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: 236 Published: 01 May 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.
The secure payment link, should you wish to donate online is...
HELP! EMAIL DOWN!
We had email problems at the time of the delivery of last week's newsletter. If you had mail to the 'psalms' address returned pleas send it again and it will go through. Could Margaret and Jezz from Australia and the person in Waihi (NZ) with the friend with heart cancer please resend their addresses as their emails were lost with the problems we had. Thankyou.
GOD'S CALLING HIS CHURCH 9: FROM BUILDINGS TO COMMUNITY
A new church begins. It starts to grow. It soon gets too big for the home or meeting place. So what to do? Where to meet now? Maybe split into two, but then we would miss fellowship with half our friends. Perhaps we can find a hall to hire. But a hall is never like home, is it? An idea! I know! We will build a church of our own - for the glory of God, of course!So we build a building. It draws the men of the church together, working on the construction project. For we men love projects! While raising money is never easy, at least building funds are less of a problem than fundraising to support a missionary or church in a far distant land. At least, with a building, we can see what we are getting for our money, and we will benefit from its facilities.
The great day comes. The church is finished. We open it, inviting the mayor or chief, and the community, to come. It is a time of celebration. Surely all will return.
Next week however, only the members turn up. While the doors are open to the community, the community is not rushing in through them. So programmes are instituted to draw others to the church. When a programme proves to be unsuccessful, it is replaced by another. Why wont the people come in, we cry? We have so much to offer! Gradually, a seige mentality develops. We will do our thing - they can do theirs. They can come and join us when they see the light. And so we run our Christian Club, in our separated 'club premises', which we call the Church. The community lives its life and we live ours. But our building remains, standing solid, for God's glory. Or is it?
We must ask ourselves the question, "What really is the church?" And the answer truly is, "Not buildings, but people." A building, no matter how beautiful or functional is not salt and light to the world.
SALT AND LIGHT
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)
We are not simply to be salt, 'salted away' (excuse the pun) in our church buildings. Nor are we just to be the light, shining in the house! Rather, we are to be lights shining before the men, and women, and children of the community. And we can only do that by moving beyond our safe, protective church walls into the community itself, not restricting our light to our church 'bowl'.
Yes, God is calling His people back into the community, opening up our homes, being Jesus in our workplaces and social institutions, so becoming effective servants and witnesses to our neighbourhoods.
It is true that the early church did minister in the synagogues and other public meeting places, from which they were regularly ejected. But their primary focus was not upon preaching but on relational ministry, one on one or in small groups, following the example Jesus set with His disciples. Sure, Jesus spoke to the crowds, but most of His time was spent training disciples, both men and women, on a personal, relational basis.
The 'tradition' of creating beautiful buildings for God's glory grew out of the institutionalisation of the church during Roman times. Mankind's kingdom is found in monuments, parliaments, palaces - and churches. But God's kingdom isn't built of bricks and mortar but is living, vibrant, vital linkage of human hearts submitted in discipleship to Jesus. Don't take my word for it though, listen to Jesus.
THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.†(Luke 17:20-21)
May we not be beguiled into believing that God lives in buildings of brick, stone or wood, irrespective of how beautiful, serene or peaceful they may be to our eyes. Instead, let us seek to instil the truths of Jesus into the hearts of men and women, where the real church, God's kingdom, is found.
PRINCIPLE 9: God is calling His people out of buildings and back into the community.
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FROM THE WORD
"The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?†He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: â€â€˜You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.†(Matthew 13:10-23)"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?†They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.†“But what about you?†he asked. “Who do you say I am?†Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.†Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.†Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ." (Matthew 16:13-20)
"He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." (Matthew 18:2-5)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
MINISTRY 21201. To be called to minister is both an honour, and the responsibility of us all.
1202. The temptation for professional ministry is to become priests rather than servants.
1203. Ministry, put simply, is being Jesus to others.
1204. Ministry is the call upon us all!
1205. To be a minister we don't have to be trained in Jesus, but simply reflect the Jesus in us.
1206. If we were all prepared to minister, fulfilling the Great Commission would be a breeze!
1207. Many ministers make light work!
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
GOD IS CALLING HIS CHURCH FROM NUMBERS TO DISCIPLESHIPThe Moreletta Church in the east of Pretoria had its first service in its brand new ZAR100 million (US$17 million!!) auditorium yesterday. 8000 people attended and filled this building with “only†7100 seats!
At the Centurion West Presby Church (CPC) we also yesterday had our best turn out since our Christmas service last year. 80 adults and 12 children!
I felt a bit intimidated when “friends†in Moreletta could not wait to call me to share this information. I felt intimidated, until I also heard that:
· they had to sit in church one and half hour before the service started, in order to have a seat where they could actually see the minister personally – and not only on the Big Screen;
· when they admitted that they after church got stuck in the worst traffic jam of their lives;
· that it took more than ten minutes just to take up the collection;
· that the cost of this building amounts to R15 000 per seat (the new CPC chapel will provide 220 seats at R5600 per seat!)
and
· until I received an encouraging weekly devotion from David Tait of the Walking with Jesus Ministries in New Zealand.
OK, I do not share a lot of David’s theology – especially his ways of exegesis and finding “new revelations†in the Scriptures. But the Lord certainly used him to encourage this old man to continue the CPC’s vision to provide a warm, loving Christian home to unchurched people in our area. The rest of this “message†is largely based on David’s article. Yes, I did make it a bit more “Presbyterian friendly†than his original! (David – I know with your excellent sense of humour you will allow me this much honesty!)
It may also have some meaning, that the very same people who yesterday could not wait to tell the “small church minister†about their roaring success yesterday, ASKED ONE OF MY ELDERS TO LEAD A MEMORIAL SERVICE WHEN A LOVED ONE PASSED AWAY LAST WEEK, BECAUSE NOT A SINGLE PREACHER OF THE MULTIPLE MINISTERED CHURCH EVER MET THE PERSON WHO DIED! Very humbly and obediently (to the Lord), the elder led the memorial service (in a hired, privately owned wedding chapel!!!) and comforted and pastored this mega-church related family!
Way to go, sister!
Numbers or Discipleship! (Abridged here)
love in Christ,
Andries
CPC Preaching the Word.
Editor: Andries Combrink
In association with the
Centurion West Presbyterian Church
E-mail: info@cpk.co.za
Website: www.centurionwest.co.za
-------------------------------------------------------------
David
The mega church structure and Biblical shepherding, again.
“Why don’t churches of Reformed persuasion, who unashamedly teach the Word, become megachurches?†a member asked me, after I on Monday mailed out the previous email on mega-structure worship and the key role of little churches in reaching the unchurched. I would like to add another question to that: Why does no congregation with a Reformed teaching grow into a mega structure, until they embrace Armenianism? (In other words the teaching that you are saved by the good works of faith, instead of by God, through faith by grace.)
It just didn’t seem right to her that enormous auditoriums were being filled to hear “sermons†on man’s potential to save himself and, to be honest, on man’s potential in all aspects of life. It was disturbing to her that structures seem to be attractive to large numbers of people, only after the gospel has been watered down and the preaching of the full council of God has been lost beside the roadside of program heavy, content poor centres of the glorification of man’s ability to find salvation for himself.
When I challenged the minister of a congregation in a denomination that by name is Reformed, by practice Armenian and by choice of name unrecognisable in terms of their confessional heritage and denominational relations, why he prefers to minister incognito as to who they are suppose to be, his answer was shocking to me: “I cannot see what we do to be wrong, because God blessed al we did!†God’s blessings to him was the result of / reward for good works of faith and in no way a sovereign gracious act of God, in spite of the weakness and imperfections of human ministry. But then, his answer was also consistent with his theology.
What should we then think of the megachurch phenomenon? Certainly, all Christians should desire the numerical growth of the Church. But why are there no megachurches with a known sound teaching on “saved by grace only†and “teaching the Word only†and the spirituality and emphasis that go with such teachings? Is it because we are doing something wrong?
We cannot not rule out the possibility that God could raise up a faithful megachurch, but the Scriptures themselves indicate that the likelihood of this happening, is small.
But what about Acts 2, some may ask. When Peter preached, did a megachurch not spring up? “Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day†(Acts 2:41). Such an exegesis ignores the context of that passage.
It was the Day of Pentecost and there were gathered in Jerusalem “Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs†(Acts 2:8-11). These people did not join the Church at Jerusalem. They each went back to their own regions, if not all willingly, but by necessity (see Acts 8:1). The 3,000 added to the number represented the whole church – the “denomination†- and not a single congregation. Some of the regions mentioned in Acts 2 are geographically magnanimous. On the average, there were about 200 converts from each region. Two hundred does not make a mega structure.
It also should not escape our notice that Jesus told us that narrow is the gate that leads to life and there will be relatively few who find it (Matt. 7:14). Whenever Jesus preached He did his level best to separate the wheat from the chaff by the preaching of the full council of God. In John 6, many of Jesus’ disciples began to complain that the things he was teaching were difficult to accept / understand. Jesus’ response was to even more zealously proclaim the truth of the Kingdom. The response? “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him†(John 6:66).
The faithful servant of the Word will not have his purpose watered down to what people want to hear, but rather will take up his Master’s example. It did not have a tendency in Jesus’ day to promote the growth of mega structures and it doesn’t in ours either.
There certainly are legitimate reasons why people are drawn to mega structures, but there also are two predominantly bad reasons.
The first bad reason is anonymity. People can slip in and slip out unnoticed. If they don’t come for weeks on end, often no one may notice it. They can get lost in a crowd, and live in their sin indefinitely without being directly shepherded and challenged to change. This attitude is not in line with the mindset commended in Hebrews 13:17 in which God’s people are told to behave in such a way that their work of shepherding is a joy for the leadership and not a burden.
The second bad reason is entertainment and “opportunities.†Mega structures can have programs and pageants going on that rival those of the Arts and Culture Boards of the cities they thrive in. This is not bad in itself, but when the content of sound teaching is sacrificed on the altar of the increasing stimulation of the senses, the salt has lost its savour.
You really do find large churches with sound Biblical teaching, with reverence for God, with the humility Jesus required from his followers and a motivation to serve driven by the promises of grace, rather than by the potential of man. You also find big churches with sound teaching, that host excellent programs that benefit the poor, the seekers and those keen on growing in grace and sanctification. But then there will also be true, Christlike shepherding that requires enough ministers and well trained elders required for the development of discipleship. For me personally, if God in his mercy ever blessed our congregation with growth beyond 200, it would be my desire to look to plant another church.
Andries
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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
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.†3 In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.†4 “How can a man be born when he is old?†Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!†5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.†9 “How can this be?†Nicodemus asked. 10 “You are Israel’s teacher,†said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. (John 3:1-13)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
A REVELATION OF....... THE TABERNACLE OF MOSES - PART 3 (4)APPLICATION TO TODAY’S CHURCH
God has a plan - a plan that whose fulfilment is not yet finished - in spite of what some might like to think! In fact, it won't be fully accomplished until the day of Jesus return!
But let's first have a look at what's in store for us in the meantime.
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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." ***
491. DON'T WAIT!
A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him in front of the service station.
Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump. "Reverend," said the young man, "sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip."
The minister chuckled, "I know what you mean. It's the same in my business."
490. I'LL HELP
Burglar: "One move and you're dead. I'm looking for your money".
Vicar: "Hang on, let me get a light and I'll help you".
489. STEADY PROGRESS
The pastor told the search committee, "If I am voted in as pastor of this church, I will work hard to bring us into the 19th century." Someone spoke up, " Uh, Preacher, don't you mean the 21st century?" The pastor replied, " Let's take it one century at a time."
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: Where did the expression ‘red herring’ originate?ANSWER: A ‘red herring’ is a diversionary tactic - something that draws attention away from the central issue. The term originated from the use of smoked herring (which is reddish brown and extremely strong-smelling) to distract hunting dogs from following a trail. In the seventeenth century, smoked herring was also used as a lure to train dogs to follow a scent. And, of course, it was also used by criminals to divert bloodhounds from the trail. (Still is!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What creature has infrared receptors to help it catch prey in total darkness?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS515. CAN'T CURDLE
Camel’s milk doesn’t curdle. (Now know why we can’t buy ‘camel milk yoghurt’.)
516. MISPRONUNCIATION
The correct pronunciation for Dr Seuss rhymes with ‘rejoice’. (Of ‘coise’!)
517. POISE
Elephants walk on tiptoe as the back of their foot is made only of fat and no bone. (Come tiptoe through the tulips with me…)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
ATHENS
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BIBLE QUESTION - THE GOSPELS
In the 4th century Pope Damascus assigned his secretary, Jerome, the task of producing an accurate translation of the Bible in Latin, the language of the Roman Empire. Jerome completed the task in 405 A.D., and his translation became the standard Bible of Christianity for over 900 years. What was this version called?a. The Geneva Bible
b. The King James Bible
c. The Sepuagint
d. The Vulgate
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"""!!!!!!! Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds you down or polishes you up depends on what you’re made of.
!!!!!! If the pen is mightier than the sword, and a picture is worth a 1000 words, how dangerous is a fax?
!!!!! A single death is a tragedy. A million deaths a statistic.
!!!! If you think you are important, just remember that a lot of famous men from a century ago have weeds growing over their graves today.
!!! Wisdom is made up of two parts. 1) Having a lot to say, and 2) not saying it.
!! There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate. (Charles Dickens)
! If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
PUN LINERS
~ A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.~ Show me a piano falling down a mineshaft and I'll show you A-flat minor.
~ When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.
~ The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.
~ A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.
~ A lot of money is tainted. It taint yours and it taint mine.
~ A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.
~ A plateau is a high form of flattery.
~ The short fortuneteller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
~ Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
~ When an actress saw her first strands of gray hair she thought she'd dye.
~ Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.
~ Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.
~ Acupuncture is a jab well done.
~ Corduroy pillows are making headlines.
~ Is a book on voyeurism a peeping tome?
~ Sea captains don't like crew cuts.
~ Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
~ A gossip is someone with a great sense of rumor.
~ Without geometry, life is pointless.
~ When you dream in color, it's a pigment of your imagination.
~ Reading whilst sunbathing makes you well-red.
~ When two egotists meet, it's an I for an I.
~ A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two-tired.
~ What's the definition of a will? (It's a dead giveaway).
~ In democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.
More of my favorite puns at...
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN BIBLICAL LANDS
EASTERN PEOPLE'S LANGUAGE INCLUDES EXAGGERATED EXPRESSIONSFigurative language, exaggeration and demonstration are part of the culture. Instead of John the Baptist saying, "Your pretence of virtue and good birth far exceed your practice of virtue," as we might say, he said instead, "“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. (Matthew 3:7-9)
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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TOP 10 COUNTRIES PERSECUTING CHRISTIANS
6. BhutanMahayana Buddhism is the state religion in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Officially, the Christian faith does not exist and Christians are not allowed to pray or celebrate in public. Also, the government forbids Christian house gatherings that involve several families. Priests are denied visas to enter the country. Christians are being deprived of their rights, such as children’s education, government jobs and setting up private businesses. The import of printed religious matter is restricted, and only Buddhist religious texts are allowed in the country. Society exerts strong pressure to comply with Buddhist norms. Christians are regularly arrested, as the local police often use arrests as a pressure tactic to make believers refrain from witnessing. Believers are not only experiencing pressure from the authorities but also from Buddhists clerics, sometimes experiencing physical assaults.
7. Vietnam
Vietnam is one of the last communist-ruled countries in the world. Although the constitution provides for religious freedom, the atheist regime tries to keep religion under strict control with a system of obligatory registrations. Many believers escape this by not registering. From time to time the Vietnamese government holds campaigns and closes churches, especially in the highlands. Vietnam drops a few places on the list, as Christians have expressed that their situation has improved in 2005, compared to previous years. In November 2004, a new ordinance was implemented in Vietnam to regulate religion. Though many feared this would lead to increasing oppression, it seems that the new ordinance has in fact resulted in slight improvements. The Evangelical Church of Vietnam was allowed to build and renovate church buildings and conduct trainings. For Roman Catholics, the situation improved dramatically: they were allowed to open a new diocese and ordain 57 new priests. Though arrests and beatings of Christians continued during 2005, they seem to take place to a lesser extent than in 2004, when more than 100 Christians were imprisoned and maltreated and an unknown number killed during Easter demonstrations against religious rights.
8. Yemen
The Yemeni constitution guarantees freedom of religion but it also declares that Islam is the state religion and that sharia is the source of all legislation. The Yemeni government allows expatriates some freedom to live out their faith, but Yemeni citizens are not allowed to convert. There are a handful of converts from Islamic background who face the death penalty if they are discovered. During the past year, several Christian converts were arrested and beaten for their faith. Nearly all those arrested were released after paying a fine/bribe.(To be continued next week.)
Provided by: OPEN DOORS: http://sb.od.org/
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DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
'TABERNEAGLE' THOUGHTS FROM.....A poster of thoughts about living life in Tabernacles. Out of a human mind but hopefully with God given inspiration. An A4 sized wall (’loo?’) hanger. A4 size.
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IN A HURRY!
Normally writing verse takes longer than writing prose. But not this time!IN A HURRY!
Time is short,
Too much sport!
Bad attitude,
No gratitude!
Put Jesus first,
Develop thirst!
Do come aboard,
Jesus is Lord!
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A DAVID MUSING
Yesterday was a sad time for us, as we said farewell to our church of the past 3+ years. For about 8 months ago we shifted cities (about 20km or 12 miles) and Kathy and I now believe it is time to worship locally.Church family is family, and always difficult to leave behind. But in our modern world, where shifting locations has become the norm, the resultant changing of church families has also become a more frequent occurrence.
One thing I have noticed though, particularly when travelling overseas and meeting many new people, is how quickly you bond with other believers in God's family.
We believe that this will be the case too, as we meet with believers in a new situation, here in our suburb of Flaxmere.
But change is change. Adjustments need to be made. Change isn't comfortable. That is true of our ongoing lives in God, isn't it? If it's not, it should be! Until we reach perfection. A lot of change is necessary for me yet then! Oh dear!
So until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: HASTEN
TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?' ANSWER: d. The Vulgate: Jerome did a good job of correcting the mistakes in previous Latin versions. The Vulgate became a respected and enduring translation. The high cost of hand-copied Bibles and the fact that they were available only in Latin kept Bibles out of the reach of ordinary people until well after printing was invented in the 15th century. Even after that many of the churches opposed letting common people read the Bible on the grounds they would not be able to interpret it correctly. Widespread Bible availability is a relatively recent development.
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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