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: 431 Published: 25 Jan 2010
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MUSINGS ON THE KINGDOM - PAST, FUTURE AND PRESENT
KINGDOM PRESENT - THE KINGDOM PARABLESAN INTRODUCTION continued
The second practical warning of Jesus, once again contained in round a quarter of the parables, is a warning against the love of money and accumulating riches.
I can see the hairs rising on the back of your head!
Alternatively, you may be thinking 'I don't love money', as you sit back relaxing in your armchair watching the news about the Haiti earthquake on your 100 inch screen, surround sound, blu-ray, home theatre system thinking, I am so blessed that I don't live there!
The reality is, in the natural, we all like money, whether we admit it or not! If we don't have it, we want it, if we do have it, we want more. That simply is human nature.
Of course, Jesus understood this reality and spent a great deal of time talking about money and warning us of the dangers involved.
But even before Jesus came, the Old Testament books of wisdom contained similar warnings.
10 Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. 11 As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them? 12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep. 13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, 14 or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is nothing left for him. 15 Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand. (Ecclesiastes 5:11-15)
Jesus was straight up about it.
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (Matthew 6:24)
The Pharisees were quoted as a worldly example.
14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.
How about going on a ministry trip this way?
8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. (Mark 6:8)
Leave your VISA card at home, would seem to be the advice here!
I will leave you today with some inspired wisdom from Timothy.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)
(Continued next week)
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FROM THE WORD
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind? All his days he eats in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger. Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart." (Ecclesiastes 5:6:20)Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
"Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.†They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them." (Mark 6:6b-13)
Love of Money
"If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1 Timothy 6:3-10)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
GIVING58. THE GIVERS DICTIONARY
- A RELIGIOUS PERSON follows rules to earn God’s favour.
- The CHRISTIAN delights in giving to God, in gratitude for what He has given us.
- MAN delights in turning ‘gifts to God’, into ‘rules of attainment’.
- GOD seeks an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE from a giver.
172. How we spend our money and time clearly reveals where we are at in God.
173. The world says, 'Blessed is one who receives', but the Lord says, 'Blessed is the one who gives.'
174. It is so easy to remember the gift, but to forget the giver.
176. Giving in the expectation of receiving a multiplied return, is an investment, not a gift.
318. Any gift given by us, pales into insignificance when compared to the gift given for us.
319. To give out of bounty is great, to give out of poverty, divine.
320. We cannot 'out give' God, but we could always try!
384. Giving should be the heart guiding the wallet, not the other way round.
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK: SERMON ON THE MOUNT - THE KINGDOM WAY continues.......... as we look at purity, the hardest beatitude to achieve but the one with the greatest promise, and peacemaking.
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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." ***
145. A DOG'S LOVE
Rev. Warren J. Keating, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Yuma, AZ., says that the best prayer he ever heard was, "Lord, please make me the kind of person my dog thinks I am."
144. KNOW THE 10 COMMANDMENTS
A student was asked to list the 10 Commandments in any order. His response was: 3, 6, 1, 8, 4, 5, 9, 2, 10, 7.
143. ACTS 2:38
An elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening service when she was startled by an intruder. As she caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables, she yelled "Stop, Acts 2:38".
The burglar quickly turned around and pointed his gun at her when she yelled again "Stop, Acts 2:38".
Well this time the man stopped, dead in his tracks. The woman calmly called the Police and explained what she had done. As the Officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked him "Why did you just stand there? All the old lady did was yell a Scripture to you."
"Scripture?" the burglar exclaimed, "I thought she said she had an AX and 2 38s."
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FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Is it possible for twins to have differentfathers?
ANSWER: Yes. There have been several documented cases of women
giving birth to twins who had different fathers, including cases where the
children were of different races. To do so, the mother had to have
conceived both children in close proximity. There has also been one
recent case where a mother gave birth to unrelated ‘twins’. In that
instance, the mother underwent in vitro fertilisation and had her own child
and the embryo of another couple accidentally implanted in her.
(Possible, but not the way God planned it.)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: How do black and white stripes camouflage
zebras?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS274. LEFT FOOT FIRST
Astronaut Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon with his left foot. (Put his best foot forward?)
275. OSTRICH-LIKE
The word “struthious†refers to something that resembles or is related to ostriches. (To a person with their head buried in the sand?)
276. HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED
In 1977, less than 9 percent of physicians in the U.S. were women. (How long before only 9% aren’t?)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
ARMREST
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BIBLE QUESTION - PROVERBS
19) According to proverbs, what do you promote when you cover an offense?A - repeat offenders
B - folly
C - love
D - wisdom
Source: www.biblequizzes.com
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""SAYINGS FOR YOU TO PONDER
!!!!!!! A mistake is proof that somebody tried anyhow.
!!!!!! The most dangerous thing in the world is to try to leap a chasm in two jumps.
!!!!! A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he knows something.
!!!! When you became a Christian, God didn't call you to a playground, but a battleground!
!!! Sin will keep you from the Bible ~ but the Bible will keep you from sin.
!! Co-operate! Remember the banana ~ every time it leaves the bunch it gets skinned.
! Success comes in cans: Failure comes in can'ts.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
TILL DEATH DO US PART
91. PERSUASIONAn elderly man in Phoenix calls his son in New York and says, "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough.
"Pop, what are you talking about?" the son screams.
"We can't stand the sight of each other any longer," the old man says. "We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her," and he hangs up.
Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. "Like heck they're getting divorced," she shouts, "I'll take care of this."
She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at the old man, "You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?" and hangs up.
The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife.
"Okay," he says, "They're coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own fares... Now what do we tell them for Christmas?
92. FISHING
Year after year Bubba's wife pleaded with him to take her fishing but he kept telling her she would not enjoy it. She, finally, wore him down, he consented, and early one morning they took off to the lake.
They had not been there very long when the fish began biting. Almost as fast as they cast, a fish would bite, and they reeled it in. After catching their limit, Bubba said,
"Verna Lou, sweet thang, I'm sorry. You've been good luck and I'm gonna bring you with me the next time. If you'll mark the spot where we caught all these fish, we'll go home."
On the way home, Bubba turned to Verna Lou and said, "Sweet thang, how did you mark the spot were all the fish are so next time I'll know?"
"Bubba, darlin', I put a big 'X' on the side of the boat right down closest to the water."
"Sweet thang, that's about the dumbest thing I ever seed you do. Don't you know that won't work? We may not get the same boat the next time!"
93. GOOD ADVICE
Want to have your husband remember your anniversary? Get married on his birthday.
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BIBLE TRIVIA (Old Testament Family Life)
THE HUM OF THE HANDMILL GRINDING GRAIN ..........was one of the first early morning sounds heard in an Israelite village. This sound is associated with home, comfort and plenty. The women would begin first thing in the morning as it could take up to half the day to do. One of the judgments on Israel of Jeremiah 25:10 was that sound of millstones would be banished.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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Vietnam Churches Reach Out to Country's Addicts
by Lucille Talusan, CBN NewsHO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM - Christians in Vietnam are reaching out to those lost in a world of drugs and despair.
At the Emmanuel Full Gospel Church in Ho Chi Minh City men gather everyday to pray, worship and read the Bible.
They could pass for seminary students, but in reality all 30 of them are former drug addicts who have found forgiveness and freedom through the church's ministry.
Pastor Hung Dinh says that only God's love has the power to deliver men and women from the bondage of drug addiction.
"They are considered as the garbage of the society. Their families and even they themselves give up," he said. "Most say they have not been successful with rehabilitation centers, but here in the center they feel the power of God's love and they experience deliverance miraculously."
Phoung Le is a recipient of that love. He came to the center in 2007 very sick with tuberculosis and intense stomach pain-- afflictions caused by his years of opium and heroin abuse.
"The doctors gave up on me. They sent me home," Phoung Le said. "But at that time I met this person who got out of drugs and stayed at the center. She shared with me about Jesus and that's when I felt I had hope."
"Before I suffered from so much pain, but when I came here the pastor and other people prayed for me," he continued. "I thought when I come here I will die. I was surprised after they prayed for me, I don't feel pain anymore in my chest, in my stomach and I was also delivered from drugs."
Today, Phoung Le leads the church worship team. He is amazed how God gave him the skill to play instruments despite never having any formal musical training. He has dedicated his life to sharing the grace he has received.
"Now that I experienced the miracle, I want to share Jesus to people who are in the same situation," he said. "Drug addicts like me, that they can be set free and get salvation from the Lord."
Over the past two years the number of drug users in Vietnam has remarkably decreased by 25 percent because the government is serious in giving treatment to drug dependents. But churches there are also playing a very important role in transforming their lives.
Vietnam is a Communist nation and the government is hostile to Christian churches. Hung says police often come to the church and ask him questions.
Yet, the success of the church's ministry to drug addicts has earned it favor from government authorities.
"They persecute us and threaten us. I tell them I don't go against the government. I only do the work of the Lord to teach and to love," he said. "After they see my faith and see the transformation of the people here, they respect me and they don't bother us anymore."
Because of God's miracles of healing and deliverance, the former drug addicts and their families worship the Lord with great passion.
It's an intensity that demonstrates their deep gratitude for the new found freedom they now enjoy.
Source: CBNnews.com (Edited)
Via Openheaven.com
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WAXING LYRICALAstonishingly to me, the web page of poetry is consistently one of the most popular on the WWJ site.
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WAXING LYRICAL
Our God is full of surprises! Comfort is not part of His vocabulary! This becomes a real test of obedience. This is about a move we made 7 years ago.A MINUTE IS A LONG TIME IN GOD
When you are relaxed and enjoying life,
And all is normal with kids and wife.
When you are living in such a beautiful place,
And all is going well in running your race.
You are happy with how life is treating you,
Challenges yes - not too many - just a few.
Then along comes God, with His own plan,
Designed to upset the comfort of a man.
One minute the world seems simply so good,
The next, upon its head, is now being stood!
"David, I'm asking you to shift city and church",
My comfortable brain, with pain it did now lurch!
"But surely my God, this cannot be true?"
"Yes my son, it's what I'm asking of you."
"Well Lord , please give confirmation,
To help me overcome my consternation!"
Over the past two weeks, confirmations I've been given,
Logical improbabilities so great, must be God driven.
"Oh Lord, surely this is what you want me to do,
Have your way in my life Lord, I give in to you.
For you know best Lord, your plan for me,
I accept it now Lord, on bended knee."
Yes, one brief minute is a long time in God you know,
But obey His voice we must, if in Him we are to grow.
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A DAVID MUSING
This week I have had my friend David Harris staying, in order to rewrite one website and write another. You may like to have a look at the updated website Africa Arise which explains the overall picture of what we are doing in our second hand clothing operation to help both the local community and the poor in Africa. Shortly we will have a more specialised site for Seekers Megamart. Thank you David for making this possible.The huge amount of information so easily available today at the touch of a button, is amazing. We struggle now to sell encyclopedia sets, as their contents are so readily available on the net.
Sometimes though, we put knowledge on a pedestal it doesn't deserve. Even in Christianity. For our walk with Jesus must be based on relationship with Him. No amount of knowledge about Jesus is enough to bring us to the place of salvation. In my experience, an addiction to religious knowledge can be a barrier to coming to know Jesus personally.
The key is to be able to apply our knowledge, for we need to know Jesus through both the Word as well as by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Knowing and doing is the secret of walking with our Saviour and Lord.
Until next week.......
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: SMARTER
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' ANSWER: 19) C - love (Proverbs 17:9)
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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