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: 419 Published: 02 Nov 2009
MUSINGS ON THE KINGDOM - PAST, FUTURE AND PRESENT
KINGDOM PRESENTTo hear from God is amazing! Wonderful! An experience available to every Christian, provided we are prepared to wait on Him and listen, listen, listen, rather than talk, talk, talk!
We need to really hear and understand what God is saying to us. This lack of the art of listening and understanding is not a new problem. Jesus said, quoting Isaiah;
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?†11 He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: â€â€˜You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ (Matthew 13:10-15)
Following on from this, once we have heard from God it is vital that we obey what He says to us! Irrespective of the personal cost! Walking with Jesus Ministries is based upon Revelation 12:11, a verse that stresses the cost of obedience.
11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. (Revelation 12:11)
To enter the kingdom of God, to become an overcomer, we need to be prepared to put our lives on the line, spiritually, materially, and even, physically. Entering the kingdom costs us everything!
3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, “I know him,†but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 2:3-6)
The Bible is very clear about this. Hearing, even believing, is not enough! It is our actions, our obedience to God that is the entry ticket to the kingdom. Nothing less than becoming like Jesus is good enough. Jesus was not self-oriented. He was dedicated to obeying His father, no matter the personal cost to Him.
42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.†(Matthew 26:42)
He then died on the cross for you and for me.
And we are required to die to self for Him, and for others, as He did for us. Sobering, isn't it?
Yet obedience to God's will was, remains, and always will be, the cost of entering the kingdom.
(Continued next week)
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FROM THE WORD
"Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us." (1 John 3:21-24)"During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 5:7-10)
"“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other." (John 15:9-17)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
RELIGION, REVELATION AND GOD'S KINGDOM1043. Revelation formalised soon becomes religion institutionalised.
1044. God's kingdom breeds revelation, religion, rules.
1045. Religion is man's adaptation of God's revelation.
1046. When religion fails you, turn to God.
1047. So often the church attempts to compete with God's kingdom rather than promoting it.
1048. God's vision is our mission.
1049. Religion is the eager repository of yesterday's revelation.
1050. Revelation is eternal truth meeting today's circumstances.
1051. 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.
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
7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant,
no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found
fault with the people and said: “The time is coming, declares
the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of
Israel and with the house of Judah. 9 It will not be like the
covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the
hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain
faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares
the Lord. 10 This is the covenant I will make with the house of
Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws
in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their
God, and they will be my people. 11 No longer will a man teach
his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me, from the least of them to the
greatest. 12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will
remember their sins no more.†13 By calling this covenant “new,â€
he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and
aging will soon disappear. (Hebrews 8:7-13)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK: TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCH: 4. CHARACTERISTICS OF KINGDOM PEOPLE... concludes with the second part of our look at unity of the Spirit.
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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." ***
115. GOD'S RESCUE ATTEMPTS
During heavy flooding caused by La Nina, a priest refused to obey evacuation orders and decided to stay back in town. As the flood waters rose higher, he climbed to the roof of his house and started praying to God for help.
After an hour of devout praying, a boat came by. The priest refused the boat crew's help.
"God will come to my assistance," he said. And he remained on the roof of his house.
After another hour praying, a canoe came by. The priest refused the owner's help.
"God will rescue me," he said. And he remained on the roof of his house.
After yet another hour of prayer, a helicopter flew by. Yet again, the priest refused help.
"God will help me", he said. And again, he remained on the roof of his house.
Despite continuous praying, the flood waters rose and the priest eventually drowned in the raging water.
In heaven, he met God and asked Him, "Why didn't you help me? I called for help and you didn't answer my prayers!"
"Didn't the help arrive? I sent a canoe, a boat, AND a chopper to your rescue!"
114. GREAT FAITH
An overweight business associate of mine decided it was time to shed some excess pounds. He took his new diet seriously, even changing his driving route to avoid his favourite bakery. One morning, however, he arrived at work carrying a gigantic coffeecake. We all scolded him, but his smile remained cherubic.
"This is a very special coffeecake," he explained. "I accidentally drove by the bakery this morning and there in the window was a host of goodies. I felt this was no accident, so I prayed, 'Lord, if you want me to have one of those delicious coffeecakes, let me have a parking place directly in front of the bakery', and sure enough," he continued, "the eighth time around the block, there it was!"
113. DEJA VU!
The minister selected a 50-cent item at a convenience store, but then discovered he didn't have any money with him.
"I could invite you to hear me preach in return," he said jokingly to the clerk, "but I'm afraid I don't have any fifty-cent sermons."
"Perhaps," suggested the clerk, "I could come twice."
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 happened to Pontius Pilate after hesentenced Christ to be crucified?
ANSWER: As could be expected, things went rapidly downhill from there.
Pilate ended up killing himself in 36 AD after Caligula ordered him to
come to Rome to explain his actions in the massacre of some
Samaritans. It is unclear whether Caligula ordered the suicide or Pilate
simply feared harsh punishment. (An inevitable judgement.)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: When was the first animal cloned?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS310. MUCH HEAVIER
A bucket filled with earth would weigh about 5 times more than the same bucket filled with the substance of the Sun. However, the force of gravity is so much greater on the Sun that a man weighing 150 pounds on our planet would weigh 2 tons on the Sun. (Would still be instantly ‘sunfried’!)
311. SWEETNESS
When Princess Maria Theresa of Spain was betrothed to Louis XIV of France in 1615, she gave her fiancé an engagement gift of chocolate, packaged in an elegantly ornate chest. Their marriage was symbolic of the marriage of chocolate in Spanish-Franco culture. (How long did it last? The chocolate I mean!)
312. NOT REALLY THAT LONG AGO
In Victorian times, publications never dared show a bed in any of their advertisements. When illustrations of the bedroom were required, the bed itself was hidden by curtains. (Now even the bed covers are left off. Is that progress?)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
DEBUTS
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BIBLE QUESTION - PROVERBS
7) As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes:A - so is the fool in the company of the wise.
B - so is the beggar to the court of the king.
C - so is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
D - so is a sluggard to those who send him.
Source: www.biblequizzes.com
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""!!!!!!! "If you can't sleep, don't count sheep. Talk to the Shepherd."
!!!!!! YOU could be another Cain, when you say I'm not Able.
!!!!! When your eyes leak, your head won't swell.
!!!! Fans for games, Fanactics for Christ.
!!! Sermons aren't dug-up, but prayed down.
!! The apple didn't Sin, it was the Pear (pair) on the ground.
! If the cookies are too high up, how will the children reach them.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
PETS RULE!
47.0000KITTEN CAPERS
As chaplain in a university residence hall, I am supposed to uphold all of the school rules, which include a ban on pets. That changed when a kitten adopted me.
The freshmen in my dorm kept my secret. They covered for me by calling my kitten "the Book," since I had so many in my room.
One morning I was leaving the dorm with the kitten in a carrier. A student stopped me and asked, "Where are you taking the Book?"
I explained that I was taking the kitten to the vet. "She's getting neutered today," I told him.
"Hmmm," the student responded, "no sequels."
48. PERFECT!
My sister-in-law, a truck driver, had decided to get a dog for protection. As she inspected a likely candidate, the trainer told her, "He doesn't like men."
"Perfect," my sister-in-law thought and took the dog.
Then one day she was approached by two men in a parking lot, and she watched to see how her canine bodyguard would react. Soon it became clear the trainer wasn't
kidding. As the men got closer, the dog ran under the nearest car.
49. DR CUTTER
Dr. Cutter is the local Veterinarian, known for his wry humor. He surpassed himself one summer day when a city dog was brought to him after an encounter with a porcupine. After almost an hour of prying, pulling, cutting and stitching, he returned the dog to its owner, who asked what she owed.
"A hundred and fifty dollars, Ma'am," he answered.
"Why that's simply outrageous!" she stormed. "That's what's wrong with you Maine people, you're always trying to over charge summer visitors. Whatever do you do in the winter, when we're not being gypped here?"
"Raise porcupines, Ma'am.
50. DANGER!
A customer in a little country drug store noticed a sign with the words "Danger! Beware of Dog!" written on it. But instead of a well-trained watch dog, all he saw was a harmless old hound dog sleeping on the floor next to the cash register.
He asked the owner of the store: "Is THAT the dog people are supposed to beware of?!"
"Yessiree, that's him," the owner replied.
The customer couldn't help but laugh. "That sure doesn't look like a dangerous dog to me. Why on Earth would you post that sign?"
"Because until I hung up that sign, folks kept tripping over him."
More pet stories here.......
BIBLE TRIVIA (Weights and Measures)
TO MEASURE LENGTH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.......... several different units were involved, including finger, palm, span and cubit. The cubit was the most basic and most used. A cubit was the length of the forearm measured to the tip of the little finger, generally between 17-18 inches in length. (nearly a 1/2 metre)
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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Facing Death Opens Hearts to the Gospel
Gospel for AsiaLike Harita, this woman suffered from demon possession and found deliverance through the prayers of a GFA-supported pastor.
SOUTH ASIA (ANS) -- All across the globe, God uses different means to draw people to Himself. For a man devoted to his traditional religion, it took a near-death experience to begin to trust in Christ. For a college student and the others in her family who came to Christ, the road to faith involved a listening ear and the proclamation of the Gospel in the midst of their seemingly hopeless plight. Both families live in a mountainous part of South Asia where deep spiritual need lies beneath breathtaking natural beauty, and they encountered a hope like they had never known before.
Mahit and his family were exposed to the truth of the Gospel even before his near-death experience. GFA-supported missionary Sabal Dutta and his family were renting a house from Mahit when they learned that Mahit's mother was sick and bedridden. Visiting the ailing woman, they shared the Gospel and prayed for her healing-and the Lord touched her and healed her completely! Mahit's family members opened their hearts to Christ. But Mahit held back and continued to worship his idols, saying he would believe in Christ only if He would do a miracle in his life.
There seemed little hope for the family . . . until a Christian brought Harita and her father to a prayer meeting in their home village.
Then, while on his motorbike one day, Mahit suddenly fell in front of an oncoming bus.
"King Jesus! Save me!" he cried out. Mahit felt like one of his legs went under a wheel of the bus. But when he checked, he was surprised to find that he was safe and without injury, and from that day on he began to believe in Jesus.
They Thought She Would Die Too
Harita, a college student, was being attacked by evil spirits. She was brought to two different witch doctors, but she was still not delivered from the demonic attack and suffered greatly.
Harita's parents were very worried about her: One of their sons had recently died, and they thought that surely their daughter would die, too. There seemed little hope for the family . . . until a Christian brought Harita and her father to a prayer meeting in their home village.
GFA-supported Pastor Benjamin Masih heard about the family's sad plight and shared with them about the love of the Savior. They listened eagerly and believed in Him. Then Benjamin prayed for Harita, and the Lord delivered her completely from the forces of demonic oppression. Harita's mother and brother later publicly testified of their faith in Christ and began regularly attending church, and Harita became active in helping with church ministries, especially the Women's Fellowship.
Both Harita's and Mahit's families would appreciate prayer for their growth in Christ.
via OpenHeaven.com
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DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
UP THE MOUNTAINAn exciting yet challenging allegory of one man’s spiritual journey and his participation in the fulfillment of God’s plan. Taken from 'Eagles Fly High!'
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WAXING LYRICAL
Just thinking that I hadn't written a poem for quite a while so gave it a go - before I forget how!DAVID'S RAMBLINGS
Don't know what to write about.
Something that will have clout.
Should it be all about me?
No! Well - how about thee?
That might be interesting for we all like to hear about ourself,
Particularly it is nice and complementary, off the top shelf.
But the problem is that I don't know you personally, do you see,
So what can I say about you, not knowing if you're she or he!
Time is moving on,
Nearly time it is for bed,
The day is now gone,
The seconds, each has sped.
So what can I say that is of great note?
Before I have to leave, put on my coat.
Go out into the night and wend my way home,
In the darkness, to our wee abode to roam.
My wife Kathy, now she is not there.
Visiting her mother, do not despair,
She will be home tomorrow, I am so sure,
Returning from her travelling adventure.
So now I will go and cuddle the cat.
Oops - recall I can't now do that,
For she died some weeks ago - very sad.
So I'm all by myself; that's very bad.
But no, no, no! I do now remember!
Whether it be April or September,
I have my Jesus with me always you see,
So I wont be lonely, there's He and me.
I hope now, that's true for you too.
In the bed - even when on the loo!
He is a friend upon whom we all can rely,
When you are lonely, give Jesus a try.
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A DAVID MUSING
This weekend we moved premises for our Hastings Seekers store.It has been a very busy time constructing and deconstructing fixtures and fittings and shifting 15,000 items of stock.
What really struck me though was the co-operation, efficiency and good humour of the team of volunteers we had doing the job. They all simply got on with their particular part of the job without requiring prodding or instruction. While it was still hard work for me, it was so much easier and more pleasant than it could have been, had the people not shown such dedication and initiative. Unity was certainly there. Different people with different backgrounds and personalities, doing different jobs, yet working towards the one goal.
Thank you so much, team!
If only the 'church' could operate in such a way!
Until next week.......
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: BUSTED
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' ANSWER: B - but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. (Proverbs 13:11)
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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