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: 4 Published: 11 Nov 2001
TO BE LED OR BLED?
It is a truism, (amongst leaders, at least!) that Christian leadership is one of, if not the most difficult job in the world today. Surveys of pastors have shown worrying levels of dissatisfaction in, and even hopelessness about, their occupation. The Church too, is littered with people who should be in leadership but have been hurt by past experiences, or have observed others’ hurts, and so do not desire to be involved.Christian leadership is just so different to that of the world, for the principles upon which it is based are quite different to those that apply there.
To start with, it is not merely a job, but A CALLING:
“In God, being led to lead is a calling. Leading when not led, guarantees an appalling mauling!”
But WHO IS CALLED?
“A Christian leader is but an ordinary person called to an extraordinary task. Both leaders and the led need to be reminded of this!”
And what is THE LEADERSHIP ROLE?
“Worldly leadership builds up self, but godly leadership builds up others.”
Yes, we are all very human and vulnerable, so are open to the attacks of the enemy. If we were perfect we would be as Jesus, having no need of His loving grace. So, if you are feeling down at the moment, please appreciate that you are not unique. Leadership is difficult! To succeed on a long-term basis we must both strengthen our relationship with Jesus and share our vulnerabilities with others. We need to be real with each other as leaders, and with those we lead. For, unlike the world,
“In God, understanding and sharing vulnerabilities is a sign of maturity and success, not an acknowledgement of failure.”
May God be with you this week as you seek to fulfil His calling.
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FROM THE WORD
“You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” (Isaiah 40:9-11)“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:3-8)
Have a look at some interesting ‘God Facts’ on…
DAVID’S DOODLINGS
“In God, if you’re not led to lead, you’ll be bled to death.”“To lead or be led? The difference is ‘a’ for attitude!”
“Only God has the required glue to attach ‘super’ to ‘natural’.”
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IF ONLY I’D THOUGHT OF IT!
***Should I call you in the morning or just nudge you?***Forgiveness is like the fragrance a flower gives after it’s been stepped on.
***Amateurs made Noah’s Ark, professionals the Titanic.
***Most children seldom misquote you; they repeat what you shouldn't have said word for word.
***If you wish to dwell in the house of many mansions, you must make your reservation in advance.
***Worrying about something is like paying interest on a debt you don't even know if you owe. (Mark Twain)
Many more thoughts, including 47 new ones this week on…
TAPE OF THE WEEK
In association with Inspirational Tapes Ministriesinspirational.org.nz
we are pleased to offer you this inspirational tape - absolutely free of charge!
“PRIORITIES AND PITFALLS OF THE PASTOR”
By David Ravenhill
David, son of the late Leonard Ravenhill, (A New Zealander, incidentally!) currently pastors in Gig Harbour, Washington, US, where he continues to minister across denominational lines. A missionary and pastor for 30 years, his burden is to see the church come to maturity through intimacy with God. Married to Nancy, they have 3 grown daughters. A practical message, of value to everyone in ministry.
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IF YOU HAVE TIME TAKE A LOOK AT “ ’TIS ME”
A poem about me (David, that is) that forms an introduction to my book “Eagles Fly High!” An honest self-appraisal – well, as honest as a self-appraisal can be! Find it on the web at…FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEK’S QUESTION: King Edward II of England (1324) decreed the standard measurement of the ‘inch’ to be equal to what?ANSWER: Three barleycorns laid end to end.
THIS WEEKS QUESTION: Sharks and Rays are the only animals known to man that cannot get this disease. What is it? Answer next week.
UNREPEATABLE?
The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable. (Copyrighted for sure!)
IT’S A PLASTIC WORLD!
There is a Tupperware Party held somewhere in the world every 2 seconds. (Can’t contain(er) my excitement! Sorry – couldn’t resist!)
Another WORD PUZZLE for you.
____
stand
Answer at the end of ‘A David Musing’
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LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
*Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.*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.”
Much more Holy Humour at...
INTRODUCING ‘WORLD CHRISTIANS’
I could not believe the quality of both this site and the comprehensive teachings it offers when I first came across it. All offered and developed by Dr Les Norman, operating from his home in England.This ministry has provided training with no walls, no frontiers and no fees, since 1985. 85 first-class diploma level lessons are available. Download everything in a few minutes, free of charge. Ready to use Bible School for churches, cells, and believers. Their 550 pages have had 928,349 page visits in 3 years! Visit this comprehensive site at…
A DAVID MUSING
Last week I visited my mother, who lives 300km away in the city of Napier. On my previous visit, I had seen that some of her neighbours had ‘succulents’ (similar to cactus) in their gardens. I have been building up a collection of these over recent times, so was keen to add to my collection.Now, I am not very good at asking people for things, but have never known why, for I am a reasonably confident person in many areas. But I did want some pieces off the succulents to propagate from! An internal battle ensued! When I mentioned to my mum (mom) that I would like some cuttings, she was horrified that I would think of asking others for them. All of a sudden, an understanding of my inheritance hit me! So I plucked up the courage to visit one of the neighbours, who was more than happy to let me have any cuttings I wanted. Another neighbour was out, but I visited her last week and happily ‘raided’ her collection then.
As I now recognise the reason for my reticence, so with God’s help, I am starting to overcome it. What amazes me now, is how long it has taken me to work it out! For our personalities are very much a product of our inheritance and our upbringings, aren’t they? So often we use that as an excuse not to do the things that, deep down, we would like to do, and more importantly, the things that God would like us to do.
It is well known that God tends to use us in our areas of weakness, rather than of our strengths, for then we have to rely upon Him, as we should do anyway. However, when He does choose to reveal a character weakness, as He did to me that day, we need to work with Him to overcome it. I haven’t fully overcome my inhibitions yet, but I am getting there! So if you live in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, and have a succulent garden, be prepared for my visit! For our gracious God wants to heal us, to help us overcome our past hurts and inheritances. To grow us into people who are more like Jesus. We must be open and willing to let Him do it. Maybe then, all will develop succulent gardens which I can ‘raid’!
His friend and yours
David Tait
WORD PUZZLE ANSWER: Understand
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 websitewwj.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