JESUS TALKS ABOUT THE KINGDOM (Kingdom mentions in the Gospels)

11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. (Matthew 11:11-12)

John the Baptist represents the watershed between the old order of the Law and the new order of Jesus.

The final words of the Old Testament prophesied.......

5 “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” (Malachi 4:5-6)

The day of the coming of the Lord was to be both great and dreadful, great if we accept His saving grace - dreadful if we don't!

One thing I have learned is that Biblical prophecy rarely turns out the way one would expect! The return of Elijah is such a case. The Jews are still waiting.

But Jesus, in the verses following today's key verses, confirmed that John the Baptist was indeed the returning prophet Elijah.

13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 11:13-14)

Jesus then, through His birth, death and resurrection, facilitated the re-establishment of the kingdom on the earth, temporarily lost when Adam and Eve sinned.

Every citizen of the kingdom resides in greater glory than John the Baptist! Let us repeat the words of Jesus, so that we can grasp the magnitude of His statement!

I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Kingdom greatness is available to you and to me. But, as with nearly all God's promises, there is a condition! The kingdom will not just fall into our lap, we need actively and forcefully lay hold of it.......

the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

There is a spiritual battle out there! To inherit the kingdom we need to overcome the enemy of the kingdom, who is doing his level best to stop our inheritance. Sometimes it seems hopeless, for that is what satan places in our minds. But he can be overcome! How?

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 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 12:10-11)

Satan has been defeated (by Jesus), is being defeated (by those who forcefully grasp the kingdom), and will be finally defeated upon the return of Jesus......

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. 4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:1-2)

Today, I would like us both to be inspired to reach out and grasp the amazing work of kingdom fulfillment that Jesus paid the price for on Calvary's hill. We don't need to live second class, mediocre, semi-defeated Christian lives! The inheritance of the kingdom is ours if we are willing to pay the price! As Revelation 12:11 says, we overcome satan through the blood of Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit's testimony in our life, and finally, and most importantly, by dying to self, by submitting our lives fully to the will of the Father.......

they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

Is this you? Is this me?

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FROM THE WORD

Jesus and John the Baptist

"After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written:
”‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let him hear. “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: ”‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”" (Matthew 11:1-19)

The Woman and the Dragon

"A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 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. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea." (Revelation 12:1-13:1)

The Thousand Years

"And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years." (Revelation 20:1-6)

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DAVID'S DOODLINGS

SUBMISSION AND OBEDIENCE

915. Obedience to God's will for our life is the highest call.

916. Belief is of the mind, worship of the heart, but obedience is of the will.

917. The greatest change we can make is from gratifying our own will to obeying God's will for our life.

918. Obedience to God's will and ways is the very core of the Gospel.

919. Christian maturity develops as we submit to the will of God for our life.

920. In the world, submission is weakness, in God, strength.

921. In the world, submission comes from without, in God, from within.

922. I obey my master. The question is, "who is my master?"

923. Disobedience comes from Adam and Eve. Obedience is modelled by Jesus. Whom will we follow?

924. Disobedience is selfish, Godly obedience, selfless!

925. Obedience and suffering are common bedfellows.

926. Obedience is refined in the fire of testing.

927. If we obey those we respect, it begs the question, "Do we respect ourselves more than Jesus?"

928. If God knows more than me, shouldn't I take His advice?

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CRANWELLS CARTOONS

THE RICH YOUNG MAN

16 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” the man inquired. Jesus replied, ”‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’” 20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:15-24)

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TUESDAY TEACHINGS

THIS WEEK: A REVELATION OF... THE 3 RIVERS OF GOD

It’s amazing how God works! A number of years ago now, as I was reading the last chapter of the Bible, He showed me that the river flowing from the throne of God was symbolic of the End Time Church – the ‘River Church’. But that is another story.

But it is only now, these many years later, that He is revealing the principles of the river. Revealing its source way back at the beginning of time in the Garden of Eden, flowing through Ezekiel’s Temple and culminating with the final promise of God’s Kingdom on earth contained in the last chapter of Revelation.

Once again, my faith is built up as I see yet another aspect of God’s logical plan; a plan put in place from the very foundation of the world. And likely well before! Being a (usually logical) male, logic and reason, together with experiential love, work hand in hand as faith builders in my life.

The river I initially saw supernaturally flowed up towards the Throne of God as we fully entered His rest and were taken up to Him, rather than the more natural, gravity obedient one mentioned in Revelation 22:1. I still don’t have the full revelation of that, but God hasn’t finished with me yet. And wont, until I go to join Him.

So let’s take a journey through time and see what surprises our God has in store for us.

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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." ***

333. MAKE OVER
A middle aged woman has a heart attack and is taken to the hospital. While on the operating table she has a near death experience. During that experience she sees God and asks if this is it. God says no, and explains that she has another 30-40 years to live.
Upon her recovery she decides to just stay in the hospital and have a face lift, liposuction, breast augmentation, tummy tuck, etc. She even has someone come in and change her hair color. She figures since she's got another 30 or 40 years she might as well make the most of it.

She walks out the hospital after the last operation and is killed by an ambulance speeding up to the hospital. She arrives in front of God and asks, "I thought you said I had another 30-40 years?"

God replies, "I didn't recognize you."

332. SUNDAY SCHOOL BLOOPERS
Some bloopers of biblical proportions written by Sunday School students.

* In the first book of the bible, Guinessis, God got tired of creating the world, so he took the Sabbath off.
* Adam & Eve were created from an apple tree.
* Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark.
* Noah built the ark, which the animals came on in pears.
* Lot's wife was a pillar of salt by day, but a ball of fire by night.
* Sampson slated the Philistines with the axe of apostles.
* Moses led the Hebrews to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread, which is bread made without any ingredients.
* The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert.
* Afterward, Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the Ten Amendments.
* The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.
* The Fifth Commandment is humor thy mother and father.
* The Seventh Commandment is thou shalt not ADMIT adultery.
* Moses died before he ever reached the UK. Then, Joshua led the Hebrews in the Battle of Geritol.
* The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.
* David was a Hebrew king skilled at playing the liar. He fought with the Finkelsteins, a race of people who lived in the biblical times.
* Solomon, one of David's sons, has 300 wives and 700 porcupines.
* When Mary heard she was the mother of Jesus, she sang the Magna Carta.
* When the three wise guys from the East Side arrived, they found Jesus and the manager.
* St. John, the Blacksmith, dumped water on his head.
* Jesus enunciated the Golden Rule, which says to do one to others before they do one to you.
* He also explained, "Man doth not live by sweat alone."
* The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 decibels.
* The epistles were the wives of the apostles.
* One of the opossums was St. Matthew, who was by profession a taximan.
* St. Paul cavorted to Christianity. He preached holy acrimony, which is another name for marriage.
* A Christian should have only one wife. This is called monotony.

331. SPARSE CHURCH ATTENDANCE
The preacher was growing concerned about sparse attendance, so he published this item in the church bulletin:
This . . . is . . . the . . . way . . . the . . . church . . . sometimes . . . looks . . . to . . . the . . . preacher . . . when . . . he . . . goes . . . into . . . the . . . pulpit.

Itwouldlooklikethisifeverybodybroughtsomebodyelsetochurch.

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 is the only bone in the body that does not connect to other bones?

ANSWER: The hyoid bone, in the throat, is the only bone in the human body that does not connect to other bones. Its particular job is to support the tongue and its muscles. (Gets a greater workout from one sex than the other! See No. 780!)

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Is there really such a thing as a flea circus?

Answer Next Week.

SOME FUN FACTS

76. A RABBIT NAMED PETER
Beatrix Potter created the first of her legendary "Peter Rabbit" children's stories in 1902. (Many happy kids ever since.)

77. LIGHTENING FAST
Light takes one-tenth of a second to travel from New York to London, about a second and a half to come here from the moon, 8 minutes to reach the Earth from the Sun, and 4.3 years to arrive from the nearest star. (‘Let there be light’ – and there was - from far away!)

78. A LITTLE WET!
A hurricane that hit Puerto Rico in 1928 dropped 30 inches of rain over the island. The deluge was estimated to weigh 2,800,000,000 tons. (Water, water everywhere, far too much to drink.)

A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU

Make another word from this word using all the letters.

ASPIRES

Answer at the end of A David Musing

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BIBLE QUESTION - BIRDS AND CREEPING THINGS

6) How many young pigeons were offered as a sacrifice upon the birth of a firstborn?

A - none
B - one
C - two
D - three

Source: www.biblequizzes.com

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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!

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

!!!!!!! Always drink upstream from the herd.

!!!!!! If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

!!!!! The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back
in your pocket.

!!!! Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

!!! Letting the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n putting it back.

!! Just when you get really good at something, you won't need to do it anymore.

! Think positive. If you fall in the creek, check your pockets for fish.

100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...

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'TIL DEATH DO PART!

49. MALE WISDOM
David: "I'm a man of few words."

Doug: "Yeah, I'm married, too."

50. JOEY
It was the first day of school and the kindergarten teacher was calling the roll and, incidentally, obtaining the required family data. She pointed to the first little boy. "Your name, please?"

"Joey Kaplan."

"And what is your father's name, Joey?"

"Papa."

The teacher hid a smile. "I didn't mean quite that. What does your mother call him?"

"Nothing," replied Joey promptly. "She likes him."

51. TOP SECRET
You've all heard of the Air Force's ultra-high-security, super-secret base in Nevada, known simply as "Area 51?"

Well, late one afternoon, the Air Force folks out at Area 51 were very surprised to see a Cessna landing at their "secret" base. They immediately impounded the aircraft and hauled the pilot into an interrogation room.

The pilot's story was that he took off from Vegas, got lost, and spotted the Base just as he was about to run out of fuel. The Air Force started a full FBI background check on the pilot and held him overnight during the investigation.

By the next day, they were finally convinced that the pilot really was lost and wasn't a spy. They gassed up his airplane, gave him a terrifying "you-did-not-see-a-base" briefing, complete with threats of spending the rest of his life in prison, told him Vegas was that-a-way on such-and-such a heading, and sent him on his way.

The next day, to the total disbelief of the Air Force, the same Cessna showed up again. Once again, the MP's surrounded the plane...only this time there were two people in the plane.

The same pilot jumped out and said, "Do anything you want to me, but my wife is in the plane and you have to tell her where I was last night!"

52. A WIFE'S POINT OF VIEW
Two women were discussing reincarnation.

One asked the other if her husband believed in it.

The second woman said, "Does my husband believe in life after death? My husband doesn't even believe in life after dinner!"

More family laughs here.......

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BIBLE TRIVIA (Famous Words and Phrases)

SWEATING BLOOD

A phrase used to describe someone having a hard time. Relates back to Christ's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:24) when He sweated blood. Doctors tell us this is possible in times of great stress.

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

May is Digital Outreach Month

"You have an incredible gift at your fingertips - literally. Your keyboard," says the team at Internet Evangelism Day. They claim there is growing potential to share the good news online in a variety of ways. Christians can investigate these options during May, which has been designated Digital Outreach Month. At its center is the worldwide annual focus Sunday, Internet Evangelism Day itself, on May 15.

"You do not need to be technical," says Tony Whittaker, IE Day coordinator. "There are many simple yet fulfilling ways of being salt and light in cyberspace."

On May 15, IE Day is partnering with several major publishers to offer free e-book downloads of Christian titles which are normally pay-for. These cover web evangelism, social networking and other areas of effective communication.

"This is a great opportunity to explore digital evangelism. I encourage Christians everywhere to take advantage of these free downloads to learn how to effectively share their faith in the digital world," says Naomi Frizzell, Chief Communications Officer of The Lausanne Movement.

IE Day encourages churches and other groups to focus on digital evangelism during May, at any level they choose. As a minimum, IE Day can be featured in a church bulletin, so that members can investigate its resource website. Alternatively, focus spots can be created during meetings using IE Day’s free downloadable video clips or PowerPoint, or even perform a drama sketch that relates to online evangelism. Two new video-clip resource sites could be showcased live by projection, to demonstrate how to add an evangelistic video to Facebook with one click. These videos can also be downloaded to a mobile phone to share face-to-face.

IE Day's site includes pages on using mobile phones for evangelism, creating 'outsider-friendly' church websites and introductory videos, social networking, how to blog or build a website, and much else.

Check it out at...

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DAVID WILKERSON'S FINAL WORD

Sadly David Wilkerson died, aged 79, in a motor vehicle accident this past week. A huge loss to to us all - and a gain to heaven!
WHEN ALL MEANS FAIL
-David Wilkerson (Apr 27).

To believe when all means fail is exceedingly pleasing to God and
is most acceptable. Jesus said to Thomas, “You have believed
because you have seen, but blessed are those that do believe
and have not seen” (John 20:29).

Blessed are those who believe when there is no evidence of an
answer to prayer—who trust beyond hope when all means have failed.

Someone has come to the place of hopelessness—the end of
hope—the end of all means. A loved one is facing death and
doctors give no hope. Death seems inevitable. Hope is gone. The
miracle prayed for is not happening.

That is when Satan’s hordes come to attack your mind with fear,
anger, overwhelming questions: “Where is your God now? You
prayed until you had no tears left. You fasted. You stood on
promises. You trusted.”

Blasphemous thoughts will be injected into your mind: “Prayer failed.
Faith failed. Don’t quit on God—just do not trust him anymore. It
doesn’t pay!”

Even questioning God’s existence will be injected into your mind.
These have been the devices of Satan for centuries. Some of the
godliest men and women who ever lived were under such demonic
attacks.

To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this
word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights—and in
that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with
you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make
sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident.
It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in
your hour of pain.”

Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love.
When all means fail—his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith.
Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world.

One Solitary Life

He was born in an obscure village, the son of a peasant woman.

He grew up in another village, where he worked in a carpenter's shop until he was thirty. Then for three years he became a wandering preacher.

He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He didn't go to college. He never visited a big city. He never travelled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of those things one usually associates with greatness.

He had no credentials but himself.

He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies and went through a mockery of a trial. He was executed by the state. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race and the leader of mankind's progress. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that One Solitary Life.

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

Feeling dejected that you don't seem to be doing as well as the ministry down the road? Then, this poem is a message of reassurance for you. Yes, God love you too!

YES IT'S TRUE, GOD LOVES YOU!

God loves us all,
The big, the small,
The short and the tall,
At home, at the mall.
Yes it's true, God loves you!

We look at others, see the exterior,
So easy to feel, greatly inferior.
Their ministry is so much bigger than mine!
I'm on the wrong side, of the thin red line!
But it's true, God loves you!

Yesterday, I went past the church down the road,
Everything about it was surely made, me to goad!
From the Mercedes in the carpark, to the automatic door,
Me, in my faithful old jalopy, with four on the floor.
But it's true, God loves you!

With all the trappings of success, God is surely blessing him,
When it comes to my church, expenses, we have to trim!
Oh God, my God, what have I done wrong?
My ministry - it would sell for a song!
But it's true, God loves you!

This man, he's so annointed,
Me - I'm just disappointed!
My Lord, I've given my whole life to you,
Every day, my commitment, I do renew.
But it's true, God loves you!

I love all my people,
More than the steeple.
Many, over the years, have let me down,
But still I bless them, with Your crown.
But it's true, God loves you!

What more can I do for you Lord?
Thought we were of one accord!
But when I see what others have done,
Why have I missed out on all the fun!
But it's true, God loves you!

"I hear you, I hear you, my faithful one,
For you, just for you, I gave my Son,
You are so very precious in my sight,
A shining star, radiating my light."
Yes it's true, God loves you!

"What you perceive, will not always be true,
You don't see things, from my point of view,
For I am looking always, to the heart,
Don't put the horse, before the cart."
Yes it's true, God loves you!

"I do not judge my own by numbers or wealth,
These can be achieved by the human self,
But by how much of yourself you will give to Me,
Commitment and submission - that's what I see."
Yes it's true, God loves you!

"The order in Heaven is so different to earth,
For I am only interested, in spiritual girth!
Not beauty, nor success, nor intelligence, nor size,
I know your heart is for me, that much I realise."
Yes it's true, God loves you!

"So when the glorious day arrives, to finally come, stay with me,
You have built up treasure here, will last throughout eternity,
No, don't get yourself deceived by the glitter of earthly ways,
You are destined to rule and reign with Me - now and always!"
Yes it's true, God loves you!

More of David's offerings at...

http://www.wwj.org.nz/waxing.php

A DAVID MUSING

Unbelievably, we have had a further break in and theft at another of our stores, this week! This time, in Palmerston North. That makes a total of 4 thefts, in 4 different stores, over 4 months this year!

This is not the 'New Zealand - God's own country' that we know. Certainly, economic times are tough, and there are more desperate people out there. I would suggest however, that the problems we are facing are more deep seated than just that. There is an ongoing breakdown of the 'glue' that holds society together. The glue of the family, the glue of community concern and involvement, the glue of the church, the glue of moral absolutes.

Today we see family breakdown, the selfishness and busyness of modern life, the church losing ground to humanism and to the concept that all is okay as long as it doesn't hurt anyone - even though it inevitably does!

Yes, I know I am getting older (a little only, I kid myself!), and could be said to pining for the 'good old days' viewed through coloured spectacle memory! I remember when a murder was a huge story rather than just another twice weekly occurrence.

No, it is not just my memory. The figures speak for themselves. In New Zealand the number of murders by decade follows. Over this time our population has doubled.

1950's 95
1960's 146
1970's 281
1980's 517
1990's 568
2000's 546

During the 2000's our gun laws have been tightened.

The principle of the sixth Commandment, 'You shall not murder' is certainly no longer sacrosanct in our society.

There are many good things happening in society too, and I would not wish to live in any other age. But it is apparent that the prophesy of Paul to Timothy regarding end times is coming to fruition.......

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

May we be aware of the times, draw nearer to God, and share the 'hope of Jesus' to those living in an increasingly 'hopeless world'. The message of the Cross of Jesus is more relevant now than it has ever been.

In the words of the song, 'The times, they are a-changing'.

Until next week.......

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.

His servant and yours

David Tait

Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: PRAISES

TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' ANSWER: 6) C - two (Luke 2:22-24)

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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!

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