HEARING FROM GOD

PLACING MATTERS ON OUR MIND - THE INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Let's be honest! Most of us struggle to maintain an ongoing, daily relationship with the Holy Spirit's leading and guiding us in our lives.

Jesus told us that He would send the Holy Spirit to guide us.

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. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 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. (John 16:13-15)

Our objective is to become God's dwelling place, fully guided by His precious Holy Spirit.

22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22)

Our thoughts are to be God's thoughts, our mind, God's mind.

10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: 16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:10-16)

Therefore, this matter of God placing matters on our mind should be a natural part of our daily walk with Him. The reality for me though, is that I hear from God in this way, more at some times than at others.

One of the most notable times in my 'Jesus life' was in the relatively early days, when the Holy Spirit wrote the 'Walking With Jesus' course that you can find on our website here. WALKING WITH JESUS COURSE I simply held the pen, for I was a new Christian without theological training or Jesus experience. The end result was a discipleship course that has helped thousands of people come to a deeper understanding of life in Jesus.

One of the key elements of 'the bride' for whom Jesus is returning is the development of this ability to hear from God to such a stage that we both hear, and obey, what the Spirit tells us, 100% of the time.

25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)

In order to truly become holy and righteous, the characteristic of the end time bride, we must be fully attuned to the Holy Spirit, all of the time.

7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) (Revelation 19:7-8)

I do appreciate that this seems an impossibility in our 'grey church' world of the present time, but God is building a hunger for righteousness and holiness into those of His people who are eagerly seeking all of Him. A new church is arising! A church, not in a building, but within the multiplicity of those believers who are sold out to Jesus, being guided by the Holy Spirit in all they say and do.

20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21)

I understand that this may be difficult to understand and accept, for we are immersed in traditional ways of thinking and behaving. But, if we are honest, we do realise that things need to change in the church in order to become the church for whom Jesus is to return.

6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:6)

I ask you to seek the leading of the Holy Spirit in these, and all, matters, so that we may become the people of God that we are meant to be.

But most of the time, He talks to me through the Bible.

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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.”" (John 16:5-16)

One in Christ

"Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." (Ephesians 2:11-22)

Life by the Spirit

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." (Galatians 5:16-26)

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DAVID'S DOODLINGS

HOLINESS

1001. Holiness is not found in living to the letter of the Law, but reflected through the living law of our life.

1002. Holiness is an attitude reflected in behaviour.

1003. Holiness comes, as we let the hold on our lives, go.

1004. The 'Law of Holiness' needs to be written in our hearts and applied through our will.

1005. Holiness grows as we walk hand in hand with Jesus.

1006. Every day is to be a 'holy-day'

1007. Holiness is a way of life, not a doctrine.

1008. Holiness grows as my will goes.

1009. To walk on the path of holiness I need Jesus at my side.

1010. Holiness is tough, but hell, deadly!

1011. Life is a game, living holiness the aim.

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MIRTHFUL MOMENT

A new series of cartoons to bring
a 'smile on the dial'!



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TUESDAY TEACHINGS

THIS WEEK: A REVELATION OF... LIVING THE KINGDOM LIFESTYLE continues.....

.....as we look at further kingdom parables 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." ***

261. ZEAL AND THE GRADUATE
A boy was sitting on a park bench with one hand resting on an open Bible. He was loudly exclaiming his praise to God. "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God is great!" he yelled without worrying whether anyone heard him or not.

Shortly after, along came a man who had recently completed some studies at a local university. Feeling himself very enlightened in the ways of truth and very eager to show this enlightenment, he asked the boy about the source of his joy.

"Hey," asked the boy in return, "don't you have any idea what God is able to do? I just read that God opened up the waves of the Red Sea and led the whole nation of Israel right through the middle."

The enlightened man laughed lightly, sat down next to the boy and began to try to open his eyes to the "realities" of the miracles of the Bible. "That can all be very easily explained. Modern scholarship has shown that the Red Sea in that area was only 10 inches deep at that time. It was no problem for the Israelites to wade across."

The boy was stumped. His eyes wandered from the man back to the Bible laying open on his lap. The man, content that he had enlightened a poor, naive young person to the finer points of scientific insight, turned to go.

Scarcely had he taken two steps when the boy began to rejoice and praise louder than before. The man turned to ask the reason for this resumed jubilation.

"Wow!" exclaimed the boy happily, "God is greater than I thought! Not only did He lead the whole nation of Israel through the Red Sea, He topped it off by drowning the whole Egyptian army in 10 inches of water!"

260. GOD WILL PROVIDE
A young woman brings home her fiancee to meet her parents. After dinner, her mother tells her father to find out about the young man. The father invites the fiancee to his study.
"So what are your plans?" the father asks the young man.
"I am a Bible scholar," he replies.

"A Bible scholar. Hmmm," the father says. "Admirable, but what will you do to provide a nice house for my daughter to live in, as she's accustomed to?"
"I will study," the young man replies, "and God will provide for us."

"And how will you buy her a beautiful engagement ring, such as she deserves?" asks the father.
"I will concentrate on my studies," the young man replies, "God will provide for us."

"And children?" asks the father. "How will you support children?"
"Don't worry, sir, God will provide," replies the fiancee.

The conversation proceeds like this, and each time the father questions, the young idealist insists that God will provide.

Later, the mother asks, "How did it go, Honey?"

The father answers, "He has no job and no plans, but the good news is he thinks I'm God."

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FACTS FOR FUN

LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Do centipedes really have 100 legs?

ANSWER: No. Until recently, no centipede was found that did not have an odd number of leg pairs. Usually the number varies from 15 to 191 pairs, all odd. No one knows why. However, Chris Kettle, a doctoral student in ecology, recently found a centipede with 48 pairs of legs, an even number. The remarkable discovery was presented to the International Congress of Myriapodology in Poland and featured in the science journal Trends in Genetics. He suspects a genetic mutation is responsible for the even number of leg pairs.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Is there violence in Grimm’s fairy tales?

Answer Next Week.

SOME FUN FACTS

151. HOT HOP
Sixty-two degrees Fahrenheit (16.6667 degrees centigrade – approximately!) is the minimum temperature required for a grasshopper to be able to hop. (Hops till the temperature drops.)

152. NOT JUST US
Pigs, walruses, and light-coloured horses can also be sunburned. (Black and brown people too!)

153. ONCE UPON A TIME
In bygone days, hotel clerks distributed bathroom tissue, much like the distribution of writing paper is often done now. (Did they keep a count?)

A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU

Make another word from this word using all the letters.

SACHETED

Answer at the end of A David Musing

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BIBLE QUESTION - JOSHUA

1) Who was Joshua the son of?

A - Geba
B - Shimei
C - Nun
D - Jarib

Source: www.biblequizzes.com

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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!

"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""

!!!!!!!! Forbidden fruits create many jams.

!!!!!! God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit" over "religious nuts!"

!!!!! God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

!!!! He who angers you, controls you!

!!! If God is your Copilot - swap seats!

!! The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.

! We don't change the message, the message changes us.

100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...

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PETS RULE!

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."

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BIBLE TRIVIA (Manners and Customs - Clothing and Accessories)

AS THE TENT DWELLERS FAMILY GROWS LARGER.....

..... or he becomes richer, he adds on another section to his old tent. Isaiah had this process in mind when he compared the prophetic prosperity of Israel to a Bedouin tent.

Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your chords, strengthen your stakes. (Isaiah 54:2)

Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys

Alan Hirsch: Church Model Reaching Only 40 Percent of Americans

By Michelle A. Vu|Christian Post Reporter

The contemporary church growth model can only reach a maximum of 40 percent of the American population, said a leading thinker in the missional movement on Thursday.

This is a problem because 95 percent of American churches are using a model that even if successful will reach less than half the population, said Alan Hirsch, an internationally recognized missiologist and founding director of Forge Mission Training Network. He spoke at “The Genius of And” conference, hosted by Granger Community Church in Granger, Ind.

Most churches target the 40 percent of the population that’s within the cultural distance of the church, he explained. Meanwhile, attractional churches that have more of an external focus and cultural relevance will, again, only work for 40 percent of the American population. And after a few years of coming to Christ, most people are socialized out of their context and into the context of the church, which removes them from their sphere of influence.

That leaves 60 percent of the population that the church is not reaching.

“Does anyone see a problem here? It is called all our eggs are in one basket,” said Hirsch in his message titled, “Living in the Land of And.” “At any given point and time to resolve the missional challenges in which we face we only have a variation of one model.”

Hirsch cited Einstein’s famous quote, “Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them,” and called on church leaders to use their imagination.

“Many in our population are increasingly in isolation from us and we have to take the message to them,” said the missiologist, born in South Africa to a Jewish family.

To illustrate his point about the 40 and 60 percent, he used the business strategies of Red Ocean and Blue Ocean. The Red Ocean is highly competitive space where competitors have to compete for the same market. On the other hand, the Blue Ocean Strategy is one where you innovate and create new demand in an uncontested market space.

American churches are overwhelmingly going after the same market, the 40 percent, leaving the larger 60 percent and increasing unreached, he said.

But American churches are capable of being both attractional churches and missional churches, he said.

“It is the first time you are living in an unchurched, dechurched culture,” commented Hirsch. “America has been churched for so long and now we have to think differently. That is why it sounds like such a challenge, but [it is a] great opportunity to expand our understanding of the church.”

Church, he stressed, comes out of mission, not the other way around. "We need to plant the Gospel and let church come out of that."

Hirsch was the opening plenary speaker at “The Genius of And” conference, which focuses on how established churches can continue to attract crowds and use their strength to release missional communities. The two-day conference aims to address the problem of America having more churches than at any point in history, yet facing church attendance decline.

Via: OpenHeaven.com

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DAVID'S DOWNLOAD

A REVELATION OF…….THE SEVEN REVELATIONS OF THE LAMB

It would be normal to think of a victorious God as a lion. But Jesus came as a lamb, the Lamb of God.

The incredible story of how the Lamb of God is foreshadowed 4 times in the Old Testament, comes as the Lamb in the New, sets our example and will return to claim His kingdom.

Both a faith builder and a call to inherit the kingdom now.

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WAXING LYRICAL

This came to me when I was wondering what to write. Now I have to live it!

I WILL

I will walk with You.
I will talk with You.

I will seek You.
I will speak You.

I will crave You.
I will rave You.

I will submit to You.
I will remit to You.

I will bow to You.
I will vow to You.

I will grace You.
I will pace You.

I will, I will.
I will, I will!

So help me Lord!

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A DAVID MUSING

Two weeks ago I wrote, "I normally keep excellent health (except for a persistent cough I have had for 20 years that doesn't affect me, but drives my wife mad!). "

Last Wednesday at our home meeting, people were being prayed for, for healing and other things. I silently said to the Lord that I was 'sick' (sic!) of having this cough and really want to get rid of it. I wasn't prayed for.

On Thursday morning, one of my staff came into my office and said God had told her to bring in some essential oils to heal me of my cough. Naturally I was very surprised as I don't really know the lady for she is a temporary volunteer worker and not a Christian as far as I knew. I was also skeptical about this 'alternative' treatment, about which I knew nothing of. However I had been desperate enough to try a naturopathic method of treatment earlier, with little lasting result, as conventional medicine has had no answers over the 2 decades I have had the cough. So was prepared to give it a go, after my prayer of the previous evening!

Within an hour or so of the application of the oil to my wrists, my throat was more relaxed than it had felt in years and the coughing greatly decreased. It hasn't gone completely just yet, but it has been for there for 20 years after all! However the change so far is wonderful to me, and to Kathy too, I am sure!

I will keep you in touch with what happens, but it has been an amazing answer to prayer (or pleading!) for me. God certainly has a sense of humour!

Until next week.......

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.

His servant and yours

David Tait

Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: DETACHES

TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' ANSWER: 1) C - Nun (Joshua 1:1)

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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 website
wwj.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
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