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: 285 Published: 09 Apr 2007
GROWING DOWN!
Once upon a time there was a man called David. He was a new Christian. The Lord was doing amazing things through him. Accurately prophesying to churches and senior pastors. 'The ignorant and innocent rush in where angels are scared to tread!' The Holy Spirit wrote a widely distributed Bible course through him. The Holy Spirit came powerfully to his meetings. He received revelation from the Lord. He knew he was being used of God. He felt good about it. It was his destiny! Success beyond his expectations with God's promise of much more to come. He thought he was growing up in the Lord really quickly.Then, inevitably in God, came the hard times! Reality hit! Years in the wilderness. Of loneliness. Sure, there was still revelation from time to time. But the highlights were accompanied by many 'lowlights', times when the flame flickered and almost died. The Lord's promises were still there but they seemed to be getting further and further away. For David was having to learn to 'grow down'!
Even the great apostle Paul was not immune form this 'growing down' process. He had the most amazing encounter of all when he met Jesus. Jesus got Paul out of religion but it took many years to finally get the religion out of Paul. Early on in his ministry Paul claimed not to be inferior the 'super apostles'. He progressed onwards, becoming 'the least of the apostles' then the 'least of the saints', to finally, the 'greatest of sinners'! Wow! He got better and better by becoming worse and worse! He progressed from 'growing up' to 'growing down'!
Getting annoyed with people, we so easily say, 'grow up'! Of course, we are referring to the child-like behaviour they are displaying, wanting them to display adult maturity in an area of their life.
But, in God, things work the opposite way to the world. We are to come as 'a child' to Him. Then, as our understanding of Him grows, as our relationship with Him deepens, we don't grow up in the way of worldly understanding, exhibiting human wisdom, self-reliance and independence with its accompanying pride. Rather we come to better understand how great He is, how fragile we are and learn to rely more and more upon Him in all that we do, in all we are, and in all we desire to become.
No, I am not talking about insecurity or false humility. Those are human, often religious, traits. As Paul grew to understand and as this David is slowly learning, no matter how great our ministry or anointing, God is everything and without Him, we are nothing.
It is hard to understand, seeming foolishness to most, even many Christians, but it truly is the place the Lord desires to take us to. As Paul himself said;
26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)
This week, after years of God's promise accompanied by the heartbreak of rejection, we have finally had our pilot programme for US Christian TV approved in principle and the go ahead to produce a first series. I know I am a different person than when I first received the vision for this. Had I done them then, it would have been a disaster, maybe not in the natural, but certainly spiritually, in what the Lord desires to accomplish through them. For I first needed to 'grow down'.
"Lord I give everything to you."
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FROM THE WORD
"But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.†I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way." (2 Corinthians 11:5-6)"For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed." (1 Corinthians 15:9-11)
"I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things." (Ephesians 3:7-9)
"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."(1 Timothy 1:12-17)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
GROWING IN GOD316. Human growth is measured in height, girth and wrinkles, spiritual growth by the 'fruit of the Spirit.' Often we confuse the two.
987. 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 1300 David sayings for you to view at ...
'africa arise' IS UNDERWAY
Good progress is being made. Please pray that we might find suitable premises to operate a shop from so that we may raise the finance to pay the freight to get containers to Africa.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…
CRANWELL'S CARTOON
TO THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.†(Revelation 3:14-22)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
A REVELATION OF... DIVIDING THE WATERS - A revelation based upon the 3 times the waters were divided in the Bible (The Red Sea with Moses,The River Jordan with Joshua and The River Jordan again with Elijah and Elisha.) and their meanings for the restoration of God's church in these end times.Check out all the available teachings at...
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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." ***
594. CLIMBING THE WALLS
Following my arm operation, the hospital physical therapist taught me exercises to strengthen it. In one, called "climbing the wall," I faced a wall and "walked" the fingers of both hands up it, trying to reach as far with the injured arm as with the other. I seemed to be "climbing the wall" morning, noon and night.
After watching me, the woman in the next bed said, "Excuse me, but what religion do you
belong to?"
593. MURPHY'S CHURCH LAWS
1) If it wasn't for committee meetings, nothing would ever get done.
2) If you can't get a sermon done working 20 hours a day, work nights.
3) When the Deacons talk about improving the churches spiritual life, they are never talking about their own.
4) In a committee meeting, the authority of a person is inversely proportional to the number of pens that person is carrying.
5) There will always be empty soft drink cans rolling on the floorboard of your car when your head deacon asks for a ride home from church.
6) No matter how many sermons you prepare, you never prepare enough.
7) You can go anywhere you want if you look serious and carry a clipboard, a camera, or a Bible.
8) You are always doing something trivial when the Deacon Chairman drops by your office.
9) People who go to conferences are the ones who shouldn't.
10) It doesn't matter what you do, it only matters what you say you've done and what you're going to do.
11) Keep the deacon chairman's wife off his back and you will succeed as a pastor.
12) Everything can be filed under "miscellaneous."
13) Never delay the ending of a meeting or the beginning of a fellowship activity involving food.
14) Real Deacons/Elders realize that a clean desk is not necessarily a productive desk.
15) Any church employee can do any amount of work provided it isn't the work he/she has been assigned to do.
16) Any great Sermon that contains no errors will develop errors when transmitted to your printer.
17) If you are good, you will be assigned all the work. If you are really good, you will get out of it.
18) The more garbage you put up with, the more garbage you are going to get.
19) After any salary raise, you will have less money at the end of the month than you did before.
20) When you don't know what to do, walk fast and look worried.
21) Following the rules will not get the job done.
22) Getting the job done is no excuse for not following the rules.
23) A Youth Pastor with a clean desk has way too much free time.
24) Every sermon idea shalt beget another sermon idea.
25) When confronted by a difficult problem you can solve it more easily by reducing it to the question, "How would Batman handle this?"
26) The last person that quit or was fired will be blamed for everything that goes wrong for at least a year.
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 769 sermon fillers for your entertainment and use at ...
FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: What is a 'Limey'?ANSWER: Slang for a British sailor because they were forced to drink lime juice in order to overcome scurvy through the vitamin C it contained. (Cor blimey, it's a limey!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Why is the Dead sea so salty?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS369. HORSE SENSE
In Queensland, Australia, it remains constitutional law that all pubs (hotel/bar) must have a railing outside for patrons to tie up their horse. (Must be why it is still known as a cowboy state!)
370. COINED
The first vending machines in the US dispensed chewing gum and were installed in New York City train platforms in 1888. (Did the American love affair with chewing gum precede them or did these addictive machines generate it?)
371. NOT FOR A NIGHT OUT
Samuel Beckett's play Breath is the shortest recorded play ever written, consisting of 35 seconds of human cries and breathes. (How did he individually describe them in the script?)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
AIRMAN
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
13) What did these men do to be in Gideon's army?A - they were strong
B - they were accurate shots
C - they lapped water
D - they were courageous
Source: www.biblequizzes.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"""!!!!!!! There is a guaranteed way to get what you want: want less.
!!!!!! "I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places." (Henny Youngman)
!!!!! BEWARE: I'm acting under the influence of human nature.
!!!! No wonder I feel so tired - I'm older now than I've ever been before.
!!! No wonder I'm so confused - one of my parents was a man, the other was a woman.
!! I can't trace my family back very far, but still proudly believe that I, too, had ancestors.
! Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
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. First Dog with a name?
>
>
>
>
>
>
A. Moreover. Moreover, the Dog came and licked his sores.
Lots more riddles found at...
EXTENSIVE EXPLANATIONS
SIGNS YOU LIVE IN 20071. You just tried to enter your password on the microwave.
2. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.
3. You call your son's beeper to let him know it's time to eat. He emails
you back from his bedroom, "What's for dinner?"
4. Your daughter sells Girl Scout Cookies via her Web site.
5. You chat several times a day with a stranger from South Africa, but you
haven't spoken with your next door neighbor this year.
6. You check the ingredients on a can of chicken noodle soup to see if it
contains Echinacea.
7. Your grandmother asks you to send her a JPEG file of your newborn so
she can create a screensaver.
8. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if
anyone is home.
9. Every commercial on television has a Web site address at the bottom of
the screen.
10. You buy a computer and 6 months later it is out of date and sells for
half the price you paid.
11. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the
first 20 or 30 years of your life, is cause for panic and turning around
to go get it.
12. Using real money, instead of credit or debit, to make a purchase would
be a hassle and take planning.
13. Cleaning up the dining room means getting the fast food bags out of
the back seat of your car.
14. Your reason for not staying in touch with family is that they do not
have e-mail addresses.
15. You consider second-day air delivery painfully slow.
16. Your dining room table is now your flat filing cabinet.
17. Your idea of being organized is multiple-colored Post-it notes.
18. You hear most of your jokes via e-mail instead of in person.
19. You get an extra phone line so you can get phone calls.
20. You disconnect from the Internet and get this awful feeling, as if you
just pulled the plug on a loved one.
21. You get up in morning and go online before getting your coffee.
22. You wake up at 2 a.m. to go to the bathroom and check your e-mail on
your way back to bed.
23. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. :)
24. You're reading this; even worse, you're going to forward it to someone
else!
--Selected from The Good, Clean Funnies List: http://www.gcfl.net/
Many more extensive explanations at...
BIBLE TRIVIA
KNOWING THE BASICSIn a 1997 survey by the London Sunday Times, only 34% of 220 Anglican priests questioned could recite all 10 commandments without prompting. (Try it before criticizing!)
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
Lots more 'God Facts' are found at...
THE TWO MOST RADICAL CHANGES IN THE CHURCH TODAY
To appreciate what is happening in today's church we need to understand the 2 greatest changes of recent times. These changes are having a dramatic effect upon the church.1. GROWTH OF INDEPENDENT CHURCHES
While there are now 39,000 'denominations' ranging from millions of members to 100's, the most striking development is the rapid growth of independent, non-denominational churches, which now account for 20% of all Christians, and will soon be larger than all protestant denominations combined. Groupings are:
Roman Catholics 1.119 million
Independents 427 million
Protestants 376 million
Orthodox 220 million
Anglicans 80 million
Marginal 34 million
2. THE 'COLOURING' OF THE CHURCH
*** In 1900 81% of the church worldwide was white.
*** In 2005 this had dropped to 43%.
Non-whites moved into the majority during the early 1980's.
Statistics Source: World Christian Trends 2005
Much more information on the Bible and the church at...
DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
WALKING WITH JESUS POSTER - Quoting 1 John 2:1-6, six of the most thought provoking and important verses in scripture for walking with Jesus today. A4 size.Download your free PDF File now at...
WAXING LYRICAL
Faith is to be a living, growing, dynamic feature of our walk with our God.FAITH
I wonder why, when 'faith' is an issue,
So often then, we reach for a tissue,
To mop up the tears of doubt you see,
That assail us now, both you and me.
For on the one hand, we trust God with our all,
On the other, human doubt, our faith does stall!
"Will He or wont He?" we are wont to think,
Our faith, once so strong, begins to sink.
"You've always proved faithful to me, my Lord,"
While former blessings, I wish I could hoard!
Each new level requiring greater trust in Him,
Memories of past successes faded, now so dim.
If today's faith was the same as in the past,
Our belief in Him, just simply wouldn't last.
It would just be our own strength that had won,
Not that of our Lord, Jesus Christ the Son.
Now, today's challenge is to break new ground,
Then our faith in Him, it will be truly found.
Oh Lord, please help me in my unbelief!
You've come through again - what a relief!
Put simply, it's the way God's faith works,
Though to our human spirit, it still irks!
So if now, we are to mature and grow,
Trusting Him's, the only way to go!
David Tait 4 August 2002
More of David's poems at...
A DAVID MUSING
As I write this, it is Easter Sunday, the time we particularly remember the resurrection of our Lord.We spend a lot of time majoring on the cross but amazingly little, contemplating the rising of Jesus from the dead, which too, is at the very heart of our faith. For, as Paul said, we are to be pitied above all men if Jesus didn't overcome satan and death. For then we would obviously living a powerless, useless, misguided faith.
But Jesus did arise! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
Our faith is real! We have the promise of eternity with God through the Resurrection power of Jesus! Thank you Lord!
May we remember this basic truth every day and praise the Lord continuously for it!
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: MARINA
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' ANSWER: 13) C - they lapped water (Judges 7:6)
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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