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: 330 Published: 18 Feb 2008
TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCH: 3. FROM KINGS TO KINGDOM (continued)
Sardis was an ancient city of Lydia, on the banks of the mountain Tmolus. Likely to have been the chief city of Asia the Less, it was the first city in that part of the world to be converted by the preaching of John. Likely also to have been the first to revolt from Christianity, and today lies in ruins.THE CHURCH IN SARDIS
Interestingly, Jesus had nothing good to say about this church in His prelude.
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. (Revelation 3:1-3)
Here we have a superficially successful church with a great reputation, but one that is relying upon past glory for its present ministry.
As the first city of the area to be converted, we can well imagine how vibrant and enthusiastic the original believers would have been.
Yet, over time, the initial enthusiasm waned and the work of the church reduced from substance to form. It had become a dead church living on its past reputation.
This can so easily happen to us, both as individual believers and in the life cycle of the church. There is a saying that 'familiarity breeds contempt' and while this sounds harsh in relation to God, it can all too easily become our reality.
Why is this? I believe the major reason is that we place limits upon our relationship with God. Once we stop seeking more of Him, we actually experience less! For faith is like a pendulum swinging. We are either going on in Him or we are going backwards. We cannot stand still.
This is as true for a church as it is for us individually. Churches are generally founded by an enthusiastic group keen to reach out into their community. God is truly relied upon as He is necessary to the equation! However, over an amazingly sort time, Gods ways become methods and then tradition. We learn how to 'do church'.
Experience has taught me that God is a God of change. While He never changes, He requires us to change, step by step, into the image of Jesus. While I don't know about you, I suspect you are the same as me, having some way to go yet to become like Jesus!
So too does the church, in order to become the pure, spotless bride for which Jesus is returning. He wont come until we are! We determine the time of His return by our preparation. If we are not ready, if our robe is soiled, He will wait for another generation. Sobering, isn't it!
Yet there were again in the Sardis church a remnant who were not simply belivers, but true disciples, as has been the case down through the ages.
4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. (Revelation 3:4)
To which group do you belong?
God is seeking people and churches who are completely sold out to Him
(To be continued next week.)
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FROM THE WORD
TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS"“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:1-6)
THE RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE
"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.†He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:11-16)
THE GREAT MULTITUDE IN WHITE ROBES
"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.†All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!†Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?†I answered, “Sir, you know.â€
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.â€" (Revelation 7:9-17)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
BELIEVERS v DISCIPLES236. A believer praises the Lord in good times, the disciple at all times.
237. The Holy Spirit resides in the believer but shines through the disciple.
238. A believer loves God with heart and mind while a disciple commits the will.
239. A believer loves God and others, but they are the disciple's life.
240. A believer lives in hope, but for the disciple, God's hope is certain.
241. A believer seeks forgiveness for sin but the disciple also determines not to walk that path again.
242. A believer has faith in God but the disciple's faith is tempered in the fire of testing.
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CRANWELL'S CARTOON
But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. 2 Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. 3 The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, 4 and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible. 6 After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark 7 and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. 9 But the dove could find no place to set its feet because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. 10 He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him. (Genesis 8:1-12)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
NEXT WEEK BEYOND THE VEIL – WALKING IN THE WAY: OUR JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE concludeswith a look at time, and how it applies both to the church and our own lives.
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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." ***
690. UNUSUAL MEMORIAL
A newly appointed young preacher was contacted by the local funeral director to hold a graveside service at a small country cemetery. There was to be no funeral, just the committal, because the deceased had no family or friends left. The young pastor started early to the cemetery, but soon lost his way. After making several wrong turns, he finally arrived, a half-hour late. The hearse was no where in sight, and the workman were relaxing under a nearby tree, eating their lunch. The pastor went to the open grave and found that the vault lid was already in place. He took out his book and read the service. As he returned to his car, he overheard one of the workman say, "Maybe we'd better tell him that's a septic tank."
689. NO EXCUSE SUNDAY
To make it possible for everyone to attend church this Sunday, we are going to have a special "No Excuse Sunday":
~ Cots will be placed in the foyer for those who say, "Sunday is my only day to sleep in." ~ There will be a special section with lounge chairs for those who feel that our pews are too hard.
~ Eye drops will be available for those with tired eyes from watching TV late Saturday night.
~ We will have steel helmets for those who say, "The roof would cave in if I ever came to church."
~ Blankets will be furnished for those who think the church is too cold, and fans for those who say it is too hot.
~ Scorecards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites present. ~ Relatives and friends will be in attendance for those who can't go to church and cook dinner, too. ~ We will distribute "Stamp Out Stewardship" buttons for those that feel the church is always asking for money.
~ One section will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to seek God in nature. ~ Doctors and nurses will be in attendance for those who plan to be sick on Sunday.
~ The sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who never have seen the church without them.
~ We will provide hearing aids for those who can't hear the preacher and cotton balls for those who think he's too loud.
Hope to see you there!
FREE DOWNLOAD: You can now download the book 'Laughing At Ourselves' in PDF format at LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
One of the most comprehensive sources of Christian Humour on the Net with 769 sermon fillers for your entertainment and use at ...
FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Who invented Khaki military uniforms?ANSWER: ANSWER: The light-yellowish brown cloth, used generally for military
uniforms, gets its name from the Persian word ‘khak’, meaning ‘dust’ or
‘ashes’. The word ‘khaki’ can be used to refer to the colour, the cloth, or
the garment made from the cloth. Lt. Harry Burnett of the Queen's Own
Corp of Guides developed the cloth in 1846. The goal was to produce a
mud-coloured uniform that would camouflage English soldiers attempting
to hide in dusty areas. (To help stop soldiers prematurely returning to
‘ashes to ashes and dust to dust’.)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Why do we call twins who are attached to each
other physically, ‘Siamese twins’?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS573. A LOAD OF BULL
The newspaper serving the community of Frostbite Falls, the home of Rocky and Bullwinkle, is the ‘Picayune Intelligence’. (If only we could be as imaginative in real life as in the movies!)
574. DOUBLE TROUBLE
After eating, a housefly regurgitates its food, then eats it again! (Sounds great for ice-cream – not so good for cod liver oil!)
575. FEARSOME FROG
The poison-arrow frog has enough poison to kill about 2,200 people! (A ‘weapon of mass destruction’!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
ISSUED
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!)
19) What caused Jephthah to tear his clothes?A - he lost the battle
B - he was caught in a thicket
C - his daughter met him
D - his family attacked him
Source: www.biblequizzes.com
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT LIFE THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:
1) Raising teenagers is like nailing Jell-O to a tree.
2) There is always a lot to be thankful for, if you take the time to look. For example, I'm sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt.
3) One reason to smile is that every seven minutes of every day, someone in an aerobics class pulls a hamstring.
4) Car sickness is the feeling you get when the monthly payment is due.
5) The best way to keep kids at home is to make a pleasant atmosphere- and let the air out of their tires.
6) Families are like fudge . . . mostly sweet, with a few nuts.
7) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
8) Laughing helps. It's like jogging on the inside.
9) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.
10) My mind not only wanders; sometimes it leaves completely.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
LIFE'S A LAUGH
143. THE TRICKLittle Tony was so happy to see his grandmother that he ran up and gave her a big hug.
"I'm so happy to see you, grandma. Now daddy will have to do that trick he's been promising to do!"
His grandmother was curious. "What trick is that, sweetie?"
The little guy smiled at her, "I heard daddy tell mommy that he would climb the walls if you came to visit us again!"
144. GETTING FRIENDLY
One caller to our answering service gave me his name, number and message and then said, "You know my name. What's yours?"
"4136," I replied, since we were allowed only to give our operator numbers.
Sounding disappointed, he said, "May I call you by your first digit, or would that be too personal?"
145. PLAYING HOUSE
Two little children, a boy and a girl, walked hand-in-hand to a neighbor's house. The little girl stood on her tiptoes and just able to reach the doorbell. Then, an elderly lady greeted them at the front door.
"Good morning, children," she said. "What can I do for you?"
"We're playing house," the little girl answered. "This is my husband and I'm his wife. Can we come in?" Thoroughly enchanted by the scene, the elderly lady replied, "By all means, do come in."
Once inside, she offered the children lemonade and cookies, which they graciously accepted. When a second tall glass of lemonade was offered, the little girl politely declined. "No thank you," she said. "We have to go now. My husband just wet his pants."
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BIBLE TRIVIA
ANIMALS IN THE BIBLEAbout 80 species of mammals are mentioned, 25 different birds, eight reptiles and amphibians and 12 insects.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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AFRICA: SUDAN - Good News of the Harvest
Estimates of Sudanese Muslims who have become Christians range from 200 to 2000. With decades of prayer and nearly fruitless ministry behind, a harvest among Northern Sudanese Muslims seems to be beginning. Many people believe that now is God's time for Sudan.Workers in Sudan are rejoicing in the openness of Sudanese Muslims to talking about the Gospel. A peace accord is currently holding in anticipation of a referendum in 2011. During this time of what seems to be temporary peace, the North is more open to tentmakers and humanitarian groups. Even in Darfur, where an estimated 5 million people have almost no Christian witness, reports of open doors are streaming in. Christian fruit in Darfur seems to be increasing with each passing year.
Right now in the North, including in Darfur, Southern Christians, foreign missionaries, and a small number of Muslim-background believers are working with fervor to build relationships, plant seeds, and see a harvest before the uncertainty of 2011. The question still waits to be answered: Will the North unite, divide, or plunge the country of Sudan further into the depths of war?
Source: Arab World Ministries Update via GO GLOBAL MISSIONS REPORT
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DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
A REVELATION OF……. THE SEVEN REVELATIONS OF THE LAMBIt would be normal to think of a victorious God as a lion. But Jesus came as a lamb, the Lamb of God
The incredible story of how the Lamb of God is foreshadowed 4 times in the Old Testament, comes as the Lamb in the New, sets our example and will return to claim His kingdom.
Both a faith builder and a call to inherit the kingdom now.
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WAXING LYRICAL
This poem was 2 years in the writing! The inspiration came, half was written, then I got busy on other things! In the last day or two I have had some spare time, so thought to finish it. (Actually I have had more spare time during the two years but never quite got 'a round tuit'!) I hope the result is worth waiting for!MR BUMBLE
“Of course, you know you can’t really fly!†I rashly said,
As diplomatic as taking a sledgehammer to his head!
“For the ‘Laws of Aerodynamics’ you know,
State that ‘up in the air,’ you cannot go.â€
‘Your shapes all wrong
To push you along!
Your body’s far too big!
Ever seen a flying pig?’
In full swing now, big in my bumble bee knowledge,
Intensively learned during five full years of college.
“Your little wings wear out beating ten thousand times a minute,
Therefore your life span is only sixty days – at the very limit!â€
Was somewhat surprised at my clever words’ effect,
For these, I thought, he would automatically reject.
But to take on board my knowledge, he did elect,
My erudite words, to him they did only deject!
“You humans are simply so superior
Us bumbling bees, greatly inferior!
You know more about me than I do!
So what you say, must surely be true.â€
“It's true then! I can’t really fly?
Yes, about to fall from the sky!
Life now seems just not worth the living!
Even with all the effort, I’ve been giving!
So at that very moment he gave up trying,
Knew he should, no longer now be flying,
From a rapid ten thousand beats a minute,
To wings folded, his heart no longer in it.
(Continued next week)
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A DAVID MUSING
A story of the Lord's working!We have wanted for some time to shift houses to one nearer our shop as we currently have to travel 20-30 minutes each way. A lot in our area!
Found a unit available for rent nearly 6 weeks ago, on the internet, right next door to our building. Wonderful! But went to view it at the wrong time and it was already taken. This area is really popular.
I prayed to the Lord that if it was meant to be for us, the people would withdraw. 3 weeks later the agent came into the shop, incredulous that the other people had not turned up! (I didn't explain why!)
So the unit is now ours and we shift in next weekend.
Thank you Lord.
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: DISUSE
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION': His daughter met him (Judges 11:34-36)
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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