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: 321 Published: 17 Dec 2007
TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCH: 3. FROM KINGS TO KINGDOM (continued)
The most remarkable thing about the ministry of Jesus was that He led by example but did not rule in the way we, as human leaders, like to do.Satan endeavoured to tempt Jesus, effectively the same way he succeeded in tempting Adam and Eve - to take power and control over the world. With Adam and Eve, their world was a garden, for Jesus, the whole earth.
Adam and Eve forsook fellowship with God in return for power now. Jesus did not.
Jesus did not have any followers! What a statement to make!
If we analyse the Scriptures carefully, we will see that Jesus always referred to those who sought to follow Him as brethren. They were known as sons (including male and female) of God or of the Father, or sons of the kingdom but never Jesus' sons.
When the people tried to make Jesus 'king' on Palm Sunday, He simply left town, choosing to go to Bethany rather than lead an insurrection.
Many think Jesus was simply being humble when He continually gave all the credit for what He did to the Father. He didn't glorify Himself. All glory was given to the Father. But the reality is that His submission to and glorification of the Father was the very heart of His ministry.
As prophesied by Isaiah, Jesus was to come not as a ruler, but as a servant!
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.†(Isaiah 42:1-4)
Jesus came as God the Father's suffering servant, to do the work of the Father and give glory to Him.
The Suffering and Glory of the Servant
13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness— 15 so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. (Isaiah 52:13-15)
Jesus came, not to rule, but as the servant of the Father to do the Father's will, giving the Father all the glory for everything He did.
(To be continued next week.)
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FROM THE WORD
THE SUFFERING AND GLORY OF THE SERVANT"See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness— so will he sprinkle many nations,
and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
RELIGION, REVELATION AND GOD'S KINGDOM1024. God's kingdom is visionary, religion, managed.
1025. Religion is birthed in the institutionalisation of a revelation of God's kingdom.
1026. 'God given' revelation quickly becomes 'man controlled' religion.
1027. God's kingdom is eternal, mankind's religion, transitory.
1028. Religion formalises the spontaneous informality of God's kingdom.
1029. God's kingdom 'upskills', religion removes the 'ups'.
1030. Religion is really 'the opiate of the priests'.
1031. To get closer to God we need to swap the bonds of religion for the liberation of His kingdom.
1032. Religion creates its own standard mould of monotonous mediocrity. God breaks moulds!
1033. Religion is centred upon man, the kingdom, upon God.
1034. Religion is the outcome of the institutionalisation of a God given vision.
1035. Religion is based upon rules, God's kingdom upon obedience.
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
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. (1 Corinthians 2:1-3)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
NEXT WEEK BEYOND THE VEIL – 1 continuesREVELATION FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT PRINCIPLES OF ATONEMENT
B. ATONEMENT PRINCIPLES ‘POSITIONALLY’ FULFILLED BY JESUS
(To be Experientially fulfilled, that is Embraced, by the Church)
We will start looking at the 11 principles we, the church today, have yet to fulfil.
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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." ***
671. WHO'S CRYING?
One day in heaven, the Lord decided He would visit the earth and take a stroll. Walking
down the road, He encountered a man who was crying. The Lord asked the man, "Why are you crying, my son?"
The man said that he was blind and had never seen a sunset. The Lord touched the man who
could then see and was happy.
As the Lord walked further, He met another man crying and asked, "Why are you crying my son?" The man was born a cripple and was never able to walk. The Lord touched him and he could walk and he was happy.
Farther down the road, the Lord met another man who was crying and asked, "Why are you crying, my son?" The man said, "Lord I work for the public school system."
... and the Lord sat down and cried with him!
670. TAKEN APART
Four-year-old Jason was complaining about having to attend church. His mother explained that he should learn about God, because it was God who made him.
After some thought, Jason said, "Well, if I don't learn about God, will He take me apart?"
669. THE FIRST PROFESSION
Three men were arguing about what the first profession mentioned in the Bible was.
First, the surgeon spoke up: "I think the medical profession is the first profession mentioned in the Bible. God made Eve by carving a rib out of Adam."
The engineer replied: "No, engineering was first. Just think of the engineering job it was to create things out of chaos."
Finally the politician retorted: "That's nothing! Who do you think created the chaos?"
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 was the first animal cloned?ANSWER: Surprisingly, as far back as 1952, when scientists successfully
cloned tadpoles. They were drawing on research that went back to 1938,
when a German scientist developed a theory on how to clone vertebrates
by nuclear transfer. (But did they develop into frogs?)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: How far can a kangaroo jump?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS600. FRAGRANT GIVEAWAYS
Avon started out as the California Perfume Company when 28-year-old founder, Mr. David McConnell, of New York, discovered that the rose oil perfumes he was giving away were the reason people were buying his books. He named the company Avon in 1939, as a tribute to his favourite playwright, William Shakespeare and Stratford on Avon. (Discovered the age-old truth that the easiest way to make money is through women’s vanities or men’s vices.)
601. CATCH THE KOALA
The fingerprints of the Australian Koala Bear are almost indistinguishable from human ones. In fact, they could easily be confused at a crime scene! (Real Australia – Kangaroo Courts and Koala Jails!)
602. NOT COLOUR BLIND
A blind Chameleon is still able to change colours to match its environment. (A colourful story.)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
DETAILS
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 - JUDGES (You be the judge!)
10) In Gideons first test of faith what was the dew on?A - the grass
B - the ground
C - the clothes
D - the fleece
Source: www.biblequizzes.com
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""!!!!!!! Blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they are sticking to their diets.
!!!!!! Millions who long for immortality don't know what to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
!!!!! I'm as broke as the ten commandments.
!!!! I have three college degrees: One undergraduate and two post-graduate. With those and 45 cents, I can get a cup of coffee.
!!! Some power saws are a cut above the rest.
!! If you cut yourself, rub thyme into the cut, because thyme heals all wounds. -Steve Jacobson
! I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places. -Henny Youngman
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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. Was Noah the first one out of the Ark?
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A. No, he came forth out of the ark.
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LAUGH WITH LOVE!
70. THE HOUSE IS GOING TO BURNIn a car in the middle of Colorado a wife says to her husband, "Oh Dear George, I'm afraid the house is going to burn down, I'm sure I left the iron on."
George: "The house will not burn down Dear, don't worry"
Wife: "Now how can you make a statement like that"
George: "Cause I forgot to turn off the water in the bathtub!"
71. TIPS ON LOVE
*From those that should know (all questions are answered by kids, ages 5-10).
WHY DOES LOVE HAPPEN BETWEEN TWO PARTICULAR PEOPLE?
"No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something to do with how you smell. That's why perfume and deodorant are so popular." (Jan, 9)
"I think you're supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the rest of it isn't supposed to be so painful." (Harlen, 8)
THE ROLE OF GOOD LOOKS IN LOVE
"If you want to be loved by somebody who isn't already in your family, it doesn't hurt to be beautiful." (Jeanne, 8)
"It isn't always just how you look. Look at me. I'm handsome like anything and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet." (Gary, 7)
CONFIDENTIAL OPINIONS ABOUT LOVE
"I'm in favor of love as long as it doesn't happen when 'The Simpsons' is on television." (Anita, 6)
"Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it. I have been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me." (Bobby, 8)
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BIBLE TRIVIA
PAPYRUS (Bullrush)was one of the most abundant plants growing along the banks of the Nile, growing 15 feet tall with plumes of wispy feather like 'flowers'. Was used to make the world's first paper - in fact, it is where the name 'paper' comes from.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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CHINA REACHES AN OFFICIAL FIGURE OF 130 MILLION CHRISTIANS
China's top religious official Yie Xiaowen has rejected decades of ambivalence toward religion by declaring that "religion is one of the important social forces from which China draws strength." He also admitted that the number of Christians in China has reached 130 million, including some 20 million Catholics!The Chinese government has intentionally understated the number of Christians for decades in a futile effort to downplay the continued miraculous growth and impact of the church. House church believers have never been recognized or counted. This announcement through the official Chinese news agency is significant. Dr. Bob Fu, President of China Aid Association, writing about this latest official revelation said, "The unprecedented growth has happened under ceaseless persecution. We pray that China will realize true religious freedom soon."
All across China evangelistic outreaches are touching the lives of thousands of people. New converts have an ever-growing need for Bibles to strengthen and guide them. Amity Press has printed 40 million Bibles since its inception. Many other agencies are printing Bibles for China and circulating them through the house churches where the need is so urgent. A Chinese Christian said that reading the Bible is like eating rice. You have to do it every day!"
There are some urgent challenges confronting the Church in China today: With the lessening of persecution in many places, and the rising income and prosperity of the nation, many Chinese leaders are calling for renewed vigilance against the inroads of materialism and the fatal spiritual devastation that results from comfort and ease. Another urgent need is for trained workers to disciple the estimated 7-10,000 new converts a day! Without disciplining, these new converts are subject to deception by the ever-present cults, both home-grown and foreign.
The third request is for more Bibles. Although Bibles are permitted to be printed in China by Amity Press, the 2 million they are able to print each year does not begin to meet the urgent demand. At present the government does not look with favour on Bibles being imported or even printed within the country except by this one approved outlet at Amity Press. There are many pastors and leaders in prison because they were involved in printing and distributing Bibles that were printed in Hong Kong or other unapproved locations.
A new phenomenon is quietly developing on the university campuses across the nation. The astounding growth of Christianity has begun to penetrate many of the largest and most prestigious campuses of the nation. There are now more than 30 vibrant Christian fellowships meeting openly on campuses and being led by professors and student leaders. These are the new "house churches" of China that are sprouting up all over the country. This has great promise for the future of the nation as more and more future leaders pledge their allegiance to Jesus Christ.
One of the most impressive ministries going on in China today is the training of a host of cross-cultural workers to carry the gospel from China through the Muslim countries of the 10/40 Window back to Jerusalem. It has been frequently reported that the Chinese Church desires to raise up 100,000 such workers. It is actually happening quietly and without fanfare in many training centres both inside and outside China. If you are called to pray for China visit http://www.churchinchina.com/ This website is a great source of information. There are twelve sections with pertinent and challenging information, making it one of the most comprehensive web sites for China news and information.
Source: Evangelism Explosion International
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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
One of my favourites. It’s self explanatory.TO BEARD OR NOT TO BEARD?
I pick up my shaver, switch it on at the wall,
My bit’s done. Holy Spirit, now it’s your call.
My mind is so alert, my heart all a flutter,
Awaiting the advice, he’s surely now to utter.
A tentative stroke here, a subtle stroke there,
Stroke here, stroke there, strokes everywhere!
Then it’s all done - now what can I see,
Believe it or not – a designer goatee!
There must always be morals in a story so true,
As we gather life experience, on the way through.
So growing a beard,
Is not to be feared,
But stopping the itch,
Now there’s a hitch,
Reducing the grey?
No, give it away!
Appear intellectual?
Truly ineffectual!
So by all means,
Live your dreams,
It’s better late
Than never mate!
For now I know fluff I can grow,
It ain’t so weird to sport a beard!
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A DAVID MUSING
Kathy and I have been extremely busy keeping our shop, Seekers Megamart, operating well, that we haven't really had much time to think of Christmas.Sorry if you were expecting a card from us... It will have to wait for the new year - hopefully!
To me however, the most striking, and sad, thing this Christmas, has been the number of emails I have received from around the world asking for money to help people either to survive, or to have at least something a little extra for the festive season.
I know this has been said a thousand times before, but Christmas is a sad time for many who do not have the resources to celebrate it in the way they see others able to do. This truly has been brought home to me this year.
Something to do something about?
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: DETAILS
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION': The fleece (Judges 6:36-38)
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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