WHOSE CHURCH IS IT ANYWAY?

THE POST APOSTOLIC CHURCH
Again I acknowledge that much of the material that follows is drawn from the excellent publication by Eddie L. Hyatt, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity. For specific references to the writings quoted, please refer to that publication.

We continue looking at prominent spirit filled men who lived during the 4th to 6th centuries AD.

600AD-1517

MONASTICISM BECOMES RELIGIOUS

With the rise and rise of the Roman Catholic Church to a dominant position not only in the spiritual but also in society where it raised armies and dominated political life, it was inevitable that monasticism would be drawn into this 'religious' source of influence.

The state of the church of the day was beautifully summed up when Augustine visited Rome. When being shown the church's wealth, Pope Innocent IV commented, "You see that the Church is no longer in an age in which she can say, 'Silver and gold have I none.'" Augustine replied, "It is true, nor can she say to the lame man, 'Rise up and walk.'" How true this was then - and now!

The spiritual life and vitality of early monasticism drifted into legalism and spiritual pride. As the monasteries had become wealthy through communal ownership and thrift, so they now fell into laziness, greed, and gluttony. Hence today's common caricature of a 'fat monk'.

Miracles were replaced by myths and legends, personal relationship with Jesus by mysticism and formalism.

In the book 'Mystike Theologia', written by a Syrian monk under the pen name Dionysius the Areopagite, he encouraged his readers.....

I counsel that in the earnest exercise of mystic contemplation, you leave the senses and activities of the intellect and all that the senses or intellect can perceive. Having laid your understanding to rest, strain as far as you can toward a union with Him whom neither being nor understanding can contain. So shall you be led upwards to the Ray of that divine Darkness which surpasses all existence.

The persecution suffering of the early church was replaced by self-inflicted long term fasting, sleep deprivation and exposure to the elements. Sickness became glorified and healing was only to be of the soul. Monasticism had become worldly and inward looking.

The credible miracles of the time were now found in the missionary expansion of the church. Three examples follow.

Ansgar (800-865) (pictured), called "The Apostle of the North," was one of the first missionaries to Scandinavia. He is said to have experienced visions and dreams from childhood. When commended by his contemporaries, he exclaimed that the greatest miracle would be for him to become pious through them.

Miracles also accompanied the arrival of the Gospel to Britain. Augustine arrived in 597, sent by Pope Gregory. Reporting on Augustine's mission in his Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, the Venerable Bede (673-735) tells of a letter written by Gregory around 601 in which he commends Augustine because "the English by outward miracles are drawn to inward grace." Gregory had also cautioned him not to be "puffed up by the number of them."

The later "preaching friars", individuals such as Bernard of Clairvaux, Francis of Assisi and Vincent of Ferrier, instead of withdrawing from the world, similarly experienced great success and saw miraculous manifestations of the Holy Spirit when they went out amongst the people and preached the gospel.

As mentioned earlier, there had become a separation between the priesthood and the people. This can be seen in the Roman Catholic Church's publication of its 'Roman Rituals' around 1000. Speaking in tongues was to be regarded as a sign of demon possession, while amongst monks and the church priesthood, a sign of sainthood! The people were given a corporate identity with the Church but not allowed a personal relationship with Jesus.

Medieval mysticism, while having some benefits, was not spiritual in terms of personal relationship with the Saviour and the signs, wonders, miracles and healings that are to accompany it. However certain people broke the mould and went out from the monasteries to display true Christianity to the world through missions.

So we can continue to say that throughout the Middle Ages, .....

THE TRUE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS ARE ONES WHO ARE OBEDIENT TO THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THEIR LIVES.

(Continued next week)

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FROM THE WORD

THE WORDS OF JESUS continued

The Lord has asked me to compile a publication of the words Jesus spoke, as recorded in the New Testament in chronological order. I have got about halfway, and have found it very enlightening and encouraging in my relationship with Him. The final version will have changes of layout and version used, but this is a foretaste of things to come. Of course, it is not a Bible substitute! I Hope you find it helpful too, in your walk with Jesus.

Jesus Calms the Storm (Matthew 8:23-7, Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-5)

“Let us go over to the other side.”
“Quiet! Be still!”
“Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Healing a Demon-possessed Man (Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 5:1-20, Luke 8:26-39)

“Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”
“What is your name?”
“Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Healing the Sick Woman (Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:24-34, Luke 8:42-8)

45 “Who touched me?”
“Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”
“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

Healing Jairus’ Daughter (Matthew 9:23-6, Mark 5:35-43, Luke 8:49-56)

“Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
“Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”
“Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).

Healing Two Blind Men (Matthew 9:27-31)

“Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
“According to your faith will it be done to you”
“See that no one knows about this.”

Second Rejection in Nazareth (Matthew 13:54-8, Mark 6:1-6)

“Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”

Workers are Few (Matthew 9:35-8)

“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

(Continued next week)

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DAVID'S DOODLINGS

PERSEVERANCE

685. Perseverance perseveres!

686. Perseverance is keeping running the race with feet blistered by the problems of life.

687. Perseverance is wading through the mire of life, confident of reaching our eternal heavenly home.

688. Perseverance is walking through the valleys before ascending to the mountaintops

689. Perseverance is retaining hope when all seems hopeless.

690. Perseverance is …

… forgiving one more time

… one more prayer.

… going on when others are giving up.

… picking yourself up once again.

… loving that little bit extra.

… just one more step.

… serving one more time.

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 ...

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CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER

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TUESDAY TEACHINGS

THIS WEEK: A REVELATION OF....... 3 KINGDOM AGES continues

SALVATION - ENTERING THE KINGDOM

It is hugely interesting and revealing to see the development of 'salvation' through the ages. The crucial area of 'salvation' is what we will be looking at this week.

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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. ***

815. IF.....
…. if Adam and Eve were Chinese, we would still be in Paradise.

Because they would have eaten the snake instead of the apple!

814. HOW THE INTERNET BEGAN

In ancient Israel, it came to pass that a trader by the name of Abraham Com did take unto himself a young wife by the name of Dot. And Dot Com was a comely woman, broad of shoulder and long of leg. Indeed, she had been called Amazon Dot Com.

She said unto Abraham, her husband, "Why doth thou travel far from town to town with thy goods when thou can trade without ever leaving thy tent?"

And Abraham did look at her as though she were several saddle bags short of a camel load, but simply said, "How, dear?"

And Dot replied, "I will place drums in all the towns and drums in between to send messages saying what you have for sale and they will reply telling you which hath the best price. And the sale can be made on the drums and delivery made by Uriah's Pony Stable (UPS)."

Abraham thought long and decided he would let Dot have her way with the drums. The drums rang out and were an immediate success. Abraham sold all the goods he had at the top price, without ever moving from his tent.

But this success did arouse envy. A man named Mac Enron did secret himself inside Abraham's drum and was accused of insider trading. And the young men did take to Dot Com's trading as doth the greedy horse-fly take to camel dung. They were called Nomadic Ecclesiastical Rich Dominican Siderites, or NERDS for short.

And lo, the land was so feverish with joy at the new riches and the deafening sound of drums that no one noticed that the real riches were going to the drum maker, one Brother William of Gates, who bought up every drum company in the land. And indeed did insist on making drums that would work only with Brother Gates' drumheads and drumsticks.

And Dot did say, "Oh, Abraham, what we have started is being taken over by others."

And as Abraham looked out over the Bay of Ezekiel, or as it came to be known "eBay," he said, "We need a name that reflects what we are," and Dot replied, "Young Ambitious Hebrew Owner-Operators." "YAHOO," said Abraham.

And that is how it all began.

813. RESTROOM HAND DRYERS
My pastor friend told me his church installed sanitary, hot-air hand dryers in the rest rooms. After about two weeks I dropped by to see him and noticed workmen taking them out.

I asked him why. The pastor confessed that they worked fine, but said when he went in the men's room after the previous Sunday's service he found a scribbled note above one of the hand dryers that read, "For a sample of this week's sermon, push button."

Not surprisingly, the dryers were out, paper towel dispensers were back in.

====
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FACTS FOR FUN

LAST WEEKS QUESTION: How do black and white stripes camouflage zebras?

ANSWER: It doesn't seem to make sense. For there isn't any black and white shrubbery in Africa for zebras to hide in! So how does being striped help them to avoid being someone else's dinner? The answer is in what scientists call ‘disruptive coloration’. The alternating stripes break up and obscure the outline of the zebra, making it difficult for predators to focus on the animal, particularly when many zebras are running together at once. Instead of a solid shape, the predator sees a jumble of apparently unrelated forms. Some experts think the stripes may serve another purpose - avoiding the tsetse fly. These biting flies prefer to snack on large, dark, moving animals. The zebra's stripes may well make it difficult for the biting bugs to find a single dark region to alight on. (What about the ‘Stars and Stripes’?)

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is an egg tooth?

Answer Next Week.

SOME FUN FACTS

785. YOU'RE BRANDED
Cattle branding in the United States did not originate in the West. Rather, it originated in the state of Connecticut in the mid-19th century, when farmers were required by law to mark all their pigs. (Undoubtedly accompanied by a cacophony of screeching squeals.)

786. DON'T COOK TONIGHT, HONEY
The most popular day for eating out in the United States is one's own birthday, when 49 percent of American adults so do. (To help us remember – or forget?)

787. HARMLESS CAKES?
The cakes proven to be least harmful to the teeth are pies, plain cakes, and doughnuts. (Am continually trying to replicate this experiment.)

A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU

Make another word from this word using all the letters.

PUSHING

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...

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SERMON ON THE MOUNT

13. What does Jesus say about tomorrow?

a. Prepare well for it
b. Take no thought for it
c. Pray about it nightly
d. Always think about it

Source: http://biblequizzes.org.uk

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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!

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

ENCOURAGEMENTS WHEN LIFE IS DIFFICULT

!!!!!!! God's hand is in everything, so we can leave everything in God's hands.

!!!!!! God will work with us in a seemingly hopeless situation.

!!!!! No matter how far you have strayed, God still love's you.

!!!! Jesus has promised to answer whatever you ask, if its in His will for you.

!!! Great problems put you in a perfect position to watch God's big answers.

!! Just take one small step toward Me and I will meet you there.

! Concentrating on God and his power will help us see the way out.

100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...

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PETS RULE!

3. MEN AND DOGS THE SAME?
Both take up too much space on the bed.
Both have irrational fears about vacuum cleaning.
Neither tells you what's bothering them.
The smaller ones tend to be more nervous.
Neither understands what you see in cats.
Neither does any dishes.
Neither of them notices when you get your hair cut.
Both like dominance games.
Both are suspicious of the postman.

4. DOGS ARE BETTER THAN MEN!
How dogs are better than men:
Dogs do not have problems expressing affection in public.
Dogs miss you when you're gone.
Dogs feel guilty when they've done something wrong.
Dogs admit when they're jealous.
Dogs are very direct about wanting to go out.
Dogs do not play games with you except fetch (and they never laugh at how you throw).
You can train a dog.
Dogs are easy to buy for.
Dogs understand what "no" means.
Dogs mean it when they kiss you.

5. BUT BETTER THAN A WOMAN TOO!
A dog's parents will never visit you.
A dog loves you when you leave your clothes on the floor.
A dog limits its time in the bathroom to a quick drink.
A dog never expects you to telephone.
A dog will not get mad at you if you forget its birthday.
A dog does not care about the previous dogs in your life.
A dog never expects flowers on Valentine's Day.
The later you are, the happier a dog is to see you.
A dog does not shop.

It's a dogs (and cats) life here.....

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BIBLE TRIVIA (About The Bible)

NUTS AND BOLTS
IN ANCIENT TIMES WHEN PARCHMENT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE.....

..... to have, peasants would use scraps of pottery to write (scratch) records of business transactions. Many have been uncovered by archaeologists, revealing much about ancient history. These fragments are called 'ostraca'.

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

Bible Drop: Christian Group Takes to Sky to Sneak Gospel into North Korea

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

SOUTH KOREA (ANS) -- On a rainy afternoon last Spring, American pastor Eric Foley and his wife stood in a muddy field near the North Korea border and prayed.

According to a story by Cristina Corbin for FoxNews.com, their hands were clasped to a 40-foot homemade balloon that would carry Bibles to the communist dictatorship's underground Christians.

“I get choked up, every time, as I let go and watch it take off,” Foley told FoxNews.com.

The balloons, made from a large sheet of “farm plastic,” said Foley, are filled with hydrogen before the Bibles and “tracts” – testimonials written by other North Korean Christians – are attached at the bottom inside a sack or box. Timers are then used to release the materials in stages, dispersing them at high altitudes across North Korea.

Foley and members of his Christian mission group, Seoul USA, use GPS technology to help direct where the Bibles land. Around 50,000 of them have dropped from the skies in the last year.

“They are the most persecuted believers on earth,” Foley said of North Korea’s estimated 100,000 Christians – 30,000 of whom are believed to be locked inside concentration camps, where they are overworked, starved, tortured and killed.

FoxNews.com said other activist groups, like Open Doors USA, estimate that number to be even higher, reporting that the secretive nation has about 400,000 Christians.

In North Korea, the practice of Christianity is illegal. Owning a Bible is a crime, and any person caught with one is sent – along with three generations of his or her family – to prison.

Foley said despite the risks, demand for Bibles is strong within North Korea. His group targets rural areas where they might be picked up discreetly, he said.

North Koreans are forced to embrace Juche ideology. It mixes Marxism with worship of the late "Great Leader" Kim Il Sung and his family – a warped version of Christianity, says Foley. That’s because Kim took concepts from Christianity, like the Trinity and church hymns, to create a religion in which he is worshiped. Foley said that if North Koreans learned about Christ, they would realize “this is all a fraud.”

“It's a distortion of Christianity,” Foley said. “And the best way to reach them (North Koreans) is through mindset and knowledge.”

Foley founded Colorado-based Seoul USA in 2003 with his wife, a South Korean who immigrated to the U.S. in 1984. The two, along with other members of their group, launched their first balloon – strapped with Bibles – from South Korea in 2006.

Foley said the balloons are typically sent out overnight from a muddy field at a high altitude between May and October. He said the best conditions are during a “rain storm or really bad weather because of the currents.”

"We are constantly monitoring the wind conditions as we're launching," he said, "And the North Korean border is always within the sight line."

FoxNews.com said as well as supplying religious materials by air, Foley's group produces short-wave radio programs with North Korean defectors reading the Bible. He said about 20 percent of North Koreans own radios, which are illegal.

Foley and his group won the legal rights to conduct the balloon launches from South Korea, but officials there “don't make it easy,” he said, noting that they often try to force hydrogen suppliers not to sell the group hydrogen.

‘Every time we fill up one of these balloons, we hold it and we pray together in English, North Korean and South Korean,” Foley said. “We pray loudly and always with tears.”

For more information visit www.seoulusa.org

Source: Assist News Service

Via: OpenHeaven.com

DAVID'S DOWNLOAD

A REVELATION OF... GOD'S CALL TO HIS CHURCH

We live in a church system that has evolved over the past, nearly 2000 years. It is obvious that the church had problems of doctrine and organisation right from its formation. Many people are reluctant to admit to this, but there were difficulties between Jews and gentiles in a theological sense, as well as practical organisational problems in terms of looking after the needy widows. However, over the centuries, church structures developed and became formalised along human lines. While the Reformation saw some changes, both in theology and organisation, the old, unbiblical, structures have tended to replicate themselves within our modern denominations and groupings. The Bible warns of this.

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

Today, in these end times, God is calling His church back to basics. To its relational roots rather than formal structural organisation and methods that restrict, through human intervention, the Holy Spirit from truly working in the way He would wish.

Yes, God is calling us today to return to the principles set out in the New Testament, not to create the 'perfect church', for it will still have you and I in it, but rather, one capable of absorbing the promised bountiful end-time harvest.

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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!

More of David's poetry here.....

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

A DAVID MUSING

What an amazing time we had on our cruise from Sydney, Australia to Vanuatu and New Caledonia!

Kathy summed it up best when she said, "It was the shortest 10 days of my life!"

The photo was taken from the top deck, of a welcome just after we hopped on board, even before we left port. The skyscrapers of Sydney can be seen in the background. I think it gives a good indication of what the trip would be like!

Of course it is completely calm! Actually, the only times we knew we wre on the sea were on the first night out of Sydney in the Tasman Sea, and the last night returning to Sydney. It wasn't enough to worry me - and Kathy took a pill! Otherwise, the sea was flat (1-2 metre swells, not noticeable in a 63,000 ton ship) and the sun shone.

Thoroughly recommended!

Now back to real life!

So until next week.....

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD

His servant and yours

David Tait

Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: GUNSHIP

TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' b. Take no thought for it

REPRODUCTION OF NEWSLETTER CONTENT

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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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