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: 271 Published: 01 Jan 2007
LOST EMAILS
If you emailed me on 25-7 December and haven't received a reply, please contact me again as a number of emails were inadvertantly deleted when I hit the wrong button! Sorry about this! David.HAPPY GOD YEAR
New Year is the time of year for making resolutions which, of course, generally soon get broken or lapse! Each one of us have some, or many, things we would wish to change about ourselves. But generally, we do not desire change sufficiently to actually do it!Most NYR's are self based, and self implemented. Which is why so many fail. For we find it too difficult to change the habits of years in our own strength.
In God too, we see what we perceive to be personal weaknesses and we struggle to change our character to become more like Jesus. While this is very honorable, generally it too, doesn't work, often ending in self condemnation, as we fail to 'meet the mark'. Interestingly, most often we are harder on ourselves than God is on us!
Over the years I struggled with what God wanted of me. Eventually, I got desperate enough to ask Him! And I have been surprised with His answers! Often, the changes He has required of me have been quite different to what I have thought they should be. Not the obvious, often superficial things that others may see and comment upon. But deeper changes, change that others may not even see, at least initially. And the real beauty is, I don't have to do it, but simply allow Him to change me. To submit myself to Him and to His will for my life.
So this New Year, let us not try to change ourselves for the better but rather, submit our lives to our God and ask Him to change us! It is not easy. I know. For none of us like letting go of our life. But I have discovered that it has a hugely greater success rate than working in my own strength.
Dear Lord, as I come into another new year, I submit my life to you. Lord I give you control of my life. I put aside my own wishes and desires. Take me Lord, change me into your image, and use me to fulfil your purposes upon the earth so that Jesus may return. Amen.
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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 145
David’s Psalm of praise.
This wonderful hymn acknowledges God's majesty, and his love for those who choose to love him.
I will extol you, my God, O king. I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day will I praise you, and I will praise your name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised. His greatness is unfathomable. One generation shall praise your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of your majesty, and of your wondrous works. Men shall speak of your mighty acts, and I will declare your greatness. They shall celebrate your abundant goodness, and will sing of your righteousness. The LORD is gracious, full of compassion, slow to anger, and rich in love. The LORD is good to all, and he has compassion over all his works. All your works shall praise you, O LORD, and your saints shall bless you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom, and talk of your power, to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD upholds all that fall, and raises up all those who are bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon you, and you give them their meat in due season. You open your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to those who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of those who fear him, he will hear their cry, and will save them. The LORD preserves all those who love him, but the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let all flesh praise his holy name for ever and ever!
PSALM 146
Composed for the Temple Liturgy.
In this psalm, the people are called to trust in the Lord.
Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! While I live, I will praise the LORD! I will sing praises unto my God as long as I live! Put not your trust in princes, or in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the earth. That very day their thoughts perish. Blessed is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; he who remains faithful forever. He upholds the rights of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD releases the prisoners. The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD raises up those who are bowed down. The LORD loves the righteous. The LORD preserves the strangers, he relieves the fatherless and widow, but the way of the wicked he turns upside down. The LORD will reign forever - your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!
PSALM 147
Composed for the Temple Liturgy.
This is a psalm of praise to God, the one who created heaven and earth, for his provision of special mercies towards Israel.
Praise the LORD! It is good to sing praises to our God. For it is pleasant and praise is beautiful. The LORD builds up Jerusalem, he gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars; he calls them all by their names. Great is our LORD, and of great power. His understanding is infinite. The LORD lifts up the humble. He casts the wicked to the ground. Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving! Sing praise upon the harp to our God; who covers the heavens with clouds, who provides rain for the earth, who makes grass grow upon the mountains. He provides food, both for the cattle and the young ravens, when they cry out. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor does he take pleasure in the legs of a man. The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who place their hope in his love. Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! For he has strengthened the bars of your gates: he has blessed your children within you. He makes peace in your borders, and satisfies you with the finest of the wheat. He sends forth his command to the earth. His word runs swiftly. He spreads the snow like wool. He scatters the frost like ashes; he hurls down his hail like small stones. Who can withstand his icy blast? He sends out his word, and it melts them. He causes his wind to blow, so the waters flow. He declares his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. He has not done so with any other nation. As for his laws, they have not known them. Praise the LORD!
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
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
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....... 3 KINGDOM AGES OF GOD - Part 12THE 'OTHER' SIDE
For us to have freewill there must be alternatives to choose between. For there is no choice without choice!
So we need to have both good and evil available to us.
This study looks at the different ways satan has persued his influence through the kingdom ages.
Check out all the available teachings at...
*** ANOTHER DAILY EZINE FROM WWJ!*** 'LAUGHING AT OURSELVES' Subscribe Today
As Christians, if we can't laugh at ourselves, others will! A fun way to start your day.To register today, simply click here lao-on@wwj.org.nz and press send. Then it's done!
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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." ***
565. HIM TOO?
A speeding motorist was caught by radar from a police helicopter in the sky. An officer pulled him over and began to issue a traffic ticket.
"How did you know I was speeding?" the frustrated driver asked.
The police officer pointed somberly toward the sky.
"You mean," asked the motorist, "that even He is against me?"
564. HEAVEN?
A four-year-old asked her mother about the white stones in a graveyard. Mom replied, "That's where all the dead people are."
Much surprised, the girl asked, "That's heaven?"
563. ELEMENTARY
Sherlock Holmes was sent to heaven to find Adam and Eve. He came back within a day and said he had found them.
Watson: "How did you find them so quickly?"
Sherlock: "Elementary, my dear Watson, they were the only ones that didn't have belly buttons!"
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 AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Flying over America as I arrived, the vastness of the country made a real impression on me. Compared to 'little old New Zealand' or the United Kingdom (the same size as NZ) where I have just come from, it is huge.But, of course, people here are the same as everywhere. Yes, the culture is different to home, but people still have similar desires and problems as found all round the world. For ultimately, our problems are not based around money, or rather, the lack of it, but in human relationships. Yes, the world over, we all desire a better life for ourselves and an even better future for our family. It is no different here in America.
FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: King Edward II of England (1324) decreed the standard measurement of the ‘inch’ to be equal to what?ANSWER: Three barleycorns laid end to end. (Measurement didn’t get any easier after that – until metrics.)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Which 'King' in a pack of cards doesn’t have a moustache?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS411. JUST A FEW
A quart-size pail or bucket holds 8 million grains of fine sand. (How many grains on a beach?)
412. ON THE OTHER HAND
A ten-gallon hat holds less than a gallon of liquid. (Everything is exaggerated in Texas!)
413. FOOT FOOD
A person who is lost in the woods and starving can obtain nourishment by chewing on his shoes. Leather has enough nutritional value to sustain life for a short time. (If you’re that hungry, you don’t worry about the foot odour flavouring.)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
LOYAL
Answer at the end of A David Musing
FREE DOWNLOAD: You can download the full version of our Trivia Book at TRULY TRIFFLING TRIVIA
Or view all 1232 online at...
BIBLE QUESTION - THE PARABLES
The Parable of the Friend at Midnight, in Luke 11:5-13, tells of a man who's friend woke him up at midnight to borrow three loaves of bread. The man at first refused, but finally got up and gave his friend the bread. Who did the man in the house represent?a. God
b. A king
c. The 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"""!!!!!!! The word bipartisan usually means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out. -George Carlin
!!!!!! Generally, a man has two reasons for doing something. One that sounds good, and a real one.
!!!!! If you put your nose to the grindstone, you'll get a flat face.
!!!! If you start thinking you're a person of influence, try ordering somebody else's dog around.
!!! If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins.
!! Education is what you get from reading the small print; experience is what you get from not reading it.
! Forget love, I'd rather fall into chocolate.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
WHY?
166. Who tastes dog food when it has a "new & improved" flavour?167. Why Noah didn't swat those two mosquitoes?
168. Why do they sterilise the needle for lethal injections?
169. If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?
170. Why do people play at a recital and recite at a play?
171. Why does night fall but never break and day break but never fall?
172. Why does a man get a hernia and a woman a hysterectomy?
173. Why do privates eat in the general mess and generals eat in the private mess?
174. Why do we call it newsprint when it contains no printing, but when we put print on it, we call it a newspaper?
175. What did we do before the Law of Gravity was passed?
176. Why do we name hurricanes but not tornadoes?
177. Why do we say redheaded but brown-haired? -George Carlin
178. When something is "new and improved," which is it?
179. Why do bars advertise live bands? What does a dead band sound like?
180. Why can't women put on mascara with their mouths closed?
181. Why is it, if there is a separation of church and state (government), that it says "In God we trust" on all US money?
181. How come we say an alarm goes 'off' when it turns on?"
182. What do fish drink ?
183. Why is it that when you eat too much for lunch, you feel drowsy all afternoon, but when you eat a big meal in the evening, you stay awake all night?
184. Why is it called lipstick if you can still move your lips?
185. Why is it that rain drops but snow falls?
186. Why is a boxing ring square?
187. Who coined the phrase "to coin a phrase"?
188. Where do they send Siberian criminals?
189. Why isn't 'brevity" a one-syllable word?
190. How do you know when you run out of invisible ink?
241 of these curious questions at...
ANOTHER AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
As I visit yet another part of the world, I hear the same comment, "The weather pattern is changing."Virtually everywhere, outside of the tropics, it is getting warmer. And worldwide, there are are more extreme climatic events than there used to be. On the farm I am staying here in Kentucky, USA, a building was recently flattened by a tornado.
By nature and inclination I am not an environmentalist but what is happening makes one think again. For things are certainly changing, whatever the cause.
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN BIBLICAL LANDS
BLESSINGA blessing was said by each person after the master of the house said it, such as 'In the name of God' or 'God be praised'. They then ate by scooping with their bread in a common serving bowl.
There were no individual dishes or utensils. Meat was generally eaten with the fingers.
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 96Composed for the Temple Liturgy.
A call to all the nations to praise God, for he will be coming in judgement of the whole world.
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_21.mp3
THE REAL ROOT CAUSES OF VIOLENT CRIME: THE BREAKDOWN OF MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY (OVERVIEW) 2nd of 3
by Patrick F. Fagan - The Heritage FoundationCRIME STARTS EARLY
Teenage criminal behavior has its roots in habitual deprivation of parental love and affection going back to early infancy . Future delinquents invariably have a chaotic, disintegrating family life. .. This hostility is established in the first few years of life. By age six, habits of aggression and free-floating anger typically are already formed.
2-PARENT FAMILIES NOT IMMUNE
... the incidence of delinquent behavior was higher in intact homes characterized by a high degree of conflict and neglect than it was in broken homes without conflict. ..the lack of emotional attachment to parents is more strongly related to delinquency than is an intact home. Breakup of his parents' marriage during the first five years of his life places a child at high risk of becoming a juvenile delinquent.
Full Article - http://www.heritage.org/Research/Crime/BG1026.cfm
More facts on Marriage and Family here...
DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
A REVELATION OF... THE FIRST MIRACLE OF JESUSI have never been happy with the explanations I have heard of the meaning of the changing of the water into wine. So I asked Jesus! And He told me! Find out what He said through the Holy Spirit.
Download your free PDF File now at...
WAXING LYRICAL
Knew runners were mad? This proves it! Another Bowentown adventure. It is amazing how the Lord communicates with you when you are genuinely seeking Him. I am one of those strange people who enjoys running – well, most of the time anyway. This poem shows how the Lord is not 2000 years behind the times, but communicates with us in ways that are relevant to ourcircumstances and life.
ON THE RUN (2nd of 4)
Yes now I see, how the waves ebb and flow,
Like moves of the Spirit, they come and they go.
But the longer I sat, the more persistent they became,
Greatly increased in power, it was no longer a game.
The Lord said, "This is what happened, over the times,
For My Spirit is always with Me, He perfectly rhymes.
My Spirit’s tide was out, for many hundreds of years,
But now is coming in, will put to rest, man’s fears."
His Spirit’s tide returned in a captivating flow,
First it would come in, then out it would go.
Sometimes in more, then sometimes less,
But always seeking, God’s people to bless.
As I sat on my rock, His words became clearer,
Then a picture of my life, the waves ever nearer.
For I’d sat back and watched The Spirit, oh so long,
Did I need Him in my life, was it right, was it wrong?
Sitting there, the waves lapped playfully round my feet,
Ever closer now, for The Spirit’s coming, me to greet,
Then suddenly my special, bigger wave came,
Engulfing me, so I would never be the same.
When it happened in my life, came as a great shock
To myself and others. Thought I would never unlock
My heart to the wonders of The Spirit you see,
No, there was no hope for a stalwart like me!
So onto the top of my rock, did I hop,
There was no way now, I could stop,
For the wonders of scripture, I was eagerly seeking to behold,
Standing on the rock of Jesus, He would me, start to mould.
Standing on the rock gave a new perspective,
For of new truths, I was ever more receptive.
As I looked down there, into the water,
Seeing the tide flow, allowing no quarter.
(Continued next week)
More of David's poems at...
A DAVID MUSING
Visiting people you have got to know over the internet is an interesting experience. For, very seldom, are they what you would expect!Arranging marriage through the internet, would seem to me to be a hazardous occupation!
In a few days I will be home to see my wife with whom I correspond on the internet! Trust she will be what I expect! (Just joking. I was with her a week ago in Aberdeen, Scotland!)
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: ALLOY
TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?' ANSWER: a. God
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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