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: 729 Published: 19 Oct 2015
CHRISTIANITY - A CULTURE, ORGANISATION, OR A RELATIONSHIP?
While I was in Scotland after my trip to Africa, visiting family together with my wife Kathy, I spoke to a pastor about church organization, culture etc.. His attitude was that the church had worked well for 2000 years so there was no need to change.Unfortunately, he was wrong. For the early New Testament church was completely different to that which we have today. In fact, there was no 'church' as such. The word 'ecclesia', which we now understand as 'church', actually meant 'an occasional gathering of people of like mind', such as a trade union, in ancient Athens, where the term originated.
The early Christians were greatly persecuted by the Romans, but grew greatly in number in spite of this. How did it grow? Organically. From person to person. From believer (disciple) to believer.
This growth continued, in spite of incredible persecution (a secret to church growth now. eg. China?), until the Romans, as they had done with other religions realized that the best way to control these people was to join them and then absorb them into their society.
So Emperor Constantine converted, decriminalizing christian worship in AD313, making it the Roman Empire's preferred religion in AD324. He, and succeeding Emperors, proceeded to exert control over this disparate body of believers by appointing priests and building large worship centers.
The worship centers were designed to look like the Roman ideas of heaven, with the purpose of making the peasant believers be in awe of the buildings, making them more subservient to the state. These, in time, became the beautiful cathedrals that we visit and admire today as great feats of architecture and construction.
Priests were appointed, developing into the formal organisation structure of Pope, Cardinal, Archbishop, Bishop, etc, still found in the Roman Catholic Church today.
Further huge control over the people came through the handwritten Bible, written in Latin, which only the educated clergy had the ability to read. The laity, the poor, had no way of knowing whether what they were being told the truth or not.
The Roman Catholic Church became so powerful that, for many years the Church became more powerful than the state.
The church became so institutionalized that the Holy Spirit's light was extinguished and the 6th yo 13th centuries are known as the Dark Ages.
In essence the church had gone back to the Old Testament Temple and Priest structure but without God's presence.
So different from the informal, organic 'ecclesia' of the early church.
You may well say that the Reformation overturned this and our church today is very different. We will look at this next week.
Continued next week.
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FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUSMay we hear what the Lord is saying to us.
Teaching on Beelzebub and Demons (Luke 11:14-26)
Jesus states.
“Any kingdom divided against itself will be destroyed. A family divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? You say that I cast out demons using the power of Beelzebub. But if I drive out demons by the power of Beelzebub, by whose power do your own people drive them out? They themselves will condemn you as wrong!
“However, if I am driving out demons by the power of God, then this proves God’s kingdom has arrived.
It’s right here among you! When a strong man who is fully armed guards his house, all he owns is safe. But if a stronger man comes and defeats him, taking from him all his weapons that he depended on, then he can carry off all his possessions. “Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who doesn’t build together with me is breaking it all apart.
When an evil spirit leaves someone, it goes through the desert looking for a place to stay. When it doesn’t find anywhere, it says, ‘I’ll return to the house I left.’ When it returns, it finds its old home is swept and tidy.
So it goes and finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there. In the end that man is worse off than before.â€
A Woman Blesses Mary (Luke 11:27-8)
Jesus corrects her.
“Even more blessed are those who hear God’s word, and follow what it says.â€
Sign of Jonah (Luke 11:29-32)
Jesus addressed the crowd.
“This is an evil generation for it’s looking for some miraculous sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. In the same way that Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be a sign to this generation. The queen of the south will rise in the judgment together with the people of this generation and will condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon’s wisdom, and now there is someone greater than Solomon here! The people of Nineveh rise in the judgment together with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented when they heard Jonah’s message, and now there’s someone greater than Jonah here!
(Continued next week.)
You can download the complete 'Words of Jesus' here.
'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.....
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
UNITY213. United we stand, divided... God will wait upon another generation.
401. Unity in Christ is so close to God's heart but so far away from ours!
402. Why do we keep asking God for more strength, when He has already given us the answer - unity!
403. We keep looking for the unity of one world government to arise in the nations, but constantly fail to seek it in the church.
404. The Godhead is the ultimate example of how a many faceted Church is to become united as one.
996. Unity cannot be imposed from without, but needs to grow from within.
997. True unity is birthed in the Spirit, not imposed through a structure.
998. Unity develops in times of oppression. Bring on oppression Lord!
999. Satan divides, the Spirit unites. Who is winning the battle of your life?
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:SERMON ON THE MOUNTWe will commence our look at the detail of the instructions of Jesus.
Check out all the available teachings at...
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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. ***
237. TOP 10 SIGNS YOU'RE AT A BAD BAPTISM SERVICE
10. The Coast Guard is involved.
9. The service is held at Splash Mountain Water Parks.
8. Pastor wears scuba gear.
7. As the baptism begins the organist plays the theme from "Jaws."
6. The preacher uses a "Billy the Bass" singing "Take Me to the River" instead of the traditional "Shall We Gather at the River?"
5. You keep hearing the pastor saying, "Oops! Honestly, sister; I didn't know about that drop-off!"
4. The pastor can't get the rather large person being baptized back up out of the water and calls for help.
3. The deacon board shows up with fishing gear.
2. Just as the choir starts to sing, Paul Hogan jumps out of the water and wrestles the preacher into submission.
AND THE NO. 1 SIGN YOU'RE AT A BAD BAPTISM SERVICE:
1. Two Words: Alka Seltzer
236. DRESSED FOR CHURCH
One Sunday morning, the congregation of a ritzy church, with vaulted ceilings, hand-carved oak pews, stained class windows, and a deep plush carpet, had a stir.
A man came in just minutes before the service was to begin. He was dressed terribly, had on ratty old boots, a dirty flannel shirt, jeans and a filthy cowboy hat. Besides that he must have not heard of deodorant. The congregation was not happy!
Several sent notes to the minister about their concern. So at the end of the service, the pastor greeted the wretchedly attired man and asked him if he enjoyed the service. The fellow exclaimed wholeheartedly that he had.
The minister invited him back but said, "Next time you come, please dress properly and take a shower. I want you to pray and ask Jesus about how He would want you to dress if you returned to His house." The fellow said he would.
Next week he came back, dressed the same way. Once again the congregation was very upset. At the end of the service, the minister greeted the fellow and asked, "Did you ask Jesus about how to dress for church here?"
"Oh yes," said the man, "I surely did." "And, what did He say to you," persisted the pastor.
"Well," said the fellow, "Jesus told me He didn't know how I should dress for this church, because He's never been here."
235. CLERICAL CLOTHES
A priest was walking along the corridor of the parochial school near the preschool wing when a group of little ones were trotting by on the way to the cafeteria. Little Johnny stopped and looked at him in his clerical clothes and asked, "Why do you dress funny?"
He told him he was a priest and this is the uniform priests wear.
Little Johnny pointed to the priest's plastic collar tab and asked, "Do you have an owie?"
The priest was perplexed till he realized that to him the collar tab looked like a band-aid. So the priest took it out and handed it to Little Johnny, to show him. On the back of the tab were raised letters giving the name of the manufacturer.
Little Johnny felt the letters, and the priest asked, "Do you know what those words say?"
"Yes I do," said Little Johnny, who was not old enough to read. Peering intently at the letters he said, "Kills ticks and fleas up to six months!"
"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: What is a group of flamingos called?ANSWER: A pat. (Got that down pat!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS 490. HOW SAD
The film Cleopatra (1963) was banned in Egypt for 15 years because its star, Elizabeth Taylor, had converted to Judaism. (Tolerance lacking both in Cleopatra’s time, and now.)
491. PRECISELY RIGHT
The Dieri tribe in Australia has strict laws regarding who can marry whom. For example, a man can legally marry his mother's mother's brother's daughter's daughter. He can also marry his mother's father's sister's daughter's daughter. (Worked it out? Your ‘second cousin’.)
492. A WOOLLY YARN
In 1571 England, a man could be fined for not wearing a wool cap. (A ‘politically correct’ move to avoid embarrassment of the bald? Likely to be re-introduced very shortly!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
>GERMANIC
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...
AN AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
I spent the first week with old friends Andrew, Moses, Naphtali and others Healing Springs group of churches, in Kampala, Uganda, whom I had not seen for 10 years. We all looked younger of course! LOL!I was treated like a king! Felt guilty that I was living so well when you all thought I was out in the jungle in deepest darkest Africa! Everything was well organised (thank you Moses) and I had the relative luxury of only having to speak once a day.
I went back to churches I had visited before, but this time noticed a difference - not in them, but in me. For they had their normal exuberant African worship, which I love, but the Holy Spirit quickly showed me that the worship was cultural, rather than godly. Blinkers were lifted off my eyes. Loudness plus enthusiasm do not necessarily mean worshipful worship. A point we all need to take heed of.
As I shared with (not preached at) the people the Holy Spirit would come. At the end of the meeting I asked to have another time of worship. This would then be completely different for the people now were truly worshiping the Lord.
A very interesting and enlightening African experience.
(Continued next week.)
PAKISTAN VIDEO CONFERENCE (From New Zealand)
The pictures show attendees at a meeting I spoke at via Skype in Lahore from my house in Napier!In one photo you can see the laptop . The people standing are about to be baptized in the Holy Spirit!
My thanks to Peter Julious for arranging (and paying for) the meeting and for his good wife doing the interpretation.
Anyone else interested in something similar? A laptop with a wi-fi connection is all that is required. Modem connections have proved too unreliable though.
WHICH BOOK?
In which Gospel is this account found?5. A Young Man with a Linen Garment?
a. Matthew
b. Mark
c. Luke
d. John
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"""RANDOM ACTS of THINKING
!!!!!!! Is a hypocrite someone who writes a book on atheism and prays it will sell?
!!!!!! If God *really* wanted us to use the metric system, there would have been ten disciples.
!!!!! I actually have too much will power. It's won't power that's in short supply.
!!!! Exercise is a dirty word. Every time I say it I'm compelled to wash my mouth out with chocolate.
!!! I pawned my chess set.
!! Yesterday I declared war on drugs. I started by glaring fiercely at my pharmacist.
! My wife and I met at the hospital. We both had kidney stones. You could say we met in passing.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
JUST JOKES
230. HEAVEN AND EARTHNear the end of a particularly trying round of golf, during which the golfer had hit numerous fat shots, he said in frustration to his caddy, "I'd move heaven and earth to break a hundred on this course."
"Try heaven," said the caddy. "You've already moved most of the earth."
229. MR POE
A professor asked a student to remain for a few moments after class. Holding out the young man's assignment, the professor said, "Did you write this poem all by yourself?"
The student replied, "Every word of it."
The professor said, "Well, then, I'm glad to meet you, Mr. Poe. I thought you were long dead."
228. DOUBLE TROUBLE
"Doc, even though you've diagnosed me as having a split personality, is it all right for me to get married?"
"Oh, sure. Who are you planning to marry?"
"The Johnson twins."
227. THE SPENDTHRIFT
A man realized he needed to purchase a hearing aid, but he felt unwilling to spend much money. "How much do they run?" he asked the clerk.
"That depends," said the salesman. "They run from $2.00 to $2,000."
"Let's see the $2.00 model," he said.
The clerk put the device around the man's neck. "You just stick this button in your ear and run this little string down to your pocket," he instructed.
"How does it work?" the customer asked.
"For $2.00 it doesn't work," the salesman replied. "But when people see it on you, they'll talk louder!"
Heaps more fun here.....
Drug Boss-Turned-Pastor Chronicles Surreal Journey From Being a 'Street God' to Becoming God's Servant Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/dimas-salaberrios-drug-boss-pastor-book-street-god-bronx-new-york-147582/#xkzmO1tpfhK7eCuQ.99
NEW YORK — He was selling dope by age 11, eventually got hooked on crack cocaine, and wound up in prison twice. He could have been killed countless times and once, as he tells it, was even attacked by a witch. But the man who yearned as a youth to become a god of the streets by building a drug empire, is now a man on mission for God.Dimas Salaberrios shares his story of leaving a life of drugs and violence to become a Christian minister in the book "Street God."
Dimas Salaberrios, in his 40s, pastors a flock that meets in a community center at the Bronx River Housing Projects, known historically as ground zero for hip-hop and for being infested with crime. He is also president of Concerts of Prayer Greater NYC, a multiracial and cross-cultural organization of pastors and churches believed to be the largest of its kind in New York City. Salaberrios was also among those who successfully fought against officials' attempts to bar churches from renting city-owned community centers and public school spaces for worship services. His family's supporting presence in Charleston, South Carolina, at Emanuel A.M.E. Church earlier this year also gained notable attention.
That is what the married father of three has been up to in recent times. Thirty years ago, it was an entirely different story, one in which, for all intents and purposes, he was an enemy of God.
In fact, Salaberrios succeeded in becoming a god of the streets, founding a kingdom whose foundation was based on a steady and startling income from drug and gun sales. His illicit web stretched from Queens, New York, to North Carolina, where he lived as a fugitive from the law after one day deciding while handcuffed to flee a disastrous encounter with his parole officer.
But when God intervened, at a point when he was literally fighting for his sanity and his life, Salaberrios chose to abandon his kingdom for the Kingdom of God. He threw away his crack, gave up on guns and stopped living with his girlfriend, all in an effort to live a holy life. When God gave him the ultimate challenge — to return to NYC and answer for his crimes, the former drug lord did just that. Soon, he was being invited to preach in foreign countries, found himself smuggling Bibles into China, and leading relief efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
Salaberrios' life of crime is chronicled in the Tyndale Momentum book Street God: The Explosive True Story of a Former Drug Boss on the Run from the Hood—and the Courageous Mission That Drove Him Back (August 2015). In Street God, Salaberrios (with Dr. Angela Hunt) offers a riveting account of how he went from being a determined and power hungry criminal to a humbled, bold and relentless minister of the Gospel. The book is an inspiring and sometimes surreal read, and one that Salaberrios said has been impacting lives.
"So many people are saying, 'I'm shaking at home while reading it.' 'I can't put it down.' 'Read it in three days,'" Salaberrios told The Christian Post. "One mother just told me she gave her son the book who's never read a book in his life. [He] read the book, came in crying and hugging her, saying, 'I'm going to change my ways, Ma, and be the son you wanted me to be.'"
Responses like that confirm for Salaberrios that Street God "is actually doing what it's supposed to do."
In Salaberrios' interview with CP, he tells how he initially became moved to pursue a life of crime, how his mother exposed him to faith in God, and of the harrowing encounter with evil that finally compelled him to take God seriously. The charismatic Queens, Jamaica, native, who credits men like Floyd Flake, Tim Keller, A.R. Bernard, and Andy Puleo with helping him in his journey as a believer, also shares how some of what he learned in the streets carries over to his ministry work today.
Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/dimas-salaberrios-drug-boss-pastor-book-street-god-bronx-new-york-147582/#xkzmO1tpfhK7eCuQ.99
DAVID'S DOWNLOADS
A REVELATION OF... THE FIRST MIRACLE OF JESUSI have never been happy with the explanations I have heard of the meaning of the changing of the water into wine. So I asked Jesus! And He told me! Find out what He said through the Holy Spirit.
Download your free PDF Files here.....
WAXING LYRICAL
Yes, today's choices affect our eternal destiny. This poem just came to me as I was writing the PGIM newsletter. Aimed at me - aimed at you!CHOICE
Come into my parlour said the spider to the fly,
Delicious treats are in here for you to try!
Should I go in, or should I stay out?
Want to find out, what it's all about!
So into the parlour I go,
Looks delicious, I know,
The web is so sparkling white,
On it, I alight with delight.
Now I go to lift my front leg,
Stuck - locked as with a peg!
I struggle my leg to release,
By now, having lost my peace.
Shouldn't have come in!
Knew it twas a sin!
Now can't get away!
Am here to stay!
My energy does all go,
I'm in my dying throe!
Be you all warned,
About sin scorned!
Or you'll end up here just like me,
Death in a web, don't you see!
But Jesus came, His forgiveness to give,
By repentance, through Him, we can live.
So when you are caught in the enticing web of life,
Call out to Him, to extract you from your strife.
Then away from that larder undertake to stay,
And He will remain with you all of the day,
Instead of the web, in His kingdom do play,
When temptation comes, to Him let us pray.
The web of life, is very nice,
Seems full of fun and spice,
But it will get you and me in the end,
Eternity in hell we will spend,
Unless we turn and walk the other way,
Then with Jesus we may forever stay.
Life all is about choice,
How to use our voice?
In praising Him,
Or seeped in sin?
Yes, about this life we do muse,
But what, will you and I, choose?
More of David's poetry here.....
A DAVID MUSING
New Zealand is a 'rugby union mad' country! Our team, the All Blacks, may well be the world's most successful sporting team in and sport, with a win rate over recent years of 90%. We are also the current World Cup champions and ranked as the No. 1 team.You may or may not know that the 4-year Rugby World Cup cycle is currently being played in England and Wales. No team has won the Cup twice in a row! But we aim to break this!
Like most competitions of this nature, there firstly is pool play with the leading teams qualifying for the knockout stage.
The All Blacks have performed well below expectations in their pool, even when winning matches quite easily.
This weekend has seen the knockout quarterfinal matches being played. New Zealand played France, a team we have sometimes have been beaten by in World Cup matches. So this match had an edge to it. Fortunately the All Blacks came right on the big occasion and scored more points against France then ever in a history, in nearly 60 matches over many years in winning 62-13.
Next week we meet South Africa in the one semi-final.....
Sadly, 'sport' has become a 'new religion' in many nations, including ours.
What priorities do you have -and I - have in our lives?
So until next week.....
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: CREAMING
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' b. Mark (14:51-52)
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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