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: 37 Published: 08 Jul 2002
MARRIED FOR LIFE
Sitting in front of me is the Leaders Manual for the well known 'Married For Life' Course, of Marriage Ministries International. My son and his wife are course leaders at the present time, here in Aberdeen, Scotland.It reminds me of when I asked my Nigerian friend, Amaka, about divorce in Nigeria. Her simple answer was that, amongst Christians, it wasn't an option! What a difference to our Western way of thought! "How about unhappy marriages?" I asked. "You just learn to live with it," was the reply.
This isn't a treatise on human marriage and divorce, but rather a consideration of our relationship with Jesus. For in this day and age, He is calling us to a deeper relationship with Him, indeed to become the 'bride of Christ.' This increased level of committment requires us to trust and obey Him through good times and bad, through sad times and glad. Not just when it suits us!
It is more like the Nigerian Christian and Marriage Ministries International's view of the Marriage Covenant, than that which is so prevelant in the world today. Our faith, like our marriages, has tended to bow before the winds of expediency.
But God is calling out a group of '100 fold' Christians who are prepared to be 100% sold out to Him. It is they who will change the world. Are you already one? Do you want to become one? The choice is yours. My choice is made.
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FROM THE WORD
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.†(1Peter4:12-14)“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.†For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.†â€(Romans 15:1-9)
DAVID’S DOODLINGS
### Oh for more than two cheeks to turn!### When holiness meets with helpfulness a harvest is reaped.
### Jesus turns our human ‘LESS - ness’ into His ‘FULL - ness’.
### From:
- restless to peaceful,
- hopeless to hopeful,
- careless to careful,
- thoughtless to merciful,
- mirthless to cheerful,
- powerless to powerful,
- humourless to gleeful,
- spineless to forceful,
- penniless to bountiful….
There are over 250 David Doodling's at ...
LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
***Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused***SALES vs MANAGEMENT
A passenger jet was suffering through a severe thunderstorm. As the passengers were being bounced around by the turbulence a young woman turned to a minister sitting next to her and with a nervous laugh asks, "Reverend, you're a man of God, can't you do something about this storm?"
To which he replies, "Lady, I'm in sales, not management."
MISTAKEN IDENTITY
"Recently we got a call from that big white church at 11th and Walnut," the paramedic said. "A frantic usher was very concerned that during the sermon an elderly man passed out in a pew and appeared to be dead. The usher could find no pulse and there was no noticeable breathing."
"What was so unusual and demanding about this particular call?" the interviewer asked.
"Well," the paramedic said, "we carried out four guys before we found the one who was dead."
There are now 100 ways to laugh at ourselves on ...
TAPE (MP3) OF THE WEEK
In association with Inspirational Tapes Ministries www.inspirational.org.nz we are pleased to offer you this inspirational tape - absolutely free of charge!As promised last week something special and exclusive. We are offering for Walking With Jesus subscrbers first - "yes first" copies of a 4 part "yes 4 part" series on "Spiritual Warfare"
Speaker Cecil Peasley who is a South African International Speaker and who travels extensively around the world. He has a worldwide ministry of reaching, preaching and teaching. Born of missionary stock in the city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Cecil trusted Christ as Saviour while still a teenager, following the trauma of a snake bite experience. In 1969 Cecil graduated from the Baptist Theological College of South Africa. For eleven years he pastored churches in the cities of Durban & Johannesburg. In 1980 he responded to the call of World Evangelism and has taken the Gospel to countires including, Africa, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Western & Eastern Europe, Latvia, New Zealand, Paraquay, The Philipines, Russia, UK and just this year China
Sorry, not available in MP3 format this week, Tape Only.
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FACTS FOR FUN
REDNECK HEAVENYou name it; Americans will turn it into a contest. At the annual Redneck Games in East Dublin, GA, contestants compete at seed spitting, bobbing for pigs' feet, and mud pit belly-flopping, to name just a few of the unique events. More than red necks after this lot!
ALL BY CHANCE?
The epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin, sheds itself at a rate of about a million cells every 40 minutes. In the second it takes to turn the page of a book, you will lose about 3 million red blood cells. During that same second, your bone marrow will have produced the same number of new ones.
The average square inch of skin holds 650 sweat glands, 20 blood vessels, 60,000 melanocytes (pigment cells), and more than a thousand nerve endings. Not all by chance!
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU!
yats---urcloseclose
Answer at the end of ‘A David Musing’
150 fun facts and trivial trivia at ...
JUST JOKES
YOUR POINT OF VIEWIn a high school gym class, all the girls are lined up against one wall, and all the boys against the opposite wall. Every ten seconds, they walk toward each other exactly half the remaining distance between them.
A mathematician, a physicist, and an engineer are asked, "When will the girls and boys meet?"
Mathematician: "Never."
Physicist: "In an infinite amount of time."
Engineer: "Well... in about two minutes, they'll be close enough for all practical purposes."
Just Jokes has more than doubled! Now over 100 clean, good jokes on ...
EXTENSIVE EXPLANATIONS
THE COUCH POTATO OLYMPIC EVENTS1) Beating around the bush
2) Jumping to conclusions
3) Climbing the walls
4) Swallowing your pride
5) Passing the buck
6) Throwing your weight around
7) Dragging your heels
8) Pushing your luck
9) Making mountains out of molehills
10) Hitting the nail on the head
11) Wading through paperwork
12) Bending over backwards
13) Jumping on the bandwagon
14) Balancing the books
15) Running around in circles
16) Eating crow
17) Tooting your own horn
18) Climbing the ladder of success
19) Pulling out all the stops
20) Adding fuel to the fire
21) Opening a can of worms
22) Putting your foot in your mouth
23) Starting the ball rolling
24) Going over the edge
25) Picking up the pieces
You will be amazed at the many and varied explanations on ...
TAKE A LITTLE TIME OUT TO READ ...
A FRIEND IS THEREIn our times of need. Who is it?
Find out at ...
A DAVID MUSING
In 3 days, I will be another year older. Illogical actually! Will only be 3 days older really! But the sands of time continue to run, in fact they seem to flow more quickly with each passing year.In Nigeria, where the average life expectancy is 56, much to my shock and horror, I was regarded as an old man! In New Zealand, where I can expect to live to 80, I am simply, middle aged! But more middle aged with each passing year! Another matter of perception!
My friends think that Amerian Independence Day is an appropriate day for me to have my birthday. I cannot think why, other than that it is a Public Holiday there! Four years ago, on the way to my son's wedding in Scotland, they actually had a big fireworks display, specially for my birthday, during our stopover in Los Angeles! Very thoughtful of them, I thought!
This year I will be in Melbourne, Australia, for my nephews wedding (families are spread round the world these days - Simon actually lives in the US) on my birthday, but my real present will be seeing my lovely wife, Kathy, again, after a seven and a half weeks apart. What a special birthday present that will be!
As for how old I am, I will leave you guessing, but I feel no older than 30 - well, most of the time anyway!
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today’s Challenge Answer: Stay back. You are too close.
LINKS
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ABOUT US
WALKING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES is a non-profit, non-denominational, Bible based ministry located in Mount Maunganui, 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 website wwj.org.nz or by contacting us as follows.Walking With Jesus Ministries
P O Box 5160
Mount Maunganui
New Zealand
Phone: (07) 575-7164 International (0064) 7575-7164
Fax: (07) 575-7124 International (0064) 7575-7124
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