knock once, but temptation bangs on your front door forever.
!!!! Quit griping about your church; if it was perfect, you couldn't belong.
!!! If the church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.
!! God Himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why should you?
! Some minds are like concrete, thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
BIBLE RIDDLE
Q. How did Adam and Eve feel when expelled from the Garden of Eden?>
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A. They were really put out.
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JUST FOR A LAUGH
THE DRUMMERA little boy runs up to his mother and shouts, "Mommy! Mommy! I want to be a drummer when I grow up!"
The mother sweetly replies, "You can't do BOTH."
FIREWORKS
It was the Fourth of July and the fireworks had lit up the sky.
As the last one burned out, a four-year-old piped up, "Daddy, do God's feet ever get burned?"
THE TAXI
A Japanese tourist hailed a taxi in downtown Chicago and asked to be taken to the O'Hare Airport.
On the way, a car zoomed by and the tourist responded, "Ohhh! TOYOTA!! Made in Japan!! Very fast!"
Not too long afterward, another car flew by the taxi.
"Ohh! NISSAN!! Made in Japan!! Very fast!"
Yet another car zipped by, and the tourist said, "Ohh! Mitsubishi!! Made in Japan!! Very fast!"
The taxi driver, who was 100% American, was starting to get a little miffed that the Japanese made cars were passing his Ford, when yet another car passed the taxi as they were turning into the airport.
"Ohh! Honda!! Made in Japan!! Very fast!"
The taxi driver stopped the car, pointed to the meter, and said, "That'll be $150."
"$150? It was so short a ride! Why so much?"
"Taxi meter. Made in Japan. Very fast."
Many more jokes here 'just for a laugh'...
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN BIBLICAL LANDS
GUESTS OF HONOURThose of special esteem were given a guestroom higher than the rest of the house. The highest place to sit was on the host's right. Next, on His left. Jesus condemned the Pharisees for wanting these places of honour.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
Lots more 'God Facts' are found at...
COMMITMENT TO GOD IN THE USA - A BARNA SURVEY (Part 3)
Surveys Show Pastors Claim Congregants Are Deeply Committed to God But Congregants Deny It!January 9, 2006
(Ventura, CA) – How committed to God are Americans? It depends who you ask. Two new national surveys conducted by The Barna Group provide a glimpse into the contradictory views of church pastors and the people who attend churches, suggesting that the optimistic views of pastors are not justified. There is a huge gap between the perception of pastors and the reality of people’s devotion to God.
Activity That Does Not Concern Churches
In fact, the survey found some disturbing results concerning the priorities of pastors in how they measure spiritual health.
Stewardship is rarely deemed a meaningful measure of church vitality. Church budgets are typically set based on the assumption that the average congregant will give 2% to 3% of their income to the ministry. Consequently, the fact that only 6% of born again adults tithe is not seen as an indicator of lukewarm commitment.
Evangelism is not a priority in most churches, so the fact that most churched adults do not verbally share the gospel in a given year is not deemed problematic. Only one out of every eight churches bother to evaluate how many of their congregants are sharing their faith in Christ with non-believers.
When pastors described their notion of significant, faith-driven life change, the vast majority (more than four out five) focused on salvation but ignored issues related to lifestyle or spiritual maturity. The fact that the lifestyle of most churched adults is essentially indistinguishable from that of unchurched people is not a concern for most churches; whether or not people have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior is the sole or primary indicator of “life transformation,†regardless of whether their life after such a decision produces spiritual fruit.
Churches are prone to looking for indicators of serving people within the church more often than seeking signs that needy people outside the church are being cared for. In fact, for every two churches that consider the congregation’s breadth of ministry to people not connected to the church to be an indicator of spiritual health, there are five churches that focus on the amount of “in-reach†activity undertaken.
Pastors are nine times more likely to seek reactions to their sermon than they are to assess the congregation’s reactions to visitors.
Perhaps most alarming of all, pastors were 21 times more likely to evaluate whether people showed up (i.e., attendance) than to determine whether people experienced the presence of God during their time at the church.
(To be continued next week.)
The Barna Group, Ltd. (which includes its research division, The Barna Research Group) is a privately held, for-profit corporation that conducts primary research, produces audio, visual and print media, and facilitates the healthy spiritual development of leaders, children, families and Christian ministries. Located in Ventura, California, Barna has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984. If you would like to receive free e-mail notification of the release of each new, bi-weekly update on the latest research findings from The Barna Group, you may subscribe to this free service at the Barna web site www.barna.org. © The Barna Group, Ltd, 2006
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MR BUMBLE (Instalment 3)
This poem was 2 years in the writing! The inspiration came, half was written, then I got busy on other things! In the last day or two I have had some spare time, so thought to finish it. (Actually I have had more spare time during the two years but never quite got 'a round tuit'!) I hope the result is worth waiting for! Third part today.MR BUMBLE
"Why are you down here Mr Bumble", I asked, surprised,
When suddenly it dawned - my mistake, I now realised.
You shouldn't have taken to heart what I said,
Was only theoretical, straight from my head.
Of course you can fly, everyone knows that fact,
Indeed we would rather like to get in on the act!
For God made you in a very special way,
To humble us humans, each and every day.
For when we see how well you can fly,
We realise, no matter how hard we try,
There's knowledge money can't buy,
That's of our God, up there in the sky.
"But I believed you," Mr Bumble sadly said,
"Look at me now, I could easily be dead!
Thank God for the leaves of the tree,
Now I know, He is looking after me"
"Forgive me please," I cried out loud,
Feeling foolish for being so proud,
So full of worldly knowledge is my brain,
To consider others feelings, too much strain.
"Mr Bumble, you are a scientific miracle,
My understanding, insufficiently empirical,
For it is obvious you can soar far above,
Which I simply can't, for money or love!"
Continued next week. If you can't wait check it all (and others) out at...
A DAVID MUSING
This is the quickest I have ever written a PGIM! Normally takes 5 hours - today only 3!So what will I do with the extra time. Well, I could watch TV! Or play round on the internet.
But as I am writing this, the Lord is saying, "Why not spend the time with me?" A good idea! "Will do, Lord!" Had better run then!
So until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: GELDING
TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?' ANSWER: Matthew: The "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven" are used interchangeably in the Bible. It is uncertain why Matthew preferred "kingdom of heaven."
The concept refers to God's reign. From Jesus' parables we infer that the kingdom was inaugurated with Jesus' coming, and is now growing within those people who follow the ways of God instead of the ways of the world. It will be fulfilled in a reign of eternal peace, and joy when Jesus comes again.
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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!
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david@wwj.org.nz