SIMPLY SAYING THANK YOU

A couple of weeks ago, one of my internet friends, who writes a very good weekly ezine, wrote that he would be having some time off from writing. I naturally thought that he must be going on holiday, so wrote to him to confirm that was the case.

I was surprised by his reply. He replied, "No, I'm not exactly on holiday. I'm just in a bit of a funk. I know that shouldn't be, but it is a fact none the less.

My friend has had some health problems, but the real reason this long serving, faithful servant and minister of God wasn't writing, was that he was discouraged.

If you want to be discouraged, try writing an ezine! You can reach thousands of people on a regular basis, but you rarely get a response - unless, of course, you make a mistake! Then you will hear from many!

As I read my email this morning I received another ezine in which the writer quoted, One pastor told me “I stand at the door and greet my congregation when they leave and I so want to give them a hug but I am afraid of rejection”. The other pastor said “I have been a pastor for twenty five years and nobody has ever hugged me and so I have started hugging them because I need to be hugged”.

All these examples are from the 'Christian world' where one would reasonably expect, if we were living like Jesus, that we would be supportive of one another. However, after years of personal experience, and of listening to many in leadership, I have learned that we are not good at saying 'thank you' to those who make a spiritual contribution to our lives.

Why don't we?

I believe there are basically two reasons, both of which we can do something about.

Firstly, we have a natural reticence, particularly in Western culture, to talk about things spiritual with others. Even with other Christians, and particularly, except when we have a problem and need help, with those whom we look to as having spiritual oversight in our lives. It certainly is refreshing for me to visit Africa where many, but not all, believers are open and forthcoming about spiritual matters.

The second reason is spiritual. Discouragement is a powerful weapon of satan. Jesus acknowledged the problem when accused of being the devil's henchman by the crowd, after driving out demons.

17 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. 18 If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. (Luke 11:17-18)

Jesus clearly understood the methods of the evil one. We need to too, by learning how to stand against his wiles.

I speak of this problem from experience, for in the natural I have been a driven person with high expectations of others. While God has changed me over the last years, ingratitude is still an area in my life I need to guard against.

So let's be practical this week, and determine to say 'thank you' to at least one person who has positively influenced our life in a way we haven't acknowledged.

In doing so, we will do more to bring unity to the body of Christ than all the teachings ands preachings on unity have ever done!

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FROM THE WORD

JESUS AND BEELZEBUB
"Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. But some of them said, “By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. (Luke 11:14-20)

THE ARMOR OF GOD
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:10-18)

LOVE ONE ANOTHER
"This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. (1 John 3:11-24)

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DAVID'S DOODLINGS

LOVE
508. True love is of the will, rather than the heart.

509. True love is truly proven in unlovely situations.

510.“It is better to have loved and lost…” is not true of God’s love. For He never fails us.

511. Jesus specialises in loving the unlovely – fortunately for me!

512. We all need love. What differs, is where we seek to find it!

513. To submit our will to another is the ultimate love commitment.

514. Jesus loved us to death!

515. It is much harder for the worthy to accept God’s love than the unworthy. Always has been, always will be.

516. As passion goes, true love grows.

517. Passion stirs, love builds.

518. True love takes time.

519. True love is like a good cheese. It takes time to mature.

520. Passion and action combine to build God’s kingdom.

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 ...

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'africa arise' IS UNDERWAY

Good progress is being made. Yesterday we found premises that on first investigation, would appear to be suitable for a local shop to raise funds for freight and other expenses. More news next week.

Take 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…

http://www.africaarise.org.nz

CRANWELL'S CARTOON

THE BIRTH OF SAMUEL

1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. 3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD. 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. 6 And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Elkanah her husband would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” 9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD’s temple. 10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” 12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine.” 15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” 17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. 19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the LORD for him.” (1Samuel 1:1-20)

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TUESDAY TEACHINGS

A REVELATION OF... DIVIDING THE WATERS (Part 2) - We commence our look at the crossing of the Red Sea and its application to today's church.

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*** 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.

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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." ***

596. AFTER ALL THESE YEARS
A pious man, who had reached the age of 105, suddenly stopped going to synagogue. Alarmed by the old fellow's absence after so many years of faithful attendance, the Rabbi went to see him. He found him in excellent health, so the Rabbi asked, "How come after all these years we don't see you at services anymore?"

The old man lowered his voice. "I'll tell you, Rabbi," he whispered. "When I got to be 90, I expected God to take me any day. But then I got to be 95, then 100, then 105. So, I
figured that God is very busy and must've forgotten about me, and I don't want to remind Him!"

595. THE FLYING SERMON
They say that a preacher's wife is always his number one assistant. An example of this comes one Sunday morning after the preacher had just finished his sermon. He went and sat down with his wife and she asked him how he thought the church service went.

The Preacher shrugged and said, "The worship was excellent, and I think the prayer and communion times went quite well, but," he continued, "I just don't think the sermon ever got off the ground."

The wife looked over at him, and before she could stop herself, she said, "Well, it sure did taxi long enough!"

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: Why is the Dead Sea so salty?

ANSWER: Water comes in from rivers and streams but has no where to escape. with high evaporation levels, the accumulated salt has no where else to go. ('Sink or swim' doesn't apply here. You can't sink and it is extremely difficult to swim in!)

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Why do fawns have spots?

Answer Next Week.

SOME FUN FACTS


366. BLINK - OR BLINK, BLINK?
Women blink nearly twice as much as men. (Men cause this, women say.)

367. DOGS AND US
Dogs and humans are the only animals that have prostates. (Is this because dogs prostrate themselves before humans?)

368. NO MENTION
In some islands of the Philippines, it is forbidden to mention the name of anyone living. (A real killer for gossips!)

A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU

Make another word from this word using all the letters.

GRADERS

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

14) How did Gideon know he would beat the Midianite army?

A - the army was tired
B - a midianite dream
C - he had faith
D - he had better weapons

Source: www.biblequizzes.com

Heaps more fun and serious 'God Facts' are found at...

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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!

"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""

!!!!!!! If we are to better the future, we must disturb the present. (Catherine Booth)

!!!!!! You have capacities in excess of your expectations!

!!!!! Double your failure rate! (From a motivational tape)

!!!! Imagine no limits! (From Cellular One)

!!! Be absurdly happy, completely fearless, and in constant trouble. (F R Maltby)

!! Make no small dreams. They make no magic to stir men’s blood. (Architect of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile)

! I miss 100% of the shots I don’t take. (Wayne Gretsky)

100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...

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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.com

Q. Who in the Bible never committed a sin, spoke by God's inspiration, yet died without hope of Heaven?
>
>
>
>
>
>
A. Balam's Donkey

Lots more riddles found at...

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WHY?

Some of Life’s Most Puzzling Questions.

42. If ‘Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers’, where did he find a pickled pepper bush?

43. How do you get off a non-stop flight?

44. How come that no-one is listening until you make a mistake?

45. Why is it that the colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required on it?

46. Why are credit cards always in debit?

47. Why did Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

48. Do illiterate people get the full affect of alphabet soup?

49. Why when you blow in a dog's face he gets mad at you, but when you take him in a car he sticks his head out the window?

50. Why is anyone going slower than you an idiot, but anyone going faster than you a maniac?

51. How come SUPERMAN could stop bullets with his chest, but always ducked when someone threw a gun at him?

52. If it was only a 3 hour cruise, why did MRS. HOWELL have so many clothes?

53. Why does SOUR CREAM have an Expiration date?

54. Why buy a product that it takes 2000 flushes to get rid of?

55. Why do we wait until a PIG is dead, to "CURE" it?

56. Why is a Mom with two or more kids called a "single Mom"?

57. Why do doctors call what they do "a practice"?

Many more of life's answerless questions found here...

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BIBLE TRIVIA

NONE!

There is no mention of an apple in the Garden of Eden story of Genesis 1 and 2.

AN EXPLANATION
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

This 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.

By trying to keep as brief as possible, some have misunderstood what I said to mean that Jesus was born with sin which, of course, is incorrect. If Jesus had sinned in any way He could not have become our Savior, as a sinless sacrifice was required by the Father for our salvation. As incorrect as the doctrine that the human, Mary, was sinless when she conceived. I am sorry for any confusion caused.

Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys

Lots more 'God Facts' are found at...

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CHURCHSPEAK

MORE ON COLOURS AND METALS
BLUE:.....Heavenly - Holy Spirit.....Num. 15:38

GOLD:.....Divine Nature.....Rev. 3:18

GREEN:.....Life Everlasting.....I John 5:12

IREDESCENT:.....Overcoming.....Rev. 21:11-19

ORANGE:.....Praise.....I Chr. 23:13

PINK:.....Right Relationships.....Rom. 3:25 & Rev. 19:8

PURPLE:.....Royalty - Kingship.....John 19:2 & Jude 8:26

RED:.....Blood Atonement.....Mat. 27:28 & 15:1-18

VIOLET:.....Invisible - Supernatural.....Eph. 2:7 & Ex. 35:6

YELLOW:.....Shekinah Glory.....Eph. 2:7 & Ex. 35:6

WHITE:.....Purity.....Dan. 12:1O

BLACK:.....Sin - Death.....Jer. 8:21 & Lam. 4:8-5, 1O

SILVER:.....Redemption.....Mat. 27:3-9

GOLD:.....Divine Nature.....Rev. 3:18

BRASS:.....Judgement.....Num. 21:9

WOOD:.....The Root Humanity.....Is. 11:10-11 & Jer. 23:5

COPPER:.....(Same as Brass)

More 'religious' terms explained at...

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DAVID'S DOWNLOAD

A REVELATION OF…….THE 3 GARDENS OF GOD - Having spent much of my life involved in the gardening industry, as a grower, wholesaler of flowers, bulbs and plants and finally as a mail order seller of the same, this revelation has reached into my 'gardeners' heart!

Gardens and nature have a special place in God's heart too. This is not surprising, for He was their creator! Nor is it surprising then, that He should choose garden settings for key events in His interaction with man to take place.

See what they are.

Download your free PDF File now at...

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WAXING LYRICAL

THE SHEEP AND THE GOAT! (Part 1 of 3)
Before starting this story, I had better expand
On what I am doing here, in Bowentown land.
I came to write more of this book you see,
Without interruption, in peace and tranquillity.

My day started well, out of bed not too late,
In shorts and T-shirt, went down to the gate,
From there to go running, but what did I find,
Goodness gracious, my energy was left behind!

I plodded down the road at a snail’s pace,
Praying I wouldn’t meet a familiar face.
For vanity comes quickly, out there on the road,
Jogging an easy way, your friends so to goad.

There was a reason for my slowness you see,
For on the previous night, I had had no tea.
No meals indeed, on the day before that!
My body for me, would not go out to bat.

For I am fasting, seeking the Lord you know,
Praying for his inspiration to help me grow.
But in case you think I’m a super spiritual nut,
I’m also expecting now, a shrinking of the gut!

More of David's poems at...

http://www.wwj.org.nz/waxing.php

A DAVID MUSING

After a prolonged but normal dry summer, we have had small times of showers a fortnight apart. While not really significant in rainfall terms, they have been sufficient to turn our lawns and parks from 'summerbrown' to 'autumngreen'. While we are fortunate to have sufficient water supplies available to water our gardens, there is no substitute for rain, which is far more effective in greening the city.

So it is in our lives. We go through barren times, through summer droughts, when the presence of God seems not to be there. We attempt to 'water' our lives by going to church and while that does some good, we know that our lives are not as vibrant and green as we know they can be.

Then, one day, in due season, comes along the autumn rain of the Spirit and we are restored to a new season in God.

If you are going through a barren summer drought at the moment, hang in there, for the autumn rains of the Spirit will inevitably return, as the seasons follow one another year after year.

Yes, your summer will turn into autumn soon!

Until next week...

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.

His servant and yours

David Tait

Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: REGARDS

TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' ANSWER: B - A Midianite dream (Judges 7:12-15)

REPRODUCTION OF NEWSLETTER CONTENT

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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 website
wwj.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