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: 265 Published: 20 Nov 2006
HOW PRECIOUS IS THE WORD
When traveling, particularly in conditions of no electric light and lots of people, it can be difficult to spend personal time in the Word. It was. And I missed it!Sure, one can pray, and pray I did. But generally, I am a man of few words - unless in front of an audience! My God knows that I love and worship Him, which I tell Him, and of my desire is to become like Jesus. He also knows my needs, which I put simply, not having to constantly repeat them as if His memory is as poor as mine! Verbal diarrhea is just not me! I prefer to listen rather than talk, as I learn more that way. Particularly with God! Of course, I am not talking about intercession here, which is entirely different.
Coming back to Kampala, where I have had both the time and conditions to more easily read the Word, I am finding how truly precious it is to me. And wonderfully, I am discovering new depths in it, a greater understanding than I previously had. Thank you so much, Lord!
If we truly desire to become like Jesus, we must read and absorb His Word into our inner being. For Jesus is the ‘Living Word’. In a human sense, the Gospels are His biography. In the spiritual though, every word of the Bible is there to teach us about Him.
Yes, we can speak to and hear from Him directly in prayer and meditation, if we are prepared to be quiet for long enough to hear what He has to say (which very few of us are!), but the primary way we learn to become like Him is by applying His Word to our lives.
I have started to appreciate more of this fundamental truth over these past days as I have been able to get back into The Word on a regular basis.
Thank you Lord for your precious Word!
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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 95
Composed for the Temple Liturgy.
A call to worship and to obey the Lord, presented by a priest or Levite to the assembled Jewish worshippers at the Temple.
Come let us sing to the LORD. Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, a great King above all gods. In his hands are the depths of the earth, the mountain peaks are his also. The sea is his - he made it. His hands formed the dry land. O come let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, the sheep of his hand. Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your heart as in the rebellion, as in the day of temptation in the wilderness, when your fathers tested me, tried me, even though they saw my work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, "It is a people whose hearts go astray - they do not know my ways." So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall not enter my rest."
PSALM 96
Composed for the Temple Liturgy.
A call to all the nations to praise God, for he will be coming in judgement of the whole world.
Sing to the LORD a new song. Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD and praise his name. Proclaim his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his wonderful deeds among all people. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised. He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him. Strength and glory are in his sanctuary. Give to the LORD, O family of nations - give to the LORD glory and strength. Give the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering, and come into his courts. Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns." The world is firmly established - it shall not be moved. He shall judge the people righteously. Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad. Let the sea roar, and all that is in it. Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the people, with his truth.
PSALM 97
Author Unknown
A song of praise to the Sovereign Lord who reigns over the whole earth!
The LORD reigns! Let the earth rejoice, let the far distant shores be glad. Clouds and darkness surround him. Righteousness and judgment inhabit his throne. A fire goes before him, and burns up his enemies on all sides. His lightening lights up the world. The earth sees, and trembles. The hills melt like wax before the presence of the LORD, before the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. Those that serve carved images are put to shame - all that boast of idols. Worship him, all you gods. Zion hears, and is glad. The villages of Judah rejoice because of your judgments, O LORD. For you, LORD, are high above all the earth. You are exalted far above all gods. You that love the LORD, hate evil. He preserves the souls of his saints. He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is shed on the righteous, and joy upon
the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous; and praise his holy name.
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.
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
HEAVENLY TRUTHS GOD HAS SHOWN ME739. - 809. God has shown me that...
... revelation is given in His timing - which generally isn't ours.
... we learn more about Him in the hard times than the good.
... He can turn our failure into His success.
... when we put others first in this world, He does the same for us in His.
... in the end, He always wins.
... in Him, to die is to live.
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
THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,†he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?†26 “What is written in the Law?†he replied. “How do you read it?†27 He answered: â€â€˜Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’†28 “You have answered correctly,†Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.â€
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?†30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?†37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.†Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.†(Luke 10:25-37)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
A REVELATION OF....... 3 KINGDOM AGES OF GOD - Part 6KINGDOM PRIESTHOODS
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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." ***
551. COUNTRY WISDOM
Pastor Jones was on vacation and had just driven into a rural town, when he had a flat tire. “How far is it to the next service station?†the pastor asked a farmer.
“Nigh onto two miles as the crow flies,†the farmer said.
Perturbed, the pastor asked, “Well, how far is it if the crow has to walk and roll a flat tire?â€
550. GOD SPEAKS BILLBOARDS
Some new billboards are popping up all along major highways all over the country depicting some things God might say. The billboards are a simple black background with white text with no fine print or sponsoring organization listed. Here's a list of
all variations of the "God Speaks" billboards.
Let's meet at my house Sunday before the game. -God
C'mon over and bring the kids. -God
What part of "Thou Shalt Not..." didn't you understand? -God
We need to talk. -God
Keep using my name in vain, I'll make rush hour longer. -God
Loved the wedding, invite me to the marriage. -God
That "Love Thy Neighbor" thing... I meant it. -God
I love you and you and you and you and... -God
Will the road you're on get you to my place? -God
Follow me. -God
Big bang theory, you've got to be kidding. -God
My way is the highway. -God
Need directions? -God
You think it's hot here? -God
Have you read my #1 best seller? There will be a test. -God
Do you have any idea where you're going? -God
Don't make me come down there. -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 768 sermon fillers for your entertainment and use at ...
AN AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
*** Met a friend, Mbogo, in Kenya, with whom I had corresponded for the past year. Just a young man, he has been a huge encouragement to both Kathy and I over this time. It was wonderful to put a face to the words and to get to know him personally! He had originally been referred to us through a lady in the US whom I don’t know! The Lord works in wondrous ways.*** Met another writer, Moses, in Kampala, Uganda. When asking him how he contacted us I just about collapsed! He simply fed the word ‘david’ into the search engine to see what he might find. Upon scrolling though 70 pages of the millions of results, he saw WWJ Ministries and took a look! Then spent 2 weeks reading the site before contacting me! Wow! We were able to visit his village church.
*** Walking along the road in Kampala I saw a big bus parked by the side of the road. From the large luggage compartment underneath a herd of goats were jumping, or being pushed out! Even the locals were standing and laughing at the sight! We couldn’t believe our eyes! Goats traveling in style!
*** In Africa, Mozilla Firefox is preferred as an Internet Browser to Internet Explorer. It simply operates faster here. I use it at home in New Zealand also, but was surprised at its popularity here. You can download it at no cost from the internet along with its associated email programme.
*** Was traveling down the road on the outskirts of Kampala, going to a meeting, when came across a procession of men cheering, shouting and waving branches. Was informed they were on the way to an adult circumcision ceremony! Some would not be cheering for much longer! It is a sign of manhood to have the deed done, in public, without flinching! Glad I do not belong to that particular tribe! Andrew hastened to assure me that only one tribe (Not his!!!) did this! Phew!!!
Fascinating African experiences.
FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Which country has the lowest crime rate in the world? Is it Japan, Singapore, Togo, New Zealand or Canada?ANSWER: Togo. At 11 reported crimes annually, per 100,000 population. (All will now want ‘to go’ to Togo.)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What happens to butterflies if their body temperature goes below 86 degrees Fahrenheit?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS430. SHORT AND SWEET
The national anthems of Japan, Jordan, and San Marino each have only four lines. (Let’s get on with the game!)
431. SUBTLE ADVERTISING
The name of the statuette atop the hood of every Rolls Royce car is ‘The Spirit of Ecstasy’. (Oh, the agony of the Ecstasy being stolen!)
432. ALREADY PRESERVED
Undertakers report that human bodies do not deteriorate as quickly as they used to. The reason being that the modern diet contains so many preservatives that these chemicals tend to prevent the body from decomposing too rapidly after death. (Do they also serve to keep us alive longer though? That is the real question.)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
CLERIC
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BIBLE QUESTION - THE PARABLES
In His parables, which two items did Jesus use to represent sinners in need of repentance?a. A sheep and a fig tree
b. A fig tree and a mustard seed
c. A mustard seed and a coin
d. A sheep and a coin
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"""!!!!!!! Horse sense is what a horse has that keeps it from betting on people.
!!!!!! If you think your problems are behind you, chances you are driving a school bus.
!!!!! I'm getting so absent-minded that sometimes in the middle of a sentence I...
!!!! When you have a lot of things to do, get your nap out of the way first.
!!! If there are two events of equal importance they will happen at the same time.
!! A pessimist mourns the future.
! A mother takes twenty years to make a man of her boy, and another woman makes a fool of him in twenty minutes. - Robert Frost
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
JUST JOKES!
COUNT YOUR CHICKENSThe farmer stood in his chicken yard watching hundreds of baby chicks running here and there. He kept pointing to them and trying to count them. "One, two, three, four, five, six,... oh, no..." then he would start over, "one, two, three, four, and,... oh, no." Then he'd start over again.
Finally he said, "I give up. They say don't count your chickens before they hatch but it sure is easier to do that than it is to count them after they hatch."
HOW HOT'S HOT?
I walked into Dairy Queen the other day and asked for a hot fudge sundae with extra hot fudge.
The girl replied, "The hot fudge only comes in one temperature, ma'am."
BRAINS BEFORE BRAWN
The strong young man at the construction site was bragging that he could outdo anyone in a feat of strength. He made a special case of making fun of one of the older workmen. After several minutes, the older worker had enough. "Why don't you put your money where your mouth is?" he said. "I will bet a week's wages that I can haul something in a wheelbarrow over to that outbuilding that you won't be able to wheel back."
"You're on, old man," the braggart replied. "Let's see what you got."
The old man reached out and grabbed the wheelbarrow by the handles. Then, nodding to the young man, he said, "All right. Get in."
Many more jokes just for a laugh here...
ANOTHER AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
After speaking last night, I was sitting down resting the legs and voice box, when a group of young children came up to me and asked me to pray for them. I did. Then another group came and finally, a young boy alone.As I thought about this, for it would be most unlikely to happen in New Zealand, my thoughts were drawn to the words of Jesus where he said that we must come to Him like little children. They had no preconceptions, no personal precious theology to limit their response to Him. They simply wanted to know Jesus and be blessed by Him. It was a huge pleasure to pray with them.
And yes, this morning, as I read my Bible, the passage on coming to Jesus as a child was included!
A blessed African experience.
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN BIBLICAL LANDS
HONEY AND HONEYCOMBSNumerous references in the Bible proves that there was plenty in the Holy Land. Wild honey was very common, being found in tree cavities by Jonathan (1 Samuel 14:25-7). It was also found in holes in rocks and even in animal carcasses, such as when Samson ate from the dead lion. (Judges 14:8-9)
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 75A Psalm or Song of Asaph. (David's Choir Leader)
A song of thanksgiving for God's righteous judgement.
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_14.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.
Plants
ALMOND ROD----Word of God
FIG-------------Tree Strength
FIRSTFRUITS---Overcoming or mature Christians
FRUIT/S--------Results or attributes to be developed in a Christian
HYSSOP--------Faith
MYRTLE--------Joy, Fragrance
OLIVE TREE----Anointing
PALM----------Victory, Righteousness
PINE-----------Oil
SEED-----------Life, Spiritual man
THORNS--------Non-Christians
THISTLES------Non-Christians
WEEDS---------Non-Christians
WILLOW--------Weeping
More items of 'Churchspeak' are found at...
DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
REVELATION’S REVELATION†To him who overcomes†An exciting illumination of the promise made to those who are prepared to give their “all†to Christ. - 14 pages from 'Eagles Fly High!'
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WAXING LYRICAL
TO BEARD OR NOT TO BEARD? (Part 3 of 3)One of my favourites. It’s self explanatory.
I pick up my shaver, switch it on at the wall,
My bit’s done. Holy Spirit, now it’s your call.
My mind is so alert, my heart all a flutter,
Awaiting the advice, he’s surely now to utter.
A tentative stroke here, a subtle stroke there,
Stroke here, stroke there, strokes everywhere!
Then it’s all done - now what can I see,
Believe it or not – a designer goatee!
There must always be morals in a story so true,
As we gather life experience, on the way through.
So growing a beard,
Is not to be feared,
But stopping the itch,
Now there’s a hitch,
Reducing the grey?
No, give it away!
Appear intellectual?
Truly ineffectual!
So by all means,
Live your dreams,
It’s better late
Than never mate!
For now I know fluff I can grow,
It ain’t so weird to sport a beard!
More of David's poems at...
A DAVID MUSING
As I enter my last week in Africa (soon I will be with Kathy!) it is amazing to realize how quickly the time has gone (except for being without Kathy!). The past, now nearly 2 months, has taught me more than I have managed to impart, I am sure!That is the way it is. It truly is blessed to be a blessing! More blessed to give than receive! All the clichés we use but don’t really believe! Maybe the Bible is true, after all! (Please – just a joke!)
It certainly is a truth though, that many Africans, along with most of us, have fully yet to learn. I have had wonderful, giving hosts, but the general concept Africans have of Westerners, is one of receiving gifts for free. Ultimately, this concept is doing little to help their development as it promotes a dependency attitude that hinders development from within.
More about that another time.
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: CIRCLE
TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?' ANSWER: d. A sheep and a coin. The Parable of the Lost Sheep, Matthew 18:10-14, Luke 15:1-7, and the Parable of the Lost Coin, Luke 15:8-10, both tell of God's immense love for mankind and His desire for everyone to turn away from sin. The shepherd who lost a sheep and the woman who lost a coin both seek the lost item and rejoice when it is found. In the same way, God is always seeking those who are "lost" to sin. As in verse 7, ... There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no 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