A Weekly World Wide Word of Encouragement to those in the Ministry
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Issue No: 358 Published: 01 Sep 2008
TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCH: 4. CHARACTERISTICS OF KINGDOM PEOPLE
BIBLE READERSA second characteristic of kingdom people is a love for the Word of God. They read it, absorb it, and apply it.
In Old Testament times, under the Aaronic Priesthood, the priests were the ones who had access to the written law and would convey it to the people.
Jesus came as the fulfillment of the Law, introducing the Age of Grace. His personal teaching is recorded in the four Gospels. The Gospels reveal the heart of both His message of love and of His life of obedience to the Father's will. Unfortunately today, we emphasise the message and largely overlook the life Jesus led!
Paul, in particular, having been brought up a good Pharisee, took the teachings of Jesus and moulded them into a basic theology, laying out the primary tenets of the faith.
Of course, it took time before the Bible, including the New Testament, was finally compiled, by the Emperor Constantine at the Council of Nicea, in approximately AD337.
Then followed a period of 1100 years or so when the church basically went back to the old priesthood system, largely of necessity, as there was no way of printing the Bible during those times. The priests read (and interpreted to their advantage) the Bible to the people, most of whom could not read and write anyway, let alone understand the Latin in which the Bible was written.
At that time, Bibles were made one by one by legions of monk scribes in monasteries. Each one was a work of art. And they were very expensive. Only nobility, or maybe well off merchants, could afford to have one made for themselves.
In the 1400's this started to change. The first English Bible translation was written. Details from Wikipedia follow.
JOHN WYCLIFFE
Born c.1320s
Ipreswell, England
Died 31 December 1384 (aged about 64)
Lutterworth, England
John Wycliffe (pronounced /ˈwɪklɪf/; also spelled Wyclif, Wycliff, Wiclef, Wycliffe, Wicliffe, or Wickliffe) (mid-1320s – 31 December 1384) was an English theologian, translator and reformist. Wycliffe was an early dissident in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. He is considered the founder of the Lollard movement, a precursor to the Protestant Reformation (for this reason, he is sometimes called "The Morning Star of the Reformation"). He was one of the earliest opponents of papal encroachment on secular power.[1]
Wycliffe was also an early agitator for translation of the Bible directly from the Vulgate into vernacular English in the year 1382, now known as the Wycliffe Bible[2]. It is believed that he personally translated the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; and it is possible he translated the entire New Testament, while his associates translated the Old Testament.[3] Wycliff's Bible appears to have been completed by 1384,[4] with additional updated versions being done by Wycliffe's assistant John Purvey and others in 1388 and 1395.[5]
In the next century, mass distribution became possible with the invention of the printing press, the first Bible being published by Johannes Gutenberg around 1447.
This distribution of the Bible in the languages of the people gave rise to the Reformation, around 100 years later.
Of course today, we in the West own so many Bibles, so many translations, that most of us no longer truly appreciate what we have. Of course, this does not apply to so many believers in the rest of the world, to whom the Bible remains a very precious possession, if indeed they have one at all.
Every 'kingdom person' I have met, has a deep love for the Bible, spends a lot of time reading it, and endeavours (not always successfully for all have an ongoing battle with our old human nature!) to put it into practice.
I have found that those who have a desire to become like Jesus are particularly drawn to the 4 Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, for in these writings the real heart and life of Jesus can be seen. Each Gospel is authored from a different perspective, relating to the understanding of a particular people group. Matthew is written from a Jewish perspective, Mark to the Romans, Luke to the understanding of the Greeks and John to Gentile believers. From the combination of all four, we still today, can get a beautiful picture of our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Since the days of Paul, both prior to and after the Reformation, man has built many varying theologies that have led to the divisions in the church we see today.
Kingdom people however, are seeking not a new theology, but rather, to be the light of Jesus to the increasingly dark world we live in today. As Jesus Himself said:
14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
Kingdom people are not particularly interested in theological arguments, but rather, in living the life of Jesus they see reflected in the precious Word of God, their Bible, which they know well through constant reading.
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FROM THE WORD
SALT AND LIGHT"“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:13-20)
"“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn â€â€˜a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.†(Matthew 10:32-42)
"Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.†Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?†“We are not stoning you for any of these,†replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.†Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken— what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.â€" (John 10:25-38)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
DARKNESS AND LIGHT408. The only way to turn off darkness is to switch on the light.
409. The laws of both Nature and the Spirit reveal that light will always penetrate darkness.
410. Most people try to switch off darkness when in reality, they need to turn on the light.
411. There is nowhere so dark that it cannot be penetrated by light.
412. So often we don't appreciate the true value of light until we find ourselves in darkness.
413. Light doesn't shine brightly through a dirty window.
414. We must pull back the curtains to let light shine into the room of our life.
415. Light and darkness cannot co-exist. The one will always mingle with the other.
416. There must always be a barrier to separate light and darkness.
417. There are only two ways to turn light into darkness - building walls to exclude the light, or turning the light off at its source. The second is by far the easiest.
1276. For the darker the darkness, the brighter the light will be seen that shines within it.
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CRANWELL'S CARTOON
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 8:6-12)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
GOD AND MAN continuesWe continue our study of the glorious Holy Spirit by looking at how He was revealed to us.
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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." ***
752. SISTER CATHERINE
It was the custom of the local Convent to dedicate a chair in memory of the Nun who had conscientiously applied her life to some portion of the Convent for 50 years or more.
There were, already, several chairs sitting around the monstrous oak table.
There was a chair to Sister Ann of the Kitchen who gave 52 years of providing nutritious meals to the Nuns.
There was a chair to Sister Marie of the Bells who had given 56 years of her life responsibly ringing the bells telling the Nuns of the schedule.
Then, of course, there was a chair dedicated to Sister Yvonne of the Closet who had given almost 60 years of her life keeping the Convent clean.
There had not been any Chairs dedicated for many decades because none of the Nuns had either been as responsible or had the longevity to earn such an honor.
But, all this came to a close when Sister Catherine died.
Sister Catherine had given more than 75 years of her life to the Convent, but there was a problem. She had been such a responsible Nun, had done so many things for so many people, and was the one everyone called on when an emergency arose that there was no particular place of service she had dedicated her life.
Yet, it was felt if anyone deserved a Chair, it was Sister Catherine.
The Committee went to work reviewing Sister Catherine's life, reviewing the philosophy of this august honor, and exercising their options. They knew she was deserving of this honor, but they did not know how to label the honor.
Finally the day came, and everyone was called to honor Sister Catherine.
After everyone was assembled around the massive oak table and the prestigious comments were made about her, the covering was removed from the brass plaque on the chair to proudly announce: "To Sister Catherine, Nun of the Above." (Sir Lawrence Brotherton)
751. THE MULE LEGACY
A farmer died and left his 17 mules to three sons. His will stated that his oldest son would get half of the mules, the middle one would get one-third and the youngest would get one-ninth.
They wracked their brains to figure out how to do it, but couldn't.
Soon after this their minister came to help them in their grief and heard their Predicament. He added his mule to the lot, making 18 mules.
The oldest got half, or 9.
The middle got one-third, or 6.
And the youngest got one-ninth, or 2.
Then the minister got on the remaining mule and rode home.
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FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Do penguins live at the North Pole?ANSWER: Afraid not. All penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere. The
Galapagos penguin is the only penguin that sometimes may stray slightly
north of the equator. You'll find them all in the Antarctic, but not the Arctic.
(Easier to swim down than up?)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Does your skin shrink in water?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS495. WHAT'S NEW!
According to a poll, only 29 percent of married couples agree on most political issues. (That many!)
496. MONEY MOUNTAIN
A stack of $1 bills one-mile (1.6km) high would be worth more than $14 million dollars. (Before or after inflation?)
497. SUCKING IT UP
A McDonald's straw will hold 7.7 ml, or just over one-and-a-half teaspoons of whatever you are drinking. This means that it would take 17,000 ‘strawfuls’ of water to fill up a 34 gallon bathtub. (Clutching at straws?)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
SPLENDID
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BIBLE QUESTION - YOU BE THE JUDGE!
6) Who sang the song of victory for Israel?A - Isaac and Rebekah
B - Moses and Aaron
C - Deborah and Barak
D - the angels
Source: www.biblequizzes.com
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""!!!!!!! No wonder I'm so confused - one of my parents was a man, the other was a woman.
!!!!!! I can't trace my family back very far, but still proudly believe that I, too, had ancestors.
!!!!! Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
!!!! I'm sorry for not communicating but sometimes it's hard to write on a moving planet!
!!! My strange behaviour as a child is easily explained; I was training to be an adult.
!! My life is already complicated enough, without trying to introduce organization into it.
! I know so little that it astonishes me how many people know even less.
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LIFE'S A LAUGH
186. IT'S ALL THE SAMEWhen I went to get my driver's license renewed, our local motor-vehicle bureau was packed. The line inched along for almost an hour until the man ahead of me finally got his license. He inspected his photo for a moment and commented to the clerk, "I was standing in line so long, I ended up looking pretty grouchy in this picture."
The woman beside him peered over his shoulder, then reassured him, "It's okay. That's how you're going to look when the cops pull you over anyway."
187. DELIVERIES?
When I was a mother's helper, the mom of the family I worked for sat with her three oldest children and watched a PBS special showing the birth of a baby. The mom thought it would be a good starting point for answering questions about the facts of life.
As her five-year-old studied the baby coming out of the birth canal, he asked, "Mom, does that hurt?"
"Oh, yes, it does," she said, remembering her difficult deliveries.
"Gee," he continued in awe, "does it hurt the mother too?"
188. THE ORDER
My husband and I both work, so our family eats out a lot. Recently, when we were having a rare home-cooked meal, I handed a glass to my three year old and asked her to please
drink her milk.
She looked at me bewildered, "But I didn't order milk."
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BIBLE TRIVIA
SPARROWS... were carefully hunted, caught, sold and eaten for food. Jesus talked about 2 sparrows being sold for a farthing.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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TANZANIA: Gospel reaches remote villages
God is moving in the unreached and isolated villages of Tanzania. Sam Vinton of Grace Ministries states that several people in remote fishing villages on a lake recently professed Christ. "Ted Rabenold had a vision to get a boat that could go on the lake. It has many fishing villages where you cannot drive to, and they would travel along the coast of the lake and visit villages." Twelve people in one of the villages recently professed Christ, and a team of evangelists will soon visit to begin teaching them the Bible. The villagers follow local animistic beliefs, living in fear of the spirit god of the mountain. "We try to show them how they can be freed from that because we have the true God who has sent someone to save them. And then the Holy Spirit is there to regenerate them, teach them, help them to live God's ways." Pray for the growth of the church and the spreading of the Gospel in Tanzania.
GO GLOBAL MISSIONS REPORT 2008 No. 64
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WAXING LYRICAL
Faith is an issue for all of us. As humans, doubt is a greater part of our nature than we would like it to be! But why?FAITH
I wonder why, when 'faith' is an issue,
So often then, we reach for a tissue,
To mop up the tears of doubt you see,
That assail us now, both you and me.
For on the one hand, we trust God with our all,
On the other, human doubt, our faith does stall!
"Will He or wont He?" we are wont to think,
Our faith, once so strong, begins to sink.
"You've always proved faithful to me, my Lord,"
While former blessings, I wish I could hoard!
Each new level requiring greater trust in Him,
Memories of past successes faded, now so dim.
If today's faith was the same as in the past,
Our belief in Him, just simply wouldn't last.
It would just be our own strength that had won,
Not that of our Lord, Jesus Christ the Son.
Now, today's challenge is to break new ground,
Then our faith in Him, it will be truly found.
Oh Lord, please help me in my unbelief!
You've come through again - what a relief!
Put simply, it's the way God's faith works,
Though to our human spirit, it still irks!
So if now, we are to mature and grow,
Trusting Him's, the only way to go!
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A DAVID MUSING
Some weeks are exceptional - either good or bad - others just normal. This one has been normal for me.We all do need normal weeks - at least occasionally! Otherwise the exceptional becomes the norm, and you need to find a new exceptional!
Our lives in Jesus though, all too easily slip into the normal. Repeating over and over again what we have done before. As I have experienced over the years since finding Jesus, God is a God of change - in me that is, not in Him!
Of course, we don't have to make radical changes every week, but we do need to be open to God's voice when it comes. So often we don't hear God when He talks to us because we don't want to. An instant deafness! We have become too comfortable as we are.
Faith is like a pendulum - either increasing or decreasing. Faith does not stand still. God is calling us to new levels of faith. By definition, faith involves risk, doing something we haven't done before, taking a step into the unknown.
If this hasn't happened to you for a while, if you have become too established in 'the normal', maybe you need to ask God what His desire for you is today. Yes, it may challenge you, take you outside your comfort zone, but it will help you grow in and come closer to Him.
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: SPINDLED
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION': C - Deborah and Barak (Judes 5:1-31)
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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
7 Bull Street
Ahuriri
Napier
New Zealand
Phone: (06) 835 0567 International (+64) 6 835 0567
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!
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david@wwj.org.nz