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: 284 Published: 02 Apr 2007
CleaNed and CleaRed
Today (2 April 2007) is the Day of Passover, the first day of the week-long, Jewish Pesach celebration. Jesus died the day before Passover at precisely the time the Passover Lamb was being killed by the Jews for their Passover celebrations that evening. The type was fulfilled in reality. Next Sunday, both the Orthodox and Western churches celebrate Easter, in an unusual display of unity which also falls within Passover Week. Sometimes I wonder just how many times Christ was crucified! At least, this time round, we all seem to be closer to agreement than normal!Today however, as this time of Eater (Oops - a typo, but maybe appropriate for many!), that is Easter, approaches, I want to encourage you to appreciate the full implications of what Jesus did that terrible but wonderful day.
We all, well nearly all, know that Jesus died on Calvary's Cross for our sins. We know too, that if we accept His sacrifice personally, our sins are forgiven. So far so good. Traditional Christian understanding. We have been cleaNed of our sin by the shed blood (ie. the life) of Jesus. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
We have been restored to the position Adam and Eve had with God before they ate that delicious, fateful fruit. (Must have been an apple as apples are delicious and it is now apple harvest time here in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, one of the foremost export apple growing regions of the world.) Our slate has been wiped clean. We are now blameless in God's sight! Or are we?
Can that really be right? I know I still remember my wrongs and surely God, knowing everything, must remember too? I know I have been forgiven, but surely my sin could not have been forgotten! Actually, I am not a very good person really. God could never have completely forgiven and forgotten what I have done!
Sadly, this is the way so many of us feel about ourselves, for we 'beat ourselves up', and in doing so undervalue the full meaning of the sacrifice that Jesus made for you and for me, that precious day.
For as well as sending his beloved Son Jesus, to die for our sins, so that the transaction the Father required of 'a life for a life' might be completed, that we might be cleaNed, He also undertook, in His great grace to forget all our previous wrongdoings. Yes, our sin has also been cleaRed from His memory! The Father has chosen to give us a clean slate - truly the opportunity to start again. The opportunity too, to put our past behind us. The opportunity to become pure in His sight.
The problem we have is to accept the magnitude of the Lords graciousness towards us. But it's true! We are truly 'born again', renewed, our past is both forgiven and forgotten.
Let us rejoice in the Lord and praise Him this Easter for what He has done! May we finally, once and for all, put the past behind us and accept the wonder of God's forgiveness. Once we do, it changes our life! It sure has mine!
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FROM THE WORD
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." (Romans 5:6-11)CHRIST'S SACRIFICE ONCE FOR ALL
"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, O God.’†First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them†(although the law required them to be made). Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.†He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.†Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.†And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin." (Hebrews 10:1-18)
WALKING IN THE LIGHT
"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,†but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." (1 John 1:5-2:6)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
FORGIVENESS583. Forgiveness is the healing balm of life.
584. ’Tis the oil of forgiveness that lubricates the journey of life.
585. ’Tis only by grace, we run the race.
586. To win life’s ‘race’, start it with a ‘g’!
587. Forgiveness first heals the forgiver.
588. Forgiveness heals both the forgiver and the forgiven.
589. To forgive is Christian, to forgive and forget - Godly.
590. Lord; please forgive me for forgetting forgiveness!
Please feel free to quote these quotes. Acknowledgement of David Tait as the author would be appreciated. There are now over 1300 David sayings for you to view at ...
'africa arise' IS UNDERWAY
Have a look at our new website africaarise.org.nz to see what is it is all about.If you were able to support us (actually the people of Africa) financially it would sure help get the project off the ground more quickly. You can donate through the banking system on the Donations page on the new website. Bank Donations Credit Card donations however, need to be processed through our facility on the Walking With Jesus website. Credit Card Donations Please enter under the MINISTRY DONATION heading and we will ensure that all donations received are transferred to 'africa arise'
If you live in New Zealand and would be prepared to help as a Church Representative or Organiser, or in any other way, please contact me on david@africaarise.org.nz Some churches have already committed to collecting clothing and goods for us. Thanks this week to Napier Christian Fellowship for your collection.
Check out the new website at…
FROM YOU - TO ME - TO YOU
Hello David,I appreciated the main part of your editorial—a point well made and worth making. As for your opening, evolutionary theory has humans and the great apes evolving from a common ancestor. I am not sure what you meant by a “missing linkâ€. I see the handiwork of the great potter in the patient crafting of the current human species from the apes that were forced to abandon life in the trees as the trees disappeared due to major climate change. Accepting this process of evolutionary change can be quite helpful to keeping us humble, especially if it can remind us that God’s work does not need to end with us.
Yours in Christ,
Jim Kenney
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Hi, David,
I read you message every week - enjoy most, disagree with some.
But when did the Lord's Prayer become unfashionable? We pray it every
Sunday in worship, as does every Lutheran church I've ever worshiped in.
We also close our meeting with the prayer, often holding hands in a circle.
It's not unfashionable here.
Cordially
MarthaSue Moll
Hi again, David,
Thanks for replying. I should also have said that studying the Lord’s Prayer
and learning how to live it is a major component of our confirmation
courses. Many churches also do Lenten studies or preaching series on it.
Some of my parishioners tell me they miss it when they go do churches that
don’t pray it.
MarthaSue
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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
18 When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. (Ezekiel 3:18)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
REVELATIONS REVELATION! (Part 5)We come to the 7th and final church, that of Laodicea, which is regarded by many as a picture of today's 'lukewarm' church.
However, the greatest promise of all was also given to this church. And it is available to us today too!
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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." ***
592. WITH A 'G'
The pastor of a local church was well known for using acronyms in his sermons. He'd use things like Go N.U.T.S. (Never Underestimate the Spirit) Week. Most often his stories would have something to do with Jesus like the term WWJD.
One Sunday he was preaching about the creation. Referring to the Earth, the young pastor asked the congregation, "Who made what we're standing on?" After a few moments of silence he said, "Come on folks, you know the answer, who made what we're standing on?" Again silence. Wanting to keep the sermon moving the pastor said, "OK, I'll give you a hint, it starts with a 'G'".
Much to the amusement of the congregation an elderly lady in the back suddenly yelled out, "I know, I know, it's Geezus."
591. THE SWIM
As a young preacher, my small church had limited facilities, so we held baptisms in a creek. With alligators in the area, however, that was less than ideal.
Then a minister friend suggested I bring my next group of baptismal candidates to his church for a joint baptismal service. Naturally, I accepted.
The baptismal pool had a clear front so the congregation could see everything. When the baptisms were finished, curtains were drawn, and I was left alone in the pool for a moment. The building had no air conditioning, and it was quite hot. I thought how nice it would feel to take a little dip. I glided to one end, turned, and backstroked to the other end.
Hearing a riotous uproar in the church, I looked toward the congregation. The curtain was down only to the top of the glass! An astonished and amused congregation had been watching my every move.
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: What do you call a group of turtles?ANSWER: Often called a 'herd' but the correct collective term is a 'bale' of turtles. (Turtles are very particular about this!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is a 'Limey'?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS372. LARGE PRINT?
'The Boston Nation’, a newspaper published in Ohio during the mid-nineteenth century, had pages seven and a half feet long and five and a half feet wide. It required two people to hold the paper in proper reading position. (For those who couldn’t afford spectacles?)
373. IN CASE YOU ARE HUNGRY
There are around about 3,000 hot dog vendors in metropolitan New York. (And a lot more dogs. Am not implying it!)
374. THE HORSE
The name of the Lady Godiva's horse was Aethenoth. (Now why don’t we remember the name of the horse? It was unclothed too!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
DOCKETS
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 - BOOK OF JUDGES
12) How many men did God choose to help Gideon?A - 10,000
B - 3,000
C - 1,000
D - 300
Source: www.biblequizzes.com
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""!!!!!!! God in His mercy delivered His people over & over again.
!!!!!! If you are praying for relief & not happening as quickly, God may be leading you to special treasures.
!!!!! Sometimes the solution & blessing lie in the place we have ignored, right in front of us.
!!!! Only when we are brought to the end of ourselves are we in a position to see more of God.
!!! We know God has a position for you using your gifts & personality.
!! God is personally involved in your life and nudges you to ask for his power to help you.
! Wait with expectancy and availability, trusting God to work out His perfect will.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
MORE BIBLE RIDDLES
Thought we had done all possible Bible riddles in our last, very popular series. However, I have now found some more for you to enjoy, courtesy of Frank Schaefer of javacasa.comQ. How many Apostles can you fit in a car?
>
>
>
>
>
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A. All of them. It says in Acts "...they met in one accord."
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TILL DEATH DO US PART!
39. TIMELESS ENTERTAINMENT!The 12-year-old boy stood patiently beside the clock counter while the store clerk waited on all of the adult customers. Finally he got around to the youngster, who made his purchase and hurried out to the curb, where his father was impatiently waiting in his car.
"What took you so long, son?" he asked.
"The man waited on everybody in the store before me," the boy replied. "But I got even."
"How?"
"I wound and set all the alarm clocks while I was waiting," the youngster explained happily. "It's going to be a mighty noisy place at eight o'clock."
40. CONSIDERATION?
When workmen came to demolish our old porch and build a new one, they had a number of power tools that needed to be plugged into the outlet in our house. Each morning we'd open the door for them to slip an extension cord through the mail slot, and later in the day they would unplug it. Early one afternoon they knocked on the door to say they had to rent a piece of equipment that was available only at 7 a.m. the next morning.
"Ma'am, if you don't mind," said one of the men, "we'd like to leave this cord through the mail slot tonight so we won't have to wake you up when we plug in the jackhammer in the morning."
41. IN THE ROUTINE
It was a stifling hot day and a man fainted in the middle of a busy intersection. Traffic quickly piled up in all directions, and a woman rushed to help him. When she knelt down to loosen his collar, a man emerged from the crowd, pushed her aside, and said, "It's all right honey, I've had a course in first aid."
The woman stood up and watched as he took the ill man's pulse and prepared to administer artificial respiration. At this point she tapped him on the shoulder and said, "When you get to the part about calling a doctor, I'm already here."
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BIBLE TRIVIA
IMMACULATE CONNCEPTIONThis doctrine, the belief that Mary conceived without sin, has no scriptural justification. This belief began in early Christian times and was introduced as essential Roman Catholic dogma in 1854 by Pope Pius IX in 1854.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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CHURCHSPEAK
Underlying Spiritual Meanings of Numbers1-----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
12----Divine government
40----Trial and testing
50----Anointing
144---(12x12) New man in Christ, Ultimate government of God
200---Insufficiency
300---full deliverance
50x6=300-Anointed man
666---Man setting himself up as God
888---Jesus
More terms as used in the church are found at...
DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ...A unique look at what may have been like to visit the Tabernacle of of Moses. 11 pages from 'Eagles Fly High!'
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WAXING LYRICAL
This poem was 2 years in the writing! The inspiration came, half was written, then I got busy on other things! In the last day or two I have had some spare time, so thought to finish it. (Actually I have had more spare time during the two years but never quite got 'a round tuit'!) I hope the result is worth waiting for!MR BUMBLE (Part 4 of 4)
"Mr Bumble, you are a scientific miracle,
My understanding, insufficiently empirical,
For it is obvious you can soar far above,
Which I simply can't, for money or love!"
"I feel a lot better now," said Mr Bumble,
"To see you on your knees, so humble,
Maybe I can fly again without a fumble,
I'll give it a good go - LET'S NOW RUMBLE!
Wings flapping,
Slowly at first,
Then revving,
Give it a burst!
Now into the air again, Mr Bumble flew,
"Yes, I can still fly!" that he now knew,
Up, up, into the blue,
Buzz, buzz, it's true!
There are two lessons here, in life to be learned,
Neither pull another down, nor be the one spurned,
For word's are so powerful you see,
When taken and used by our enemy.
We're to encourage one another to fly high,
Sometimes it's difficult, but let's give it a try.
Yes, twill give a whole new outlook on life,
As well as keeping Mr Bumble, out of strife!
For the 'Fruit of the Spirit' we are to develop,
Yes, love, peace and joy, our life will envelop.
So when we meet the Mr Bumbles of our daily walk,
We can help them fly higher, through our godly talk.
('Artistic Lisence' has been taken in describing the nesting habits of the bumble bee. Unlike honey bees, they are solitary creatures! But that would spoil a good story!)
More of David's poems at...
A DAVID MUSING
God is amazing!Yesterday (Saturday) we had a really poor sale for 'africa arise'. "Oh Lord, are we doing the right thing!"
Today I come home to read an email from someone offering us large quantities of surplus goods. "Thank you Lord for your answer!"
God does test us to check out both our heart state and our level of trust in Him.
Sometimes answers come fast, as they have here, other times slow. But they will come.
Kathy and I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to be thankful for the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made as we celebrate our Lord's death and the wonderful victory of His resurrection this week.
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: STOCKED
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' ANSWER: 12) D - 300 (Judges 7:7)
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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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