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: 616 Published: 05 Aug 2013
WHOSE CHURCH IS IT ANYWAY?
THE CHURCH AS PROCLAIMED BY PAUL - Part 1Paul's ministry was birthed in the supernatural, when He had a personal encounter with Jesus.
3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?†5 “Who are you, Lord?†Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,†he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.â€
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. (Acts 9:3-7)
Three days later he was filled with the Holy Spirit and received back his sight.....
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.†18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again (Acts 9:17-18a)
Paul's ministry was birthed in the Holy Spirit.....
Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.†3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13:1-3)
Immediately, Paul and Barnabas were guided by the Holy Spirit as to where to go.....
On Cyprus
4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. (Acts 13:4)
.....and what to say and do, with startling effect.....
8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun.†Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord. (Acts 13:8-12)
The Holy Spirit motivated, encouraged, and supported them all, even during persecution.....
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. 49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51 So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:48-52)
Holy Spirit enabled healings were a regular part of Paul's (actually God's ministry through Paul!) ministry.....
In Lystra and Derbe
8 In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!†At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. (Acts 14:8-10)
Religion quickly reared its ugly head, both in Antioch.....
Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.†(acts 15:1)
.....and also in Jerusalem, when Paul and Barnabas went back there to consult the apostles and elders over the circumcision issue. Jesus' main religious opposition, the Pharisees, continued their opposition to 'The Way'!
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.†(Acts 15:5)
The key element that persuaded Peter that the Pharisees were wrong in their religious arguments, based on law, not grace, was that the Holy Spirit had been given to the uncircumcised gentiles.....
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
What defined the true followers of Jesus from the religious people, then as now, was the infilling, obedience to, and witness through the supernatural, of the Holy Spirit in believers' lives. Once again.....
THE TRUE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS ARE ONES WHO ARE OBEDIENT TO THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THEIR LIVES.
(To be continued next week.)
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FROM THE WORD
Saul’s Conversion"Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?†“Who are you, Lord?†Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,†he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.†The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!†"Yes, Lord,†he answered. The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.†“Lord,†Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.†But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.†Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.†Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength." (Acts 9:1-19)
In Iconium
"At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, where they continued to preach the good news.
In Lystra and Derbe
In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your feet!†At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!†Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.†Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them. Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe." (Acts 14:1-20)
The Council at Jerusalem
"Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.†This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.†The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.†The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. When they finished, James spoke up: “Brothers, listen to me. Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: â€â€˜After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’ that have been known for ages. “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.â€" (Acts 15:1-21)
Read the NIV Bible online at.....
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Receive one of David's sayings in your mailbox each day to inspire, challenge or maybe, amuse. To register today, simply click here on@wwj.org.nz>ddd-on@wwj.org.nz and press send. Then it's done! If you have an Irish heritage, you will love the background coloring! Should you wish, check out current and back issues (where you can also subscribe) at...DAVID'S DOODLINGS
OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS941. Give me the history of the Old Testament to better understand the revelation of the New.
942. The New Testament is the reality of the Old Testament dream. Our task is to be this 'living truth' to the Jews.
943. God's plan begins in the Old and climaxes in the New. We need to understand both Testaments to fully appreciate it.
944. To understand an adult, it is helpful to know of their childhood. The same principle applies to the two Testaments.
945. When quoting from the Old Testament, we need to ensure it hasn't been superseded by the revelation of the New.
946. The measurement of Old Testament success is 'prosperity', in the New, 'sacrifice'. We often get the two confused!
947. The Old Testament signposts the path, the New is the path.
948. Jesus is sealed into the Old Testament, revealed in the New.
949. To better understand a country, you need an appreciation of its history. To better understand the New Testament you need an appreciation of the Old.
950. An illustration of the difference between the Old and New Testaments is that 'The Lamb' of the New had but 2 legs, less hair and a greater vocabulary!
Please feel free to quote these quotes. Acknowledgement of David Tait as the author would be appreciated. There are now over 1300 David sayings for you to view at ...
CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
Visit the Toon Fever website for more cartoon fun..... http://www.toonfever.com TO READ THIS CARTOON AND SEE THE OTHER PICTURES IN THIS EMAIL YOU NEED TO BE ONLINE. Check it out at...TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK: A REVELATION OF...THE SEVEN REVELATIONS OF THE LAMB - Part 1
THE LAMB OF OBEDIENCE
The Bible is the ongoing story of both obedience and disobedience to God, and the resulting consequences for the participants, both good and bad.
Abraham is a classic example of both! Fortunately, he is primarily remembered for his obedience, through his willingness to sacrifice his most precious son Isaac, if that was his God's will.
Let's see what Abraham's actions are saying to us today.
Check out all the available teachings at...
*** ANOTHER DAILY EZINE FROM WWJ!*** 'LAUGHING AT OURSELVES' Subscribe Today
As Christians, if we can't laugh at ourselves, others will! A fun way to start your day. To register today, simply click here lao-on@wwj.org.nz and press send. Then it's done! Should you wish, check out early issues (where you can also subscribe) at...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. ***
772. UHM!
Announcement in the church bulletin for a National PRAYER and FASTING Conference: "The cost for attending the Fasting and Prayer Conference includes meals."
771. THE QUORUM
The Chairman of the Finance Committee kept arguing that the meeting could not be convened for lack of quorum. Finally he asked one of the Ministers present to lead in a prayer. Tired of all the haggling, the Minister intended to lessen the tension with a little humor when he prayed: "Lord, we thank You for Your Word that says, 'where two or three are gathered in Your name, they have a quorum'. . ." The meeting was promptly convened!
770. INADEQUATE
When the ark came to rest on Mt. Ararat the occupants were more than ready to leave. Noah made one last sweep and found a despondent snake in the hold -- "Why are you sad and why haven't you left?" asked Noah. -- "Because I'm so inadequate" replied the snake -- "Inadequate?" queried Noah -- "Yes" continued the snake, "The Lord commanded that we go forth and MULTIPLY and I'm an ADDER!"
" 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: Who drew the original Mickey Mouse in his first short cartoon?ANSWER: Not Walt Disney, as is commonly believed. All of the sketching and animation was done by Ub Iwerks, Disney's chief animator in the early days of Disney Studios. Walt Disney had largely abandoned drawing animated characters to concentrate on the commercial side of business. However Walt did come up with the idea for Mickey and established his personality. He also supplied the voice. (And banked the money!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What do cats, camels, and giraffes have in common?
Answer Next Week.
836. FLOWERY GODDESS
Flora is the Roman goddess of flowers and spring. Flora, meaning "flourishing one," is the embodiment of nature. Her name has come to represent all plant life. Her festival, the Floralia, was celebrated at the end of April and was marked by extravagant merriment and lasciviousness. (Flora who? Flora Fauna, of course!)
837. REMEMBER THE GREAT MOLASSES FLOOD OF 1919?
You Don’t! It did happen! On January 15, 1919 in Boston, 21 people, a dozen horses, and a cat met sudden and untimely ends in a gooey flood of hot molasses travelling at about 35 miles per hour. (Don’t let the goo glue to you!)
838. POTENT MEDICINE
Bayer was advertising cough medicine containing heroin in 1898. (Would soon forget the cough, even if it didn’t go away.)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
RINGLETS
Answer at the end of A David Musing
FREE DOWNLOAD: You can download the full version of our Trivia Book at TRULY TRIFFLING TRIVIA Or view all 1232 online at...
66 BOOKS... 66 QUESTIONS
63: 2 John: Many of what have “entered into the world�a. Preachers
b. Believers
c. Sinners
d. Deceivers
Source: http://biblequizzes.org.uk
Heaps more fun and serious 'God Facts' are found at...
IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""!!!!!!! Most of the world's useful work is done by people who are pressed for time, or are tired, or don't feel well.
!!!!!! Humility is a strange thing ~ the moment you think you have it, you have lost it.
!!!!! Office sign: If you have nothing to do, please don't do it here.
!!!! He slept beneath the moon; he baked beneath the sun; he lived a life of going to do ~ and died with nothing done.
!!! He who thinks by the inch, and talks by the yard, deserves to be kicked by the foot.
!! Let us endeavour to live that when we die, even the undertaker will be sorry.
! A hug is a round-a-bout way of expressing affection.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
EXTENSIVE EXPLANATIONS
3. CLASSIC CLASSIFIEDS(Actual excerpts from classified sections of city newspapers)
Illiterate? Write today for free help.
Auto Repair Service. Free pick-up and delivery. Try us once, you'll never go anywhere again.
Tired of cleaning yourself? Let me do it.
Our experienced Mom will care for your child. Fenced yard, meals, and smacks included.
Dog for sale: eats anything and is fond of children.
Man wanted to work in dynamite factory. Must be willing to travel.
Stock up and save. Limit: one.
Semi-Annual after-Christmas Sale.
3-year old teacher needed for pre-school. Experience preferred.
Mixing bowl set designed to please a cook with round bottom for efficient beating.
Girl wanted to assist magician in cutting-off-head illusion. Blue Cross and salary.
Dinner Special -- Turkey $2.35; Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2.00
For sale: antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers.
Now is your chance to have your ears pierced and get an extra pair to take home too.
We do not tear your clothing with machinery. We do it carefully by hand.
For sale. Three canaries of undermined sex. Great Dames for sale.
Have several very old dresses from grandmother in beautiful condition.
Vacation Special: have your home exterminated. Get rid of aunts.
Zap does the job in 24 hours.
Toaster: A gift that every member of the family appreciates.
Automatically burns toast.
For Rent: 6-room hated apartment. Man, honest. Will take anything.
Used Cars: Why go elsewhere to be cheated. Come here first.
Christmas tag-sale. Handmade gifts for the hard-to-find person.
Wanted: Hair cutter. Excellent growth potential.
Wanted. Man to take care of cow that does not smoke or drink.
Our bikinis are exciting. They are simply the tops.
Wanted. Widower with school age children requires person to assume general housekeeping duties. Must be capable of contributing to growth of family.
And now, the Superstore-unequalled in size, unmatched in variety, unrivalled inconvenience.
We will oil your sewing machine and adjust tension in your home.
4. COW LESSONS
Everything I need to know I learnt from a cow:
1. Wake up in a happy mooo-d.
2. Don't cry over spilled milk.
3. When chewing your cud, remember: There's no fat, no calories, no cholesterol, and no taste!
4. The grass is greener on the other side of the fence.
5. Turn the udder cheek and mooo-ve on.
6. Seize every opportunity and milk it for all its worth!
7. It's better to be seen and not herd.
8. Honour thy fodder and thy mother and all your udder relatives.
9. Never take any bull from anybody.
10. Always let them know who's the bossy.
11. Stepping on cowpies brings good luck.
12. Black and white is always an appropriate fashion statement.
13. Don't forget to cow-nt your blessings every day.
For more Extensive Explanations, look here.....
BIBLE TRIVIA (About The Bible)
BOTH THE JEWISH BIBLE AND THE CHRISTIAN OLD TESTAMENT.......... contain the same 39 books, although arranged and numbered in a slightly different order. In Jewish tradition, the Bible is called the 'Tanakh', an acronym of the words 'Torah' (for 'law' or 'teaching', 'Nei'im' ('the Prophets'), and 'Kethuvim' ('the writings').
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
New Archbishop of Canterbury speaks ‘in tongues’ ‘It just comes,’ he says
By Dan WoodingFounder of ASSIST Ministries
LONDON, UK (ANS) -- Justin Welby, the 57-year old former oil executive who quit the world of high finance in 1992 to become a priest, was enthroned Thursday (March 21, 2013) as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury.
And now the spiritual leader of the world’s 77 million Anglicans, has revealed that he speaks “in tongues.â€
During an interview with Charles Moore of The Daily Telegraph at Lambeth Palace, London, he was asked by Moore that since he was an evangelical, could he speak “in tongues†which the journalist said is the “charismatic†spiritual gift recorded in the New Testament.
Moore said that Welby answered “Oh yes,†as if he had been asked if he plays tennis.
“It’s just a routine part of spiritual discipline – you choose to speak and you speak a language that you don’t know. It just comes,†the Archbishop said.
Moore said he first saw this man 40 years ago, when they were both pupils at Eton, a top British independent boarding school located in Eton, near Windsor in England.
“Later, I was with him at Trinity College, Cambridge,†Moore went on to say. “He was the shyest, most unhappy-looking boy you could imagine. Now he is 105th in the line that began with St Augustine. He seems to be loving it.
“I remark on the change, and he agrees. ‘That’s something to do with the Christian faith,’ he says."
Moore then asked if it was necessary for a true Christian to have a personal conversion experience.
The Archbishop then told him: “Absolutely not. There is an incredible range of ways in which the Spirit works. It doesn’t matter how you get there. It really does quite matter where you are.â€
Moore asked if it was like "suddenly realizing that you love someone and want to marry that person?â€
The Archbishop laughed and told him, “That’s not what happened with Caroline [his wife] and me! And it’s not what happened with Peter, who got engaged to a lovely girl two days ago. That’s been a gradual thing.â€
Moore went on to say that it did happen to him, in New Court, Trinity College, during the evening of October 12, 1975. At Eton, he had “vaguely assumed there was a God. But I didn’t believe. I wasn’t interested at all.â€
He said that night in Cambridge, though, praying with a Christian friend, he suddenly felt “a clear sense of something changing, the presence of something that had not been there before in my life."
Welby then said to his friend, "Please don’t tell anyone about this", adding, "because I was desperately embarrassed that this had happened to me, like getting measles.â€
Moore said, “Since then, there have been long periods with ‘no sense of any presence at all’, but he has never gone back on that night’s ‘decision to follow Christ’. This is not his doing: ‘its grace. Grace is a reality: feelings are ephemeral.’â€
He concluded by saying, “All the time, this active, wounded, happy man is trying to find new ways in which this country, despite the secular age, can give its allegiance to God.â€
Via: OpenHeaven.com
DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
A REVELATION OF... PARABLE OF THE SOWERFind out the meaning for today of this famous parable, as it applies to Christians.
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WAXING LYRICAL
Back to the family! Mine wasn’t – and isn’t – perfect. But perhaps it is a lot betterthan it seems when we are young! The frequent Father/Son conundrum!
GOD IS GOOD!
My Dad was a highly successful man
A Knight of the Realm was he.
His hand would be raised, "Yes, I can"
While others preferred to flee.
Loved three short words, which got on my goat!
‘God is good’ he would always say.
For a job well done - even when sick on a boat!
These three little words came into play.
Most of his life was filled with success,
As Mayor of Napier the city grew strong.
Excelled in his dealings with the press,
‘God is good’, forever his theme song.
Now I found these words so very frustrating,
Why ‘God is good’? –’Twas Dad who was reliable!
Like a scratched record, the words were grating,
For my heart, back then, was not set on the Bible.
For I had seen my Dad succeed,
He worked hard, his job to fit,
A brain and work was all you need,
‘God is good’ - not a factor in it.
So I got stuck in, all work and toil,
Never looked up, ploughed the soil,
‘God is good’, was never right for me,
Success comes, growing your own tree!
But my little tree fell to the ground,
Not a very nice time to be around.
Dad’s ‘God is good’, now struck a chord,
I ended up, giving my heart to the Lord.
So did a happy story end there?
Don’t worry, it has only now just begun!
‘God is good’, as Dad did share,
But applying it, that would be the fun!
Accept it?
Not this bit!
All beliefs?
No reliefs!
God is good?
Things go wrong!
Not so strong!
Life’s snares?
Who cares!
God is good?
On the treadmill
Always uphill!
Never win,
Back to sin!
God is good!
So frustrating!
Ever waiting!
Does He hear?
Where’s His ear?
God is Good!
What is going on? I cried,
Wouldn’t care if I died!
For your words Dad, ‘God is good’,
In you, the test of time they stood!
For at a time near the end of his life,
Things went wrong, he got into strife.
Yet, ‘God is good’ stayed on his lip,
Why wasn’t it in line with my trip?
My Dad he died, things hadn’t come right,
But he didn’t give in, to the end he did fight,
In ‘God is good’ he continued to trust,
From earth to earth, from dust to dust.
Yesterday, we took Mum to visit his grave,
Four years to the day since he died.
Simple words there, his memory they save,
But ‘God is good’ is what he cried.
Over this time I have now learned,
God’s love is given it is not earned.
Dad’s ‘God is good’, I too can trust,
As my life to Jesus, I give to adjust.
More of David's rhyming offerings at...
A DAVID MUSING
When expectation is high for a long time, then vanishes in a flash, you naturally say, "Lord, why! Have I got You all wrong? How have I failed?""Just wait for me my son, for My ways are different to yours, My timing is different to your timing. All in My good time, me son"
"Yes, Lord. Wait I will. Thank you Lord."
The Lord just dictated this as I started to write. A message to me - and perhaps to you too?
Waiting.....
Until next week.....
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: STERLING
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' d. Deceivers 2 John 1:7
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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