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: 46 Published: 16 Sep 2002
HE SIMPLY COMES – HE COMES SIMPLY
In the Western church – and in many other countries too – ‘professionalism’ is seen as being the way both to attract people and the Holy Spirit to our services. To appeal to the unchurched and unsaved we need to present a programme that is slick, fast moving and upbeat. For people nowadays are far more sophisticated and critical than they used to be.This week we went to a church here in Kampala, Uganda. It was held in a rented hall. We arrived, as it was turning dark. A single Kerosene lantern bounced a shimmering circle of light around the room. The seats were hard wooden ‘forms’ with no backs. As there was no electricity, there was no sound system and 2 or 3 native drums and some small stones in a cardboard box shaken to the beat, provided music. The very antithesis of what we would consider conducive to a visit from either people or the Holy Spirit.
Yet from the very start of the meeting the presence of the Lord came down upon the place and by the end people were on there knees and I was on my face – a most unusual experience for me, as I am normally an observer rather than a participator in such situations.
The next night was the same. And this time a Moslem lady came to the Lord. This was a real cause for celebration, as it does not happen very often. It was not David or Kathy that was responsible for these amazing happenings, but the Lord. Plus a people whose hearts were open and responsive. For there was a greater freedom in the people in that church than any other we have experienced here. So God moved! Professionalism had no part in it. It was simply a real heart for the Lord. And the results were so effective.
Of course it wouldn’t work in the West! We are far too sophisticated! On the other hand, maybe we are organizing the Holy Spirit out of our services. For each day He comes in a different way. There simply is no box big enough to put him in! Worth thinking about, isn’t it.
Find out more about us on . . .
AN AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
After spending 3 days in a Ugandan village, it was time for the journey home. We piled into a ‘taxi’, a short wheel base Toyota Hiace Van with a rated maximum seating capacity of 14 people. By the time we left we had 20 people shoehorned in, plus 2 babies and all our musical equipment and sound system! As we went along the road, we somehow found room for another passenger and another. You get the picture! Typical of a third world country!Yet what made me smile, was that in the midst of the crowding, one of the passengers pulled out his cell phone! An amazing blend of the old and the new!
And as we neared Kampala, we were stopped by a policeman with a gun and told to unload the ‘extra passengers. The driver simply drove off saying, ‘he wouldn’t shoot anyway!’ Fortunately he was right! An African experience to remember!
FROM THE WORD
An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest.†â€(Luke 9:46-48)“Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.†(2 Peter 1:10-11)
DAVID'S DOODLINGS
### Faith to God is like breathing to life. Without it we are spiritually dead.### To believe in the essential goodness of man is perfectly normal. But to believe in God takes too much faith. Something is basically wrong here!
### We all hope for a better future. But few are prepared to exercise the faith required to guarantee it!
There are now over 400 David sayings for you to view at . . .
TAPE (MP3) OF THE WEEK
In association with Inspirational Tapes Ministriesinspirational.org.nz we are pleased to offer you this inspirational tape - absolutely free of charge!
Repentance. Part 1
By John and Paula Sandford
As co-founders of Elijah House USA & Canada, John and Paula travel extensively conducting and teaching seminars on marriage and family life matters. They are co-authors of 20 books related to Biblical based counselling, inner healing, deliverance, prayer, and family life. Their best selling book, "The Transformation of the Inner Man" has sold more than 200,000 copies and has brought healing to thousands of families around the world.
Order your free tape or run the MP3 today at . . .
FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION How long can honey be stored and still safely eaten?ANSWER: Apparently, honey can last forever, if stored well. The ancient Egyptians left honey, among other assorted luxuries, in burial chambers to make the dead happy. Some of it, unearthed in modern times, is still edible! (Though one wonders how they determine this. Are archaeologists eating the stuff?)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is the sleeping sickness?
Answer Next Week.
***SOME FUN FACTS***
SUBLIMINAL ADVERTISING
In every episode of Seinfeld there is a Superman somewhere. (Obviously not Jerry!)
THE ‘FROZEN CHOSEN’
In 1980, the ‘Yellow Pages’ accidentally listed a funeral home under ‘Frozen Foods.’ (Sends a chill up the spine!)
THE TYPING TEACHERS DREAM (AND PUPILS DOWNFALL)
The sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." uses every letter in the alphabet. (Developed by Western Union to Test telex/twx communications) By the way, the average typist does 56% of the typing with their left hand. (Today saving the right for the mouse – someone must have known!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU!
world
world
world
world
Answer at the end of ‘A David Musing’
Find 150 fun facts and trivial trivia at . . .
LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
***Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused***Two more short chuckles this week.
SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE?
Thanksgiving Day was approaching and the family had received a Thanksgiving card with a painting of a pilgrim family on their way to church.
Grandma showed the card to her small grandchildren, observing, "The Pilgrim children liked to go to church with their mothers and fathers."
"Oh yeah?" her young grandson replied, "so why is their dad carrying that rifle?"
BC!
Adam and Eve lived thousands of years BC - Before Clothing.
125 sermon fillers for your entertainment and use at . . .
LIFE’S A LAUGH!
***Real life produces the best humour of all!***TOGETHERNESS
My Parents had not been out together in quite some time.
One Saturday, as Mom was finishing the dinner dishes, my father stepped up behind her. "Would you like to go out, girl?" he asked.
Not even turning around, my mother quickly replied, "Oh, yes, I'd love to!"
They had a wonderful evening, and it wasn't until the end of the evening that Dad finally confessed that his question had actually been directed to the family dog, laying near Mom's feet on the kitchen floor.
Much more real life humour to chuckle over is found at . . .
IF ONLY I’D THOUGHT OF IT!
!!! Success is getting up one more time.
!!! Now is the most interesting time of all.
!!! When things go wrong.....don't go with them.
!!! Sometimes the majority only means that all the fools are on the same side.
!!! God can mend all broken hearts. You just have to give him all the pieces.
For more pearls of wisdom and humour check out . . .
IF YOU HAVE THE TIME YOU MIGHT LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK AT (PDF Download)
THE TWO MARATHONERS. An ‘running’ allegory about the race of life. This was the first revelation the Lord gave me, the day after He told me to start this ministry – a long 10 years ago!Well worth the read at . . .
ANOTHER AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
Since being in Uganda I have realized even more strongly the fragility of life. For in the short time we have been here we have had two deaths in the families of associated pastors, both at ages that would be considered tragically young in the West. Also, two pastors have been laid low with malaria, an endemic disease in this beautiful country.In the village, people cannot avail themselves of free medical treatment provided because they do not have sufficient money to pay for the prescriptions they require. So they learn to live with pain and live only very short lives.
On the positive side, Uganda is the first African country to experience a decrease in AID’s, due to a successful education programme and a rapidly increasing number of ‘born agains’, as they describe themselves. A country where the only real hope is to be found in God. A sobering African experience!
A DAVID MUSING
Arriving at our first meeting in the village, I saw a man lying on a mat, just as you would have imagined Jesus would have seen when He healed the people in his day. At the end of the meeting we were asked to pray for him. I was a little reluctant and lacking in faith, as I felt the second, Holy Spirit meeting would be a better time to pray. However we prayed, me without conviction. Suddenly, I could feel the power of the Holy Spirit drawn out of my hands and the man’s legs began to twitch furiously. Then he got up and walked! Not without pain, but unassisted, when beforehand he couldn’t even stand!This naturally improved my faith level dramatically! So I prayed for another elderly lady with a stick – and she walked without the stick. Next day however, she came back using the stick. After praying for her again, the third day she returned without the stick!
Full of faith I also prayed for 2 days for a man whose legs were nearly paralyzed. Sadly he was not healed bodily at all. However he did know that I really cared for him. Not what he would really have wanted though!
I have mused over this often since. A man was healed when I had little faith while another failed to be healed when I had plenty. A woman healed gradually through persistent prayer. I have no answers. It just has to be of God’s choosing. We are only his vessels. Helps keep us humble too!
His servant and yours
David Tait
Word Puzzle Answer: World Series.
LINKS
If you would like to link your web links@wsite to ours, and ours to yours, please advise us on links@wwj.org.nzDID THIS EMAIL HAVE A BLUE BACKGROUND AND RED HEADINGS?
YES - Great!NO - Your web browser needs to be set to 'Rich Text'. If you have an older 'Text Only' browser, this email may also be viewed on our web site at . . .
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 website wwj.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