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: 427 Published: 28 Dec 2009
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS - ADDRESS LINK CORRECTION!!!
If you would STILL like to read about our families year in our Christmas letter, you REALLY will find it here. Nice photo of Kathy too!
MUSINGS ON THE KINGDOM - PAST, FUTURE AND PRESENT
KINGDOM PRESENTHow is Holy Spirit living to reflect in our outward actions?
The apostle John, Jesus' 'special friend', summed it up succinctly.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16b)
He goes on to explain this in a very practical fashion!
21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Some people, in the natural, are better at loving than are others. My wife Kathy is one of those. A people person. I am not! Am a task orientated one!
But God is the God of the supernatural. He must be to change me!
Have you noticed how much it is easier to fall out with a Christian than a person in the world? Particularly in 'Spirit-filled' circles.
Why is this?
It is simple. Satan knows that love is the key to building the kingdom of God on earth and he works hard to throw us off the path of love. I am not one for blaming satan for my foibles and weaknesses, but in the area of relationship, he does try to stick the boot in.
Jesus understood this principle well.
17 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. (Luke 11:17)
In the same discourse, Jesus also proclaimed the need to take the person and instructions of the Holy Spirit very seriously.
31 And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:31-2)
The 'love chapter' in Corinthians reinforces the importance of love.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal..... 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:1,13)
We all know these things in theory, but the difficulty is putting them into practice!
We do require a revelation from the Holy Spirit to live the 'love life'
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (John 15:13)
We simply are not capable of 'agape' (of the determination of the will) loving without the Holy Spirit's intervention in our life. It is simply 'too hard' in the natural, in our own strength, all the time. Even for people people like Kathy!
Godly love is supernatural. A revelation, a kingdom building lifestyle of obedience to the Father's will as guided by the Holy Spirit that Jesus sent to help us.
We have not succeeded in the past, but as we receive the Autumn and Spring rains of the Spirit promised in Joel for the final days, so we will be better able to love others in the way required to build God's kingdom on earth, now.
It sounds impossible, but in God's will, all things are possible. For His ways are greater than ours.
(Continued next week)
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FROM THE WORD
The Work of the Holy Spirit"“Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.â€" (John 16:5-16)
Love
"And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 12b-13:13)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
LOVE508. True love is of the will, rather than the heart.
509. True love is truly proven in unlovely situations.
510.“It is better to have loved and lost…†is not true of God’s love. For He never fails us.
511. Jesus specialises in loving the unlovely – fortunately for me!
512. We all need love. What differs, is where we seek to find it!
513. To submit our will to another is the ultimate love commitment.
514. Jesus loved us to death!
515. It is much harder for the worthy to accept God’s love than the unworthy. Always has been, always will be.
516. As passion goes, true love grows.
517. Passion stirs, love builds.
518. True love takes time.
519. True love is like a good cheese. It takes time to mature.
520. Passion and action combine to build God’s kingdom.
521. True love is a verb, rather than a noun.
522. Love becomes just another 4-letter word unless it is worked at.
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 ...
A SUCCINCT LETTER! One person gets it!
Hiya DavidI'm a reader on your email list of Tuesday Teachings.
I'd just like to encourage you by saying it's a real relief to read words of truth from someone who "gets it" in this day and age. I thank God for your discernment and Bereanism (if that's even a word :-) ).
Thank you for saying that Jesus is the way, but that the ultimate destination is the Father. I believe this is the third and final revelation at the end of the age, wouldn't you agree?
God bless you this Christmas, and keep up the good works :-)
Renata
CRANWELL'S CARTOON
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love
to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be
seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward
in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door
and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees
what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do
not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard
because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your
Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 “This, then, is
how you should pray: â€â€˜Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we
also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14 For if you forgive men when
they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not
forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:5-15)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK: SERMON ON THE MOUNT - THE KINGDOM WAYWe will commence our look at the detail of the instructions of Jesus.
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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." ***
137. THE CHURCH DICTIONARY
* AMEN: The only part of a prayer that everyone knows.
* BULLETIN: 1. Parish information, read only during the sermon. 2.Church air conditioning. 3. Your receipt for attending church.
* CHOIR: A group of people whose singing allows the rest of the congregation to lip-sync.
* HYMN: A song of praise, usually sung in a key three octave higher than that of the congregation's range.
* RECESSIONAL HYMN: The last song at church, often sung a little more quietly, since most of the people have already left.
* JONAH: The original "Jaws" story.
* JUSTICE: When kids have kids of their own.
* MANGER: 1. Where Mary gave birth to Jesus because Joseph wasn't covered by an HMO. 2. The Bible's way of showing us that holiday travel has always been rough.
* PEW: A medieval torture device still found in Churches.
* RECESSIONAL: The ceremonial procession at the conclusion of church - led by parishioners trying to beat the crowd to the parking lot.
* RELICS: People who have been going to church for so long, they actually know when to sit, kneel, and stand without prompting.
* TEN COMMANDMENTS: The most important Top Ten list not given by David Letterman.
* USHERS: The only people who don't know the seating capacity of a pew.
136. CHURCH BULLETIN BOMBS
I've come across various incarnations of this Church Bulletin Bloopers list, and figured so has everyone else in the world so I haven't included it on Bag O Laughs until now. This list was recently sent to me, and I found that several of the items were new so, I delete those that were old and there you have it, a fresh list for your humor consumption. These are ACTUAL announcements from ACTUAL church bulletins:
1. Don't let worry kill you - - let the church help.
2. Thursday night - Potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow.
3. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community
4. Wednesday the ladies liturgy will meet. Mrs Johnson will sing "Put me in my little bed" accompanied by the pastor.
5. Thursday at 5:00pm there will be a meeting of the Little Mothers Club. All ladies wishing to be "Little Mothers" will meet with the Pastor in his study.
6. This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.
7. Next Sunday a special collection will be taken to defray the cost of the new carpet. All those wishing to do something on the new carpet will come forward and do so.
8. A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.
9. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.
10. The preacher will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing, "Break Forth With Joy."
11. During the absence of our pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of hearing a good sermon when A. B. Doe supplied our pulpit.
12. The Rev. Adams spoke briefly, much to the delight of his audience.
13. The church is glad to have with us today as our guest minister the Rev. John Green who has Mrs. Green with him. After the service we request that all remain in the sanctuary for the Hanging of the Greens.
14. The eighth graders will be presenting Shakespear's "Hamlet" in the church basement on Friday at 7:00pm. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
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: How many sweat glands do we have in our body?ANSWER: About five million. Most are in the palms of your hands, the
soles of your feet, and your armpits. (Work up a sweat thinking about it!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What percentage of a watermelon is water?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS286. NATURAL POLLUTION
About 27 tons of dust rains down on the earth each day from space, making a total of almost 10,000 tons each year. (Must have dusty roads up there!)
287. EFFICIENT KILLER
Cougars can kill animals eight times their size. (A feed or three here!)
288. A QUICK TRIP
A space vehicle must move at a rate of at least 7 miles per second to escape Earth's gravitational pull. This is equivalent to going from New York to Philadelphia in about 20 seconds. ( There and back in time for tea!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
MASTERS
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 - PROVERBS
15) A fool finds no pleasure in:A - foolishness
B - understanding
C - riches
D - life
Source: www.biblequizzes.com
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""OLD AGE
1. Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.
2. Don't let anyone tell you you're getting old. Squash their toes with your rocker.
3. The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
4. Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me. I want people to know why I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved.
5. Maturity means being emotionally and mentally healthy. It is that time when you know when to say yes and when to say no, and when to say WHOOPEE!
6. How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?
7. When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
'TILL DEATH DO US PART
225. HAPPINESS!A woman walking down a residential street, noticed a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch. She called out to him as she passed. "Hello there! I couldn't help but notice how happy you look. What's your secret for a long happy life?"
"I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day," he replied. "I also drink a case of whiskey a week, eat nothing but fast food, and never exercise."
"Wow!" The woman was amazed. "How old are you?" she asked.
"Twenty-six," he replied.
224. THE SETTING SUN
The sun never sets on the British Empire. But it rises every morning. The sky must get awfully crowded. - Steven Wright
223. DO WHAT?
Two men were talking one day.
"My wife asked me to buy ORGANIC vegetables from the market garden." said the first man.
"So were you able to find some?" the second man, asked.
"Well when I got to the market, I asked the gardener, 'These vegetables are for my wife. Have they been sprayed with any poisonous chemicals?"
"The gardener said 'No, you'll have to do that yourself."
Relax with a laugh here.......
BIBLE TRIVIA (Old Testament Family Life)
WOMEN HAD DIFFERENT ROLES TO MENThey never ate with men and the husband and brothers were served first. While walking, women followed at a respectful distance. The woman was closely confined and watched with jealousy. When she went out she was veiled from head to foot.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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Archbishop of Canterbury Accuses Government of Treating Believers as Oddballs
by Martin Beckford and George Pitcher, The London TelegraphLONDON, UK – Dr. Rowan Williams said ministers were wrong to think that Christian beliefs were no longer relevant in modern Britain and he criticised Labour for looking at religious faith as a “problem†rather than valuing the contribution it made to society.
The Archbishop also suggested that the “political class†was too remote from the concerns of most people, who still had God in their “bloodstreamâ€.
Dr Williams told The Daily Telegraph: “The trouble with a lot of Government initiatives about faith is that they assume it is a problem, it’s an eccentricity, it’s practised by oddities, foreigners and minorities.
Asked if he believed political leaders should be more open about their religious beliefs, the Archbishop replied: “I don’t think it would do any harm at all. I think part of establishing their human credentials is saying, 'This is where my motivation comes from. I’m in politics because this is what I believe.’ And that includes religious conviction.â€
Despite the Church of England’s influence and its position as the established religion in the country, there have been repeated claims in recent years that Labour has tried to keep faith out of the public sphere........
Via Openheaven.com
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DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
'TABERNEAGLE' THOUGHTS FROM.....A poster of thoughts about living life in Tabernacles. Out of a human mind but hopefully with God given inspiration. An A4 sized wall (’loo?’) hanger. A4 size.
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WAXING LYRICAL
My wife likes crosswords. I prefer Sudoku. But it is fun to play with words occasionally!'USING'
It's amusing
Is no musing.
Mind abusing.
Now accusing.
Brain fusing.
Never 'using'!
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A DAVID MUSING
NEW YEAR'S GREETINGSKathy and I bring you greetings for (another!) New Year. Where has 2009 gone? With 3 new and 2 replacement
But in the end nothing will count more than my relationship with Jesus, for finally, that is all that is eternal. Scares me sometimes! You too?
May our new year in Him be all He would wish for us.
Until next week.......
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: STREAMS
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' ANSWER: 15) B - understanding (Proverbs 18:2)
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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