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: 718 Published: 03 Aug 2015
THE PURGING of THE CHURCH
The Lord has led me to go back to a sermon/prophecy I received in a group mailing, and filed, some time ago. It is by David Wilkerson.David was the Founding Pastor of Times Square Church in New York City. He was called to New York in 1958 to minister to gang members and drug addicts, as told in the best-selling book, The Cross and the Switchblade.
After the introduction, he gave 11 bullet points about THE GLORIOUS FUTURE JUST AHEAD. As the Lord leads, I will expand on these challenging but inspiring aspects over the weeks ahead.
5. The sound of prayer - intercession!
This morning, after my hard gym workout, I was reaping my reward sitting in the spa pool in the complex, chatting to, amongst others, a Christian friend who shared with me that she has difficulty praying publicly, but spoke to God in a normal voice, in her mind, and He spoke back to her in a similar way (Not in King James English it might surprise some to hear!) I understood what she was saying, for that is similar to me.
Most prayers we hear and say, sadly, are actually very self-focused. After a short preamble about how great our God is, we quickly continue "God please give me this", "God please do that for me", "God please make life easier and better for me."
Do you recognize yourself here? I can at times.
I often think, and occasionally say to others, "How long would your marriage last if all you did was tell your spouse everything you wanted, without taking any interest in their desires and needs?" So how does God feel when we do the same to Him?
MMMMMM!!!
Of course I , and we all, know the verses, primarily in John's gospel, that tell us to ask and we will receive. And often when we do ask, we do not appear to receive (particularly if we ask for a $1,000,000!) and we are disappointed and feel let down.
Interestingly, Jesus closest friend was John. They knew and understood each other well, so I believe that John would have had concern also in what he asked for, in that it would be in the will of God.
When we are young Christians, God often does give us more gifts, as we do to children at Christmas. (Please no more socks this year! LOL!) But seriously, God is not Father Christmas and He expects us to mature and grow up in Him.
Jesus also, was quite dogmatic about prayer.
Prayer
5 ‘And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:5-6)
Did you notice the last sentence? God knows our needs before we ask Him! These are often quite different to our 'wants'. James, in his usual way, was blunt about this!
2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:2-3)
Prayer, as I understand it then, is primarily talking to God, one on one.
The public prayers our God truly desires of us are those of intercession, which is praying prayers not from our own mind but the words that he gives us. Of waiting upon the Lord until He tells us what to pray.
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God. (Romans 8:25-27)
As Jesus intercedes for us.....
23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives for ever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely[c] those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:25-7)
So we are to intercede for our God. This is a mystery, but God uses us to pray in His desires for the world and His people. This is a step of faith for us to do this.
Too many years ago now I belonged to an Intercessors Group at the church we attended at the time. We would meet and wait on the Lord to tell us what to pray for - and He did. They were things completely separate from ourselves and the church to which we belonged. Some we did not understand. Some we prayed in the Spirit, others in the natural. But our prayers were determined by God, not by us.
To change the world, these are the prayers God desires of us.
Jesus however did have one prayer He commanded the disciples, and us, to pray. It is a simple prayer and sets a pattern of prayer for us.
9 ‘This, then, is how you should pray:
‘“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.†(Matthew 6:9-13)
Prayer too, requires action. I saw a quote today on Facebook, from Pope Francis, along the lines of 'Pray for the poor, then feed them.' This reflected the tenor of the words of Jesus in the verses following the Lord's Prayer.
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15)
Amen.
(Continued next week.)
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FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUSMay we hear what the Lord is saying to us.
Peter Confesses Jesus as Christ (Matthew 16:13-20, Mark 8:27-30)
When the disciples were asked by Jesus about His divinity.
“Who do people say that the Son of man is?â€
“But what about you?†“Who do you say I am?â€
“You are truly blessed, Simon son of John,†Jesus told him. “For this wasn’t revealed to you by human flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the powers of death won’t overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you ban on earth will be banned in heaven, and whatever you allow on earth will be allowed in heaven.â€
Jesus Rebukes Peter (Matthew 16:21-8, Mark 8:31-9:1, Luke 9:18-27)
Again the question was asked. Peter gave the same reply.
“All these crowds of people—who do they say I am?â€
“But what about you?†“Who do you say I am?â€
Peter was told it was not easy path, for all involved.
“The Son of man must experience terrible sufferings,†“He will be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the religious teachers. He will be killed, but on the third day he will rise again.â€
“If any one of you wants to follow me, you must deny yourself, pick up your cross daily, and follow me,†“For if you want to save your life, you will lose it; and if you lose your life for my sake, you will save it. What do you benefit by gaining the whole world if you end up lost or destroyed? If you are ashamed of me and my message, the Son of man will be ashamed of you when he comes in his glory, and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some standing here won’t taste death until they see the kingdom of God.â€
(Continued next week.)
You can download the complete 'Words of Jesus' here.
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'THE WORDS OF JESUS' NOW AVAILABLE FOR PDF DOWNLOAD
Join the many who have downloaded the 'The Words of Jesus'. I am sure you will be blessed by it, as I have been.One key element here is the setting out in chronological order (as far as it is possible to do so) our Lord's words drawn from all the Gospels, and the elimination of repetition between Gospels.
You may be surprised by the different perspective this presentation gives you both in understanding of His life and ministry, and in achieving a closer relationship with Him.
Download the free PDF here.....
DAVID'S DOODLINGS
GENERAL47. I’m far from perfect – but allowing God to work on it!
48. Our highest call is to be the ‘Living Word.’
49. We are to be dependent upon God, interdependent amongst each other, and independent of the old nature.
50. The 3 ‘H’s’ of our walk in God – Holiness, ‘Helps’ and Harvest.
51. Salvation yields a 30 fold harvest, the Spirit a 60 fold harvest, but obedience a 100 fold harvest of that which was sown.
52. Religious titles are but a human invention, for every minister is to be God’s servant.
53. God desires the ‘height’ of relationship, while man prefers the ‘distance’ of fame. As we seek His heights so He will provide distance to our ministry.
54. Life brings strife. Overcoming strife brings back life.
55. ‘New birth’ on earth, removes a dearth of mirth, increasing self worth and spiritual girth! (Inspiration from the Firth of Perth!)
56. Only fools make up rules for God’s principles never change.
57. The ‘5-G’ Principle. A ‘GIVER’ Gratefully Gives God Gracious Gifts.
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
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK: TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCH: 4. CHARACTERISTICS OF KINGDOM PEOPLEWe look at reliance upon God and a kingdom focus in our lives.
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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. ***
209. PICTURE GOD
A girl was at kindergarten drawing a picture for her mum. The teacher walks up to her and asks what she is drawing.
"I'm drawing a picture of God" the girl replied.
"But no-one knows what God looks like the teacher said.
To which the girl replied: "They will when I finish the picture."
208. PRAYER IN A TIME OF TROUBLE
A little boy who got in trouble at church while everyone was giving in his or her prayer request.
The daddy scooped the little boy up and made his way down the centre aisle toward the back, and on the way the little boy yelled out, "Pray Saints Pray !!!!!"
207. A CAT PASSES ON
A little boy is gone to school one day and while he is gone, his cat gets killed. His mother is very concerned about how he will take the news.
Upon his arrival home, she explains the tragedy and tries to console the boy saying, "But don't worry, the cat is in heaven with God now."
The boy replied, "What's God gonna' do with a dead cat?"
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FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: When did ‘Superman’ first appear in print?ANSWER: Superman dates back to June 1938, when he appeared in Action Comics No. 1. Batman arrived on the scene one year later in Detective Comics No. 27, appearing May 1939. (But they haven’t died though!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Who drew the original Mickey Mouse in his first short cartoon?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS 525. BALD DOGS?
In Tokyo, they sell toupees for dogs! (Well, I’ll be doggon!)
526. ONION SAFE
It is possible that chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying. (Americans are the most likely to prove this.)
527. NO ‘Q’s’
Q is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear in the name of any state of the United States. (Most residents queue for hot dogs and hamburgers though.)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
GRUNTS
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...
WHICH BOOK?
14: …is the 5th book of the New Testament?a. Acts
b. Hebrews
c. 1 Corinthians
d. Romans
Source: http://biblequizzes.org.uk
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""!!!!!!! So a Car’s Wind Shield is so large & the Rear view Mirror is so small ? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, Look Ahead and Move on.
!!!!!! Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.
!!!!! All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, don’t worry, they can’t last long either.
!!!! Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don’t forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!
!!! Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, “Relax, sweetheart, it’s just a bend, not the end!
!! When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn’t solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.
! A blind person asked God : “Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?†He replied: “Yes, losing your vision!â€
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
GREAT GROANERS
277. RIDDLESWhat did the pencil say to the other pencil?
You're looking sharp!
Why are cowboys like cartoonists?
They both have to learn to draw fast.
Why did the boy eat his homework?
Because the teacher said it was a piece of cake!
What do you call it when a king goes to the bathroom?
A royal flush!
Why couldn't the athlete listen to his music?
Because he broke the record!
278. SCHOOL WORK
Define "Parasites": What you see from the top of the Eiffel Tower
Use "Acquaint" in a sentence: I found ACQUAINT Bed and Breakfast near
the beach.
Grammar errors & Bloopers: The greatest miracle in the Bible is when
Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.
279. SOME PUNS
The violinist visited the doctor because he was high-strung.
The chef at a family-run restaurant had to have her left leg amputated
below the knee. She came into our insurance office to file a
disability claim. As I scanned the claim form, I did a double take.
Under "Reason unable to work," she had written, "Can't stand to cook."
Fred's mother knit him three socks when he was in the army because
Fred wrote he had grown another foot.
280. A TALE OF TWO BAKERS
Two bakers lived in a small town. They were highly competitive, but
both had many customers. This changed when one baker bought a new
slicing machine, that cut four loaves at once. He could serve people faster, so he soon got all the business in the town. The other baker was forced to close.
The second bakerv went to the first baker and asked, "How were you able to get all the business in town? It seems that you got lucky all of a sudden."
The first baker replied," I'm not sure. I think it has something to do with...
...the four-loaf clever I found."
Groan with me here.....
DAVID'S DOWNLOADS
A REVELATION OF…….THE 3 GARDENS OF GODHaving spent much of my life involved in the gardening industry, as a grower, wholesaler of flowers, bulbs and plants and finally as a mail order seller of the same, this revelation has reached into my 'gardeners' heart!
Gardens and nature have a special place in God's heart too. This is not surprising, for He was their creator! Nor is it surprising then, that He should choose garden settings for key events in His interaction with man to take place.
Let's see what they are.
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WAXING LYRICAL
Where do the days go! Maybe we need to relax a little more?DAY COMES, DAYS GO.....
*Do you wonder about time?
Always in short supply.
Your thoughts for a dime,
*Can you think of a reply.
Only sixty minutes in an hour,
Many try to squeeze out more.
Eek! I just don't know how!
Simply don't know the score.
*Didn't you know it was Monday?
And now it has come to Friday!
You know, where does the week go?
Surely not slow, go with the flow!
*God cries when He sees us rush,
On we go, turning life to mush!
*What have I achieved this week?
Have I done all right?
Every challenge met, so to speak?
Really seen the light?
Everything has instead, gone so awry!
*The week ends in tatters!
How could this happen, look to the sky!
Each job, it so matters!
Your comings and goings, always going 'to be',
*Good intentions, with problems you do not see!
Ouch! Didn't get it all done! Out of my tree!
*'Now my son', a voice I heard,
'Or need I shout, so absurd!
Order your life in my perfect way,
Need to put Me first in your day.
Everything you do is not of me,
*Know this, it will set you free.
Needs and wants are not the same,
Only need to put Me in your frame.
We can walk on your life's journey together,
See, I Am with you, whatever the weather.
More of David's poetry here.....
A DAVID MUSING
Catch up again soon!So until next time.....
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: STRUNG
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' a. Acts
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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