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: 390 Published: 13 Apr 2009
SERMON ON THE MOUNT - THE KINGDOM WAY
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12)EXPOSITION
The final and most highly emphasized beatitude!
1. We are to be hunted down as 'wild beasts'.
2. Reviled, mocked and persecuted.
3. This is all to develop righteousness in us.
We will be blessed to stand up for Christ, shall inherit the kingdom of heaven now and also receive heavenly reward. The prophets suffered in the same way and we must rejoice and be glad in our suffering.
TESTIMONY
Living in the Western society which is New Zealand, with its relative freedom of religious expression, it is difficult to comprehend this final beatitude. Certainly, Christianity has gone from being mainstream when I was growing up, to now, a minority grouping within society. We may receive ridicule from the humanistic elite and, as has always been the case, from those who choose to live of 'debauchery'. Yet, at this time, 'persecution' is not a word that could be applied to my life experience.
When I look back through history and round the world today however, it is clear that persecution has always accompanied cutting edge Christianity. To make matters worse, Christian has even persecuted Christian!
Christianity, with it's message of internal peace (as we saw last week) in an antagonistic world, is a revolutionary message and way of life. Jesus was a 'peaceful revolutionary'! Hard for believers to understand with our human understanding, and impossible for the world to comprehend.
Jesus promised us persecution!
20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. (John 15:20a)
To the martyr comes the ultimate reward.
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?†11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed. (Revelation 6:9-11)
Real, all out, full on, Christianity develops most rapidly under persecution. The persecuted church both exists and is growing today. The 10 countries where the greatest persecution exists, according to International Christian Concern are; 1 North Korea, 2 Iraq, 3 Saudi Arabia, 4 Somalia, 5 India, 6 China, 7 Pakistan, 8 Iran, 9 Eritrea and 10 Vietnam.
To be honest, I have no real desire to be persecuted! Yet, I can see how persecution both tests and strengthens the faith of genuine believers.
Lord, may your will be done in me, no matter the cost.
(To be continued next week.)
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FROM THE WORD
The Great Multitude in White Robes"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.†All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!†Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?†I answered, “Sir, you know.†And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.â€" (Revelation 7:9-17)
"And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." (Hebrews 11:32-40)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
BELIEVERS v DISCIPLES236. A believer praises the Lord in good times, the disciple at all times.
237. The Holy Spirit resides in the believer but shines through the disciple.
238. A believer loves God with heart and mind while a disciple commits the will.
239. A believer loves God and others, but they are the disciple's life.
240. A believer lives in hope, but for the disciple, God's hope is certain.
241. A believer seeks forgiveness for sin but the disciple also determines not to walk that path again.
242. A believer has faith in God but the disciple's faith is tempered in the fire of testing.
243. A believer loves the Lord, but the disciple's love is unconditional.
244. The believer serves the Lord in strength, but the disciple is made perfect through weakness.
245. God is part of the believer's life, but the central focus of the disciple.
246. A believer forgives, but the disciple also forgets.
247. A believer communicates with God at their own convenience, but the disciple's heart is open to the Lord at all times.
430. A believer knows, but the disciple does.
1077. Believing is free, discipleship costs your life.
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
“Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook or tie down his tongue with a rope? 2 Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? 3 Will he keep begging you for mercy? Will he speak to you with gentle words? 4 Will he make an agreement with you
for you to take him as your slave for life? 5 Can you make a pet of him like a bird
or put him on a leash for your girls? (Job 41:1-5)
TO READ THIS CARTOON AND SEE THE OTHER
PICTURES IN THIS EMAIL YOU NEED TO BE ONLINE.
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
NEXT WEEK: TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCH: 2. THE POWER OF PERSECUTIONSomething we don't want to know about!
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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." ***
38. WHO'S FOR A WEDDING?
A minister was planning a wedding at the close of the Sunday morning service.
After the benediction he had planned to call the couple down to be married for a brief ceremony before the congregation.
For the life of him, he couldn't think of the names of those who were to be married.
"Will those wanting to get married please come to the front?" he requested.
Immediately, nine single ladies, three widows, four widowers, and six single men stepped to the front.
37. SACED FOR SURE!
A friend of mine and her husband were on vacation. They visited an Episcopal Church on Sunday. The pews in this older church were in those little, box-like enclosures that have a "gate" entry to each one.
My friend likes to sit close to the front. So they entered a pew in the second row.
Shortly after settling into the pew, an usher came up to them, tapped lightly on the gate, and said, "This pew is saved."
Her husband replied, "So are WE!"
36. A GOOD QUESTION
If money is the root of all evil, why do churches want it so badly?
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: If you cut an earthworm in half, will it grow intotwo new worms?
ANSWER: This widely held idea is largely a myth. While it is true that
earthworms can regenerate, when you cut one in half, both parts don't
regenerate into fully developed worms. Only the front end of the worm,
containing the ‘brain’ (cerebral ganglion) has a chance of growing new
segments. (2 into 1 doesn’t go, 1 into 2 doesn’t grow!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: How did trivia (such as this), get its name?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS397. KEEPING FIT?
The average housewife (househusband) walks 10 miles (16 km) a day around the house doing their chores. In addition, they walk nearly 4 miles and spend 25 hours a year making beds. (But over 100 times as long sleeping in their beds as making them.)
398. AD BLITZ
The average American sees or hears an amazing 560 advertisements a day. (How much money do they have to spend per advertisement seen?)
399. NTO SNOT
Blowing your nose in public is considered rude in Japan (and in many other countries). The handkerchief is use primarily for wiping the mouth or drying your hands when leaving a restroom. (Truly a ‘hand’kerchief, not a ‘nose’kerchief.)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
SONLESS
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
18) As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds __________.A - His enemies
B - His people
C - The land
D - The earth
Source: www.biblequizzes.com
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""ON THE ROAD
!!!!!!! Better to be patient on the road, than a patient in the hospital.
!!!!!! Always drive so that your license will expire before you do.
!!!!! It is better to be last in the traffic lane, than first in a funeral procession.
!!!! Drive carefully… Remember, it is not only a car than can be recalled by its maker.
!!! Safe driving will keep your car out of the junkyard, and your body out of the graveyard.
!! A good driver keeps his eyes on 2 things when coming to a traffic light… red lights and “green driversâ€.
! What has not happened to you in 10 years of driving, may happen to you in the next 10 min.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
WHY? Some of Life’s Most Puzzling Questions
131. Why is it, whether you sit up or sit down, the result is the same?132. Why are people who ride motorcycles called bikers and people who ride bikes called cyclists?
133. If you keep trying to prove Murphy's Law, will something keep going wrong?
134. Why does flammable and inflammable mean the same thing?
135. How can someone "draw a blank"?
136. Shouldn't there be a shorter word for "monosyllabic"?
137. Why is the word "abbreviate" so long?
138. Why doesn't "onomatopoeia" sound like what it is?
139. Why do tourists go to the tops of tall buildings and then put money into telescopes so they can see things on the ground close-up?
140. Why is there only ONE Monopolies Commission?
141. Why is it when two planes almost hit each other it is called a "near miss"? Shouldn't it be called a "near hit"?
142. What does Geronimo say when he jumps out of a plane?
143. How can there be "self help GROUPS"?
144. Why are we afraid of falling? Shouldn't we be afraid of the sudden stop?
145. Why is it called a bust, when it stops right before the part it is named after?
146. Why is it a good thing to brush your teeth, brush your hair, or brush your cat, but it is NOT a good thing to have a "brush with death"?
147. Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?
148. Why are there 5 syllables in the word "monosyllabic"?
More of life's unanswered questions found here...
BIBLE TRIVIA
Moses - or 'Moshe' in Hebrewis the central human person in the Hebrew Bible. The great law bringer, for Christians, he is the symbolic model of Jesus. Moses was saved after a king ordered the babies murdered; Jesus was saved after a king ordered Jewish babies killed. Moses parted the waters while Jesus walked on water. Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness, Jesus 40 days there. Moses went to a mountain and gave a sermon, Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. Moses delivered a covenant, Jesus the New Covenant.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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Bible Club Attendance at Public High School at Record Level
DuBoise Courier-ExpressNEW BETHLEHEM, PA - A new record was set at Redbank Valley High School Monday. It wasn't in the gym or on the athletic field. The record was set in the auditorium as 276 students - nearly half the student body - voluntarily attended a Bible Club meeting.
Bible Club advisor and high school history teacher Joe Harmon believes that is a school record for attendance to a regular club meeting of any kind. High school Principal Steve Dobransky noted that just a few years ago, Bible Club membership was less than a couple dozen students.
via openheaven.com
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DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
TABERNEAGLES(part two) - A summary of one man’s vision for God’s final ‘Tabernacle’ (Apostolic) church, preparing to become the ‘bride’ that Jesus is returning for. The vision is soundly based upon the scriptures (not included here – found in Book Too of ‘Eagles Fly High!’ – ‘The First & Last Word’) illuminating the pattern of the ‘Feasts of The Lord’ in both the Old and New Testaments.
Drawn from the trilogy ‘Eagles Fly High!’, this picture of the final church is presented through prophecy, allegory, poetry, and scripturally based vision.
Definitely a tasty morsel for the hungry in God. For those seeking to discover more about God’s plans for their lives and the church as a whole. Find out all about the ‘Taberneagle Army’ that God is starting to raise up at this critical time in our history.
A 72 page read to both inform and inspire you to make Jesus the Lord of your life.
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WAXING LYRICAL
This is my very first poem, written during a really hard period in my life. For we hadlost our business and I was fighting desperately, ultimately unsuccessfully, to stave off
bankruptcy. Written in the days before I became a Christian, (it took bankruptcy to do
that – some of us are slow learners!) but I was starting to look at what really are the
important things in life.
BESIDE ME
When I look back on all we have done together,
Picking the daffodils in the wind and the rain,
I am so grateful that whatever the weather,
And bearing the back that gives you pain,
You have walked beside me.
At times it has been a lot of fun,
We have laughed, cried and had the odd thrill.
But more often you have had to run,
To race, to get the job done, but still,
You have walked beside me.
And now, when my life has collapsed around my ears,
Your strength has helped me to keep my sanity,
When I have been down and experienced new fears, While I have suffered great blows
to my vanity,
You have walked beside me.
I have worked so hard all these years,
To yours and the family’s cost.
It is hard sometimes to fight back the tears,
Yet no matter how much we have lost,
You have walked beside me.
Your beauty has always drawn me to you
Like the bee to the flower of the honeysuckle tree,
To me I know you have always been true
While surely, sometimes you have wanted to be free,
You have walked beside me.
And though life at times seems bitter, twisted and curled,
Your love gives me strength to go on fighting.
I am just the luckiest man in all the world,
To have your name next to mine in writing.
You have walked beside me.
And now as I have to rebuild my life’
To meet new challenges, to reach new goals.
How blessed I am to have you as my wife,
To know that however the countryside rolls,
You will walk beside me.
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A DAVID MUSING
You never know what is going to happen! Unexpectedly to us, in these times of recession, Easter Saturday was a record for sales in each of our 3 large stores.Finally, I have managed to upload a photo of our new Masterton shop. You can see the beautiful plaster work on the ceiling of the old theatre. Our main display area is through the door at the right back of the photo. The shop is doing very well.
Tomorrow Kathy and I are going up to Auckland (400km away) to pick up our 'Scotland family' from the airport. Our son Andrew, his wife Catriona and our (only) 3 grandchildren are spending 24 hours on the airplane to come and visit us here 'downunder' in New Zealand for 3 weeks. Scotland literally is 'at the other end of the earth' from us, being the same distance away either way round the world!
The children will meet their great grandmothers for the first, and possibly, only time, and it will be just the second time I have seen the twins, Charis and Nathan, who will turn 4 while they are here. Eva, our oldest, is now a young lady of 8!
So it will be a lot of fun - and a few days off work as a bonus!
While the long flights will be a challenge for them, we are just so blessed to live in these days when it is possible to travel so far, so quickly. A century ago, it took 3 months on a sailing ship to come from Britain to NZ. When people left, they often knew that they would never see their family again. So much has changed in a relatively short time.
One cannot help but muse that as the world has sped up in the natural, so it has in the spiritual too. The return of Jesus is closer today than it has ever been!
So must be off to finish getting ready for the 'bairns'! (Old Scottish for children.)
Until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: LESSONS
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' ANSWER: B - His people (Psalm 125:2)
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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