MONEY, MONEY, MONEY! (Part 3 of 3)

Over the past 2 weeks we have discussed the first 2 stages of our attitude towards money when coming to Christ, Bless Me and Bless Him through me. We have discovered that our initial 'Father Christmas' mentality, one of a 'receiving gifts attitude' (God, give me a Mercedes) should develop into a 'give to me, so that I can give to others' philosophy (God give me a Mercedes and more to give to you) as we grow in Him. A proportion of our increase is used to better our own lives while more is given to God and the poor.

Today we come to the place where God truly desires us to be. A place where few people are prepared to go. The place where all we have belongs to God and is used for His work. Put simply, it is:

BLESS HIM

The overriding understanding here is that all we have belongs to God. We are but stewards of what we have and our primary role is to use our resources to build His kingdom. There are two different approaches to this.

Firstly, God give me more. I undertake to spend no more than I do now on myself and will give ALL my increase to You. A number of famous businessmen around the world have followed this principle of living on little while giving all their increase to God.

The second group is those who reject the acquisition of money altogether and simply give away all they received above minimal personal needs. Many famous preachers and missionaries throughout history, the Wesley's for example, have taken this attitude towards what they have been given. Today we have the examples such as Mother Teresa and Brother Andrew who have forsworn earthly possessions in order to help the poor and needy.

I do understand that this call is not for everyone. Indeed, history shows only a very few have been prepared to, literally, pay the price.

The example in the New Testament, applying to the times in which they lived, is an example of this understanding. It was not compulsory, but it was what God desired.

THE BELIEVERS SHARE THEIR POSSESSIONS
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. (Acts 4:32-36)

Many believe the world will provide the funds necessary to evangelise it, as the Egyptians gave to the Jews when the Israelites left Egypt. While there is an element of truth to that, the truth is that it is a great excuse not to use our own resources for the task!

The reality is, the church already has both within the organisation, and amongst its members, more than sufficient money to fulfil the Great Commission. It is simply a matter of priorities. For the Lord has blessed His people as a whole worldwide. The problem is, we retain His blessing for our own use, instead of using it to help others less fortunate than ourselves, particularly other believers, and for the extension of His kingdom.

My friend, I know that this message is a difficult one. This is a challenging lifestyle, for Kathy and I experience it. Being human, there are always times when we would like more. But when it comes down 'tin tacks', to the bottom line, who and what we are in God is well illustrated in what we do with our wallets.

Why then, do you want God's financial blessing? Is it to bless you or to bless Him?

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FROM THE WORD

THE RICH YOUNG MAN

"Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” “Which ones?” the man inquired.
Jesus replied, ”‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’” “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”" (Matthew 19:16-26)

"Give us today our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11)

THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL

"Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”" (Luke 12:13-21)

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DAVID'S DOODLINGS

1226. Prosperity is human indulgence, sacrifice, a godly command.

1227. Faith is of more value in affliction than in prosperity.

1228. A general rule in God's economy is that faith grows through affliction, but dies with prosperity.

1229. Want to build your faith? Then ask God for affliction, not prosperity. Not surprising there is so little faith today!

1230. It is an enigma to me to see the carparks at prosperity preacher's meetings full of old jalopies!

1231. History proves that God's kingdom grows faster through affliction than prosperity.

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'africa arise' IS UNDERWAY

The first part of the vision (for I still consider myself a young man although others may not!) was fulfilled with the opening of 'The CLOTHING BIN' in our local suburb of Flaxmere last Wednesday. Our first customers are are shown at the door. The aim of this shop and others we are looking at opening is to raise funds to meet our expenses and pay the freight for containers to Africa.

In the 4 days opening we have had so far, sales have been up to expectations.

A further picture of the inside of the shop is found in 'A David Musing' below.

We would value your prayers, your physical help if you live in the area or would like to assist elsewhere in New Zealand. Of course, financial donations would enable us to get established more quickly.

Generally, the supplies of stock are snowballing! We can see that this is going to be bigger, more quickly than anticipated.

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.

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CRANWELL'S CARTOON

18 While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. 20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” 22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment. 23 When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, 24 he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26 News of this spread through all that region. (Matthew 9:18-26)

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TUESDAY TEACHINGS

A REVELATION OF... DIVIDING THE WATERS DIVIDING THE WATERS (Part 5) FROM MOSES TO JOSHUA

The transition in leadership from Moses to Joshua symbolizes a number of different things, but in this context we are looking at Moses, the type of Jesus, passing the inheritance on to Joshua, a type of us – that’s you and me.

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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." ***

602. HEAVENLY TESTS
A Catholic, a Jew, and an Episcopalian are lined up at the pearly gates.

The Catholic asks to get in and St. Peter says, "No, sorry."

"Why not?" says the Catholic, "I've been good."

"Well, you ate meat on a Friday in Lent, so I can't let you in."

The Jew walks up and again St. Peter says no. The Jew wants an explanation so St. Peter replies, "There was that time you ate pork...sorry, you have to go to the other place."

Then the Episcopalian goes up and asks to be let in and St. Peter again says no.

"Why not?" asks the Episcopalian, "What did I do wrong?"

"Well," says St. Peter, "you once ate your entree with the salad fork."

601. IN CASE OF FIRE
During an ecumenical gathering, a secretary rushed in shouting, "The building is on fire!"

The Methodists gathered in the corner and prayed.

The Baptists cried, "Where is the water?"

The Quakers quietly praised God for the blessings that fire brings.

The Lutherans posted a notice on the door declaring the fire was evil.

The Roman Catholics passed the plate to cover the damage.

The Jews posted symbols on the door hoping the fire would pass.

The Congregationalists shouted, "Every man for himself!"

The Fundamentalists proclaimed, "It's the vengeance of God!"

The Episcopalians formed a procession and marched out.

The Christian Scientists concluded that there was no fire.

The Presbyterians appointed a chairperson who was to appoint a committee to look into the matter and submit a written report.

The secretary grabbed the fire extinguisher and put the fire out.
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: When did Mother's Day first come into being?

ANSWER: Mother's Day was first suggested by Julia Ward Howe, a Woman’s Suffrage leader, and also author of ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic,’ in 1872. She envisioned it as a day to celebrate peace and wanted it to be June 2. In 1907, West Virginian Anna Jarvis began serious campaigning for a ‘Mother's Day’ to be held the second Sunday in
May. Woodrow Wilson approved this as a national holiday in 1915 in the US and since then it has spread around the world. (What mother doesn’t want peace?)

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Can your eyes pop out when you sneeze?

Answer Next Week.

SOME FUN FACTS

357. MUCH SNOT?
Slugs have 4 noses! (Maybe that’s why they’re so slimy. Sorry, couldn’t resist it!)

358. MUCH MOVEMENT
Your ribs move every time you breathe. In fact, about 5 million times a year! (Aren’t we wondrously made?)

359. A CONSUMER SOCIETY
There are more plastic flamingos in the U.S, than real ones! (Wonder what the flamingos think about this?)

A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU

Make another word from this word using all the letters.

VECTOR

Answer at the end of A David Musing

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BIBLE QUESTION - BOOK OF JUDGES

17) Where was Jephthah asked to return to?

A - Shechem
B - Gilead
C - Gibeon
D - Gilgal

Source: www.biblequizzes.com

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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!

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

FOR ALL YOU LEXOPHILES (LOVERS OF WORDS)
!!!!!!! 1. A bicycle can't stand alone because it is two-tired.

!!!!!! 2. What's the definition of a will? (it's a dead giveaway).

!!!!! 3. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

!!!! 4. A backward poet writes inverse.

!!! 5. In democracy it's your vote that counts; In feudalism, it's your count that votes.

!! 6. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

! 7. If you don't pay your exorcist you get repossessed.

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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 holds the high jump record in the Bible?
>
>
>
>
>
>
A. Jesus - when he cleared the temple!

Lots more riddles found at...

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TILL DEATH DO US PART!

110. IMPORTANT THINGS
While attending a marriage seminar on communication, Tom and his wife Peg listened to the instructor declare, "It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other."

He addressed the men, "Can you describe your wife's favorite flower ?"

Tom leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, "Pillsbury All-Purpose, isn't it?"

The rest of the story is not pleasant.

111. TOUCHE!
Grumbled the new groom at dinner: "Why can't you make bread like my mother does?"

Answered his bride, "Why can't you make dough like my father does?"

112. THE GENIE
A man was sitting alone in his office one night when a genie popped up out of his ashtray.

"And what will your third wish be?"

The man looked at the genie and said, "Huh? How can I be getting a third wish when I haven't had a first or second wish yet?"

"You have had two wishes already," the genie said, "but your second wish was for me to put everything back the way it was before you made your first wish. Thus, you remember nothing, because everything is the way it was before you made any wishes. You now have one wish left."

"Okay," said the man, "I don't believe this, but what the heck. I've always wanted to understand women. I'd love to know what's going on inside their heads."

"Funny," said the genie as it granted his wish and disappeared forever, "That was your first wish, too!"

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BIBLE TRIVIA

PLACE NAMES in the Bible often came from the person or people who settled there. The name would commemorate the occasion.

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

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THE PERSONAL BENEFITS OF FAMILY LIFE

Despite controversies over what the "family" is, there is considerable evidence about what the consequences of family life are for individuals. For instance:

* Between 1973 and 1981, Yankelovich found that about three-fourths of Americans interviewed claiming that family life was their most important value.

* Studies of the various life spheres Americans report as being sources of a "great deal of satisfaction" consistently show family life being the most important.

* Married individuals are healthier than their never-married, divorced, and widowed counterparts, according to the CDC report "Marital Status and Health: United States, 1999-2002." Marriage increases life-expectancy by as much as five years. James Goodwin and his associates (Journal of the American Medical Association 258:3125-3130) found in their analyses of 25,000 cases listed in the New Mexico Tumor Registry, which tracks all malignancies in the state, a higher percentage of married people survive cancer at nearly every age (see "Health and Selected Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Family: U.S., 1988-90" from the Centers for Disease Control (pdf format))

* In Lewis Terman's famous longitudinal study of gifted California children (n=1,521), begun in 1921 with follow-ups every 5 or 10 years, it was found that those whose parents divorced faced a 33 percent greater risk of an earlier death (average age at death=76 years) than those whose parents remained married until the children reached age 21 (average age at death=80). According to Dr. Howard Friedman, who did the analyses, there was no such mortality effect for children whose parents had died (cited in Daniel Goleman. 1995. "75 Years Later, Study Is Still Tracking Geniuses." New York Times [March 7]).

Source: http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/family.html

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DAVID'S DOWNLOAD

A REVELATION OF... HOLINESS - A Christian is called to walk towards holiness. While not pretending to give you the complete answer, the 5 examples included here should help you in your understanding of what true holiness is about. And if you so desire, in its application to your life too!

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WAXING LYRICAL

A PSALM
Of David (Tait)

A cry of despair, trust and victory, during a time of difficulty in life.

Peering through the gloom,
All one can see is doom.
Mind in a place now, that can only see the worst,
No more, through the clouds, does the sun burst.
O Lord, my Lord, how did I miss your will!
Where are you Lord, my void to fill?
My God, My God, you seem so far away,
I so need you Lord, in my life today.

Together we did map out the road ahead,
Started on the journey, as I was led.
Travelled nicely along, until coming to a sharp bend,
Around the corner - suddenly - the road came to an end.
I screeched to a halt!
Hit by a thunderbolt!
My God, My God, this wasn't in the plan,
Is my way of you, or simply, my own man?

Those wise after the event say,
"We knew it would never work."
You should have said so yesterday!
Not stab me now, with my dirk!
Where can I hide?
Lost in my pride!
Hate being wrong!
It's not my song!
With back so sore, I'm hurt and dejected,
Did it helping those, who me rejected!
Life's a misery, that much I know,
To whom can I turn, where can I go!

But in you Lord, I put all my trust,
Without you, I am nothing but dust.
For Lord, You've always proved faithful to me,
Again, show me Your way Lord, help me to see.

The phone rings, once, twice, thrice,
An encouragement? That would be nice!
The voice on the phone settles my ruction,
By giving to me, a brand new introduction.
Back on the road, I see a mighty big change,
Where the road did end, is now an exchange,
A super-highway has been put into place,
I am back again, now running my race.

Your vision Lord, is much greater than mine,
Not surprising really, for You are divine!
As the Good Book says, Your ways are not my ways,
May I follow your path, through all my days.
For you Lord, know the road ahead,
Without you, I'm as good as dead.
I trust you with my life, my Master,
For you deliver me from disaster.
Forevermore I place my hands in Yours,
Lead me Lord, to fulfil your cause.

More of David's poems at...

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A DAVID MUSING

Our hectic life continues. Did a little bit better (but only a little) in spending time with the Lord. Had to really, as I was asked to preach in a local area church on Sunday! It went well - or so the people told me!

But I must yet do better again. For, at the heart of my beliefs is to practice what I preach - or teach. If we don't do it ourselves we shouldn't be recommending it to others. That is a very simple truth.

Better run, or I'll get nothing done!

A photo of the inside of 'The CLOTHING BIN'.

Until next week...

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.

His servant and yours

David Tait

Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: COVERT

TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' 17) B - Gilead (Judges 11:10)

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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!

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