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: 333 Published: 10 Mar 2008
TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCH: 3. FROM KINGS TO KINGDOM (continued)
Today we look at the final of the 7 churches of Revelation and the second of the two that Jesus did not find fault with. Churches we should copy. Only problem is, we don't see these churches as successful!TO THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA
7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
(Revelation 3:7-9)
Here we have another church that wouldn't seem successful in today's terms. Success today is regarded as being strong, confident, with a super faith that will get one through all situations and challenges in life. Yet, very often, this 'strength' is grounded in human maxims of success rather than godly principles. Strength in self rather than total reliance upon God!
To truly 'go up' in God, one must first 'go down' in self.
One of the lessons I have had to learn, being a reasonably capable, naturally confident person, is to let go of my own strength in order to do things under God's instruction. Having heaps of energy, I am always tempted to try and make things happen in God.
While human effort may seem to work in the short term, it will inevitably lead to spiritual, and likely, worldly disaster. As mentioned last week, an attempt, in my own strength, to set Kathy and I up financially through building 12 houses to rent so that we wouldn't have to rely upon others in the fulltime ministry being called to, ended in disaster! In reality, I was trying to make myself independent of God. For He is to be our provider.
Of course, God had the last laugh, for the project backfired. I went bankrupt and now genuinely need to pray each day,
11 Give us today our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11)
Yes, in Philadelphia they had little strength, yet they kept God's Word and did not deny His name.
Also, as one commentator put it,
This church has opposition from the false church (synagogue of Satan), the counterfeits. These false brethren claim to be the church and oppose the ministry of God’s people, but Christ promises to bring them to their knees. The false church has popularity, influence, and money, but it must one day bow before the few saints of God who take the truth to the world.
Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament, (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books) 1992.
All too often today, the churches with popularity, influence and money are regarded as the successful true church. Yet, according to Jesus, the churches at Smyrna and Philadelphia which were poor and persecuted, lacking in human strength and ridiculed, were those that He was pleased with. Yet, as the commentator says, it must one day bow before the few saints of God who take the truth to the world.
Maybe then we too, will receive the reward of the Philadelphians;
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:11-13)
Worth musing upon, isn't it?
Jesus desires us to work in His strength, not our own.
(To be continued next week.)
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FROM THE WORD
TO THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA"“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:7-13)
PRAYER
"“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This, then, is how you should pray: â€â€˜Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:5-15)
TO THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA
"“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. (Revelation 2:8-11)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
DISCIPLESHIP214.-235. Discipleship is...
... becoming a little more like Jesus every day.
... being prepared to die for our Lord.
... honouring and worshipping God as Lord, rather than a 'holy Father Christmas.'
... being the one God would like us to be.
... placing God's needs and others godly needs ahead of our own.
... helping others attain to their ministries, even to the expense of our own.
... being Jesus to others.
... retaining the joy of the Lord in times of personal sadness.
... putting wrongs right - graciously!
... walking as one with the Lord, night and day.
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CRANWELL'S CARTOON
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.â€
3 Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days. 4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.†5 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. (Jonah 3:1-5)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THE COVENANTS OF THE LORDA look at the 7 main covenants between God and man.
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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." ***
698. NIETZCHE
A poster read: "God is dead" - Nietzche.
The graffiti underneath read: "Nietzche is dead" - God.
697. GOLIATH'S GRIEF!
Why was Goliath so surprised when David hit him with a stone? Because nothing like this had ever entered his mind before.
696. THE CONFUSED SAMARITAN
A man was beaten up by robbers on a road to London. He lay there, half dead and in bad shape. A Vicar came along, saw him and passed by on the other side. Next, a monk came by but also walked quickly on the other side. Finally, a social worker came along, looked at the man and said "Whoever did this needs help!"
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: How do black and white stripes camouflagezebras?
ANSWER: It doesn't seem to make sense. For there isn't any black and
white shrubbery in Africa for zebras to hide in! So how does being striped
help them to avoid being someone else's dinner? The answer is in what
scientists call ‘disruptive coloration’. The alternating stripes break up and
obscure the outline of the zebra, making it difficult for predators to focus
on the animal, particularly when many zebras are running together at
once. Instead of a solid shape, the predator sees a jumble of apparently
unrelated forms. Some experts think the stripes may serve another
purpose - avoiding the tsetse fly. These biting flies prefer to snack on
large, dark, moving animals. The zebra's stripes may well make it difficult
for the biting bugs to find a single dark region to alight upon. (What about
the ‘Stars and Stripes’?)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is an egg tooth?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS564. ‘HARD AS’
Human teeth are almost as hard as rocks! (But both have a bad habit of breaking with age.)
565. THE 'TERMITERITY' OF IT!
The world's termites outweigh the world's humans 10 to 1. (Fortunately they are considerably smaller than we, so we don’t often notice.)
566. STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN?
There are more than 10 million bricks in the Empire State Building. (Beats the Tower Of Babel, any day!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
SQUATTER
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BIBLE QUESTION - WORKERS AND TOOLS
2) Which man was plowing when he was called to be a prophet of God?A - Peter
B - Elijah
C - Elisha
D - Ezekiel
Source: www.biblequizzes.com
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""CHRISTIAN ONE-LINERS (Continued)
!!!!!!! A lot of church members who are singing 'Standing on the Promises' are just sitting on the premises.
!!!!!! We were called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.
!!!!! Be ye fishers of men. You catch them - He'll clean them.
!!!! Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.
!!! Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
!! Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.
! Forbidden fruits create many jams.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
JUST JOKES
290. MURPHYA secret agent was sent to Ireland to pick up some very sensitive information from an agent called Murphy. His instructions were to walk around town using a code phrase
until he met his fellow agent. He found himself on a desolate country road and finally ran into a farmer.
"Hello, said the agent, "I'm looking for a man called Murphy."
"Well you're in luck," said the farmer, "as it happens, there's a village right over the hill, where there's a butcher called Murphy, the baker is named Murphy, three widows are called Murphy. In fact my name is Murphy."
Aha, thought the agent, here's my man. So he whispered the secret code. "The sun is shining..... the grass is growing..... the cows are ready for milking."
"Oh" said the farmer, "you're looking for Murphy the spy - he's in the village over the other direction."
289. LATE
Harry came into the office an hour late for the third time in a week. "What's the story this time, Harry?" his boss asked sarcastically. "Let's hear a good excuse for a change."
Harry sighed, "Everything went wrong this morning, boss. The wife decided to drive me to the station. She got ready in ten minutes but then the drawbridge got stuck. I swam across the river - see? My suit's till damp - ran out to the airport, got a ride on Mr. Trump's helicopter, landed on top of Radio City Music Hall, and was carried here piggyback by one of the Rockettes."
"You'll have to do better than that, Harry," said the boss. "No woman can get ready in ten minutes!"
288. ONE, TWO, THREE.......
The farmer stood in his chicken yard watching hundreds of baby chicks running here and there. He kept pointing to them and trying to count them. "One, two, three, four, five, six,... oh, no..." then he would start over, "one, two, three, four, and,... oh, no."
Then he'd start over again.
Finally he said, "I give up. They say don't count your chickens before they hatch but it sure is easier to do that than it is to count them after they hatch."
BIBLE TRIVIA
CATTLE... are descended from wild oxen. Cows were used early in the Bible for their milk, but bulls were later prized even more as they could carry heavy loads.
Cows carried the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel. (1 Samuel 6:7)
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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NORTH KOREA REMAINS NO. 1 PERSECUTOR OF CHRISTIANS
sOURCE: Open Doors USASANTA ANA, CA - This year's number one spot on Open Doors' 2008 World Watch List is no stranger: North Korea has now topped the list for six years in a row.
There is no other country in the world where Christians are being persecuted in such a horrible and relentless way. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia holds a solid number two place, followed closely by Iran. Maldives is number four.
New at number five is Bhutan, moving a few places up from number seven last year, mainly because Somalia and Yemen saw a decrease in persecution. The number six spot is taken by Yemen, whose position did not change in spite of a slight drop on the persecution scale.
Afghanistan rose from number 10 to number 7.
Laos saw little change in religious freedom last year, but it moved up one place, from number nine to number eight. Two new countries entered the Top Ten: Uzbekistan at number nine and China number ten. Uzbekistan was number eleven last year and China number twelve.
Islam is the majority religion in six of the top 10 countries: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Maldives, Afghanistan, Yemen and Uzbekistan. Three countries have communist governments: North Korea, Laos and China. Bhutan is the only Buddhist country on the Top 10 list.
The World Watch List ranks countries according to the intensity of persecution Christians face for actively pursuing their faith. The list is compiled based on the answers to fifty questions covering various aspects of religious freedom from Open Doors' indigenous contacts, field workers and persecuted believers.
More Christians were arrested in North Korea in 2007 than in 2006. Many have been beaten, tortured or killed because of their religious beliefs. Open Doors' local source estimates the number of underground Christians to be at least 200,000, and it's likely that there are as many as 400,000 to 500,000 believers. At least a quarter of the Christians are imprisoned for their faith in political prison camps, from which people rarely get out alive.
Carl Moeller, President/CEO of Open Doors USA, says: "It is certainly not a shock that North Korea is No. 1 on the shame list for the sixth year in a row. There is no other country in the world where Christians are being persecuted in such a horrible and systematic manner. I encourage you to join our prayer campaign for North Korea and to plug in to the many opportunities Open Doors offers to advocate for the oppressed believers during North Korea Freedom Week April 27-May 3."
In Shariah-ruled Saudi Arabia, the deplorable state of religious freedom remained generally unaltered in 2007. Under the kingdom's strict interpretation of Islamic law, apostasy (conversion to another religion) is punishable by death if the accused does not recant. There were no reports of executions for apostasy in 2007.
Islam is the official religion in Iran, and all laws and regulations must be consistent with the official interpretation of Shariah law. Although Christians are a recognized religious minority who are guaranteed religious freedom, they have reported imprisonment, harassment and discrimination because of their faith.
The status of religious freedom for Christians deteriorated in 2007 in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan (from number seventeen to number fifteen), Libya (from number twenty-six to number twenty-three), Jordan (from number forty to number thirty-nine), Belarus (from number forty-two to number forty-one) and the Palestinian Territories (number forty-two).
In Afghanistan, the major incident of the twenty-three South Korean Christians who were abducted in July 2007 gave the country a worse mark than in 2006, though other incidents also contributed to this.
China is a large country with many contradictions. There are Christians who are restricted in their freedom to worship, but there are also areas where the situation is not as tight. Sometimes the government crackdowns against Christians were motivated by preparations for the Beijing Olympic Games in August 2008 and not by anti-Christian grounds. The government wants to make sure that there is no risk for any instability during 2008. The way they want to achieve this differs per area and situation. Sometimes unprecedented politeness is used, but there are also reports of house church raids and arrests.
In Pakistan the influence of fanatic Muslims increased in the state security forces and the police, which meant that Christians in general were more closely monitored than before. Also the number of attacks on churches, Christian homes and other meeting places increased.
New on the World Watch List are the Palestinian Territories, where a Christian was murdered and several others were imprisoned, questioned and beaten because of their faith.
Changes for the better were recorded in Somalia (from number four to number twelve), Vietnam (from number eight to number seventeen), Burma (from number 19 to number 25, Ethiopia (from number 37 to number 43) and Colombia (from number 43 to number fifty).
In Somalia this past year Open Doors did not receive reports of Christians being killed or physically harassed and kidnapped for their faith, as in 2006. However, Islam is the national religion and social pressure is strong to respect Islamic tradition.
Vietnam is in transition. Entire denominations and several house churches have received permission or registration. However, there are still religious prisoners, at least one believer was killed, and tribal areas experience a greater degree of restrictions compared with their urban counterparts. Overall though, the church is enjoying more freedom than in decades.
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DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
A REVELATION OF... THE POWER OF THREE IN GOD AND THE CHURCHIn walking further with Jesus, I increasingly appreciate that this particular revelation of 'threes in God' has been hugely important in developing my understanding of God and how He works both in the church and in our lives.
It matters not whether you are a 'oneness', 'twoness', or 'trinitarian' believer. The concept still applies. For we're all very good at putting God in a box, limited to the walls of our theology and understanding. But, one day, we will know all the truth of the great mystery of God.
In the meantime, if you can grasp this simple, yet profound concept, I'm sure it will open up new realms of understanding for you too about God and His plans for His people in these end days.
It certainly developed my faith tremendously, being able to grasp more of God's mighty plan for me. And for you too!
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WAXING LYRICAL
Words that tell a succinct story!...EPT
While Jesus wept,
The Disciples slept,
Could not accept,
His divine precept.
His death swept,
Felt totally inept,
To themselves kept,
While time crept.
Resurrection concept,
No promises unkept,
They became adept,
So to service lept!
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A DAVID MUSING
I was wanting to show you a picture of our new Wairoa shop today, as I now have taken some photos of it.Unfortunately however, they are inside my camera and not yet on the computer!
Not a problem! Simply attach the cable between the two, and 'voila', it is done.
Well - yes! Having rearranged my office a couple of weeks ago, everything is so tidy that I cannot find the cable! Oh dear! No doubt it will turn up, so maybe next week.
This week does represent a watershed however, as we have been able to support our first major project in Africa. All the hard work of the past 12 months is finally becoming worthwhile.
We are really enjoying our new house, and after completing this article (Sunday afternoon), I am going for a walk along the beach on a beautiful, sunny, summer Hawkes Bay day. Bet you wish you were here! Well I don't bet - but you know what I mean!
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: QUARTETS
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION': Elisha (1 Kings 19:16,19)
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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