THE POWER OF THE CALL (continued)

Any call, whether in the world or in the spiritual, has both 'blessings' and responsibilities.

When we are given a job promotion in the natural, we would normally have the blessings of status, greater job satisfaction and more money. However, to 'earn' these privileges we will correspondingly have greater reponsibilities. Perhaps longer hours, harder work, reponsibility for more staff or achieving budgets, etc.....

As at the workplace, there are two sides to the equation in the spiritual also.

Unfortunately however, the 'costs' of following Jesus are not as well publicised as the spiritual 'benefits'! Too much of our teaching and preaching is centered round what Jesus has done for us rather than what we are to do for Him!

Yes, salvation is free!

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

I do not need to go further here as we all know the blessings that have been promised those who walk with Jesus.

The unbalanced concentration upon the blessings however, has led to a weak, 'Father Christmas' view of God and the Christian life that has no foundation in reality and leads to 'new converts' becoming disillusioned with the false promises made and hope given of a free ride in life.

The 'power of the call' of Jesus carries with it both blessings and obligations.

18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (Romans 6:18)

And again.....

22 For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave. (1 Corinthians 7:22)

We have been set free from sin, but called into a life of slavery! Of slavery to righteousness!

We remove one yoke only to have it replaced by another.

We move from the yoke of slavery to sin.....

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

to an entirely different yoke, but a yoke nevertheless. In one of the most beautiful and comforting teachings of Jesus, He says.....

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Yes, we are to move from the negative of slavery to sin to the positive of slavery to righteousness and holiness.

22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Romans 6:22)

The power of the call is not the present of a bottomless bank balance and a life of superficial happiness and ease, but rather, of a changed life, a life lived by following the example of Jesus. It is not necessarily easy.....

37 “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; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:37-9)

We are required to lose our own life in order to grow into the likeness of Jesus.

(To be continued next week.)

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FROM THE WORD

Slaves to Righteousness

"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:15-23)

Rest for the Weary

"At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”" (Matthew 11:25-30)

"“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 ”‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 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)

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DAVID'S DOODLINGS

KNOWING GOD

351. The more I discover about God the more I realise there is to know.

352. The closer I get to God, the more I realise how big He is and how small I am.

353. While God graciously accepts me as I am, His desire is for me to become more like Him.

354. When God moves, the results are beyond our imagination. Why then do we try and do His work ourselves?

811. Sanctification is 'the means', holiness 'the end'.

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CRANWELL'S CARTOON

5 Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?” “I do,” he said. “I am angry enough to die.” 10 But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (Jonah 4:5-11)










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TUESDAY TEACHINGS

GOD AND MAN continues...

...as we look at further steps in claiming our inheritance through God's vision for 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." ***

787. FISHING
A young boy came to Sunday School late. His teacher knew that he was usually very prompt and asked him if anything was wrong.

The boy replied no, that he was going fishing but his dad told him that he needed to go to church.

The teacher was very impressed and asked the boy if his dad had explained to him why it was more important to go to church than to go fishing?

The boy replied, "Yes he did. Dad said he didn't have enough bait for both of us.

786. GIVE
In an effort to raise funds to help build a much-needed fellowship
hall, the pastor of a small country church exhorted his flock to give
generously when the collection plate was passed. "Give," he
pleaded, "as though it were going right back into you own pocket."

After the service, the pastor chided one of the members: "George, I
noticed that you let the collection plate go right by you in spite of
my appeal."

"Well, Reverend," the man replied, "I figured as long as the money
was going back into my pocket anyway, it didn't need no round trip."

FREE DOWNLOAD: You can now download the book 'Laughing At Ourselves' in PDF format at LAUGHING AT OURSELVES

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FACTS FOR FUN

LAST WEEKS QUESTION: What does the name ‘Jolly Roger’ come from?

ANSWER: Each pirate captain had a different ‘Jolly Roger’ flag, but they
tended to depict symbols of death and destruction, including the classic
"skull and crossbones." The flags likely were intended to terrify the crews
of potential targets. The oft-used black and white Jolly Roger was
probably scary enough. But the red Jolly Roger was much more terrifying,
as it meant that the pirates would show no mercy in battle. And where did
the name come from? ‘Jolly Roger’ is thought to have originated from a
nickname for the devil, ‘Old Roger.’ But it may also have come from the
French word for ‘pretty red’ – ‘Jolie Rouge’. (Not so jolly for the pirates
victims!)

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What or who is the Cardinal Bird named after?

Answer Next Week.

SOME FUN FACTS

437. RAILROADED
There is 1 mile of railroad track in Belgium for every one and a half square miles of land. (How many level crossing accidents?)

438. MANY SWEET SMELLS
There are ‘Odour Technicians’ in the perfume trade with the olfactory skill to distinguish 19,000 different odours at twenty levels of intensity each – that is 380,000 smells! (Wonder what perfumes their wives wear?)

439. WIND POWER
A balloon released into the jet stream would take two weeks to travel completely around the globe. (‘Round The World in 14 Days’ With oxygen!)

A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU

Make another word from this word using all the letters.

This is a new, clever and amusing series I came across recently. The answers relate to the original word.

ANIMOSITY (Three word answer.)

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 - HILLS AND MOUNTAINS

5) Whose army was defeated at Mount Tabor?

A - Sennacherib
B - Sisera
C - Jabin
D - Joab

Source: www.biblequizzes.com

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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!

"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""


!!!!!!! Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

!!!!!! Laughing helps. It's like jogging on the inside.

!!!!! My mind not only wanders; sometimes it leaves completely.

!!!! 1 Cross + 3 Nails = 4 Given.

!!! Live every day like it is your last day on Earth and sooner or later you will be right.

!! e-i-e-i-o: A gross misspelling of the word 'farm'.

! Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun.

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'TIL DEATH DO US PART!

NOT ONE THING
A man and woman are having marriage problems, and decide to end their union after a very short time together. After a most brief attempt to reconcile, the couple goes to court to finalise their break-up.

The judge asks the husband, "What has brought you to the point that you are now at, where you are not able to keep this marriage together?"

The husband says, "In the six weeks we've been together, we haven't been able to agree on one thing."

"Seven weeks," says the wife.

TWINS
The young wife had been married about a year when one day the she came running up to her husband jumping for joy. Not knowing how to react, the husband started jumping up and down along with her.

"Why are we so happy?" he asked.

She said, "Honey, I have some really great news for you!"

"Great" he said, "tell me what you're so happy about."

She stopped breathless from all the jumping up and down. "I'm pregnant!" she gasped.

The husband was ecstatic as they had been trying for a while. He grabbed her, kissed her, and started telling her how wonderful it was, and that he couldn't be happier.

Then she said "Oh, honey there's more."

"What do you mean more?", he asked.

"Well we are not having just one baby, we are going to have TWINS!"

Amazed at how she could know so soon after getting pregnant, he asked her how she knew.

"It was easy" she said, "I went to the pharmacy and bought the 2 pack home pregnancy test kit and both tests came out positive!"

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BIBLE TRIVIA

THE STORY OF ABRAHAM'S UNSHAKABLE FAITH...

.....while offering Isaac to be sacrificed is a central moment in Bible history. It may seem like a cruel test of faith. Abraham didn't even make the same arguments for his son that he did for Sodom. His wife, Sarah, was silent and Isaac's thoughts are also unknown.

Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys

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English Conversation Classes and Coffee Shop

Thom Gagne in Mauritania (Nth Africa) is running a coffee shop and English classes for students. The café was officially opened October 12th. An English only conversation café in a warm, congenial atmosphere offering refreshments in addition to a host of activities to aid our clients in the development of their English language skills.

Conversation Clubs have been the height of our weekly group interactions, with twenty people a week for advanced Conversation Club, and an average of ten for Intermediate Club.

In the first week of December we hosted the Mauritanian Teachers Association Meeting in coordination with the "English Language Fellow Program."

A week later we hosted our first film night, featuring Hidalgo. We run the films in English with the English subtitles on so as to allow the students to see and hear simultaneously.

Last night, we held our Christmas Party, hosting 50 people for a night of Christmas treats, door prizes, quiz games, and a showing of "Charlie Brown's Christmas."

Following up the film with a brief quiz to test our students listening and comprehension, we were surprised when the tables were turned. No longer were we the ones asking the questions, but suddenly we were being asked about Christmas by our Muslim students. It was a great time as we responded to their various questions in a warm nonthreatening atmosphere.

All of the events bind us together with the clients we serve. Along the way there are hours each week of personal time, sharing Christ. laughing together, hoping together and rejoicing in the gift of friendship.

Pray with us that these days will lead to friendships of eternal consequence.
chameaublanc (at) hush.com

(Doesn't need to be English. The idea could be adapted for other languages or other things of importance in a culture - David)

Via: The Outreach Files: December 08. beautifulfeettaskforce.injesus.com

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DAVID'S DOWNLOAD

A REVELATION OF... THE FIRST MIRACLE OF JESUS

I have never been happy with the explanations I have heard of the meaning of the changing of the water into wine. So I asked Jesus! And He told me! Find out what He said through the Holy Spirit.

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WAXING LYRICAL

This tale was written over a 'period of waiting', while seeking premises for a store we wished to open for 'africa arise'. Go through all the emotions before giving it all to God!

WAITING

Wednesday now,
Sign a deal!
We know how!
It's a steal!

Then get a call,
Deal does fall!
Lord I give up!
Hand You the cup.

Agony is inside,
It I can't hide.
What now can I do?
But give it to you.

It's Friday afternoon,
Speak to another man,
Another deal soon?
Yes God, you can!

Wait, wait; wait, wait,
No more, bull at a gate.
God, your will be done,
I'm at peace - your son.

Another deal done,
Contract written.
End of the fun.
End of the mission.

Given to his lawyer,
We're nearly there!
Need go no further,
No need to despair.

The lawyer says no,
No place now to go!
It has fallen over,
Home again Rover!

This time peace does reign,
Getting upset is no gain.
It's in the Lord's hands now,
Just needs to show us how!

(Continued next week.)

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A DAVID MUSING

On Friday, after a 2 month wait, our hydraulic wool press arrived. We will now be able to press our bales of clothing ready to send our first container to Africa. So it is getting closer now!

Our turnover too, is increasing, meaning we will soon have the money available to pay the freight for the container's trip across the sea.

In spite of our desire to see things happen faster, God has His timing in all things. We are bursting at the seams space wise. It all seemed to be impossible! Too much! No money! But not to God.

Through difficult times we need to hold fast to our faith and vision and He will come through - in both your life and mine.

Until next week...

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.

His servant and yours

David Tait

Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: IS NO AMITY

TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION': A - Mount Moriah (2 Chronicles 3:1)

REPRODUCTION OF NEWSLETTER CONTENT

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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 website
wwj.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!

For comments upon and contributions to this service, please contact
david@wwj.org.nz