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: 235 Published: 24 Apr 2006
***A FREE GIFT FOR YOU***
CD OF PSALMS: "THE MIGHTY LORD REIGNS"A SELECTION OF 42 PSALMS (Updated from the King James, and Narrated, by me - David Tait!) OFFERING...
*Intimacy for the Hungry
*Encouragement for the Discouraged
*Healing for the Sick
*Comfort for the Dying
This recording is based on a tape I recorded a number of years ago, for my friend Gary, who was dying of cancer. It was of considerable comfort to him. A few months ago, the Lord asked me to do it more professionally and give it away to the Hospice Movement (who look after the terminally ill) in New Zealand and worldwide.
Kathy and I would like you to have a copy, whether for yourself, or to give to a friend in need of spiritual encouragement. Simply send us an email including your name and mailing address details and we will send one to you, anywhere in the world, free of charge, as our gift to you. The Lord provides. Simply click on the following link or copy and paste the address into your email programme.
psalms@wwj.org.nz
Although in no way obligated, some people have already said that they would like to donate towards the costs involved, which, of course, we are more than happy to accept. Credit card gifts using Visa or Mastercard (but not Amex please) can be made at the link below. Our mailing address is: WWJ Ministries (Name for checks [cheques] or drafts), 290 Flaxmere Avenue, Hastings 4021, New Zealand.
We trust that you and others (for you are free to copy the CD) might be blessed, as I have been in the making of it.
Cheers! (As we say in New Zealand!)
David
PS: Includes a song, 'The Mighty Lord Reigns', the lyrics of which I wrote, but which is composed and performed by my American friend, Jerold Dowding. The background Flautist throughout the narration is Melanie Yeoman.
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GOD'S CALLING HIS CHURCH 8: FROM NUMBERS TO DISCIPLESHIP
When one pastor meets another, the first question usually asked is, "How big is your church?" The replies immediately establish the relative pecking orders. The pastor with the larger church automatically has the greater status.Numerous seminars are conducted on 'church growth', on the latest and greatest way to attract more people into your church, and the programmes that will surely succeed in growing your numbers.
When one asks pastors for their God-given vision, usually it will be focused around increasing the numbers of people in their church. Visions range from hundreds to thousands.
Yet the reality is, 90% of churches worldwide, based on my experience, would have less than 100 members with the majority, less than 50. This would seem to indicate that God is either giving impossible visions, or that most pastors are complete failures. I don't think so. The reality is, we do measure success by numbers, and in most cases our visions are human, rather than God, based. Put very basically, we measure success by 'bums on seats'. Or perhaps, on the floor, as in some countries.
But is this really God's way? What really are we called to? What does the Great Commission actually say?
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.†(Matthew 28:19-20)
It does not say to get everyone in the world into a church (preferably our own!) on a Sunday, but to make "disciples", for it is only disciples who will "obey everything I have commanded you."
Jesus, although He spoke to a lot of people, only attempted to train 12 male disciples, and one of those didn't last the distance. He did of course, train a number of women also, but in the custom of the times, they weren't listed as part of the group.
The point really is, it is virtually impossible to disciple people in large groups. For developing discipleship is a relational activity. One on one. Or in small groups. This is the most effective way for a pastor to 'shepherd' God's people. And shepherding is the true role of a 'pastor'.
Today God is calling on His church to discard the human based philosophy that 'big is best' and to go back to the relational basis of discipleship which Jesus modelled.
I want to encourage the vast majority of pastors out there whose churches are not growing into 'mega-churches'. The Lord first and foremost desires you to encourage your people to a deeper commitment, not to you of course, but to the Lord. It is through this pastoral commitment to discipleship that the Lord will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant'".
Let us put aside the ways of man's 'biggest and brightest' philosophy and return to the Biblical pattern of discipleship, of commitment, of submission and obedience to God's will.
Remember the warning to the Laodicean church, the well established pattern of today's church.
15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. (Revelation 3:15-18)
To those prepared to change their ways to become disciples of Jesus, a wonderful promise is made.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:19-20)
Pastors, leaders, your shepherding role is to encourage your people to open their door to Jesus.
PRINCIPLE 8: God desires to see believers grow into disciples.
"But God, if I have a big church it will glorify you - and pay my salary!" "Who will it glorify David?" "OK God, me really! I understand now. Forgive me Lord."
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FROM THE WORD
THE COST OF BEING A DISCIPLE"Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.†(Luke 14:25-35)
MANY DISCIPLES DESERT JESUS
"On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?†Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.†For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.†From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?†Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.†Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!†(He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.) (John 6:60-70)
THE WORLD HATES THE DISCIPLES
"“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’ “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning." (john 15:18-27)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
MINISTRY 11194. A key difference between the Old and New Testaments is that we are now all in ministry. How easy it is to forget this!
1195. Ministry is not simply for the professionals, but the call upon all believers.
1196. The most effective ministry of all, is our life!
1197. The world's most effective ministry is unspoken! For it is our life!
1198. If all our talk was turned into action, the whole world would have been converted many times over!
1199. Mature ministry is based upon actions rather than words.
1200. Ministry truly is a corporate responsibility.
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FROM YOU - TO ME - TO YOU
DavidIt's an interesting point about the focus of the Church.....us or Him. Your conclusion that we be God focussed has got to be the truth but what in fact does that mean practically? For many people I know that means I, I, I. It means the more "spiritual"l get to dominate because they are the ones who know what God wants (tongue in cheek). Everyone else gets to sit there and watch in awe as the superspiritual do their thing. The worship, praise, prayers and preaching gets weird, you get strange people dancing strange dances up and down the aisles and along the front of the platform, you get people getting what looks like electric shocks and stomach cramps and calling it the Holy spirit, you get prophecies, pictures and impressions that are the imagination of their hearts. And you get a slow but sure drain of people because new people don't want weird, because the lowly and poor in spirit get trampled on, and because when the superspiritual get their way love goes right out the door.
Contrast Paul. He had a gift from God, speaking in tongues. It edified him, with it he spoke to God, with it his spirit prayed. Paul considered this such a Godly gift he did it lots, more than anyone else, and he considered it God given and good but in Church he would not do it. Why? Because an unbeliever might come in and think they were weird. So where was Paul's focus. It was undeniably on God but the unbeliever or stranger came a close second. Who came last? Him.
I believe the question we need to ask is not whether our focus is God or us but is our focus us or the outsider? I think for Paul to focus on the unbeliever or outsider was to focus on God. Perhaps he understood that whatever you do unto one of these the least of my brethren you do to me.
Lyall Scheib
Pastor
Motueka Baptist Church
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David
I just read your article again about pleasing God - and I have even more thoughts. It's a bit of a passion of mine.
If we really wanted to please God I'm not sure Church would look very much like it does.
Asking myself what would it look like I'm not sure we would sing much, singing is hardly mentioned in the New Testament. I'm not sure we would meet in multi-million buildings, I'm not sure we would have our seats looking more like a concert - all facing the stage....
I imagine we would meet with lots of hugs and smiles and genuine expressions of love and affirmation and enquiring after each others welfare and even ministering to peoples needs in the opening minutes. Church might look more like a clothing exchange than a concert for the middle class. We might begin with bread and wine as we gather around and support those in need praying for them etc... This might end up breaking out in a song or two of worship and praise because as we take the bread and wine we relate it to Jesus death and suffering and His lifestyle example that we are seeking to follow and our hearts are thrilled to follow such a saviour. We would certainly at some stage open the Word and be taught from it but then if we really want to be pleasing to God I imagine we might end up mowing someone's lawns or visiting and tidying the house of some sick or infirm people. We might go and sit for a while with the elderly at an old folks home or hang out with some street kids. We might even as a Church go and serve our community Sunday afternoon by painting a kindergarten or being the volunteers at a street fair put on by the local radio station or something!! Who knows - I just don't think we are doing it right.
I'm unsatisfied with what we've got and what were doing and I'm a pastor. I hate to think how other people must feel.
Lyall Scheib
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Dear David,
In your most recent issue (#234), you said, "One interesting thing I learned, was that John the Baptist, by genealogy, was the legitimate High Priest of the time."
I would be most interested in hearing the reasoning behind that statement. As a descendant of Abijah (Luke 1:5), John could trace his lineage from Aaron (1 Chronicles 24:1-4, 10). This might make him one (among many) who would be eligible, but what makes John "the" legitimate High Priest?
Blessings,
Dal
I have asked my source but have not yet received a reply - David
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Dear David,
Careful about assuming the age of a manuscript is a guarantee of correctness! The oldest manuscripts aren't necessarily closest to the originals. Example: The Dead Sea Scrolls are by far the earliest
Hebrew manuscripts we possess. In some cases they make sense out of verses where errors later crept in. In others, though, the differences between the scrolls and the much later Masoretic text show changes apparently made by the Wadi Qumran community to justify their own theology.
In the New Testament (and the Septuagint Greek version of the Old), Codices Vaticanus and Siniaticus are considered the most generally reliable - even though they aren't the earliest ones that survive.
However, they too have their scribal "corrections", and individual verses in manuscripts that are later still are probably more accurate. Which is about what we should expect, since the earliest texts of New
Testament writings are codices that were copied in the 4th or 5th century.
Obviously it's a complicated process to determine what was "original". Sometimes the best scholars simply have to throw up their hands and say, "We don't know." For those who are interested, the critical apparatus of the scholarly Greek and Hebrew texts (Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum
Graece, etc.) provide details, which I'm definitely not qualified to sort out myself.
After learning about some of the difficulties from people who have made textual study of the Bible their life work, I'm simply grateful to the scholars who considered all the variations, made corrections where they seemed justified, and come up with something that usually makes sense. Many modern English translations reflect the uncertainties, provide possible alternative readings, and note where corrections or conjectures were made.
Grace, peace
Phil.
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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
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens— 5 and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground— 7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:4-7)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
A REVELATION OF....... THE TABERNACLE OF MOSES - PART 3 (3)Tomorrow we are going to have a look at how the ministry functions of Ephesians 4:11 have been restored to the church in accordance with the pattern of Moses Tabernacle.
Fascinating stuff, showing the glory of God's eternal plan.
*** ANOTHER DAILY EZINE FROM WWJ!*** 'LAUGHING AT OURSELVES' Subscribe Today
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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." ***
488. THE DREAM
A young curate went to a conference at which most of the gathering consisted of bishops, archdeacons and high officials of the Church. The weather was very cold and it was natural perhaps that the older clergy should cluster around the cheerful fire in the dining room as often as possible.
The curate thought that it was about time he did something about this, so next morning he said in a loud voice: "I had a strange dream last night, I dreamt I had died and gone to hell". After a few moments of dead silence one of the number said "and what did you find there?"
"Just the same as here" was the reply, "I couldn't get near the fire for bishops".
487. THE PREACHER AND THE POLICEMAN
A man lost two buttons from his shirt and put them in his pants pocket. But the pocket had a hole, so the buttons fell into his shoe. Unfortunately, the shoe sole also had a hole, so he lost the buttons. Since pockets with holes, holes without buttons, and shoe soles with holes are useless, the man ripped the buttonholes out of his shirt and the pocket from his pants and tossed them in the trash along with the soles of his shoes. After looking in a mirror at the holes in his clothing, he decided to toss his clothes in the trash as well.
A policeman observed all this and asked the man for identification. The man produced a document that he was an ordained minister of the gospel. So, of course, the policeman promptly escorted him to a mental institution.
The minister protested violently, asking why he was receiving such unjust treatment.
"Look, it's the best place for you now," the policeman replied, "Anyone claiming to be a preacher, but who doesn't save souls or wear holy clothes has probably lost his buttons."
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 connection of May Day to Robin Hood?ANSWER: The legendary Robin Hood is said to have died on May Day. (So he ‘may’ be well remembered!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Where did the expression ‘red herring’ originate?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS518. RED EARS
When angry, the ears of the Tasmanian Devil turn pinkish red. (Is that because it is swearing at itself?)
519. MISNAMED
Anteaters actually prefer termites to ants! (Difficult to determine.)
520. STRONG AS STEEL
A strand from the web of the Golden Spider is as strong as a steel wire of the same dimension. (The fly doesn’t stand a chance of escaping.)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
CLEARLY
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BIBLE QUESTION - THE GOSPELS
7) The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in caves around the Dead Sea in 1947, and are considered a major source of knowledge about the Bible. What do they contain.?a. The original documents of parts of the Old Testament of the Bible
b. The original documents of parts of the New Testament of the Bible
c. The oldest known copies of parts of the Old Testament of the Bible
d. The oldest known copies of parts of the New Testament of the Bible
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"""!!!!!!! If ignorance is bliss, I guess that would explain why I'm so miserable!
!!!!!! In the pinball game of life, his flippers were a little further apart than most.
!!!!! We're having creative differences. I'm creative, you're different.
!!!! A man spends the first half of his life learning habits that shorten the second half of his life.
!!! The bank of friendship cannot exist for long without deposits.
!! Archeologists will date any old thing.
! If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins.
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LIFE'S A LAUGH!
SLIP OF THE TONGUEA man walks into a shoe store, and tries on a pair of shoes.
"How do they feel?" asks the sales clerk.
"Well ... they feel a bit tight." replies the man.
The assistant promptly bends down and has a look at the shoes and the mans feet.
"Try pulling out on the tongue." offers the clerk.
"Nath theyth sthill feelth a bith tighth." He says.
THE GOFER BOY
Porky was eighteen years old, friendly, and eager to do things right. Unfortunately, he wasn't especially bright. He had just started his first job, as a delivery boy and general 'go-fer' at a furniture warehouse. His first task was to go out for coffee. He walked into a nearby coffee shop carrying a large thermos. When the counterman finally noticed him, he held up the thermos.
"Is this big enough to hold six cups of coffee?" he said.
The counterman looked at the thermos, hesitated for a few seconds, then finally said, "Yeah. It looks like about six cups to me."
"Good," Porky said. "Give me two regular, two black, and two decaf."
SPEED
A friend, driving home from a fishing trip in northern Michigan with his boat in tow, had engine trouble a few miles in from Lake Huron. He didn't have a CB radio in his car, so he decided to use his marine radio to get help. Climbing into his boat, he broadcast his call letters and asked for assistance. A Coast Guard officer responded, "Please give your location."
"I'm on Interstate-75, two miles south of Standish." The officer paused, "Could you repeat that?" My friend immediately complied, "I-75, two miles south of Standish."
There was a longer pause, then an incredulous voice asked my friend, "How fast were you going when you hit shore?"
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MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN BIBLICAL LANDS
EASTERN PEOPLE MENTION GOD IN DAILY CONVERSATIONSA person, when astonished, will exclaim, "Mashallah!" meaning, "See what God has done!" This is the exact term used by Baalam in Numbers 23:23. On the other hand, when a person is asked if he expects to do something, he will answer, "If God wills." James recommends this practice in James 4:15.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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TOP 10 COUNTRIES PERSECUTING CHRISTIANS
3. IranIslam is the official religion in Iran, and all laws and regulations must be consistent with the official interpretation of sharia law. Whereas the deterioration of religious freedom for Christians started with the victory of conservative parties at the beginning of 2004, a new wave of persecution of Christians followed the election of a hard-line conservative president in June 2005, bringing the country to position number 3 in the World Watch List. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hailed his election triumph as a new Islamic revolution that could spread throughout the world and pledged to restore an ‘’Islamic government’’ in Iran, implying that the previous administrations were not sufficiently Islamic. Since 2005's election, many Christians have not only been rounded up for harassment, but many have been arrested and beaten. One house church pastor was killed in November. Ethnic Christians are still allowed to express their faith within their own church walls, but those who come from a Muslim background face tremendous risk because the government wants them to return to Islam. Allegedly, local authorities throughout the nation have been given the order to crack down on all Christian cell groups. Because the churches are forbidden to assist any Muslim background believers, many ethnic churches removed their support from their brothers and sisters of Muslim origin. The new policy threatens evangelism and discipleship efforts. Muslim background believer cell groups are now meeting in secret.
4. Somalia
In Somalia, there is no constitution or any legal provision for the protection of religious freedom. The federal government is very weak as the warlords still have some control in different parts of Somalia. Islam is the official religion and social pressure is strong to respect Islamic tradition, especially in certain rural parts of the country. Most regions make use of local forms of conflict resolution, either secular, traditional clan-based arbitration, or Islamic (sharia) law. Less than one percent of ethnic Somalis are Christian, practicing their faith in secret. In some parts of Somalia, underground believers from a Muslim background find themselves in a worse situation in 2005. Five of these believers were killed by fundamentalist Muslims. As a result, many others became afraid and fled to Kenya and other parts of the world.
5. Maldives
In the archipelago of the Maldives, Islam is the official state religion and all citizens must be Muslims. Sharia law is observed, which prohibits the conversion from Islam to another religion. A convert could lose citizenship as a result. It is prohibited to practice any other religion than Islam, which is considered to be an important tool in stimulating national unity and maintenance of the government’s power. Thus it is impossible to open any churches, though foreigners are allowed to practice their religion in private if they don’t encourage citizens to participate. The Bible and other Christian materials cannot be imported apart from a copy for personal use. In the country -- one of the least evangelized countries on earth -- there are only a handful indigenous believers, and they live their faith in complete secrecy. The lack of respect for religious freedom in the Maldives remained the same during 2005.(To be continued next week.)
Provided by: OPEN DOORS: http://sb.od.org/
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DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
A REVELATION OF……. 3 MIRACULOUS CONCEPTIONSAnd how they mirrored aspects of the life of Jesus up to 2050 years before He was born. Our God is amazing!
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THE PATH
Another lesson God gave me on Bowentown Beach.THE PATH
I came to a path as I walked along the beach,
An insignificant path, with a lesson to teach.
For we need, from our mistakes to learn,
If the right way in life, we are to turn.
My walk had not been going too good,
Wanting to get back as soon as I could.
My mind wasn’t working as well as it should.
"I am sure my path was near that log of wood!"
You know how it is, being engaged in wishful thinking,
Believing you’re afloat, when in reality, you’re sinking!
When you are fed up, having had enough,
The mind starts believing ridiculous stuff!
So it was, with this path today,
I was so keen to be on my way,
That I told myself it was the right one,
No doubt about it, ‘twas good as done.
At first glance, it looked just like the right path,
If it wasn’t, no worry, would surely be a laugh.
Surely doesn’t matter whatever path I take,
My goal, in the end, I am bound to make!
The path looked easy, so happily, off I went,
Keen to get home, my energy almost spent.
I’m on the way, the pathway must be right,
How could I doubt it, for I’ve seen the light!
But as I walked, a niggle started to grow,
Is this truly, the way I really want to go?
The scenery’s nice, the way appears easy,
But the rubbish there, that’s a bit sleazy!
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A DAVID MUSING
This week God has asked me to do several things outside of my comfort zone. It's not easy, is it? What if we are rejected? What if we are making a horrible mistake? Numerous, "what ifs!" can so easily overwhelm us!But when they succeed, our faith is lifted to new levels! Three out of four worked. The fourth, because I put it off until the last minute, I wont hear about until this week! Serves me right, really!
But we are all very human, aren't we!
So until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: CARLYLE
TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?' ANSWER: c. The oldest known copies of parts of the Old Testament of the Bible The Dead Sea Scrolls contain copies of the Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and Isaiah. These copies date from around 100 B.C., much older than any other surviving copies.
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LINKS
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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