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: 243 Published: 19 Jun 2006
A PSALM
Of David (Tait)A cry of despair, trust and victory, during a time of difficulty in life.
Peering through the gloom,
All one can see is doom.
Mind in a place now, that can only see the worst,
No more, through the clouds, does the sun burst.
O Lord, my Lord, how did I miss your will!
Where are you Lord, my void to fill?
My God, My God, you seem so far away,
I so need you Lord, in my life today.
Together we did map out the road ahead,
Started on the journey, as I was led.
Travelled nicely along, until coming to a sharp bend,
Around the corner - suddenly - the road came to an end.
I screeched to a halt!
Hit by a thunderbolt!
My God, My God, this wasn't in the plan,
Is my way of you, or simply, my own man?
Those wise after the event say,
"We knew it would never work."
You should have said so yesterday!
Not stab me now, with my dirk!
Where can I hide?
Lost in my pride!
Hate being wrong!
It's not my song!
With back so sore, I'm hurt and dejected,
Did it helping those, who me rejected!
Life's a misery, that much I know,
To whom can I turn, where can I go!
But in you Lord, I put all my trust,
Without you, I am nothing but dust.
For Lord, You've always proved faithful to me,
Again, show me Your way Lord, help me to see.
The phone rings, once, twice, thrice,
An encouragement? That would be nice!
The voice on the phone settles my ruction,
By giving to me, a brand new introduction.
Back on the road, I see a mighty big change,
Where the road did end, is now an exchange,
A super-highway has been put into place,
I am back again, now running my race.
Your vision Lord, is much greater than mine,
Not surprising really, for You are divine!
As the Good Book says, Your ways are not my ways,
May I follow your path, through all my days.
For you Lord, know the road ahead,
Without you, I'm as good as dead.
I trust you with my life, my Master,
For you deliver me from disaster.
Forevermore I place my hands in Yours,
Lead me Lord, to fulfil your cause.
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FROM THE WORD
PSALM 121A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
You may read and study the 'New International Version (NIV)' online at...
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
GROWING IN GOD987. To see the view we must first climb the mountain.
988. Growing pains happen in the spiritual as well as the natural.
989. To grow in our God we must first shrink in our self.
990. 'Going down' is the secret to 'growing up' in God.
991. Without life's valleys we wouldn't truly appreciate the mountain tops.
992. 'No gain without pain' is truly also the dictum of the race of life.
993. The race of life goes round many corners.
994. The race of life is held on a cross country course, not on a cinder track.
995. Growth in God is in spurts, same as in the body. They are normally both challenging and satisfying at the same time.
1000. It's in the valleys of life we develop the strength needed to scale the mountain tops.
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 ...
CRANWELL'S CARTOON
6 After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark 7 and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. 9 But the dove could find no place to set its feet because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. 10 He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him. (Genesis 8:6-12)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
A REVELATION OF....... THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID - Part 6A WALK OF SACRIFICE
The question God continually asks us, one way or another is, "How much are we prepared to sacrifice for Him?"
This week we are looking at the sacrifice He desires, indeed requires!
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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." ***
505 FUTURE PREACHER?
While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his five-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased.
The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his father always said:
"Glory be unto the Faaaather. and unto the Sonnnn. . ...and into the hole he gooooes."
504 GRATERFUL THANKS
To close each day's activities in summer and on holidays in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida, a huge fireworks display lights up the sky.
One night I noticed a small boy about three years old perched on his father's shoulder. The child sat mesmerized, aware only of what was exploding in the heavens. When the fireworks were over, the little boy looked up into the sky again and said, "Thank you, God."
FREE DOWNLOAD: You can now download the book 'Laughing At Ourselves' in PDF format at LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
One of the most comprehensive sources of Christian Humour on the Net with 750 sermon fillers for your entertainment and use at ...
FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Why isn't Puerto Rico on the list of countries?ANSWER: : Puerto Rico is not a nation because it is a commonwealth associated with the United States. Technically it's an American territory, not an independent nation. (Suffer split personalities?)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What invention has resulted in less sleep times for humans?
Answer Next Week.
My thanks to J H Roller for pointing out that there are 4 commonwealths in the US, not 3. Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
SOME FUN FACTS497. SUCKING IT UP
A McDonald's straw will hold 7.7 ml, or just over one-and-a-half teaspoons of whatever you are drinking. This means that it would take 17,000 ‘strawfuls’ of water to fill up a 34 gallon bathtub. (Clutching at straws?)
498. LIFESTYLE PAIN
Two out of three adults in the United States have haemorrhoids. (Headline in the “Body Times†– “Bowels Protest Against ‘Hamburger Heaven’!â€)
499. PUPPY LOVE
An American Animal Hospital Association poll showed that 33 percent of dog owners admit that they talk to their dogs on the phone or leave messages on an answering machine while away. (The only ones who will listen to them?)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
MINGLED
Answer at the end of A David Musing
FREE DOWNLOAD: You can download the full version of our Trivia Book at TRULY TRIFFLING TRIVIA
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BIBLE QUESTION - THE EXODUS
1) After the Israelites departed Egypt, how did the Lord lead them on their journey to the Promised Land?a. He placed a bright star in the sky to guide them.
b. An angel of the Lord walked ahead of them.
c. He allowed Moses to carry the sacred map to the Promised Land.
d. He went before them in a pillar of cloud or fire.
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"""!!!!!!! Forget love, I'd rather fall into chocolate.
!!!!!! The greater the man's talent, the more becoming his modesty.
!!!!! The truth often hurts, but it is the lie that leaves the scar.
!!!! Take the time to be right. It's faster than being wrong.
!!! Life is an open door. It can be closed at any time, so don't complain about the draft.
!! I used to have an open mind, but my brains kept falling out.
! Shin: A device for finding furniture in the dark.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
LIFE'S A LAUGH!
THE ALPHABETWhile walking through the woods one day, I was surprised to hear a child's voice. I followed the sound, trying in vain to understand the child's words. When I spotted a boy perched on a rock, I realized why his words had made no sense: He was repeating the alphabet.
"Why are you saying your ABC's so many times?" I asked him.
The child replied, "I'm saying my prayers."
I couldn't help but laugh. "Prayers? All I hear is the alphabet."
Patiently the child explained, "Well, I don't know all the words, so I give God the letters. He knows what I'm trying to say."
YOU TRY HARDER
Grandmother was approaching middle age when grandfather decided it was time she learned to drive. After acquiring a temporary permit, they took to the road for a practice
session, grandma sitting white-knuckled behind the wheel and Grandpa issuing instructions from the passenger seat. The lesson progressed uneventfully until grandpa happened to
glance out his window and down. The wheels were passing just centimetres away from the curb.
"Helen, watch out for the curb!" he exclaimed. This warning seemed to elicit little response from my grandmother, still hunched grimly behind the wheel. Indeed, the wheels crept even closer to the curb. Fighting to remain calm, he repeated his admonition. The wheels edged to within a hairs breadth of the curb. A collision seemed inevitable. Panic raised grandpa's voice to a roar, "Helen, the curb!" With a glare in my grandfather's direction grandmother carefully brought the car to a halt, switched off the ignition and turned huffily to face him and said angrily, "If you can drive any closer to the curb without hitting it, go ahead."
A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE
I got a call from a man who asked, "Is it possible to see England from Canada?"
I said, "No."
He said "But they look so close on the map."
Lots more real life humour at...
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN BIBLICAL LANDS
JEWISH BOYShad to be able to recite 'the Shema', a prayer, by age 12. The prayer consisted of 3 passages from the Penteteuch that Jewish men repeated morning and evening. Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21, & Numbers 15:37-41.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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THE HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC IN THE WORLD
In the two decades since its outbreak, HIV has infected more than 60 million people in the world and AIDS has caused the deaths of more than 22 million. The disease cannot be ignored as being a disease that only affects people living in an aberrant lifestyle or in promiscuity. Spouses, friends, tainted blood, etc are infecting innocent people throughout the world. Children are born with the disease from infected mothers, and they can contract the disease from the milk of the mother. There are now more than 15 million innocent orphan children in the world under the age of 15 because of AIDS (orphan being defined as a child that has lost one or both parents to the disease). This number could rise to 25 million by 2010. As Christians, we must offer compassion and hope to ALL victims of the disease, no matter how the person contracted it.For more facts on AIDS and what can be done about it, go to...
DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
A REVELATION OF…….THE SEVEN REVELATIONS OF THE LAMBIt would be normal to think of a victorious God as a lion. But Jesus came as a lamb, the Lamb of God.
The incredible story of how the Lamb of God is foreshadowed 4 times in the Old Testament, comes as the Lamb in the New, sets our example and will return to claim His kingdom.
Both a faith builder and a call to inherit the kingdom now.
VICTORY!
The inspiration for the first two parts of this poem came from a cross-island trek Kathyand I went on when we were staying on the beautiful Island of Rarotonga, in the Cook
Islands. For those who don’t know, The Cooks are situated around the Tropic of Capricorn
in the Pacific Ocean. A great place to visit! The last part is based loosely on the book
of Revelation, Chapters 21 and 22, the biblical promise of what is to come. Hope it is
both enjoyable and challenging to you. Of course it is just verse, so is not all strictly
theologically accurate! Called poetic licence! (Part 4 of 9)
Having got to the top of the mountain and come down, we can now enjoy the beautiful waterfall, a picture of the Holy Spirit.
VICTORY!
UNDER THE WATERFALL
Coming to, I turn again towards Jesus, only to find,
He’s gone to the bus, leaving some of us behind.
For you see, others did not want to go on into the pool,
Would rather go back to the hotel, to enjoy their cool.
As Jesus hops in the bus, ready for the drive,
He waves back at me, motioning me to dive,
Lovingly now too, he points down by my side,
He’d left me his guidebook, to take on my ride.
Opening the cover, not knowing what I’ll see,
A personal note there, one from him to me.
“Trust in me, my son, I will never lead you astray,
My Spirit’s with you, always to show the way.â€
Sitting down on the rock, a tear in my eye,
“Can’t ever repay him,†I think with a sigh,
For the book of life, he’s so generously given me,
With it beside me, I’ll always enjoy his company.
Hearing that voice again, “David, the water is coolâ€,
See Kathy there too, already enjoying it in the pool.
Taking the guide book with me, waterproof so I found,
Now jump right in, to where Kathy is playing around.
A great splash - the water is so refreshing!
Gives a new lease of life, ‘tis a real blessing.
Can’t now understand my reluctance to hop in,
Feel really at home here, amongst kith and kin.
(To be continued next week)
More of David's poems at...
A DAVID MUSING
Isn't it amazing that nothing is beyond God? When one door closes and all seems lost, another, better door opens!As the 'Psalm of David above reveals, after Kathy and I have had several weeks of wondering where we went wrong - wondering do we even hear from Him at all - He springs a surprise or two and we get back on track again.
Such experiences are both faith testing and faith building. If our walk is always easy, we would not be prepared to face the tough times which life brings along for us all, from time to time.
Reminds me of training for a marathon. (Just a memory now!) For those who do insufficient training the race is absolute agony! With a good amount of training it's simply mild agony! But the glory of the medal at the end keeps one going!
Yet how much more glorious is 'the medal of eternal life'. Well worth a hardship or two along the way!
Just after writing this, I received the following article by Os Hillman, which relates to this too.
"What is the spiritual inheritance God has reserved for you? When God told the Israelites they were going to receive the Promised Land, it was not given to them on a silver platter. In fact, they would encounter 39 battles in taking the land God promised to them. It took a joint effort between God and the Israelites to engage and battle the enemy that maintained control of the land.
God has given you and me a spiritual inheritance that must be won in the heavenlies. A dear friend and mentor once counseled me after watching my life over a period and said, "The Lord has given you a spiritual inheritance. That inheritance lies in relationships, and because it lies in relationships, that is the place the enemy has attacked you most. The enemy always attacks us in the area where we are to receive our inheritance. You must walk in faithfulness and obedience to His righteousness in how you deal with relationships." These were words of wisdom that have since guided my path. The Lord has proven these words to be true.
What is the spiritual inheritance He has reserved for you? What areas of your inheritance must you take possession of? The enemy of your soul does not want you to take possession. Put on your armor and begin walking in obedience into the areas God has called you to possess."
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: d. He went before them in a pillar of cloud or fire. Exodus 13:20-22
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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