GOD'S CALLING HIS CHURCH 6 FROM SONG TO HEART WORSHIP

Worship is a most difficult subject to write about, for we all have our own views! Ask a pastor to itemise the areas of greatest controversy within their church and worship will almost certainly be included. For we all have worship styles we enjoy and which we believe take us into God's presence. But they, and we, are all different! Praise the Lord for that!

True worship though, is far greater than our feelings or a desire for a particular music style. For true worship comes from deep within.

Whether it is King David in the Old Testament:

11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. 12 I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. 13 For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave. (Psalms 86:11-13)

Or the greatest commandment of the New:

27 He answered: ”‘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.’” (Luke 10:27)

Worship is at the heart of our faith and walk with Jesus.

In the Tabernacle of Moses, worship comprised specific ceremony detailed within the Law, as given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. The closest thing to a musical instrument was the use of the shofar (ram's horn trumpet) to call the people to the most holy, annual Day of Atonement, the time when the High Priest made sacrifice for all the unintentional sins of the people. Music however, didn't form part of the ritual ceremonies.

Then along came David! King David That is! A man after God's own heart! One who worshipped Him with musical instruments and with song. God liked it! And He still does! So David set up another Tabernacle, a simple tent, one in which the Ark of the Covenant could be seen by the people for the first time. A picture of what Jesus would do when He died on the cross and the Temple curtain was ripped in two, from top to bottom.

Jesus opened up the Holy of Holies to us, which we may now enter through worship. True worship from deep within, from the spirit, and in truth. Not just by singing songs - whether they be hymns, choruses or full-on pentecostal praise for an hour.

23 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. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-4)

Very quickly, whatever form of worship we participate in, can become rote. We have done it all before! We know the method! Or maybe, we are just bored with it all!

Today, God is seeking worshippers with a 'David heart', ones who will worship Him with their whole being. Not just for an hour on a Sunday, but those to whom worship is a lifestyle. For our worship is to be reflected in our actions. Others should be able to see that we are sold out to Jesus in both word and action. A challenge? Yes! But the people God is seeking today.

PRINCIPLE 6: God is calling out to Himself today a people who will worship Him with their whole life and being.

"But God, surely Sunday is enough?" "But you want Me to be with you 24/7, don't you?" "Okay God, I get it!"

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FROM THE WORD

"Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God. Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave." (Psalm 86:8-13)

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: ”‘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.”" (Luke 10:25-37)

"“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 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.” (John 4:19-26)

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DAVID'S DOODLINGS

RELIGION, REVELATION AND GOD'S KINGDOM: 5
1062. Religion is not a church but a mind closed to change.

1063. Revelation is from without, while the heart of religion is birthed within.

1064. Revelation sows, religion mows!

1065. Religion is not the church, but the church too easily becomes religion.

1066. Religion kills, God upskills.

1067. Religion is a gathering of like minds, God's kingdom, one of godly natures.

1068. Religion insidiously enters the church through repetition.

1069. Repetition is religion's close ally.

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CRANWELL'S CARTOON

13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)







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TUESDAY TEACHINGS

A REVELATION OF....... THE TABERNACLE OF MOSES - PART 3 (1)

We will now have a look to see if this pattern of church history reflects God’s pattern for the church as expressed in Moses’ Tabernacle.

This week, the Traditional and Evangelical (non-Pentecostal) churches.

Exciting stuff!

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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." ***

484. AWOL
Pastor Bob was a great preacher, and much loved by his congregation. He visited the sick, preached a great sermon, and had a loving wife, who could play the organ and type sermons...and had 3 perfect children.

However, Pastor Bob always left town at 2 in the afternoon and was gone for one hour. LIke clockwork. Soon the parishioners became uneasy with Pastor Bob's curious schedule and began to ask questions. They went to the PPR Committee with their concerns. "Could Pastor Bob have a girlfriend in the neighboring town?" Unsure of what to do, and not wanting to confront him on their own, they went to the D.S. The D.S. didn't want to touch it, so he went to the Bishop. Finally after prayer and deliberation the Bishop went to Pastor Bob, and asked him about his curious goings and comings; so he invited the Bishop to join him at 2:00 that afternoon. They drove to a high hill over looking the small town and the railroad track that ran through the valley. After sitting there quietly for some time, a beautiful silver train streaked through the valley at very high speed. He turned to the Bishop and said,"Isn't that a beautiful sight?"

"Yes," the Bishop agreed, "that is a beautiful sight. And is this where you come every afternoon?" "Yes," said Pastor Bob. "I come here to be inspired. It is the only thing moving that I don't have to push!"

483. NOT NECESSARY
Actual ad in the Drogheda Independant! FOR SALE BY Pastor. Complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica. 45 volumes. Excellent condition. £1,000.00 or best offer. No longer needed. Got married last weekend. Wife knows everything.

482. WHAT TO BE CALLED
One pastor asked another pastor, "If you were a monkey what would you want to be called?" "I dont know",one pastor said. "The other one said "monk."

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FACTS FOR FUN

LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Where are all the baby pigeons?

ANSWER: You see pigeons on every sidewalk in the city. But where are their babies? The answer lies in the way pigeons hide their nests. They may be city-dwellers now, but way back, were cliff-dwellers. They still like to build their nests up high on modern cliffs - atop tall buildings or high window ledges or even stuck inside a bridge somewhere. Pigeons are dedicated parents. They tend to lay only two eggs at a time, then spoil the baby pigeons so much that the babies are nearly adult-sized and plump by the time they leave the nest. (Does plumpness make them ‘pigeon toed?)

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What's the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?

Answer Next Week.

SOME FUN FACTS
524. THE WORKOUT
A hard working adult will sweat up to 4 gallons (18 litres) per day. Most of the sweat evaporates before a person realises it's there, though! (Water, water everywhere…)

525. BALD DOGS!
In Tokyo, they sell toupees for dogs! (Well, I’ll be doggon!)

526. ONION SAFE
It is possible that chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying. (Americans are the most likely to prove this.)

A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU

Make another word from this word using all the letters.

MINGLED

Answer at the end of A David Musing

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BIBLE QUESTION - THE GOSPELS

Nearly all the events of the Bible occurred in one region of the world. Which region?

a. Northern Europe
b. Southern Europe
c. The Middle East
d. Central Asia

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"""

!!!!!!! The best way to get even is to forget..

!!!!!! Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death...

!!!!! God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts...

!!!! Some folks wear their halos much too tight...

!!! Some marriages are made in heaven, but they ALL have to be maintained on earth.

!! Unless you can create the WHOLE universe in 5 or 6 days, then perhaps giving "advice" to God, isn't such a good idea!

!! Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, and faith looks up...

100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...

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BIBLE RIDDLE

Q. Why didn't Noah go fishing?
>
>
>
>
>
>
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A. He only had two worms!

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TILL DEATH DO US PART

GOOD ADVICE
Want to have your husband remember your anniversary? Get married on his birthday.

WHO'S THERE?
A woman was at home with her children. The telephone rang. In going to answer it, she tripped on a rug. She grabbed for something to hold on to and seized the telephone table. It fell over, with a crash, jarring the receiver off the hook.

As the telephone table fell, it hit the family dog - who leaped up, howling and barking. The woman's three-year-old son, startled by the noise, broke into loud screams. The woman mumbled some colorful words. She, finally, managed to pick up the receiver and lift it to her ear.

On the other end was her husband's voice. "Nobody has said hello, yet; but, I'm positive I have the right number."

NO OPINION
An important and very well publicized trial was soon to begin. In preparation for the trial, the tiresome jury selection process took place.

One prospective juror, Douglas was called for his question session. He was asked, "Property holder?" Douglas replied, "Yes, I am, Your Honor."

Then he was asked, "Married or single?" Douglas responded, "Married for twenty years, Your Honor."

Then the judge asked, "Formed or expressed an opinion?" Douglas stated with certainty, "Not in twenty years, Your Honor."

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MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN BIBLICAL LANDS

THE GUEST IS LORD WHILE IN THE HOUSE

Reflecting the true spirit of Middle Eastern hospitality. The host says, "Hadtha beitak", meaning, "This is your house." This is said many times during the guest's stay.

Lot said to his guests, "My lords, please turn aside to your servant's house." (Genesis 19:2)

Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys

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FAITH REVOLUTIONARIES STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD: Part 4

March 6, 2006

(Ventura, CA) – The controversy fueled by George Barna’s current best-seller, Revolution, has raised many questions about the nature of the people the California-based researcher labels “revolutionaries.” Defined as born again people who have made their faith in God the highest priority in their life, who believe that their faith has greatly transformed their life, and who often express and experience their faith through alternative forms the Church, Barna this week released additional data about the beliefs, practices and lifestyle of revolutionaries in comparison to those who fit a more tame spiritual profile.

Revolutionaries possess some attributes that fail to distinguish them from other born again Christians. For instance, they are just as likely to embrace new technology, view movies just as often, a similar proportion of them are overweight, and equivalent percentages of the two groups consider themselves to live a simple life, to feel at peace, and to be in control of their life. Even in the spiritual realm, they have identical profiles when it comes to the frequency of fasting and how often they talk to non-believers about faith matters.

However, Barna also outlined four areas in which revolutionaries are substantially different than other born again adults, and vastly different from adults who are not born again.

Are Critics of the Revolution Ill-Informed?

After reviewing these and other data from recent studies, the author of the book on the growing revolution of faith in America (entitled Revolution,) suggested that the critics of this new movement of believers are criticizing without understanding. “Many of the critics of the Revolution probably have good intentions,” Barna reasoned, “as they seek to protect God from what they believe is heresy or compromise. The problem is that many of those critics are producing emotion-charged, ill-informed criticisms of people who are practicing many of the very things that Jesus Himself taught and practiced. It’s hard to fathom why so many church leaders are so viciously opposed to the passion and godly exercises of the revolutionaries.”

Pressed on the issue of the departure of many revolutionaries from congregational churches, Barna acknowledged that this is one of the hot buttons of the critics. “It’s important to remember that the Bible does not command us to ‘go to church.’ It commands us to live in a certain manner, to be connected to other believers in a life-shaping community and to engage in worship together. But keep in mind,” he continued, “that the dominant form of the Church in the New Testament era was the house church and that the family was clearly a center of one’s faith experiences during the early church times. It is mind-boggling that so many of today’s church and seminary leaders have launched incredibly uncharitable attacks on devout followers of Christ simply because they are meeting in different places and pursuing God through divergent yet biblical approaches. That same spirit of divisiveness and contentiousness has led millions of revolutionaries to flee organized churches for alternative faith communities where their energy can be poured into honoring God and loving people, rather than fighting about man-made preferences, routines and systems.”

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 media resources pertaining to spiritual development, and facilitates the healthy spiritual growth 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, weekly update on the latest research findings from The Barna Group, you may subscribe to this free service at the Barna website www.barna.org

© The Barna Group, Ltd, 2006.

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DAVID'S DOWNLOAD

DAVID'S DOODLINGS
A 'pot pouri' of 900+ diverse thoughts to muse upon, have a chuckle over, and which may even inspire you to reach deeper into God.

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BASIL

Some people can inspire in the midst of terminal pain and suffering, My mate Basil was one of those.

BASIL

It comes to us all, once to die,
Our best to ignore it, we do try.
Don’t know how, nor when, nor where,
Until death, in the face, does us stare.

For most, the sands of time predictably flow,
Plenty of life, our ultimate destiny to know,
Three score years and ten, normally more,
The last few perhaps, may be a chore.

For some though, death comes as a shock,
A life snuffed out at the tick of a clock,
In the fiery inferno of a collapsing tower,
Or a car, ramming another at full power.

But our Basil was chosen for a different task,
A walk through sickness and pain was his ask.
God knew what an inspiration he would be,
And he surely was, both to you and to me.

Read on here to see how it all worked out...

http://www.wwj.org.nz/waxing.php?poemId=00020

A DAVID MUSING

A final newsletter from Christchurch before hopping on the plane in a few hours, to fly back to Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, and drive from there to our home in Hastings.

Kathy returned last night from her cycling tour on the 'Rail trail' of Central Otago. She had a great time with her friends and didn't suffer 'cyclists seatitus'!

While she was away, I was blessed with several outings and spent a lot of time walking on the beautiful beach here in the suburb of New Brighton which, like its namesake in England, comes complete with a 300 metre pier.

So we are both rejuvenated and ready - well almost ready - to get back to the challenges of 'real life'!

So until next week...

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.

His servant and yours

David Tait

Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: MELDING

TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?' ANSWER: c. The Middle East. The Bible is set in Palestine, the region that is now Israel and the surrounding area. It was a region where trade routes crossed and many different cultures came together, often violently. In Biblical times Palestine was ruled successively by the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks and the Roman Empire. The three great monotheistic religions -- Judaism, Christianity and Islam -- all emerged from this small strip of land.

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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 website
wwj.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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