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: 294 Published: 11 Jun 2007
THE DICHOTOMY
Following last weeks editorial, IS YOUR CART BEFORE THE HORSE? I was asked by a reader how one can submit to the will of God. For we both come from the striving brigade and they had found out, as indeed I have, that striving to be in submission works no better than not trying at all. In fact, it is worse, for the striver certainly has the desire to be obedient, but not the ability! I know how frustrating that is! Indeed, the harder we try in our own strength to become like Jesus and do what God desires as Jesus did, the further away we seem to get! We can work, we can pray, we can engage self-discipline and more, yet we get no further than those who don't try at all!If trying, if desire, if dedication, is not the answer, then what is? If everything we can possibly do fails, then what CAN we do!
The simple answer is, we can do nothing!
For we cannot change ourselves! Have been there, have done that, and know that this is the truth. For the more we work on ourselves, the less opportunity God has to work in us. A new David's Doodling! No. 1304 actually! See David's Doodlings Here. But we must move on!
The answer truly is a dichotomy, the opposite of what one would expect. I don't claim to know it all, or even to be able to apply what I do know. But yes, I am simply learning to do nothing! Yes, to do nothing.
For I now understand that I cannot change myself. All I can do is allow God to change me.
I am learning to relax in God. Learning to understand that He loves me. Learning to rest in His acceptance. And the remarkable thing is, the more I give up on myself, the more He can do in me.
My dreams have gone. Ambition is dead. For a natural achiever, that is truly letting go of myself! "My God, I give up. You can do with me what you wish. Be it big, small, or not at all, it is simply your call. For I know you love me as I am. That You accept me as me."
As I give in to Him and respond to His will for my life, so He is changing me to become more like Him.
Of course, I don't always succeed. My flesh nature takes over from time to time. But as I onwards go, more like Him I get to grow! All by letting Him do it! Couldn't be simpler, couldn't be more difficult!
Learning the real truth of the words of Jesus:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.†(Matthew 11:28-30)
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FROM THE WORD
REST FOR THE WEARY"At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.â€" (Matthew 11:25-30)
"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." (Psalm 62:1-2)
"Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ." (Colossians 1:24-28)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
GOD'S REST20. God’s rest is a gift, but resting in God a way of life.
21. God’s rest is learned, not earned.
22. God’s rest is free, not earned. Rest in God is also free, but learned.
23. Gods rest is freely given, but rest in God must be freely learned.
24. A believer receives God’s rest, but a disciple rests in God.
309. Man seeks to strive for God. God wants us to rest in Him. Couldn't be easier, couldn't be harder!
310. God's rest is to be sought not only in death, but firstly in life!
311. Lord, teach me not to strive!
312. At work we seek rest. In God we strive to work. Something is wrong here!
313. Resting in God seems too easy to be religious. It is! And it isn't!
1304. The more we work on ourselves, the less opportunity God has to work in us.
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 ...
CRANWELL'S CARTOON
1 Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their hearts melted and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites. 2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.†3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth. 4 Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age—died in the desert on the way after leaving Egypt. 5 All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the desert during the journey from Egypt had not. 6 The Israelites had moved about in the desert forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the LORD. For the LORD had sworn to them that they would not see the land that he had solemnly promised their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. 8 And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed. 9 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.†So the place has been called Gilgal to this day. (Joshua 5:1-9)TO READ THIS CARTOON AND SEE THE OTHER
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
NEXT WEEK THE MINISTRIES OF ELIJAH AND ELISHAWe will look at the individual ministries of these two great prophets and begin to see how they apply to us today.
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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." ***
612. DOUBLY POWERFUL PRAYER
Johnny, a very bright 5 year old, told his daddy he'd like to have a baby brother and, along with his request, offered to do whatever he could to help. His dad, a very bright 35 year old, paused for a moment and then replied, " I'll tell you what, Johnny, if you pray every day for two months for a baby brother, I guarantee that God will give you one!"
Johnny responded eagerly to his dad's challenge and went to his bedroom early that night to start praying for a baby brother.
He prayed every night for a whole month, but after that time, he began to get skeptical. He checked around the neighborhood and found out that what he thought was going to happen, had never occurred in the history of the neighborhood. You just don't pray for two months and then, whammo- a new baby brother. So, Johnny quit praying. After another month, Johnny's mother went to the hospital. When she came back home, Johnny's parents called him into the bedroom. He cautiously walked into the room, not expecting to find anything, and there was a little bundle lying right next to his mother. His dad pulled back the blanket and there was -- not one baby brother, but two!! His mother had twins!
Johnny's dad looked down at him and said, "Now aren't you glad you prayed?"
Johnny hesitated a little and then looked up at his dad and said, "Yes, but aren't you glad I quit when I did?"
611. THE PERFECT CHURCH
A rich man went to his vicar and said, "I want you and your wife to take a three-month trip to the Holy Land at my expense. When you come back, I'll have a surprise for you".
The vicar accepted the offer, and he and his wife went off to the Middle East.
Three months later they returned home and were met by the wealthy parishioner, who told them that while they were gone, he had had a new church built. "It's the finest building money can buy, vicar," said the man. "No expense was spared."
And he was right. It was a magnificent edifice both inside and out. But there was one striking difference. There was only one pew, and it was at the very back.
"A church with only one pew?" asked the vicar.
"You just wait until Sunday," the rich man said.
When the time came for the Sunday service, the early arrivals entered the church, filed onto the one pew and sat down. When the pew was full, a switch clicked silently, a circuit closed, the gears meshed, a belt moved and, automatically, the rear pew began to move forward. When it reached the front of the church, it came to a stop. At the same time, another empty pew came up from below at the back and more people sat down.
And so it continued, pews filling and moving forwards until finally the church was full, from front to back.
"Wonderful!" said the vicar, "Marvellous!"
The service began, and the vicar started to preach his sermon. He launched into his text and, when 12 o'clock came, he was still going strong, with no end in sight. Suddenly a bell rang, and a trap door in the floor behind the pulpit dropped open.
"Wonderful!" said the congregation, "Marvellous!"
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: Is it true that hair and nails continue to grow after death?ANSWER: No, they only seem to. What really happens is that the body
dries out after death and the skin recedes from the hair and nails, making
it appear as if they are longer. In fact, even though hair is not technically
‘living’, hair and nail cells still need to be nourished by blood in order to
grow. (They’re bloodthirsty?)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is an ‘inclined elevator’?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS342. WHAT IS YOUR PHONE NUMBER?
The short-term memory capacity for most people is between five and nine items or digits. This is one reason that generally, phone numbers are kept to seven digits, excluding the area code. (What was that?)
343. PROLIFIC READERS
Warsaw, in Poland, holds the distinction of opening the world's first public library in 1747. (Was silence first imposed there too?)
344. IT'S DEEP
It would take 11 Empire State Buildings, stacked one on top of the other, to measure the Gulf of Mexico at its deepest point. (Could a storm topple the top building though?)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
STUDIES
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BIBLE QUESTION - PAUL
2) Paul was from this tribe:a. Dan
b. Benjamin
c. Issachar
d. Judah
Source: www.biblequizzes.com
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""!!!!!!! "It's not hard to meet expenses... they're everywhere."
!!!!!! Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
!!!!! Never give the devil a ride - he will always want to drive.
!!!! Archeologist: A man whose career lies in ruins.
!!! California smog test: Can UCLA?
!!V A watched clock never boils.
! To a worm, digging in the hard ground is more relaxing than going fishing.
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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.comQ. What did Moses do when he became constipated?
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A. Took two tablets and went up into the mountain.
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TILL DEATH DO US PART!
83. EXCUSE NOTES1. My son is under a doctor's care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute him.
2. Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot.
3. Dear School: Please excuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and also 33.
4. Please excuse Roland from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.
5. Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins.
6. Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.
7. Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels.
84. THE SECRET OF A CONTENTED MARRIAGE
A couple was celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. Their domestic tranquility had long been the talk of the town. A local newspaper reporter was inquiring as to the secret of their long and happy marriage.
"Well, it dates back to our honeymoon," Explained the man. "We visited the Grand Canyon and took a trip down the bottom of the canyon by pack mule. "We hadn't gone too far when my wife's mule stumbled. My wife quietly said, 'That's once.' We proceeded a little farther when the mule stumbled again. Once more my wife quietly said, 'That's twice.' We hadn't gone a half mile when the mule stumbled a third time. My wife promptly removed a revolver from her pocket and shot him.
" I started to protest over her treatment of the mule when she looked at me and quietly said, 'That's once.'
85. REFRIGERATOR MAGNET
1. A messy kitchen is a happy kitchen and this kitchen is delirious.
2. No husband has ever been shot while doing the dishes.
3. A husband is someone who takes out the trash and gives the impression he just cleaned the whole house.
4. A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.
5. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.
6. Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused.
7. A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.
8. Help keep the kitchen clean -- eat out.
9. Housework done properly can kill you.
10. Countless numbers of people have eaten in this kitchen and gone on to lead normal lives.
11. My next house will have no kitchen --- just vending machines.
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BIBLE TRIVIA
ALMOND TREES were admired for their beautiful blossoms, even being used in artwork, such as on the Ark of the Covenant. (Exodus 25:33-4) Its nuts and nut oil were also used for food. The almond waas of special religious significance, being carved onto the Lampstand and are still taken to synagogues today for religious festivals.Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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HOLY SPIRIT STIRS A HUNGER-FOR-GOD IN RUSSIAS YOUTH
"Every door which we knocked [on], every person we talked to wanted to talk about Jesus Christ." MNN Staff/AH (Mar 13th, 2007)According to an article in Mission Network News, children and young people in Russia are craving truth, and "youth ministry is seeing new and unbelievable growth in a generation that is more open to the Gospel than previous generations."
Eugene Bakahmutsky, who heads up all youth ministry in Russia, with the Baptist Union and the support of the Slavic Gospel Association, explains, "The new generation is really empty, their souls and hearts. So they really hunger for truth."
This openness is at least partially due to the fact that Russians are reportedly searching for their identity in a society which is becoming increasingly "more materialistic and less spiritual."
In spite of the rising secularism, Bakahmutsky sees a move of God amongst the young people that he says is a blessing and an opportunity to share the Gospel.
"Youth were involved in local church life before, but it was not a real youth ministry- it was kind of being in church. But now, youth ministry looks like a strong movement, a real mechanism, a real approach to this new youth culture," Bakahmutsky says, "So, it's just brand new, really."
He added that a group he had joined had recently gone to visit young people in college dorms. "Every door which we knocked [on], every person we talked to wanted to talk about Jesus Christ. And, just because they lost hope in drugs, and they lost hope in entertainment stuff, they just wanted something serious, something real," explains Bakahmutsky.
Source: Mission Network News via The Outreach Files June 07
DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
A REVELATION OF……. GIVING TO GODIn Christianity, we hear an awful lot about what God has done for us, but much less of what He desires from us in return!
There is a saying that 'salvation is a free gift, but discipleship costs us everything!' For as Jesus sacrificed His life for us on Calvary's grim hill, so we, in turn, are to model Him, and sacrifice our life for God and for others.
In this study we are going to look at the ways in which we are to offer God the sacrifices He so much desires from us - Praise and Worship, Prayer and Fasting and Tithes and Gifts.
My God sacrificed His son Jesus, for me! Surely, the first thing I can do for Him is to offer back the sacrifices He desires of me. Is that too much to ask?
In theory we would probably agree, but the practice of our lives often tends to fall short of our good intentions!
I trust that this study will encourage you, as it has me, to give back to God what He desires of each one of us.
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WAXING LYRICAL
The inspiration for the first two parts of this poem came from a cross-island trek Kathyand I went on when we were staying on the beautiful Island of Rarotonga, in the Cook
Islands. For those who don’t know, The Cooks are situated around the Tropic of Capricorn
in the Pacific Ocean. A great place to visit! The last part is based loosely on the book
of Revelation, Chapters 21 and 22, the biblical promise of what is to come. Hope it is
both enjoyable and challenging to you. Of course it is just verse, so is not all strictly
theologically accurate! Called poetic licence! My longest poem too, so will print it in small bits!
VICTORY! (Part 4)
THE MOUNTAIN CLIMB
Jesus just looked at us with a wry grin on his face,
"How little they know, thinking they set the pace."
But he says nothing, for we’re still learning the way,
"Let’s go down to the waterfall’, then see what they say.
So down the mountain towards the waterfall we wander,
Satisfied with what we had done, but our legs do wonder!
For we have reached our goal, or so we thought,
In the ecstasy of our achievement, we are caught.
On the way down, we all get a little careless,
Tripping over a stump, my side now a mess,
Suddenly learning that a journey isn’t complete,
Until you are safely back, sitting in the bus seat!
More carefully now, we wend our way down,
Conscious of our need, to get back to town,
To have a shower, to again get clean,
Jesus grinned, this he had often seen.
For he did, and still does, know more than we,
Some of us by now, understanding him you see,
Could glean that he has more surprises in store,
For those who want to move on, who desire more.
To be continued over the weeks ahead.
More of David's poems at...
A DAVID MUSING
This week we have had over 10,000 individual visitors to our website for the first time. These people spent, on average, well over 5 minutes per visit, which is very high in internet terms. To put this into perspective, the time spent is equivalent to 9,000 people listening to a 1 hour sermon. Unbelievable! This is in addition to the nearly 20,000 ezines we distribute each week. Thank you Lord.I love statistics and measuring progress in factual ways. The Lord has had to cure me of this! For to Him, it is people that are important. That is, you and me. People with unique individual problems, challenges and victories in their lives. Yes, the angels delight when one person comes to know Jesus.
While it may seem impressive to quote statistics about how many people we are reaching for the Lord, in reality, the kingdom grows one by one, through individuals ministering, showing the love of Jesus, to family, neighbours and friends.
This week one of our volunteers for africa arise, Brian, has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. Please pray for him. The reality that the Lord has shown me over recent years is, the time I spend with Brian, and others like him, is just as important, indeed, more important, than ministering to millions!
For it is through being this personal reflection of the love of Jesus to others that we will change the world.
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: TISSUED
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' b. Benjamin (Phil 3:5)
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ABOUT US
WALKING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES is a non-profit, non-denominational, Bible based ministry located in Hastings, New Zealand. A ministry dedicated to developing discipleship, fostering unity amongst God’s people to achieve the Great Commission, and in doing so, preparing for Christ’s return. It is securely based upon the foundational principles of the Apostles Creed while recognising the wide and rich diversity of beliefs amongst Christians in other areas. In accordance with the Lord’s direction, materials produced by the ministry are available, free of charge, to genuine enquirers upon request. The ministry is solely funded by donations, as the Lord provides. A list of materials available (plus some fun!) is obtainable and freely downloadable from our websitewwj.org.nz or by contacting us as follows.
Walking With Jesus Ministries
290 Flaxmere Avenue
Flaxmere
Hastings
New Zealand
Phone: (06) 8799 911 International (+64) 6 8799 911
Email: enquiries@wwj.org.nz
Web: wwj.org.nz
Our role is to bless and encourage those in ministry while promoting co-operation and unity of direction amongst the body of Christ, as emphasised 3 times by Jesus in His longest prayer, immediately prior to His arrest and crucifixion. "… so that they may be one as we are one." (John 17:12, 21, 23-4) Our website is currently being developed to encourage your participation one with another, to share resources, and to enable you to promote events and items of interest to the body as a whole – and have a smile while doing it!
For comments upon and contributions to this service, please contact
david@wwj.org.nz