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: 367 Published: 03 Nov 2008
TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCH: 4. CHARACTERISTICS OF KINGDOM PEOPLE
SEEKING LIFE CHANGE RATHER THAN SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCESExpressed in religious terminology, the kingdom person seeks habitation rather than visitation. They seek to become like Jesus rather than simply experience the excitement of moves of the Holy Spirit, commonly called 'revival'.
In this day and age when the world has shrunk in size through fantastic communications and transportation technologies, moves of the Holy Spirit, both real and false, are quickly publicised and flocked to by charismatic believers from around the world.
Christians, particularly Charismatic Christians, pray for revival to come to the world and more specifically, to their area. While this is good, the reality is, there has never yet been a permanent revival! Revivals come and revivals go. Some short term change may be noticed but it fades with the passage of time.
There simply has to be something more!
And there is!
Unfortunately though, habitation isn't as spectacular as visitation, and much harder to live.
Visitation is only referred to twice in the New Testament. In both cases it is more to be an example to unbelievers rather than a specific blessing to Jesus followers. For example:
12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (1 Peter 2:12)
In earlier revivals we saw many people convicted of their sin and come to the experience the saving, life changing grace of Jesus. In more recent times however, 'revivals' have been enjoyed by Christians from around the world but have had very little effect upon even the local community. You may draw your own conclusions.
The way of the kingdom is 'habitation', where the Holy Spirit 'inhabits' us and is given our permission to make changes in our life.
16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Jesus Himself told us:
15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:15-17)
While we accept this in theory, very few live out the life implicit in the 'habitation' of the Holy Spirit within us. This is not new. Even Paul spoke about it:
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5)
The real revelation and life of the Holy Spirit comes not from seeking spiritual experiences but through obedience to the will of God.
21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.†(John 14:21)
Kingdom seekers understand this principle and endeavour to apply it to their lives. Of course, we are not always successful, but we have the forgiveness of the cross to lift us back up again when we fail.
May the Lord be with each of us as we seek a deeper relationship with Him.
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FROM THE WORD
THE LIVING STONE AND A CHOSEN PEOPLE"As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.†Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,†and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.â€
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." (1 Peter 2:4-12)
JESUS PROMISES THE HOLY SPIRIT
"“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.â€" (John 14:15-21)
"By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple. Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool†so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftinessâ€; and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.†So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." (1 Corinthians 3:10-23)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
RELIGION, REVELATION AND GOD'S KINGDOM1051. Revelation is from God's heart, religion, a product of the heart of man.
1052. Today's revelation becomes tomorrow's religion.
1053. One dose of God is worth more than a billion of religion!
1054. When mankind cannot accept God's revelation, they adapt it to become religion.
1055. The cost of God's kingdom is obedience, religion's, money. Most of us take the easy option!
1056. Religion goes as God's kingdom grows.
1057. Revelation tells us God's kingdom is available now, while religion places itself in the now, with the kingdom to be found in the future.
1058. Religion may well be the opiate of the masses, but God's kingdom is possessed by the godly, right now!
1059. Religion comes and religion goes, but God's kingdom goes on forever.
1060. God's kingdom now isn't freely given, but possessed through godly obedience.
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
24 “But in those days, following that distress, â€â€˜the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; (Mark 13:24)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
GOD AND MAN continues...as we look at the spiritual significance of Moses' sin.
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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." ***
768. THE PRAWNS
Far away in the tropical waters of the Caribbean, two prawns were swimming around in the sea - one called Justin and the other called Christian.
The prawns were constantly being harassed and threatened by sharks that inhabited the area. Finally one day Justin said to Christian, "I'm fed up with being a prawn, I wish I was a shark, then I wouldn't have any worries about being eaten."
A large mysterious cod appeared and said, "Your wish is granted" and Lo and behold, Justin turned into a shark.
Horrified, Christian immediately swam away, afraid of being eaten by his old mate.
Time passed (as it invariably does) and Justin found life as a shark boring and lonely. All his old mates simply swam away whenever he came close to them. Justin didn't realize that his new menacing appearance was the cause of his sad plight.
While swimming alone one day he saw the mysterious cod again and he thought perhaps the mysterious fish could change him back into a prawn. He approached the cod and begged to be changed back, and, lo and behold, he found himself turned back into a prawn.
With tears of joy in his tiny little eyes Justin swam back to his friends and bought them all a cocktail. (NOT a shrimp cocktail! What 'r you thinking?!)
Looking around the gathering at the reef he realized he couldn't see his old pal. "Where's Christian?" he asked. "He's at home, still distraught that his best friend changed sides to the enemy & became a shark," came the reply.
Eager to put things right again and end the mutual pain and torture, he set off to Christian's abode. As he opened the coral gate memories came flooding back. He banged on the door and shouted, "It's me, Justin, your old friend, come out and see me again."
Christian replied, "No way man, you'll eat me. You're now a shark, the enemy, and I'll not be tricked into being your dinner." Justin cried back "No, I'm not. That was the old me. I've changed.".........
"I've found Cod. I'm a Prawn again Christian!"
767. ACCIDENTAL PRAYER
As my five year old son and I were headed to McDonald's one day, we passed a car accident. Usually when we see something terrible like that, we say a prayer for those who might be hurt, so I pointed and said to my son, "We should pray."
From the back seat I heard his earnest request "Please, God, don't let those cars block the entrance to McDonald's."
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: Thomas Edison did not invent, as manypeople believe, but improved upon electric lights. But which of
these were Edison inventions? The phonograph, the motion picture
camera, the mimeograph machine, the electric vote recorder, the
dictating machine, and wax paper?
ANSWER: They all were! His mind was so inventive that he applied for a
new patent approximately every fortnight! (Edison’s endless energy.)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: The strongest muscle in our body is found in
our leg, arm, hand or head?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS468. EVERLASTING - NEARLY!
Some Persian rugs last as long as 500 years before wearing out. (What happens when everyone has one?)
469. BEFORE HEAT
The hardness of ice is similar to that of concrete. (And even more slippery when wet.)
470. GRANNY'S MUSIC
The Granny Smith apple was used as the symbol for the Beatles' Apple Records label. (A Grammy for granny?)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
PREMIERS
Answer at the end of A David Musing
FREE DOWNLOAD: You can download the full version of our Trivia Book at TRULY TRIFFLING TRIVIA
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BIBLE QUESTION - YOU BE THE JUDGE!
15) How big was the Midianite/Amalekite army?A - 185,000
B - Several Thousand
C - Unknown Multitude
D - One million men
Source: www.biblequizzes.com
Heaps more fun and serious 'God Facts' are found at...
IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""!!!!!!! "The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people." (G.K. Chesterton)
!!!!!!"It's not hard to meet expenses... they're everywhere."
!!!!! Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
!!!! Archeologist: A man whose career lies in ruins.
!!! California smog test: Can UCLA?
!! A watched clock never boils.
! To a worm, digging in the hard ground is more relaxing than going fishing.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
LIFE'S A LAUGH
207. ABSTRACT"An abstract noun," the teacher said, "is something you can think of, but you can't touch it. Can you give me an example of one?"
"Sure," a teenage boy replied. "My father's new car."
206. HOLDING?
Little Johnny asked his grandma how old she was.
Grandma answered, "Thirty-nine and holding."
Johnny thought for a moment, then said, "And how old would you be if you let go?"
205. SUPPORT
The prospective father-in-law asked, "Young man, can you support a family?"
The surprised groom-to-be replied, "Well, no. I was just planning to support your daughter. The rest of you will have to fend for yourselves."
Just for a laugh here...
BIBLE TRIVIA
THE CHICKEN...may have been domesticated as long as 5,200 years ago in India. At that time the birds were raised for cock fighting, not being bred for food until several centuries before Jesus.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
Lots more 'God Facts' are found at...
COLOMBIA: 500 millionth child receives the Book of Hope
Book of Hope has now distributed 500 million evangelistic books to children around the world. A few weeks ago, ten-year-old James received the 500 millionth Book of Hope at his school in Columbia. Most students at the school come from single-parent homes, and their city was a center for drugs and violence before it was touched by the Gospel. A Book of Hope given to a child like James, does impact his family and community for Christ.Source: GO GLOBAL MISSIONS REPORT 2008 No. 64
Many more Godfacts at...
DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
A REVELATION OF…….THE SEVEN REVELATIONS OF THE LAMBIt would be normal to think of a victorious God as a lion. But Jesus came as a lamb, the Lamb of God.
The incredible story of how the Lamb of God is foreshadowed 4 times in the Old Testament, comes as the Lamb in the New, sets our example and will return to claim His kingdom.
Both a faith builder and a call to inherit the kingdom now.
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WAXING LYRICAL
Many expect life to be easy once they come to Jesus. But His life was not easy - and we are meant to be like Him!LIFE'S ROSES AND THORNS
Life may be short,
It could be long.
Will we be caught?
Or end up strong?
Money comes,
Money goes.
We do our sums,
But no-one knows.
Healthy one day,
Sick the next.
For wellness we pray,
When ill - now vexed.
All's under control,
Now it falls apart!
We're first on a roll,
Then back to the start!
In God too, we must face this place,
For all's not smooth, in life's race.
Him we are called, ever to revere,
And in daily life, to persevere.
He hasn't promised a fine bed of roses,
Nor simple solutions, to all life poses.
For roses were created with thorns you see,
Representing life problems, for you and me.
Yet when we see the rose in triumphant bloom,
Its shining beauty overwhelming the gloom,
The thorns' pricks and scratches are all worthwhile,
Put aside, forgotten, when with pleasure we smile.
For there cannot be a rose, without the thorns,
So with trial and testing, we do lock horns.
In order to become the rose God wants us to be,
We must overcome the thorns of life, you see.
Then He will pick us, now His richest bloom,
Taking pride of place in His heavenly room.
Eternal blooms, never ever to fade,
For by His hand, we have been made.
When locking horns with our latest thorn,
Remember the rose - no, it does not mourn.
From glory to glory, we are being made,
The price of the Cross, now fully paid.
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A DAVID MUSING
Elections are approaching rapidly, both in the US (which gets a lot of publicity) but also, next weekend, here in New Zealand also.In the US the 'evangelical Christian' vote is much sought after. Here in NZ, with a different voting system encouraging a multiplicity of parties, we have 3 supposedly Christian parties seeking votes from today, sadly, a relatively small group of Christians.
As usual, Christians cannot agree, hence the 3 'Christian' parties here, none of whom are likely to attract many votes!
Jesus did not get involved in the politics of the day as the kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom. That is why, on Palm Sunday, he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, a beast of burden, which only the very poor would dare to be seen on. A bit like the President attending his inauguration, or the Queen her coronation, on a bicycle!
Of course we should vote, but we need to be realistic that politics is about both power and compromise, not based upon principles and servanthood, as is the kingdom of God.
Fortunately, governments come and governments go, but the kingdom is eternal. May we put the kingdom of God first in our lives.
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: SIMPERER
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION': 15) C - Unknown Multitude (Judges 7:12)
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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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