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: 348 Published: 23 Jun 2008
TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCH: 3. FROM KINGS TO KINGDOM (continued)
For the past 8 years or more we have lived on the wages from my wife Kathy's 4 day a week job as a theatre nurse at our local public hospital.For nearly 7 of these years I worked (hard!) in Walking With Jesus Ministries, producing the teachings the Lord gave me, primarily on the end time church, and available for free download on our website, as well as visiting and ministering through Africa and Asia, as the Lord provided.
We simplified our lives, of necessity, living on less than a third of the income we could normally have expected to receive had we both been working fulltime. After losing our home in my bankruptcy, we now live in a rented unit or flat, and personally own only our household furniture. We gave away all the money we had left and now literally live from day to day, or fortnight to fortnight, as that is when Kathy is paid.
We therefore do understand the reality of the Lord's Prayer where it says,
11 Give us today our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11)
I will be honest! This has not always been easy! For our family and friends cannot understand it. Many see Kathy as simply working to keep me! They will say this to Kathy more than me, for those who do know us well do know my energy levels and work ethic, and realise I have not been lying in bed with my feet up watching daytime TV! In the West though, our status in society is largely judged by income and possessions. So these reactions are understandable, particularly because of the degree of change they see in us, from running successful businesses to living on a single, part time wage.
Continuing with the honest streak, it also hasn't always been easy not having the money to do the things we used to do without thinking! The call into full time ministry has come at a cost. At times, waiting for the next pay, or simply knowing we can't do some things that our friends can do, has been frustrating. Kathy is not motivated by money in a general sense, but we all need it to do the things we desire to do. Our only 3 grandchildren live in Aberdeen, Scotland, as far away from New Zealand as it is possible to get. So as neither of us has the faith to walk on water for 20,000km, (which would take a long time!) to see them Kathy has to go on a plane, which costs! As I write this Kathy is actually in Scotland, for over time, we managed to save the fare. Our kids have been great about it too, with no apparent resentment at the lack of a financial inheritance.
This is not a 'pity party', nor a thinly veiled call for financial support, but simply a statement of a little of the reality of our lives. However, we have also learned that money isn't everything, that the Lord provides our needs but not necessarily our wants, and that our prime purpose in life is to help others, whether through WWJ or in Kathy baking muffins for those going through hard times. Like it or not, there is a cost to inheriting the kingdom.
Under kingly thinking, living a kingly lifestyle, we give God perhaps our tithe plus maybe gifts of some of what we own. To fully inherit the kingdom however, we must come to the understanding (in practical reality and living, not just in theory) that everything we have is Gods, provided to us for His use and purposes.
We have simply been obedient to what God called us too in ministry, His ministry, not our own. When I was disobedient by trying to provide for ourselves in a kingly fashion through my own efforts, I ended up bankrupt! A hard way to learn a lesson, but a good point at which to start off a new way of life, as we had little left to give away anyway!
Please, I am not saying that God is calling you to the same walk as we have and that you need to sell up and give away everything. He may, or may not, be calling you to this.
What I am saying though, is that every one of us needs to genuinely commit to give everything that God has entrusted to us back to Him. Then be open, with 100% obedience, to do whatever He tells us to do with what is now His property, His bank accounts, His possessions. For the kingdom is His and His alone.
Over the past weeks, before writing, I have experienced bad spiritual attacks, which to me is normally I sign that I am doing the right thing! However this week, I am writing with a freedom and joy in my heart that I have not experienced for some time. It is as if a barrier has been broken through. I pray that you might have a similar experience of joy and relaxation in your discipleship destiny when you give over everything to Him.
No, it is not easy, for it goes against every grain of our human nature. That is why I have shared as honestly as I can. Jesus was called to the Cross, a place He did not, in His humanness, want to go.
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.†(Matthew 26:39)
Yet He went through with it in obedience to the Fathers will and was raised up to the highest place!
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:8-11)
If we too, make the sacrifice that we are being called to by the Father, we also will rule and reign with Jesus!
9 And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.†(Revelation 5:9-10)
The prize is worth it!
Next week we will continue as we look at an unexpected turn in our lives.
(Testimony to be continued next week)
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FROM THE WORD
THE COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS"When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.†Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.†Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.†But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.†(Matthew 8:18-22)
THE COST OF BEING A DISCIPLE
"Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.â€" (Luke 14:25-35)
THE PARABLES OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE AND THE PEARL
"“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." (Matthew 13:44-6)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
SUBMISSION AND OBEDIENCE915. Obedience to God's will for our life is the highest call.
916. Belief is of the mind, worship of the heart, but obedience is of the will.
917. The greatest change we can make is from gratifying our own will to obeying God's will for our life.
918. Obedience to God's will and ways is the very core of the Gospel.
919. Christian maturity develops as we submit to the will of God for our life.
920. In the world, submission is weakness, in God, strength.
921. In the world, submission comes from without, in God, from within.
922. I obey my master. The question is, "who is my master?"
923. Disobedience comes from Adam and Eve. Obedience is modelled by Jesus. Whom will we follow?
924. Disobedience is selfish, Godly obedience, selfless!
925. Obedience and suffering are common bedfellows.
926. Obedience is refined in the fire of testing.
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
13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THE 3 KEYS TO SALVATIONVery appropriately, for our 200th issue of Tuesday Teachings, we will look at 'THE 3 KEYS TO SALVATION'.
For without genuine salvation we are without hope, both now and for eternity.
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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." ***
731. A DOG NAMED MACE
A mechanic who worked out of his home had a dog named Mace. Mace had a bad habit of eating all the grass on the mechanic's lawn, so the mechanic had to keep Mace inside.
The grass eventually became overgrown.
One day the mechanic was working on a car in the backyard and dropped his
wrench, losing it in the tall grass. He couldn't find it for the life of him, so he decided to call it a day.
That night, Mace escaped from the house and ate all the grass in the backyard.
The next morning the mechanic went outside and saw his wrench glinting in the sunlight. Realizing what had happened he looked toward the heavens and proclaimed, "A grazing Mace, how sweet the hound, that saved a wrench for me!"
730. SUBJ: Fun Things To Do During Boring Sermons
1) Pass a note to the organist asking whether he/she plays requests.
2) See if a yawn really is contagious.
3) Slap your neighbor. See if they turn the other cheek. If not, raise your hand and tell the preacher.
4) Devise ways of climbing into the balcony without using the stairs.
5) Listen for your preacher to use a word beginning with 'A' then 'B and so on through the alphabet.
6) Sit in the back row and roll a handful of marbles under the pews ahead of you. After the service, credit yourself with 10 points for every marble that made it to the front.
7) Using church bulletins or visitor cards for raw materials, design, test and modify a collection of paper airplanes.
8) Start from the back of the church and try to crawl all the way to the front, under the pews, without being noticed.
9) Raise your hand and ask for permission to go to the rest room.
10) Whip out a hankie and blow your nose. Vary the pressure exerted on your nostrils and trumpet out a rendition of your favorite hymn.
11) Chew gum: If the sermon goes on for more than 15 minutes, start blowing bubbles.
12) Try to indicate to the minister that his fly is undone.
13) By unobtrusively drawing your arms up into your sleeves, turn your shirt around backwards.
14) While people are locating the announced congregational song, step out in the aisle and begin waving your arms as if directing the hymn.
15) Sit close to the front, and during the prayer, turn around backwards, point, and count softly how many people do not have their heads bowed and eyes closed.
16) See how many hard candies you can stuff in your cheeks before your mother catches you.
17) Begin coughing and get louder and louder until you get to excuse yourself and leave the room.
18) Choose a different song than was announced and begin singing it as loud as you can.
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:a. What is the youngest book in the Old Testament?
b. What is the oldest book of the New Testament?
ANSWER:
1. The book of Malachi, written about 400 B.C.
2. Probably the book of James, written as early as A.D.45.
(400 years of silence until God revealed himself personally through
Jesus.)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What did Chester Greenwood invent in 1873?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS525. BALD DOGS?
In Tokyo, they sell toupees for dogs! (Well, I’ll be doggon!)
526. ONION SAFE
It is possible that chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying. (Americans are the most likely to prove this.)
527. NO ‘Q’s’
Q is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear in the name of any state of the United States. (Most residents queue for hot dogs and hamburgers though.)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
SCOLDED
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BIBLE QUESTION - WORKERS AND TOOLS
17) Which two men were chosen by God, to work on making the tabernacle in the wilderness?A - Nadab & Abihu
B - Bezalel & Oholiab
C - Caleb & Joshua
D - Moses & Aaron
Source: www.biblequizzes.com
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE""""A Hatfull Of Spare Thots!"
15. Take time to laugh for it is the music of the soul.
16. If anyone speaks badly of you, live so none will believe it.
17. Patience is the ability to idle your motor, when you feel like stripping your gears.
18. Love is strengthened by working through conflicts together.
19. The best thing parents can do for their children, is to love each other.
20. Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts.
21. To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
LIFE'S A LAUGH
91. THE LITTLE THINGSOfficers at a military installation were being lectured about a new computer. The training officer said the computer was able to withstand nuclear and chemical attacks.
Suddenly, he saw that one of the officers had a cup of coffee and yelled, "There will be no eating or drinking in this room! You'll have to get rid of that coffee."
The officer said meekly, "Sure, but why?"
"Because a coffee spill could ruin the keyboard."
92. SPELLING
As a Dominican sister, I lived in a convent named for a deceased pope. One day while I was wearing contemporary clothes instead of my habit, I drove into a gas station
to get the communal car filled up.
After the young attendant topped off the tank, he walked toward my car window to return my credit card. It was clear from his furrowed brow that he had something on his mind.
The young man looked at me shyly and pointed to the convent's name, John XXIII Hall, imprinted on the card.
"Pardon me," he asked hesitantly, "but how do you pronounce your husband's middle name?"
92. MIXED RACE
I'm an obstetrics nurse at a large city hospital, where our patients are from many different countries and cultures.
One day while waiting for a new mother to be transferred to our division, I checked the chart and assumed that, because of her last name, she was of European descent. So when she was finally wheeled in, I was surprised to see that she was Asian.
As I was performing the exam, we chatted, and she told me that she was Chinese, and her husband's ethnic heritage was Czech. After a short pause, she quipped, "I guess that makes my children Chinese Czechers!"
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BIBLE TRIVIA
BEARS... are not often mentioned in the Bible. It appears they were however, more feared than lions. (Amos 5:19) The Syrian brown bear is found in the region. The young people who mocked Elisha because of his baldness, were eaten by bears.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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House Church Leader Arrested in Iran
Voice of the Martyrs CanadaTEHRAN, IRAN - Eight policemen arrested a house church leader, Mohsen Namvar (44), in his home in Tehran on May 31, according to a June 9 report from Compass Direct. The officers confiscated a number of Namvar's personal belongings including his computer, printer, CDs, books and money. He was given no official explanation for the arrest, and his current location is unknown.
According to an Iranian pastor residing outside the country, Namvar had anticipated that police would come for him since hearing that he had been implicated during police interrogations of Christians in the city of Amol in April. He had been warned by a friend that authorities were keeping him under close watch. Namvar was previously held and tortured for baptizing Muslim converts to Christianity in the spring of 2007.
Source: Persecution.net
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DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
THE POWER OF THREEA brief look at the amazing way both God and HIS Church are patterned in three’s. An insight to the past present and future. 8 pages from 'Eagles Fly High!'
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WAXING LYRICAL
Our God is full of surprises! This took place five years ago. Comfort is not part of His vocabulary! This becomes a real test of obedience.A MINUTE IS A LONG TIME IN GOD
When you are relaxed and enjoying life,
And all is normal with kids and wife.
When you are living in such a beautiful place,
And all is going well in running your race.
You are happy with how life is treating you,
Challenges yes - not too many - just a few.
Then along comes God, with His own plan,
Designed to upset the comfort of a man.
One minute the world seems simply so good,
The next, upon its head, is now being stood!
"David, I'm asking you to shift city and church",
My comfortable brain, with pain it did now lurch!
"But surely my God, this cannot be true?"
"Yes my son, it's what I'm asking of you."
"Well Lord , please give confirmation,
To help me overcome my consternation!"
Over the past two weeks, confirmations I've been given,
Logical improbabilities so great, must be God driven.
"Oh Lord, surely this is what you want me to do,
Have your way in my life Lord, I give in to you.
For you know best Lord, your plan for me,
I accept it now Lord, on bended knee."
Yes, one brief minute is a long time in God you know,
But obey His voice we must, if in Him we are to grow.
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A DAVID MUSING
THE BUILDINGLook, look, look,
It's all it took,
Not by the book,
Nor how to cook.
Look at one,
Yes, its done!
Too much mon,
It's no fun.
But this week?
More to seek.
Find no leak,
Must be meek.
Offer Tuesday,
Answer Friday.
Delayed Monday!
Relaxed today.
(To be concluded next week?!)
While shops may not be certain, I am able to count down the days until my doll returns from visiting our family in Scotland. Four more sleeps!
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: CODDLES
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION': B - Bezalel & Oholiab (Ex. 31:2-6)
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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