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: 380 Published: 02 Feb 2009
THE POWER OF THE CALL (continued)
As we come towards the end of our discussion on the 'Power of the Call' we need to emphasise again that the kingdom is within each believer.20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.†(Luke 17:20)
The role of leadership and indeed, every believer, is to develop the kingdom that is within each one of us in order to be witnesses of Jesus to the world.
We all have spiritual gifts - without exception.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7)
In the traditional way of thinking, we believe that spiritual gifts are primarily possessed by leadership. This simply is a lie, one that satan promotes in order to reduce the effectiveness of the multitudes in furthering the kingdom of God.
One of the major reasons members, particularly keen Christians, are leaving traditional churches in increasing numbers is that they are not being encouraged to develop spiritual gifts they have.
I am a great admirer of God's ministry given to my friend, Rodney Francis, (The Gospel Faith Messenger Ministry). His ministry role is to develop people in their spiritual gifts, particularly the gift of prophecy. No, not everyone has the leadership gift of prophecy of Ephesians, but as I have experienced in Rodney's seminars, nearly everyone, with positive encouragement, can prophecy over others with an amazing degree of accuracy. To see people who for years sat in pews believing that prophecy is the sole property of leadership speak a word of personally applicable encouragement, at first hesitantly, then with growing confidence, over another, brings a smile to their, and my, face.
The role of leadership is to bring people to maturity in their relationship with Christ, not to make people dependent upon the leadership. This is easier said than done, as many people are more comfortable being under the authority of leadership rather than in submission to the will of the Father.
I would suggest that today we are in the midst of a foundational change from the 'church age' to the 'kingdom age'. The church age was leadership led while kingdom age is Spirit led, with the individual believer taking their instruction from the Father through the Spirit in order to become the bride prepared for the return of Jesus. The role of leadership is to teach the people how to communicate effectively through the Spirit, then release them to do so.
We are coming to understand that the kingdom is a present reality as well as a future hope. We are the kingdom. We are the light of the world. We are Jesus to the world. We are the only witnesses of Jesus the world can see.
In the church age we talked about Jesus, in the kingdom age we are to become Jesus to the lost.
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FROM THE WORD
The Coming of the Kingdom of God"Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.†Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. Men will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.†“Where, Lord?†they asked. He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.â€" (Luke 17:20-37)
Spiritual Gifts
"Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,†and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,†except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
TRUTH AND KNOWLEDGE461. I desire knowledge, but desire God's truth even more.
462. Knowledge so easily kills the Spirit in us. But Spirit inspired knowledge changes the world.
463. Satan uses knowledge to kill the Spirit within. Now God is using Spirit inspired knowledge to return the favour.
464. Knowledge is partial, truth complete.
465. Man’s truth is revealed in the world, God’s truth in the Word. One ‘l’ of a difference!
466. Understanding the truth is just one small step for God, but a giant leap for mankind.
467. Knowledge binds up, while the truth sets free.
468. Knowledge is to doubt as truth is to faith.
469. Knowledge is to be desired, faith to be sought.
470. All too often we place our faith in knowledge rather than acknowledging our true need for faith.
471. Knowledge is complex, faith and truth simple.
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CRANWELL'S CARTOON
1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.†3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. 4 Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.†7 Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.†They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. (Jonah 1:1-7)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
GOD AND MAN continues...... as we look some more at attaining holiness.
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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." ***
7. SERMON TO ORDER
After the praise and worship the pastor got up and said, " For today I have prepared 3 sermons. A $10 hell raiser on fire and brimstone that will take an hour and a half to deliver, a $50 exposition on the evils of sin that will take 45 minutes to give, along with a $100, 10 minute gem on love and generosity. We will now take the collection to see which you vote for!"
6. YOU CAN BANK ON IT!
A woman went into the bank to cash a cheque before going Christmas shopping.
"What denominations would you like?" asked the Teller.
"Oh, good heavens – has it come to this!" said the woman. "Well give me 50 Baptists and 50 Presbyterians, please."
5. THE FLOCK
Three priests were having lunch in a restaurant.
One said, "You know, all summer I have been having trouble with bats in the belfry. I’ve tried everything to get rid of them - noise, spray, cats – but nothing works.
Me too, said the second. I’ve got hundreds living there too. I even had the place fumigated, but still they stay.
That’s simple, said the third. "I baptised all mine – made them members of the church….. Haven’t had a single one back since!"
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FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Is May Day a pagan holiday or a worker'sholiday?
ANSWER: It is both. For May Day began as an ancient celebration of the
return of the sun after a long, hard winter. It was also called ‘Beltane,’
meaning ‘bright fire’ by the Anglo-Saxons and Celts (‘Bel’ was a Celtic
god of the sun). So May Day symbolised a return to life after a season of
cold and was celebrated with a joyous festival and included dancing
around the May Pole. (Not much work is done on May Day!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Why do mockingbirds mimic other birds?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS428. HEAR TO THE LAST
When a person is dying, hearing is generally the last sense to go. The first sense lost is usually sight. Then follows taste, smell, and touch. (All of us who wear glasses – we are on the way out!)
429. HAW ARE WARS EVER WON?
When a military contractor referred to a "manually powered fastener-driving impact device," he was talking about a hammer. (The quoted price no doubt reflected the ‘enhancement’ of the name.)
430. SHORT AND SWEET
The national anthems of Japan, Jordan, and San Marino each have only four lines. (Let’s get on with the game!)
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.
A DECIMAL POINT (Five word answer.)
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BIBLE QUESTION - HILLS AND MOUNTAINS
8) Moses saw the promised land from this mountain:A - Ebal
B - Hermon
C - Tabor
D - Nebo
Source: www.biblequizzes.com
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""!!!!!!! Take time to laugh for it is the music of the soul.
!!!!!! If anyone speaks badly of you, live so none will believe it.
!!!!! Patience is the ability to idle your motor, when you feel like stripping your gears.
!!!! Love is strengthened by working through conflicts together.
!!! The best thing parents can do for their children, is to love each other.
!! Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts.
! To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
JUST JOKES
328. LOOKING"I hear the First National Bank is looking for a new teller."
"I thought they just hired a new teller last week."
"Right. That's the one they're looking for."
329. HOPEFUL
"Dear IRS: I would like to cancel my subscription.
Please remove my name from your mailing list..."
328. IT'S ALL ABOUT NUMBERS
A factory owner said to a store owner, "Thank you, Mr. Smith, for your patronage. I wish I had twenty customers like you."
"Gosh, it's nice to hear that, but I'm kind of surprised," admitted Smith. "You know that I argue every bill and always pay late."
The factory owner said, "I'd still like twenty customers like you. The problem is, I have two hundred."
327. AN ODD REQUEST
A housewife called up a pet store and said, "Send me thirty-thousand cockroaches at once."
"What in the world do you want with thirty-thousand cockroaches?" asked the astonished clerk.
"Well," replied the woman, "I am moving today and my lease says I must leave the premises in exactly the same condition I found them."
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BIBLE TRIVIA
THROUGHOUT HEBREW HISTORY...... even after becoming a great nation under the pomp of King Solomon, the simple life of a shepherd was remembered and upheld as the most desirable existence.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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Unprecedented Motion Filed by Chinese House Church Leader to Dismiss Chief Justice for Non-Action
By Dan WoodingFounder of ASSIST Ministries
HENAN, CHINA (ANS) -- ChinaAid has revealed that the wife of Tong Houyong recently filed a motion to dismiss the Chief Justice of Chuanhui District People's Court of Zhoukou Municipality on behalf of her husband, Tong Houyong, along with two other Christian men, Xie Zhenqi and Shu Wenxiang, who were each sentenced to one year of reeducation through labor in Zhoukou, Henan, for organizing an "illegal gathering" of house church Christians.
An Chinese House Church service
A ChinaAid spokesperson said, "This action comes after their lawyer, Wu Chienglian, filed an administrative lawsuit, but the local court refused to accept the case. The motion to dismiss the chief justice is based on three points: 1) The court had no legal basis to refuse the case, 2) The court violated the law by refusing to provide receipts documenting that the court received the lawsuit, and 3) The court violated legal procedure by causing a long delay without making a decision on the case."
The motion for dismissal also states that "Chuanhui District People's Court blatantly violated the law.As the person directly responsible for matters like this, the chief justice of Chuanhui District People's Court caused delays in my lawsuit with various excuses. I hereby request the relevant authorities dismiss the chief justice of Chuanhui District People's Court."
Bob Fu
The three Christian men were first arrested on December 3, 2007. More than 50 house church Christians were gathered in the home of Xie Ruming, when officials from the Taikang County Domestic Defense Protection Squad suddenly broke into the home. All of the Christians were arrested and officials confiscated Christian literature and other items. About 20 Christians were sentenced to 15 days of administrative detention and a 1,000 Yuan fine, while Tang Houyong, Shu Wenxiang and Xie Zhenqi were sentenced to re-education through labor.
"We applaud the courageous move by the house church leader to pursue justice in light of religious persecution with the spirit of rule of law," said Bob Fu, President of ChinaAid. "We urge the international community to continue to pressure this Chinese local court to up hold true justice by overturning the illegal decision against the three church leaders."
For more information, go to: www.ChinaAid.org
Source: (ANS) www.assistnews.net via Openheaven.com
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WAXING LYRICAL
So often we 'live for the day' but the reality is, we don't know how many more days we will have to live! What will be our eternal future of endless days!PLANNING AHEAD
Reality is, today's life is ever so uncertain,
Never know when God will pull down the curtain!
Yes, we all like to think it will never end,
That forever, death's punches, we can fend!
But that is not the way with real life,
Never know when we'll end up in strife.
Yes, it's true our life may be long - or it may be short,
But, one day, by death's clutches, we'll all be caught.
When that day comes, what will we say?
For there's no longer any time to pray.
Yes, it's time now to be held accountable,
Will we then rejoice - or be miserable?
We only get one shot at living,
Too late now for any misgiving.
Yes, the reality of heaven and hell has come,
Can't change our mind, what's done is done.
"Oh Lord, give me another chance,
My claims to heaven to advance!"
"No, you've had your chance, it's now too late,
With a loud clang, He closes the heavenly gate."
Where will you be found on that inevitable day?
On which side of the gate will you forever stay?
Yes, I know now where I'm going to be,
How will it, my friend, be with thee?
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A DAVID MUSING
The last few days have been hot as here, we are in our New Zealand summer. The temperatures here are not hot by some standards, as New Zealand is surrounded by sea. However, the intensity of the sun is extreme, as the ozone layer above us is very thin at the present time, providing little protection from the sun's rays.I prefer the heat to the cold, but my wife Kathy is the opposite.
In the physical, particularly for Kathy, I am sure it must feel much like the 'fire of testing' in the spiritual.
While we can have little immediate effect on the weather, we certainly can in the spiritual. Yet, so often we choose to ignore the lessons God is trying to teach us and have to go through the fire again and again.
God today continues to look for a people who will be obedient to Him. For Jesus is to return for a bride dressed in white. A bride purified by the fire of testing. May we each make the experience as painless as possible.
In the meantime, more sunscreen!
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: IM A DOT IN PLACE
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION': 7) A - Gerizim (Deuteronomy 11:29)
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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!
For comments upon and contributions to this service, please contact
david@wwj.org.nz