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: 342 Published: 12 May 2008
TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCH: 3. FROM KINGS TO KINGDOM (continued)
Last week I indicated I would share my testimony on the struggles I have had with trying to lead in the style of Jesus. This week, a little background to place things in perspective, warts and all!Before we start you should know that, in the natural, I was highly motivated, ambitious, self confident and successful in most things I put my hand to.
God had to break me of this! He did! I became a bankrupt, not once but twice. In the first bankruptcy I found Jesus, while in the second, I got more deeply into Him.
About 3 years after becoming I Christian I was literally working in the fields amongst my flower crops (sounds romantic but actually a lot of hard work!) when Jesus spoke with me and asked me to start this ministry. He gave me the name, not 'David Tait Ministries' as would have been my natural inclination, following in the footsteps of many other eminent leaders, but rather, 'Walking With Jesus Ministries'. You see, He knew far more about what He wanted to teach me than I did!
WWJ, as a para-church ministry, reaching out to all, rather than being ensconced in a particular denomination, has had the 'advantage' of being 'kept humble' by the leaders of churches and denominations who don't understand what such organisations are called to do. This experience is shared by many others in similar ministries.
At first, the ministry was very successful. The 'Walking With Jesus' discipleship course was written by the Holy Spirit, with an ignorant, new Christian me, simply holding the pen! WWJ COURSE DOWNLOADABLE HERE Around 10,000 people did the course which was amazing in a small country like New Zealand, with an even smaller Christian population.
No, I didn't become famous! But I had success beyond my 'Christian age'. At the completion of writing the course, I conducted some evangelistic meetings, the last of which in particular, the Holy Spirit attended very powerfully. It was a realm way outside of my experience. Added to that was extreme criticism from leadership, killing public ministry for 5 years. From up to down in an instant, even to the extent of thinking about taking my life. All topped off with my second bankruptcy towards the end of this time. How the mighty had fallen!
Through this difficult time, the Lord was teaching me to rely more upon Him. I had to learn (and am still learning) that He is everything and I am nothing! To many readers, maybe even to you, this will sound wrong. For surely, the Lord builds us up! That is what we are taught in so many programmes and doctrines. But I am sorry, these teachings are just worldly 'life success' principles applied to the church situation.
We are actually called to do the opposite to what the world teaches!
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (Romans 12:1-3)
Throughout this time I had to learn the lessons of my experiences by getting deeper into Jesus, in order to start developing His attributes and attitudes, which are just so different to those of the world.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:3-8)
It is easy to acknowledge servanthood, obedience and humility in theory, but oh so difficult to truly put them into practice! For I, too often, have the same experience as Paul:
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:25b)
(Testimony to be continued next week)
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FROM THE WORD
LIVING SACRIFICES"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:1-8)
IMITATING CHRIST'S HUMILITY
"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:1-11)
STRUGGLING WITH SIN
"What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.†But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:7-25)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
RELIGION, REVELATION AND GOD'S KINGDOM1061. God reveals, while religion conceals.
1062. Religion is not a church but a mind closed to change.
1063. Revelation is from without, while the heart of religion is birthed within.
1064. Revelation sows, religion mows!
1065. Religion is not the church, but the church too easily becomes religion.
1066. Religion kills, God upskills.
1067. Religion is a gathering of like minds, God's kingdom, one of godly natures.
1068. Religion insidiously enters the church through repetition.
1069. Repetition is religion's close ally.
1070. As people we are inherently religious, for we enjoy feeling comfortable - even in our discomfort!
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CRANWELL'S CARTOON
20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THE DAVIDIC COVENANTThe final Old Testament covenant, directly pointing the way to the coming of Jesus 1000 years later.
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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." ***
718. QUICK QUIPS
Adam to Eve: I'll wear the plants in this family! (Donna Eaker)
As Noah remarked as the animals were entering the Ark, “Now I herd
everything.†(Bennett Cerf)
717. NO ARMS
A man with no arms and a pastor are talking
No arms - I want to help your church !
Pastor - How can you with no arms ?
No arms - I could ring the church bell !
Pastor - How ?
No arms - I could stand in the middle of it and bang my head on the sides !
Pastor - We will try it for a few weeks and if there's no complaints then you can keep the job .
No arms - thanks !
For 12 weeks he rings the bell and is forgotten by the pastor because of his busy schedule.
One Sunday morning the No armed man climbs the stairs and just as he's stepping into the middle of the bell he falls and lands at the bottom of the stairs unconscious.
The church members find him and run to the pastor. They all come running to the man.
Hey pastor ! Do you now this man's name ?
Pastor - No ! But his face rings a bell !!
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FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Why do some animals have eyes that glow inthe dark?
ANSWER: Taking a flashlight outside at night to look for your cat, you
might have been greeted with the eerie glow of two eyes that appear to
be floating free of the cat. What makes cat eyes, and those of some other
animals, glow in the dark? Many nocturnal animals (those that hunt at
night) have a mirror like layer called the ‘tapetum’ behind the cells of the
retina. This reflective surface helps the animal to gather more light so that
it can clearly see, even in very low levels of illumination. Animals that
have this ability include rabbits, deer, cats, racoons, wolves, and even
bullfrogs. Animals' eyes glow different colours, too, depending on the type
of animal and the pigment in the animal's photoreceptors. Some shine
red or green, while others are yellow, gold or white. (Glow worms too.)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is the underlying meaning of the number
'7' in the Bible?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS543. SMALL BUT LARGE
A ‘hamlet’ is a ‘group of houses smaller than a village’. Usually consisting of around 20 people it has no Mayor and is without any form of municipal government. The largest hamlet in the world is Sherwood Park in Alberta, Canada, with a population of 45,000 and no local government. (No bureaucrats? Unbelievable!)
544. PRE-PREPARED - NATURALLY!
Pecan nuts are the only food that doesn’t need to be treated or dehydrated for Astronauts to take into space. (Helps keep down the costs of the Space Programme?)
545. AT THE MOVIES
The movie that plays at the drive-in in the beginning of ‘The Flintstones’ movie is ‘The Monster’. (Monster movies haven’t lost their popularity over the 1000’s of years then!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
BRAIDS
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BIBLE QUESTION - WORKERS AND TOOLS
11) With which of the following do we associate Dorcas?A - Selling purple cloth
B - Tent making
C - Cooking for others
D - Seamstress
Source: www.biblequizzes.com
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""!!!!!!! Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries.
!!!!!! The shin bone is a device for finding furniture.
!!!!! A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.
!!!! Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
!!! Nothing is fool-proof to a talented fool.
!! Syntax is all the money collected at the church from sinners.
! The trouble with life is, by the time you can read a girl like a book, your library card has expired. (M. Berle)
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JUST JOKES
320. OUT OF STEPAs he was drilling a batch of recruits, the sergeant saw that one of them was marching out of step. Walking up next to the man as they marched, he said sarcastically: "Do you know they are all out of step except you?"
"What?" asked the recruit innocently.
"I said -- they are all out of step except you!" thundered the sergeant.
The recruit replied, "Well, sarge, you're in charge -- you tell them!"
321. THE FAMILY TREE
In my search of the family tree, it was pretty exciting to learn my great-grandparents in the Appalachian Mountains were pioneers in iron and steel. I could hardly stand the excitement until I learned the truth that Great-Grandma stayed home and ironed while Great-Grandpa went off to steal. - Lawrence Brotherton
320. DREAMS ARE FREE!
The school of agriculture's dean of admissions was inter- viewing a prospective student, "Why have you chosen this career?" he asked.
"I dream of making a million dollars in farming, like my father," the student replied.
"Your father made a million dollars in farming?" echoed the dean much impressed.
"No," replied the applicant. "But he always dreamed of it."
319. RECOGNISE IT
A vacationer e-mailed a seaside hotel to ask its location. "It's only a stone's throw away from the beach," he was told.
"But how will I recognize it?" asked the man.
The reply was, "It's the one with all the broken windows."
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BIBLE TRIVIA
A THIRSTY CAMEL... can drink enormous amounts of water very fast - about 25 gallons (100 litres) in 10 minutes! This will sustain it for 4 days without another drink.
It isn't stored in its hump however. The camel's hump stores food. It is a mass of muscle around which fat accumulates. A camel can be fed at the beginning of a trip and not again until the end. After a long and hard journey, the hump shrinks and falls to one side.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISRAEL
Once again, as is usual at this time of the year, the entire country is adorned multitudes of blue and white Israel flags. We hang them out of the windows of our dwellings, over the safety rails of our balconies, and on the roofs of our vehicles. Even high rise buildings have huge blue and white banners running from the top floor all the way down to the ground floor. I even saw a field covered by an Israeli flag that must have measured 150 x 100 meters or more. Why all of the flags ? This time of the year we celebrate Yom Hautzmaut - Independence Day, remembering and rejoicing in the miracle that took place on May 14th 1948. (60 years ago - DJT) In fulfillment of Isaiah 66:8, the Lord's own nation of Israel was resurrected from the dead and 'born again' after 1900 years of non-existence. Many of you have heard me say in my messages that the restoration, or more accurately, the resurrection of Israel on My14th 1948 was the greatest miracle the World has seen since the resurrection of Yeshua, and I stand by that statement.At this time of the year, I often stand out on our balcony, high atop Mt. Carmel and stand in awe as O look out the hundreds f flags can see all over our own neighborhood and I imagine the Lord's pleasure as He looks down from Heaven at the hundreds of thousands of ' blue and whites flying in the breeze in every part of His Land that is occupied by the right people - the Jewish people !
Multitudes of Jews all around the world are also rejoicing with Israel at this time, and over the last 40 years, since the reunification of Jerusalem in the also miraculous victory of the Six Day War in June 1967, ever increasing numbers of 'illuminated' Christians also rejoice on Israel's birthday. These 'illuminated' Christian have woken up to see the light - to see that Israel's existence is indeed a miracle that only the God of the Bible, YHVH, could have brought to pass, and that is an unmistakable sign that His Son, Yeshua the Messiah of all mankind, is about to return to Israel, to set up His Kingdom in the heart of Jerusalem. Now thats something that the whole world should be celebrating and rejoicing about, as only Yeshua can bring the peace that most of humanity desparately needs, and longs for.
David & Josie Silver
Out of Zion Ministries
Mt Carmel
Israel
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WAXING LYRICAL
God can talk to us when we are relaxing too. Some of my best inspirations and timeswith God come when I relaxed in the spa pool we once had. Great excuse to stay in!
DRIPS AND DROPS
"The Apostle John on the Island of Patmos,
Sat on a hard rock, there at a bit of a loss,
Cried out to me in frenetic frustration,
Gave him there, his greatest inspiration.
For a drop of ‘Revelation’ he was given.
The Apostle Paul on the other hand,
In dedication, he travelled the land,
Much perspiration was his thing,
Salvation messages he did bring,
To the peoples of the known world,
The banner of God indeed unfurled.
He was rewarded in a special way,
Allowed to visit heaven, just for a day.
For a drop of ‘Visitation’ he was given!"
Jesus himself is the ultimate example
Whose experience, all need to sample.
Set out in life to do his Father’s word,
Doing all of it, that is, not just a third.
He came to earth, to give up his life,
Living for his Father, without a wife.
So many drops of blood he did perspire,
Fulfilling God’s purpose, his only desire.
Finally to die on a godforsaken cross,
Separated from above, the ultimate loss.
After three days, in rising from the grave
With rejoicing, eternal life to us he gave.
Already three have seen glimpses of this heavenly glory,
Followers of the cross, this has become our eternal story.
For a drop of ‘Transfiguration’ they were given!
Mulling over what the Spirit has said,
Of the glory of Jesus, alive and dead.
Realising a drip I’d been, for far too long,
Ignoring his drops of blood, oh so strong.
No longer can deny what he’s done for me,
In giving himself, there upon that tree.
Now the innumerable drips of tears, sweat and rain, so often experienced in this land,
Can become drops of inspiration, revelation and visitation, when placed in his hand.
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A DAVID MUSING
Finally I have acquired (through the generosity of David Harris - thanks mate) a replacement cord to link my camera to the computer.Therefore I can now show you the photo of our Wairoa store - which has now been operating for 3 months! Sorry for the fuzziness but you can see the basics.
Wairoa is a small town of 5000 people, a lot of whom are without jobs. We are pleased to be able to help support this community. At the same time, through their purchases, they help support Africa too.
We are still negotiating over a big shop in Hastings, our sister city. As the Lord has shown in the past, He organises things in His timing. So we are relaxed in the process. Best way to be. Something I have had to learn over my years with Jesus!
You too?
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: DISBAR
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION': D - Seamstress (Acts 9:39)
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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