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: 610 Published: 24 Jun 2013
WHOSE CHURCH IS IT ANYWAY?
When asking the Lord what He wanted me to write about next, He has led me to look at HIS CHURCH, not in the way of standard church history, but from His viewpoint. I will try my best to be obedient to His wishes. But any errors will be mine!As you will soon see, the history of His church revolves around the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit's activity upon the earth, rather than what we consider the church to be.
Before I start I must give you a little personal testimony. I hope my testimony will show you that what is to come has to be of God, for it is outside my personal nature, experience and inheritance. I was brought up in a traditional Baptist church in the 1950's and 60's. (Yes I am that old! On the outside but not the inside! Well.....) My grandparents on both sides of the family were traditional churchgoers, as were my parents, as is my sister, and most have been active in church leadership. I was brought up to believe, yes, it was ingrained deep within me, that one had it all, when you gave your heart to Jesus and were water baptized (on the Baptist side) or attended church (on the Presbyterian side).
I tried giving my heart to Jesus. Nothing happened. My (younger) sister was getting water baptized, so I decided to as well. Nothing happened. I attended church until I was 30ish, and to all, including my wife Kathy, was a reasonable Christian. In fact, a pastor of mine suggested I should go to Baptist College and train for the ministry! If only he had known what was inside of me!
During my time at university, I went with some friends to an AOG Pentecostal meeting, hated it, and vowed and declared I would never go back! I didn't.
After a disagreement with the church, I left and went into the world, where I remained until I was 42, when we went bankrupt. At that time I was truly desperate, not being able to look after my family, so truly gave my heart to Jesus when waiting in the queue to register for the dole (Unemployment Benefit) at the Social Welfare Office in Takapuna, Auckland, where we were living at the time.
Over my time away from the church, Kathy got involved with the things of the Spirit. Didn't like it, but couldn't really complain, could I?
After my true conversion, we went back to a traditional Baptist church. Kathy did a Holy Spirit course at another church also. I could not understand the notes and ridiculed them. Not a good move! For the next year the Lord told me to go and do the course! Had to eat humble pie! Over that year of doing the 'Word of Life' course, I came into the things of the Holy Spirit, which changed my life. We eventually joined the Abundant Life Church, where we remained until the Lord took us away from Tauranga to the city of Napier, where we now live.
In Tauranga, while working in the fields attending to the flowers on our flower farm, the Lord, in an audible voice, called me to set up Walking With Jesus Ministries, to be based on Revelation 12:11, one of the results of which you are reading now. (PGIM Issue 610)
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 12:11) (Emphasis added, as the Lord gave it to me.)
I do not want to go into now all the things the Lord has done. I just want to say that I now do my best to follow the leading of the Lord, through His precious Holy Spirit residing in me. (And in you too, if you truly believe.)
This coming series will be a real test of this, for as you can see from the above, it is far outside my natural nature and inheritance, to understand the ways of the Spirit.
May the Lord help me as I endeavour to bring His revelation to you.
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FROM THE WORD
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. 1 And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea." (Revelation 12:1 -13:1a)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
HEAVENLY TRUTHS GOD HAS SHOWN ME739. - 809. God has shown me that...
... to go down is to go up.
... He can do it better than me.
... to strive is to ensure failure.
... to rest in Him brings success.
... it is better to give in to Him the first time.
... I need to be broken before being restored.
... repentance benefits me even more than the one I have wronged.
... the nearer I get to Him, the further away I find I really am.
... fear of the Lord is positive, not negative.
... the more I fear Him, the more He loves me.
... the more I fear Him, the more I am prepared to change my life.
... the fear and love of Him are intertwined.
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CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK: A REVELATION OF... THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID - Part 9DAVID - A TYPE OF THE FUTURE
David was way ahead of his time! He broke the rules of the Old Covenant and in doing so, provides a picture of what we have available to us today - if only we will take advantage of it.
Let's find out!
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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. ***
655. JESUS' GRANNY
The little boy came home from his first day at Sunday School. He told his mother that his Sunday school teacher was Jesus' granny.
"How did you reach that conclusion?", his mother asked.
"Well, she never stops talking about Jesus," he replied.
654. A CROSSWALK?
Daddy was driving with his two little girls safely buckled in the back seat. They came to a crosswalk with a blinking light. As Daddy began to speed up again after getting thru it the younger girl said to her sister, "Do you think Jesus really did die on a crosswalk?"
653. GOVERNMENT HELP
A minister was asked by a politician, "Name something the government can do to help the church."
The minister replied, "Quit making one dollar bills."
" FREE DOWNLOAD: You can now download the book 'Laughing At Ourselves' in PDF format at LAUGHING AT OURSELVES One of the most comprehensive sources of Christian Humour on the Net with 800 sermon fillers for your entertainment and use at ...
FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Is it true that turtles don't age?ANSWER: It is strange, but true. After reaching maturity, a turtle's body doesn't continue to age biologically. They manifest what is known as 'negligible senescence', that is they increase in chronological age without exhibiting increased mortality. To put it simply: they continue to grow and reproduce after reaching maturity, but show no evidence of 'senescence', a fancy word for 'aging'. Turtles do die, of course. Eventually, they'll succumb to disease, injury, or predators - but there have been reports of turtles living for more than 100 to 200 years! (Need all this extra time to get places.)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Are fish more abundant in cold ocean water or warm water?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS 854. BANANA HIGHWAY
The longest banana split ever was over 7 kilometres long! (What did they do with the skins?)
855. STAINED GLASS
The world’s largest stained glass window isn’t in a church but rather, in the American Airlines Terminal at Kennedy International Airport, New York. At 92 metres long by 7 metres high it is both longer and higher than most churches. (Airlines come and airlines go, but God is eternal.)
856. A HORSES FROG
The underside of a horse’s hoof is called a ‘frog’. The frog peels off several times annually, being replaced with new growth. (Real frogs try to avoid meeting their namesakes though!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
RESCALE
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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66 BOOKS... 66 QUESTIONS
57: Philemon: Who was Onesimus?a. Philemon's father
b. Philemon's slave
c. Philemon's master
d. Philemon's son
Source: http://biblequizzes.org.uk
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""WORDS TO LIVE BY
!!!!!!! A careful study of economics usually reveals that the best time to buy anything is last year.
!!!!!! A perfectionist is one who takes great pains, and gives them to everyone else.
!!!!! A picture may be worth a thousand words but it uses up a thousand times more memory.
!!!! Character is like a fence - it cannot be strengthened by whitewash.
!!! Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today.
!! My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely.
! No one should live by the early bird policy without finding out whether he classifies as a bird or a worm.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
TIL DEATH DO US PART!
73. ATTRACTION TO LIGHT!In the back woods of Arkansas, Mr. Stewart's wife went into labor in the middle of the night, and the doctor was called out to assist in the delivery.
To keep the nervous father-to-be busy, the doctor handed him a lantern and said, "Here, you hold this high so I can see what I'm doing." Soon, a wee baby boy was brought into the world. "Whoa there Scotty!" said the doctor. "Don't be in a rush to put the lantern down...I think there's yet another wee one to come."
Sure enough, within minutes he had delivered another little baby.
"No, no, don't be in a great hurry to be putting down that lantern, young man...It seems there's yet another one besides!" cried the doctor.
The new father scratched his head in bewilderment, and asked the doctor. "Do ye think it's the light that's attractin' them?"
74. LAST REQUESTS?
Mary Clancy goes up to Father O'Grady after his Sunday morning service, and she's in tears. He says, "So what's bothering you, dear?"
She says, "Oh, Father, I've got terrible news. My husband passed away last night."
The priest says, "Oh, Mary, that's terrible. Tell me, Mary, did he have any last requests?"
She says, "That he did, Father..."
The priest says, "What did he ask, Mary?"
She says, "He said, 'Please, Mary, put down that gun..."
75. DON'T WORRY MOM
My six-year-old grandson called his mother from his friend Charlie's house and confessed he had broken a lamp when he threw a football in their living room.
"But, Mom," he said, brightening, "you don't have to worry about buying another one. Charlie's mom said it was irreplaceable."
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BIBLE TRIVIA (About The Bible)
TESTAMENT..........is another word for 'covenant', meaning an agreement, contract or pact. For Christians, the Old Testament represents the ancient covenant made between God and His covenant people, the Jews. In the New Testament, Christians believe a New Covenant with God has been made through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
Steve Hill: End the Celebrity Syndrome in the Church
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ARTICLE FOR ALL TO READ - DAVIDThere is a disease sweeping through the body of Christ. It's an infectious sickness I call "the man of God syndrome" or "the celebrity syndrome." It rears its ugly head in the form of self-adulation and self-promotion. Thankfully, the Bible offers the antidote.
In our politically minded, vote-conscious world, we think we are in control of who gets raised up. But the Bible says the opposite: "Exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another" (Ps. 75:6-7, NKJV).
In Daniel 2:21 we read, "And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings." God is plainly telling us we are not in charge!
What does this have to do with the man-of-God syndrome? Everything.
A "syndrome" is a group of symptoms that characterize a particular abnormality. The man-of-God syndrome describes people who "think more highly than they ought" of their positions in the body of Christ.
These arrogant individuals are enamored by their perceived value. Unlike Jesus who made Himself of no reputation, they spend their lives making sure everyone knows their reputation.
This deadly disease affects the body of Christ worldwide. It's in every congregation, denomination and church movement around the planet. Leaders are stuck on themselves.
Here's a word of caution to my fellow clergy. If you're a minister who's rising in prominence and you begin to feel as if you're somebody, get on your face before the Lord. Weep tears of repentance and say to the Lord: "Naked I came into this world and naked I will return. Anything I have or have accomplished is because You have given me breath" (see Job 1:21).
Remember Herod's fate when he began believing the praise of the crowd? He died and was eaten by worms (see Acts 12:20-23). I'd rather be a worm than be eaten by them.
You see, it's not by heredity. It's not by the orders of men. It's not by politics and elections. It's not by natural succession. Nor is it by conquest and war that we get elevated in life. It's by God.
Celebrity Mind-Set
When individuals infected with the deadly celebrity syndrome enter a room, they expect others to recognize their presence and pay homage. They desire front-row or platform seats and are visibly disturbed when not given the red-carpet treatment they desire.
They feel they must speak even when not called upon simply because they believe everyone present will live in the dark without their superior knowledge. These individuals have risen above doing menial tasks around the church such as cleaning toilets, picking up garbage and tending infants in the nursery. They no longer stoop that low because now they are "somebody."
They even find it beneath themselves to spend time with a church member who is not at their socio-economic or spiritual level. The sad truth is, they avoid the very people who have elevated them to their position in the ministry.
Leaders who have been infected with this disease no longer associate with common, ordinary people. They claim: "Time just doesn't permit me to spend time with you. I'm so busy." But they seem to have plenty of time to rub shoulders, play golf and sip tea with a more prestigious crowd.
Ministers with this syndrome no longer spend time in the foyer shaking hands with congregants. They claim the church has gotten too large. Yet they have time to shake hands and dine with the elite. I call these people "white-collar clergy."
I'm not attempting to sway the mass of ministers who, in their own minds, have risen to such high levels. They would attack me with Scripture and vilify me for speaking against their "well-deserved" positions. I'd rather spend my time preventing the present generation from going down that path.
Young men and women who desire to enter the ministry are witnessing a warped concept of true ministry. And many outside the church have become repulsed by today's Christian leaders.
Stuck on Self
The world is waiting for men and women of God who are more concerned about how they appear to Christ than how they appear to the crowd. People are longing to find leaders who are stuck on helping sinners rather than stuck on helping self.
Source: Charisma News
Via OpenHeaven.com
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WAXING LYRICAL
The ravages of time inflict themselves upon us all!BODY ‘Not So’ BEAUTIFUL? (Continued)
For as I look down towards my middle region,
Something appears to be blocking my vision.
My toes, I can no longer easily see,
Blocking my vision, is more of me!
So much more than ever there was before,
No, it’s not me - surely can’t be - I implore!
Poking a finger downwards, it wobbles on its own,
Surely that’s not my stomach, I inwardly groan.
But it is, it is, it is, it is,
Could be hers, maybe his,
For we all suffer from much the same,
As the invasion of fat, we seek to tame.
Now if nature seems mildly depressing,
When our youthful body, age is repressing.
God gave the answer to Adam and Eve,
Clothes for the body, others to deceive.
We learn how to dress our bodies, to disguise their shape,
Over sagging boobs and bums, various pieces we drape,
We pretend to be what we no longer are,
The spitting image of a Broadway star.
But now, to get more serious about this matter,
Recently had a friend die, of lymphatic cancer.
His body faded away to a shadow,
Before being buried in a meadow.
For we will all die one day you see,
As inevitably, as four follows three.
For our body has a limited life span,
So about it, we should have a plan.
There is only one plan, of which I know,
If grass over me, is not always to grow.
It’s called salvation by grace.
In meeting Jesus, face to face.
He died on a cross, two thousand years ago,
To rescue us from death, that much I know,
He rose from the grave on the third day,
To give us a new body, in which to play.
To receive our new body, all we do,
Is believe in Him, the one so true.
By seeking forgiveness for all our sin,
His eternal kingdom, we will enter in.
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A DAVID MUSING
We have had a storm in New Zealand over the past few days. It dumped (for us) heaps of snow in the South Island, with very high winds, rain and seas battering the lower half of the North Island, particularly our capital city, Wellington. Here where we live, in Hawkes Bay, was pretty much unaffected.We were living in Wellington during the last major storm they had in 1968, when 53 of the 733 people on board the Inter Island Ferry, the Wahine, were killed when it foundered on a reef and sunk. Kathy was a junior nurse on a ward, when the injured were brought in. I stood on a cliff, overlooking the tragedy. Felt as if I could reach out my hand to the people, so close did they appear to be to the shore.
Incidentally, Kathy and I had met, just 4 days previously. Did we cause the storm? Prophetic of what was to come! LOL! Not really! Well - most of the time!
This storm was forecast well in advance, so farmers were able to bring their stock to sheltered areas (for our stock live outside all year) before the storm hit. People in the snow ridden areas stocked up with food etc., before the snowfalls came.
Interestingly, we live in a such a small and connected world that Pam, my American friend, sent me an article about what was happening in NZ! Actually, it was a brilliant spoof on people over-preparing for the storm by buying out the supermarkets of food, then not knowing what to do with it all, when the storm was downgraded! As most always with humour, it contained more than an element of truth!
While we believe (often inaccurate) weather forecasters we, so often, ignore the warnings of the Bible, of God!
May we, as believers, prepare ourselves for the day when we will be held accountable for what we have done, here on earth. For nothing is surer, we all die, and judgment will come. How prepared am I? Are you?
PS: Waves breaking the Sea Wall in Island Bay, Wellington, where my Father came from. A rough and windy place at the best of times!
Until next week.....
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: CEREALS
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' b. Philemon's slave (Philemon 1:16)
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ABOUT US
WALKING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES is a non-profit, non-denominational, Bible based ministry located in Hastings, New Zealand. A ministry dedicated to developing discipleship, fostering unity amongst God’s people to achieve the Great Commission, and in doing so, preparing for Christ’s return. It is securely based upon the foundational principles of the Apostles Creed while recognising the wide and rich diversity of beliefs amongst Christians in other areas. In accordance with the Lord’s direction, materials produced by the ministry are available, free of charge, to genuine enquirers upon request. The ministry is solely funded by donations, as the Lord provides. A list of materials available (plus some fun!) is obtainable and freely downloadable from our websitewwj.org.nz or by contacting us as follows.
Walking With Jesus Ministries
7 Bull Street
Ahuriri
Napier
New Zealand
Phone: (06) 835 0567 International (+64) 6 835 0567
Email: enquiries@wwj.org.nz
Web: wwj.org.nz
Our role is to bless and encourage those in ministry while promoting co-operation and unity of direction amongst the body of Christ, as emphasised 3 times by Jesus in His longest prayer, immediately prior to His arrest and crucifixion. "… so that they may be one as we are one." (John 17:12, 21, 23-4) Our website is currently being developed to encourage your participation one with another, to share resources, and to enable you to promote events and items of interest to the body as a whole – and have a smile while doing it!
For comments upon and contributions to this service, please contact
david@wwj.org.nz