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A WEEKLY ‘WWW (world-wide word) OF ENCOURAGEMENT’
TO THOSE IN MINISTRY
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Issue No: 553 Published: 28 May 2012
THINKING GREEK OR HEBREW? continues
We are looking at the differences between the Jewish (Eastern) and Greek (Western) ways of thinking, so that we can better understand the ways and teachings of Jesus. (See the last 19 weeks issues of PGIM!)LOVE AND HATE
Greek (Western) In Greek thought, love and hate are primarily based on emotion.
Generally, love is initiated by feelings or emotion before a commitment is made. Thus we 'fall in love' before making the commitment to get married. (In societies where marriages are arranged, the reverse is the case.) If we then have a negative experience, love can so easily turn into hate, another emotional reaction. In a Christian setting, the evangelist will elicit an emotional response from people before calling them to a commitment to the Lord. Emotional response comes before commitment.
Eastern (Hebrew) In Hebrew thought, ahav is based on a conscious preference or choice.
Love and hate are not emotional concepts in scriptural thought. With this understanding of love being choice, the Scripture about God loving Jacob and hating Esau can be viewed completely differently.
An oracle: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.
Jacob Loved, Esau Hated
2 “I have loved you,†says the LORD. “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?†the LORD says. “Yet I have loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.†(Malachi 1:1-3)
The Lord did not 'hate' Esau in an emotional fashion, but rather, he 'chose' Jacob over him.
Similarly, when Jesus said.....
15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. (John 14:15)
If you make a conscious choice to follow me, then you will choose to obey my instructions to you.
Again, when Jesus spoke about mankind loving darkness, He really meant that we make a conscious choice of evil over good.
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)
The concept of Jesus coming for His bride, is now even more interesting. In a traditional Hebrew situation, the father chooses the son's bride. When the vows are made, the bride and groom choose each other. What an amazing analogy! God chooses us for His son Jesus, which we confirm by then choosing to follow Jesus. Take the analogy for the beautiful picture it is, and do not get all confused by arguments of predestination versus freewill. As you can, see both apply here!
So we, the bride then, have chosen to make our selves ready to receive our groom, Jesus, by living holy and righteous lives.
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)
Come Jesus, come.
SOME SPIRITUAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY
1. Jesus requires disciples who have chosen to be fully sold out to Him, not those who have simply made an emotional or mind decision without also living the life of what they supposedly believe.
2. True followers of Jesus are more likely to arise through the example of our actions rather than our words.
3. To reach the Jewish and other Mid-Eastern people particularly, love reflected through action, is essential.
(To be continued next week.)
Acknowledgements: http://www.followtherabbi.com and http://hethathasanear.com
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FROM THE WORD
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit"“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.†Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?†Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. “Come now; let us leave." (John 14:15-31)
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.†In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.†“How can a man be born when he is old?†Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!†Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.†“How can this be?†Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,†said Jesus, “and do you not these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.â€" (John 3:1-21)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
BELIEVERS v DISCIPLES236. A believer praises the Lord in good times, the disciple at all times.
237. The Holy Spirit resides in the believer but shines through the disciple.
238. A believer loves God with heart and mind while a disciple commits the will.
239. A believer loves God and others, but they are the disciple's life.
240. A believer lives in hope, but for the disciple, God's hope is certain.
241. A believer seeks forgiveness for sin but the disciple also determines not to walk that path again.
242. A believer has faith in God but the disciple's faith is tempered in the fire of testing.
243. A believer loves the Lord, but the disciple's love is unconditional.
244. The believer serves the Lord in strength, but the disciple is made perfect through weakness.
245. God is part of the believer's life, but the central focus of the disciple.
246. A believer forgives, but the disciple also forgets.
247. A believer communicates with God at their own convenience, but the disciple's heart is open to the Lord at all times.
430. A believer knows, but the disciple does.
1077. Believing is free, discipleship costs your life.
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK: A REVELATION OF... GOD'S CALL TO HIS CHURCH continues.....with a look at:
3: FROM REVIVAL TO HABITATION and
4: FROM KINGSHIP TO SERVANTHOOD
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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." ***
496. BIBLE STUDY
A Bible study group was discussing the unforeseen possibility of sudden death. "We will all die some day," the leader of the discussion said, "and none of us really knows when, but if we did we would all do a better job of preparing ourselves for that inevitable event."
Everybody nodded their heads in agreement with this comment.
"What would you do if you knew you only had 4 weeks of life remaining before your death, before your Great Judgment Day?" the leader asked the group.
"For those 4 weeks, I would go out into my community and minister the Gospel to those that have not yet accepted Jesus into their lives." one gentleman said.
"A very admirable thing to do," said the group leader. And all the group members agreed that would be a very good thing to do.
"For those 4 weeks, I would dedicate all of my remaining time to serving my family, my church, and my fellow man with a greater conviction," one lady said enthusiastically.
"That's wonderful!" the group leader commented, and all the group members agreed that would be a very good thing to do.
One gentleman in the back finally spoke up loudly. "For those 4 weeks, I would travel throughout the United States with my mother-in-law in a Ford Escort, and stay in a Motel 6 every night." Everyone was puzzled by his answer. "Why would you do that?" the group leader asked.
"Because," the man smiled, "it would be the longest 4 weeks of my life."
495. SLAMMING THE DOOR
Two church members were going door to door, and knocked on the door of a woman who was not happy to see them. She told them in no uncertain terms that she did not want to hear their message and slammed the door in their faces.
To her surprise, however, the door did not close and, in fact, bounced back open. She tried again, really put her back into it, and slammed the door again with the same result the door bounced back open.
Convinced these rude young people were sticking their foot in the door, she reared back to give it a slam that would teach them a lesson, when one of them said, "Ma'am, before you do that again you need to move your cat."
494. THE EVILS OF TV
A pastor was preaching an impassioned sermon on the evils of television.
"It steals away precious time that could be better spent on other things," he said.
He advised the congregation to do what he and his family had done.
"We put our TV away in the closet."
"That's right," his wife mumbled, "and it gets awfully crowded in there."
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FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Throughout the years, many Popes have been assassinated or have been the targets of assassinations. Who was the first Pope to be murdered? John Paul II, Leo X, John V, John VIII or Luke IV.ANSWER: John VIII (died 882) was the first Pope to be murdered. He was poisoned and then clubbed to death. (Double jeorpardy?)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: a. What exactly defines a planet?
b. Which is the only planet to have an orbit that crosses that of another planet?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS1012. PAPER WARS
Papyrus was invented by the Egyptians around 1800 BC. (Speelling miztakes have abbounded eva sinse!)
1013. MORE LIFE
In George Washington's day, average life expectancy in America for men was just 34 years and 36 years for women. A hundred years and modern medicine can make a lot of difference! (Some things don’t change though. Women still outlive men.)
1014. CANCER-LESS?
The Hunza, who live in Northwest Kashmir, reportedly have not experienced cancer. The group is also said to have unusual longevity. (But would we want to eat their food?)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
FINGER
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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66 BOOKS... 66 QUESTIONS
1: Genesis: Which Old Testament character was instructed to build an ark to survive a great flood?a. Samuel
b. Noah
c. Jonah
d. Moses
Source: http://biblequizzes.org.uk
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""FROM ALBERT EINSTEIN
Albert Einstein was recently selected "Man of the Century" by Time Magazine for his Theory of Relativity. Here is some of his "down-to-earth" wit and wisdom:
!!!!!!! If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture, let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy philosophies.
!!!!!! Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe.
!!!!! Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing.
!!!! We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.
!!! A + B + C = Success if, A = Hard Work, B = Hard Play, C = Keeping your mouth shut.
!! The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.
! Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit next to a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
JUST JOKES
207. ABSTACT"An abstract noun," the teacher said, "is something you can think of, but you can't touch it. Can you give me an example of one?"
"Sure," a teenage boy replied. "My father's new car."
206. HOLDING?
Little Johnny asked his grandma how old she was.
Grandma answered, "Thirty-nine and holding."
Johnny thought for a moment, then said, "And how old would you be if you let go?"
205. SUPPORT
The prospective father-in-law asked, "Young man, can you support a family?"
The surprised groom-to-be replied, "Well, no. I was just planning to support your daughter. The rest of you will have to fend for yourselves."
204. STEVEN WRIGHT AGAIN
Smoking cures weight problems...eventually...
My roommate got a pet elephant. Then it got lost. It's in the apartment somewhere.
Laughing stock: Cattle with a sense of humour.
I poured Spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
When I was in boy scouts, I slipped on the ice and hurt my ankle. A little old lady had to help me across the street.
I wear my heart on my sleeve. I wear my liver on my pant leg.
The sun never sets on the British Empire. But it rises every morning. The sky must get awfully crowded.
I plugged my phone in where the blender used to be. I called someone. They went "Aaaaahhhh..."
I got a chain letter by fax. It's very simple. You just fax a dollar bill to everybody on the list.
If you can wave a fan, and you can wave a club, can you wave a fan club?
I bought a million lottery tickets. I won a dollar.
203. MUSICAL BEE
The summer band class was just getting under way when a large insect flew into the room.
The sixth-graders, eager to play their shiny new instruments, tried to ignore the buzzing intruder, but eventually one student could stand it no more. He rolled up his music book and swatted the insect, then he stomped on it to ensure its fate.
"Is it a bee?" another student asked.
"Nope," he replied. "It's a bee flat."
Just have a laugh here.....
BIBLE TRIVIA (Music in the Bible)
THE ORGAN.......... is another instrument from Bible times, although it may have been a generic term for all wind instruments.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
Tinton Falls church suspends worship to help others
5:43 AM, May 21, 2012 |Written by
Amanda Oglesby
Church Congregants visit seniors at Nursing Home
Sunday was a day for giving for Hope Presbyterian Church members. About half of the church’s 93 members spent much of Sunday serenading seniors, repairing porches and visiting the home-bound in a mission of doing good for the community, said church member Linda Morgan.
Church members suspended their usual Sunday worship to participate in the event, which is part of a national movement called “Be the Church†designed to help neighbors and the community, Morgan said. It is part of the church’s “Faith in Action†month, which began in April, according to the church’s Facebook page.
“The idea was to go out into the community and spread God’s love and be there for our neighbors who might need this,†Morgan said.
Church member Cyndie VanBavel spent a month preparing the different projects, she said.
One group performed home repairs in the Pine Tree Mobile Village in Eatontown, which included painting, porch and stair repair. Another group sang hymns with senior citizens at Liberty Royal Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Tinton Falls. A third group visited home-bound people in the area to give them company.
“Sometimes you get very involved in your own little world and you don’t see the needs of your neighbors and friends,†said Morgan. “It certainly was inspiring for us.â€
The church members gathered Sunday afternoon to share their experiences, she said.
“Hopefully we brought something to the people we visited today,†said Morgan. “It was probably more fulfilling for us than for the people we went out to visit.â€
“We're excited about how our congregation has rallied to support this special Sunday of service to our community," said Rev. Paul Rack, pastor of Hope Presbyterian Church, in a prepared statement.
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WAXING LYRICAL
Two major earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan in 17 days. How can it be? What could it mean?'Q' comes to mind!
'Q'
QUAKES - shake the earth
QUANTITY - more and more
QUAKING - people are
QUAIL - in terror
QUESTION - end of world?
QUARRY - the truth
QUARREL - with God
QUARTER - none given
QUIBBLE - over details
QUELL - doubt
QUIT - excuses
QUID - both ways
QUIET - reflection
QUEST - for truth
QUERY - Why?
QUOTE - Matthew 24:7
QUIZZICAL - maybe!
QUALMS - God may be real!
QUANTUM - leap of faith
QUOTIENT - Jesus is the answer!
Photo: Christchurch Cathedral. Now being demolished due to further damage in a major aftershock.
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A DAVID MUSING
This morning, I got out of bed early and went to the gym, from where I looked out over a calm sea and a clear, cloudless, Napier sky to see the sun rise as I exercized, punishing my (not so) beautiful body on the cross trainer! After the cross trainer, the bike and the rowing machine, I rewarded my, by now, energy depleted body with a dip in the outdoor spa pool with the sun shining on my back.A perfect start to the day, particularly notable as it is only a week before winter, yet the weather was almost summer-like! Winter will come soon enough, but it was superb to unexpectedly experience a morning 'out of the box'.
Our walk with Jesus can be like that too. Winter coming...... but then..... an experience, a moment of intimacy with Him that, out of the blue, brightens up our day!
Thank you Jesus.
Until next week.......
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: FRINGE
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' ANSWER: d. Noah (Genesis 6)
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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!
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david@wwj.org.nz