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: 651 Published: 07 Apr 2014
WHOSE CHURCH IS IT ANYWAY?
THE POST APOSTOLIC CHURCHAgain 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 now proceed to the 20th century which, as we all know, was noted for outpourings of the Holy Spirit. Surely all would now be transformed by the Spirit and the bride church produced. Of course, we now know the reality, where there has been greater splits and divisions than ever before. God weeps!
THE EARLY 1900'S
Today, we are going to cross the Atlantic from America to Wales.
WELSH REVIVAL 1904-6
Like the Holy Spirit outpourings then being experienced in the USA, the Welsh Revival too, was grounded in the Holiness Movement that developed out of the ministry of John Wesley and the Methodists of the 18th century. This had led to a number of spiritual renewals in Britain throughout the 1800's, before the major 'awakening' in Wales of 1904.
In contrast to the American outpourings which affected segments of the population, the Welsh Revival, for a time, transformed a whole, albeit small, country.
EVAN ROBERTS (1878-1951)
Born in Loughor, Wales, Evan Roberts was the younger of two sons of Henry and Hannah Roberts. Raised in a Calvinistic Methodist home, he was a serious child who attended church regularly and memorized scripture at night. From the age of 11 to 23, he worked in the coal mines alongside his father, before commencing training for the ministry. He longed for revival and had spent 13 years praying for God to control him. This culminated in 1904, when he felt the need to spend 7 hours daily in Bible study and prayer. In the spring, he was repeatedly awakened at 1am and met with God until 5am. By October 1904, the Lord had told him he was the leader of revival.
An unassuming man, with few human leadership traits, he had a passion to see souls saved and lives changed. He was not interested in mere intellectual acceptance.
Roberts went to his hometown of Lougher in order to share his burden with his young friends. A meeting was set up and the Holy Spirit fell and convicted the attendees of their sin and their need for cleansing through Jesus. The meeting continued until midnight. The people were amazed, and decided to keep the chapel open day and night for worshippers to go to pray and praise God. The revival spread like wildfire, reporting 80,000 conversions in 6 months, and dramatically changing the country.
From politicians.....
On January 11th The Times noted that David Lloyd-George, who later became the British Prime Minister, said the Welsh revival gave hope "that at the next election Wales would declare with no uncertain sound against the corruption in high places which handed over the destiny of the people to the horrible brewing interest..." Lloyd-George even saw one of his political rallies taken over by the Welsh revival. He was impressed as a young girl prayed in the presence of 2,000 people. He said in one town the tavern sold only 9 cents worth of liquor drinks on Saturday night!
to the miners.....
Coal miners crowed into prayer meetings that lasted till 3:00 a.m. and then washed, ate breakfast and returned to work. Many drunkards confessed their sins and received Christ. According to the London Times of February 2nd, 1905 due to the Welsh revival many men abandoned dens of iniquity. Employers noticed a great improvement in the work produced by their employees. A judge named Sir Marchant Williams said that his work was much lighter especially regarding drunkenness and related offenses.
The Times of London further commented.....
The Times observed that "The whole population had been suddenly stirred by a common impulse. Religion had become the absorbing interest of their lives. They had gathered at crowded services for six and eight hours at a time. Political meetings and even football matches were postponed...quarrels between trade-union workmen and non-unionists had been made up... At Glyn-Neath a feud had existed for the past 10 or 12 years between the two Independent chapels, but during the past week united services have been held in both chapels, and the ministers have shaken hands before the congregations."
It is estimated that half the population were touched by the Holy Spirit over the next 2 years.
Sadly, in 1906, while ministering in North Wales, due to the strain of his strenuous schedule, Roberts suffered serious physical and mental collapse. In spite of the enormous challenges he faced, he never lost his faith. He was looked after, in seclusion, by his friends the Penn-Lewises, until his death in 1951.
The Welsh Revival is the classic example, even today, of God changing a nation through the power of the Holy Spirit. As Roberts himself said.....
God used young Evan Roberts to spark the new fires of revival. He was not the human leader of the revival, however. In fact, no one human leader directed it. Evan was extremely conscious of divine leadership during the momentous events of the Welsh revival. He said, "This movement is not of me, it is of God. I would not dare direct it...It is the Spirit alone which is leading us" (Ellis, Living Echoes, Delyn Press).
As we look forward to the establishment of God's kingdom here upon the earth, the example of the Welsh Revival remains the closest large scale illustration of what it may be like.
So we can continue to say.....
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 continuedThe 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.
Be watchful (Luke 12:35-40)
“Be dressed and ready, and keep your lamps lit, 36like servants waiting for their master when he returns
from his wedding feast, prepared to open the door quickly for him when he comes and knocks. How good it will be for those servants that the master finds watching when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will get dressed, have them sit down for a meal, and will come and serve them himself!
“Even if he comes at midnight, or just before dawn—how good for them if he finds them watching and
ready! But remember this: if the master knew when a thief was coming, he would keep watch, and not allow his house be broken into. You must also be ready, for the Son of man is coming when you don’t expect him.â€
Peter’s Question (Luke 12:41-48)
Is this parable for us or for everyone?
“Who then is the trustworthy and wise manager, the one person in the household that the master puts in charge to share out their food at the right time? It will be good for that servant when his master
returns and finds him doing what he should. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of
everything. But what if the servant were to say to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and then starts beating the other servants, both men and women, feasting and getting drunk? That servant’s master will return unexpectedly one day at a time he wasn’t aware of, and will punish him severely, treating him as totally untrustworthy.
“That servant who knew what his master wanted and yet didn’t get ready or follow his instructions, will be
beaten severely; but the servant who didn’t know and did things deserving punishment will be beaten only
lightly. From those who are given much, much will be required, and from those who are entrusted with more, more will be demanded.
Bringing Division, Not Peace (Luke 12:49-53)
I have come to set the earth on fire, and I really wish it was already burning! But I have a baptism to go through, and I’m in agony, wishing it was over! Do you think that I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, I bring division. From now on, if there are five in a family, they will be divided against each other: three against two, and two against three. They will be divided against each other—father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.â€
(Continued next week)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
HUMILITY210. It's hard to be humble when you always win. So God doesn't let that happen!
211. Learning humility in defeat trains us to remain humble in success.
212. Boasting is of the human heart, but humility is God's heart for us.
396. True humility cannot be generated in the mind, for it comes from our spirit.
397. True humility arises when confidence in God overcomes confidence in ones self.
398. Humility is a positive attribute, not a weakness.
399. False humility reflects weakness, but true humility exudes godly strength.
400. The truest expression of a godly character is reflected in humility.
1306. True humility is 'putting Jesus first' in our life.
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CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK: A REVELATION OF... DIVIDING THE WATERS continuesWe summarize the 12 features and look at the principle message for today from the crossing of the Red Sea.
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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. ***
20. SIGNS OUTSIDE CHURCHES
YOU ARE NOT TOO BAD TO COME IN.
YOU ARE NOT TOO GOOD TO STAY OUT.
COME IN AND LET US PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR FINALS.
A MISER IS A RICH PAUPER.
ASK ABOUT OUR PRAY-AS-YOU-GO PLAN.
WE HOLD SIT-IN DEMONSTRATIONS EVERY SUNDAY.
NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU NURSE A GRUDGE
IT WON’T GET BETTER.
START LIVING TO BEAT HELL.
19. IT'S FUNNY HOW….
….hard it is to read a chapter in the Bible,
but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a best selling novel.
….people want to get a front seat at a game or concert,
but scramble for a back seat at church services.
….we need 2-3 weeks notice to fit a church event into our busy schedule,
but can adjust our schedule at a moments notice for other events.
….how hard it is to for people to tell others a simple gospel message,
but how simple it is to repeat gossip.
….we automatically believe what the newspaper says,
but always question the Bible.
18. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
A visitor once asked, "Does it ever rain in Arizona?"
The rancher thought about it a minute and then replied, "Yes it does. You remember in the Bible how it rained for 40 days and 40 nights during Noah’s flood. Well, we got 2 inches of that.""
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: 1. What is the youngest book in the Old Testament?2. What is the oldest book of the New Testament?
ANSWER: 1. The book of Malachi, written about 400 B.C.
2. Probably the book of James, written as early as A.D.45. (400 years of silence until God revealed himself personally through Jesus.)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What did Chester Greenwood invent in 1873?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS 718. ENERGETIC WORK
Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie. (Costly weight control though.)
719. A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH
On average, people fear spiders more than they do death. (Without spiders, there would be a lot more deaths through rampaging insects!)
720. POSITIVE FRUSTRATION
Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour. (Every cloud has a silver lining.)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
DATELINE
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BIBLE FIRSTS
8: Who was the first female judge?a. Jael
b. Abigail
c. Deborah
d. Sarah
Source: http://biblequizzes.org.uk
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""!!!!!!! I've heard it's bad luck to be superstitious?
!!!!!! Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.
!!!!! A professor is a person who talks in SOMEONE ELSE'S sleep.
!!!! We can stand affliction better than we can prosperity, for in prosperity we forget God. (Dwight Moody)
!!! Christ is a substitute for everything, but nothing is a substitute for Christ. (Ironside)
!! No one who really wants to count for God can afford to play at Christianity.
! If lips and life do not agree, the testimony will not amount to much.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
GREAT GROANERS
35. HE ROOT OF THE PROBLEMDid you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? He wanted to transcend dental medication.
36. A BOASTFUL GAME
A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager
came out of the office and asked them to disperse. "But why?" they asked, as they moved off. "Because," he said, "I can't stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer."
37.JUST THE SAME
A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named "Ahmal." The other goes to a family in Spain; they name him "Juan." Years later, Juan sends a photo of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture,
she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a photo of Ahmal. Her husband responds, "They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."
38. NOT SO FIERY FRIARS
These friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened a small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone liked to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist thought the competition was unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down, but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close. They ignored him. So, the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to "persuade" them to close. Hugh beat up the friars and trashed their shop, saying he'd be back if they
didn't close up the shop.
Terrified, they did so, thereby proving that Hugh, and only Hugh, can prevent florist friars.
39. GREAT GHANDI!
Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him ... what? (Oh,
man, this is so bad, it's good) A super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
Groan Greatly here.
Incredible Sight as a Quarter MILLION turn out in Peru March for Life
Recognized Day of the Unborn Child, artists sportsmen, TV personalities, politicians, clergymen and musicians posed for photos endorsing the country's March for Life.Lima Peru(Lima, Peru)—"We all have a child within us," was the slogan for this year’s March for Life in Peru on March 22, which summoned 250,000 people in Lima alone, according to organizers. The turnout more than doubled that from last year and broke the record in Latin-American as the biggest pro-life demonstration ever.
With thousands more participating in five cities, including 50,000 in Piura, Peruvians from all over the country got out to the streets to demonstrate their support for the pro-life cause.
The mainstream media barely covered the event, however, and some outlets even stated that "hundreds" of people showed up, showing pictures of small groups of people or even pictures from last year's march.
With 2,500 young volunteers helping with the organization, the march was a peaceful "party" to call everyone to defend life from conception until natural death.
BCN Breaking Christian News
Via OpenHeaven.com
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WAXING LYRICAL
My wife likes crosswords. I prefer Sudoku. But it is fun to play with words occasionally!'USING'
It's amusing
Is no musing.
Mind abusing.
Now accusing.
Brain fusing.
Never 'using'!
More of David's poetry here.....
A DAVID MUSING
Three months ago I bought, for the first time, a season ticket (at half price!) to the games of our local basketball team, the 'Bay Hawks', who play in the New Zealand NBL. Their first home game was on Friday night, and I was really looking forward to going.But first, after we closed our shop, I needed to go to the hospital to see our friend Joce, who is recovering from a serious cancer operation.
Maybe you can guess what happened.
I got to the hospital and Joce was so pleased to see me as she was in lots of pain and wanted me to sit with her in her time of need. Of course, she had no idea I wanted to go to the basketball!
She finally came through the horror time, as she received more medication which she was unable to have earlier. It had been a hugely traumatic time for her. And a challenging one for me. Would the Jesus side or the David side of my nature prevail?
I stayed until visiting ended at 8:30pm. The basketball was nearly over.
God has a sense of humour! For we never know when or how we are going to be tested, do we?
By the way the Bay Hawks won - probably because I wasn't there. LOL! And there is another game next week!
So until next week.....
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: ENTAILED
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' c. Deborah (Judges 4:4) PS: Also the only female judge
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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