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: 263 Published: 06 Nov 2006
THE SUNDAY SERVICE - GOD'S GREATEST FRUSTRATION?
Ministering almost daily, has once again confirmed my general impression that our main planned and programmed Sunday services generally hinder, rather than help God get through to us as individuals and a group.During the week, in conferences and meetings where the structure is flexible and open to the moving of the Spirit, He does move. But in the same places on a Sunday, when 'church' takes over, the movement of the Spirit is limited by our programmed, performance presentations. I have seen the Spirit start to move during worship, then be stymied by welcomes, announcements and collections, along with pre and post preaching, preaching!
Sadly, our Sunday meetings are all too often 'church club' gatherings, where the business of the 'club' takes precedence over the moving of God.
I understand how easily these problems arise, as indeed do most of us, but the challenge is to do something about it! My best suggestion is to get the 'business' out of the way at the beginning of the service. Perhaps this might encourage people to arrive on time! Or maybe later! However, in spite of the difficulties, I much prefer this to the end of the service, when the spiritual atmosphere and the working of God in people's lives is so easily destroyed by worldly arrangements.
Let us always remember that the prime purpose for being in church is to worship our God and to let Him minister to us. Everything else should be relegated to the subsidiary place it belongs. Worth acting upon, isn't it!
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FROM THE WORD
THE MIGHTY LORD REIGNSPsalms of intimacy, encouragement, healing and comfort.
Psalms updated from the King James Version by David Tait.
PSALM 63
A Psalm of David, when in the desert of Judah.
David's confession of his longing for God, yet one also of finding joy in his fellowship, during a time of trial when he was banished to the desert.
O God, you are my God. Earnestly will I seek you; my soul thirsts for you. My body longs for you in a dry and thirsty land, one where there is no water. I have looked for you in the sanctuary, and seen your power and your glory. Because your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you. I will praise you as long as I live. I will lift up my hands in your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest of foods. My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips. I remember you upon my bed, and meditate upon you in the night watches. Because you have been my help; therefore in the shadow of your wings, I will rejoice. My soul follows hard after you. Your right hand upholds me. But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth. They shall fall by the sword. They shall be food for jackals. But the king will rejoice in God. Everyone that swears by God's name will praise him, but the mouths of liars will be silenced.
PSALM 75
A Psalm or Song of Asaph. (David's Choir Leader)
A song of thanksgiving for God's righteous judgement.
To you, O God, we give thanks; to you we give thanks. For men tell of your wondrous works. "When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly. The earth and its people quake, while I hold its pillars firm. To the arrogant I said, 'Deal not foolishly, and to the wicked, do not lift up the horn. Do not lift up your horn against heaven; do not speak with a stiff neck.'" For exaltation comes not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge. He puts one down and builds another up. For in the LORD'S hand there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is fully mixed with spices. He pours it out and all the wicked of the earth shall drink it, down to its very dregs. But I will declare this forever! I will sing praises to the God of Jacob! I will cut off all the horns of the wicked - but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
PSALM 77
A Psalm of Asaph. (David's Choir Leader)
A comforting reflection of God's prior works during a time of great personal distress.
I cried out to God for help; cried out to God with my voice - and he heard me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord. My hand stretched out in the night without tiring, my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and I was troubled. I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. You kept my eyes open. I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I considered the former days, the years of long ago. I remembered my song in the night. I meditate within my heart and my spirit searches diligently. Will the Lord cast off His unfailing love forever? Will his promise, no more be favorable? Has his mercy vanished forever? Has his promise failed for evermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger withdrawn his compassion? And I said, This is my anguish - but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high. I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember your wonders of old. I will meditate on all your work and talk of all you have done. Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary. Who is so great a God as our God? You are the God who does miracles. You have declared your power among the people. With your mighty arm you have redeemed your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. The waters saw you, O God; the waters saw you. They were afraid. The depths were disturbed. The clouds poured down waters, the skies thundered, your arrows flashed about. Your thunder was in the whirlwind, lightning lit the world, and the earth trembled and quaked. Your way is in the sea, your path in the mighty waters, your footsteps unseen. You led your people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Copyright: Walking With Jesus Ministries Charitable Trust: As this material is freely received, use is freely given, indeed encouraged, for non-commercial purposes.
A weekly Psalm in audio is available at 'PSALM OF THE WEEK' below.
You may read and study the 'New International Version (NIV)' online at...
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
HEAVENLY TRUTHS GOD HAS SHOWN ME739. - 809. God has shown me that...
... submission builds character.
... character outscores performance every time.
... 'to be' is infinitely better than 'to do'.
... we cannot put Him into a box, no matter how big we make it.
... sin caused man and God's thought patterns to become diametrically opposed.
... He reveals himself to us when we least expect it.
Please feel free to quote these quotes. Acknowledgement of David Tait as the author would be appreciated. There are now over 1270 David sayings for you to view at ...
CRANWELL'S CARTOON
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?†5 “Who are you, Lord?†Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,†he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.†7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. (Acts 9:1-9)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
A REVELATION OF....... 3 KINGDOM AGES OF GOD - Part 4THE KINGDOM'S REACH
This week we are going to see how God's group of chosen people expanded through the 3 ages from family to nation, to the whole world today - if only we will believe.
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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." ***
547. SHAKESPEARE
Q. What was William Shakespeare's favourite book of the bible?
A. The book of Acts
546. ALL ORIGINAL
What a good thing Adam had going. When he said something he knew nobody had said it before.
545.NEEDED
A pastor had a practice of leaving his pulpit for a brief time during the morning service. While one of his staff made the announcements, he went to tell a Bible story to the children in children's church. One new member didn't understand. One day he said to the minister, "Pastor, you're the first preacher I ever saw who takes a coffee break during the service."
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 768 sermon fillers for your entertainment and use at ...
AN AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
Within Africa there are many differences between countries.Here in Uganda car horns are used a little more than in New Zealand, but it is truly peaceful compared to Nigeria! My theory is that car horn usage reflects the fruit of 'patience' in a country!
Meals to are taken at different times. In Nigeria, as we would, 7-8, 12-2 and 6-8. But here in Uganda breakfast is at 10, lunch at 4 and dinner at 10pm!
The food in Uganda is very different to Nigeria. Much less spicy.
Oil has now been discovered here. Let us pray that it will be used for the benefit of many, not just a few. Africa! Africa!
FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Is a raven and a crow the same bird?ANSWER: A raven is a type of large crow, with a distinctive croaking call. Therefore all ravens are crows, but not all crows are ravens. (Ravens crow about this!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: How old are ‘prefab’ (prefabricated) houses?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS436. MIXED MESSAGES
There are two radios for every man, woman, and child in the United States. (Absolute confusion or simple stereo with one to each ear - on the same station.)
437. RAILROADED
There is 1 mile of railroad track in Belgium for every one and a half square miles of land. (How many level crossing accidents?)
438. MANT SWEET SMELLS
There are ‘Odour Technicians’ in the perfume trade with the olfactory skill to distinguish 19,000 different odours at twenty levels of intensity each – that is 380,000 smells! (Wonder what perfumes their wives wear?)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
SALIVA
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 PARABLES
Through His parables, Jesus painted a picture of God as a father who loves all His children and wants them to love Him too.In the Parable of the Lost (or Prodigal) Son, Luke 15:11-32, a man has two sons. The younger son takes his inheritance and squanders it in wild living. Destitute, the son realizes his folly and returns to the father who joyously forgives him. Meanwhile, an older son, who has always been faithful to his father, is jealous of the forgiveness granted the younger son.
What group of people does the younger son represent?
a. Gentiles
b. Jews
c. Pharisees
d. Sinners
Answer at the end of A DAVID MUSING.
Source: "TwoPaths Bible Study, www.twopaths.com"
Heaps more fun and serious 'God Facts' are found at...
IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""!!!!!!! Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
!!!!!! The peak years of mental activity are between the ages of four and eighteen. At four they know all the questions, at eighteen they know all the answers.
!!!!! When all think alike, no-one is thinking much.
!!!! You have the capacity to learn from your mistakes. You will learn a lot today.
!!! As you grow older, you'll find that most of the things you regret are the things you didn't do.
!! To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world.
! Real friends are those who, when you feel you've made a fool of yourself, don't feel you've done a permanent job.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
EXTENSIVE EXPLANATIONS
NEW DIET RULES1. If you eat something, but no one else sees you eat it, it has no calories.
2. When drinking a diet soda while eating a candy bar, the calories in the candy bar are canceled by the diet soda.
3. When you eat with someone else, calories don't count as long as you don't eat more than they do.
4. Foods used for medicinal purposes never count. eg. hot chocolate, brandy, toast, Sara Lee cheesecake
5. If you fatten up everyone else around you, then you look thinner.
6. Movie-related foods do not have calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel. eg. milk duds, buttered popcorn, junior mints and Tootsie Rolls
7. Cookie pieces contain no calories. The process of breaking the cookie causes calorie leakage.
8. Late-night snacks have no calories. The refrigerator light is not strong enough for the calories to see their way into the calorie counter.
9. If you are in the process of preparing something, food licked off knives and spoons have no calories. eg. peanut butter on a knife, ice cream on a spoon
10. Food of the same color have the same number of calories. Examples are spinach and pistachio ice cream, mushrooms and white chocolate. Chocolate is a universal color and may be substituted for any other.
BUT DOES OUR CREATOR AGREE?
SIGNS THAT YOU ARE 'WEBBED OUT'
Your opening line is, "So what's your home page address?"
Your best friend is someone you've never met.
You see a beautiful sunset, and you half expect to see "Enhanced for Netscape 1.1" on one of the clouds.
You are overcome with disbelief, anger and finally depressed when you encounter a Web page with no links.
You are driving on a dark and rainy night when you hydroplane on puddle, sending your car careening toward the flimsy guard rail that separates you from the precipice of a rocky cliff and certain death. You look for the "Back" button.
You visit "The Really Big Button that Doesn't Do Anything" again and again and again.
Your dog has his own Web page and so does your hamster.
When you read a magazine, you have an irresistible urge to click on the underlined passages.
Extensive extensive explanations here...
ANOTHER AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
Some people you meet simply reflect the Spirit of God in their faces and their manner. Others don't. I have found this to be more noticable in Africa than elsewhere. Particularly with the godly people.In His end time church, all who are sold out to Him will display His character and likeness. There will be a much clearer distinction between darkness and light.
I am seeing more of that in this trip, for I have met a few rogues also! Africa! Africa! It leads the world in so many ways - both the good and the bad!
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN BIBLICAL LANDS
MEATMeat was eaten only on special occasions, at a feast, or when a stranger or guest was entertained. except for kings and the wealthy, who ate meat often. Solomon's court offered 4 types daily - beef, mutton, game and fowl. (1 Kings 4:23)
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
Lots more 'God Facts' are found at...
'PSALM OF THE WEEK' FREE AUDIO DOWNLOAD
PSALM 48A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah. (The Levitical choir).
A celebration of the security of Jerusalem, found through the glory of God in Zion.
Each week, be encouraged, comforted and inspired by listening to a track from our Psalms CD, 'The Mighty Lord Reigns'.
My thanks to Keith Duncan, in Scotland, for making this possible.
You may download your audio recording here...
http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~kmduncan/wwj/mp3/track_12.mp3
UNDERLYING BIBLICAL SPIRITUAL MEANINGS
Tips to Help You Better Understand the Spiritual Meaning of Your BibleMany words in the Bible have implied spiritual meanings as well as literal ones. For instance, numbers in Hebrew have an underlying meaning as well as a numeric value. e.g. the number 7 speaks of completion or perfection. Other words have a spiritual significance as well as a literal meaning. e.g. when scripture talks of a ‘lamb’ it is usually a type of Jesus, the ‘Lamb of God’ (John 1:29)
I trust that this list will help you better understand some of the amazing spiritual truths hidden in the pages of God’s Word, the Bible. Do be careful however, to apply these types and pictures sensibly. The relevance of their application must be considered in the context in which the words are used in the passage being studied and in the Bible as a whole.
Underlying Spiritual Meanings of Numbers
1-----God
2-----Witness
3-----The Godhead
4-----Earth/Man
5-----Atonement or Grace
6-----Fallen man
7-----Completion, Perfection, Maturity
8-----New Beginnings, Resurrection
9-----Eternal perfection
10----Trial and testing
More items of 'Churchspeak' are found at...
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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WAXING LYRICAL
TO BEARD OR NOT TO BEARD? (Part 1 of 3)One of my favourites. It’s self explanatory.
To beard or not to beard?
That’s the hairy question.
For thirty years I’ve always feared.
This subject - never to mention.
For you see my friend, I am not hirsute,
To grow me a beard, too great a pursuit.
Until the Christmas of ninety- nine, you know,
When I plucked up the courage to give it a go.
Why not, I said to myself, with great bravado,
Willing to be squelched - an over ripe tomato.
If I don’t give it a try, I’ll never know,
Whether or not my beard will grow.
What a terrible fate it would be for me,
To go to the grave, not knowing if thee,
Would grow to be little more than a fuzz,
Or rather, long and strong - what a buzz!
Give it a go David, yes, that’s what I must do,
Too bad when people think I belong in a zoo.
I will break the mould, live a new life,
Then get in strife, for upsetting the wife!
Each day I look at the mirror, what do I see?
Are my hairs really growing, or is it just me?
Maybe I should count them, one, two, threeee….
One thousand, two hundred and nine – yipeeee!
(To be continued next week)
More of David's poems at...
A DAVID MUSING
For 2 days this week, I have been staying at the home of my friends, Andrew and Diana Edwards in Kampala, Uganda. It is an oasis away from home! Being my third visit here, I am welcomed in as part of the family. And, of course, they want to know where Kathy is, for she came with me on my first visit here!Good friends make travelling so much easier and more enjoyable.
Next, in Kenya, I will again be with David and Selina Walhuku. I so look forward to that too. Finally I will return here for a week's ministry before joining my best friend, Kathy, in London.
Yes, good friends make life so much more enjoyable.
Sadly, we are so busy in our modern world, that making of new friends has been relgated to a low priority in life. We are the poorer for it.
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: AVAILS
TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?' ANSWER: d. Sinners. Jesus took the bold step of carrying His ministry to sinners and outcasts - prostitutes, corrupt tax collectors, etc. He assured them that, if they turned away from sin, they would be forgiven and accepted into the kingdom of God. Like the father in the parable, He offers us the same forgiveness. No matter how bad the sin or how long it has been going on, it will be erased when we come to God in a spirit of repentance.
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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