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: 741 Published: 11 Jan 2016
CHRISTIANITY - A CULTURE, ORGANISATION, OR A RELATIONSHIP?
Referring back to the 'potted history' of last week we can see, in summary how the spiritual ministry gifts of Ephesians 4.....11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13)
..... were progressively lost from the church as follows.....
c.100AD The last apostle John died. APOSTLESHIP lost
140 Ministry of PROPHETS vanishes.
180's Churches come under the control of Rome. EVANGELISM disappears.
210 A class of paid, theologically trained clerics developed signalling the end of the God-given TEACHING and PASTORAL gifts.
THE DARK AGES followed, where the light of the Holy Spirit was excluded within the dominant Roman Catholic Church of the time.
1517 THE REFORMATION Martin Luther and others 'rebelled' against the Roman Catholic 'religious system' but unfortunately, in terms of the spiritual gifts of Ephesians 4, not too much changed. In reality a number of different religious systems, now called 'denominations', grew in opposition to the traditional Roman Catholic system, sadly quickly becoming religious systems themselves, particularly after the Holy Spirit inspired leaders such as Luther, Wesley and Booth died. For their followers did not have the Holy Spirit anointing of the founders, replacing the Spirit with formal rules and regulations. So we had denominations such as the Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Salvation Army and many others sprout and grow into new 'religions' of the Traditional and Evangelical churches.
It wasn't until the late 19th and beginning of the 20th century, when the Holy Spirit returned to the church in power, that the spiritual gifts progressively started to be restored to the church, in the reverse order to the way they disappeared from the early New Testament church, as follows.....
Early 1900's The ministries of Holy Spirit inspired PASTORS and TEACHERS were re-established to the church. Pastors were shepherds to the so-called Pentecostals who were rejected, ridiculed and persecuted by the established churches. Teachers shared God given revelation with the people. The 'church' grew rapidly.
1920's on EVANGELISM returned to the church e.g. D. L. Moody, Smith Wigglesworth, Billy Graham, Oral Roberts etc..
1948 on PROPHETS re-entered the church becoming more fully accepted by the 1970's.
This left one ministry left to return to the church, that of the apostle. So now in the.....
2000's we are starting to see re-introduction of the ministry of the APOSTLE into the church. Of course many are hopping on the bandwagon, looking for the prestige, without being prepared to make the sacrifice necessary to become 'God's messenger' to His people.
The church.....
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2:19-21)
and again.....
4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. (Ephesians 3:4-5)
Historically speaking, the Roman Catholic Church was based upon clerics, Bishops and Priests, the Traditional and Evangelical are based upon Priests, Reverends or Ministers, and the Pentecostal/Charismatic churches by pastors, as this was the first Holy Spirit ministry to be given back to their churches. Once again, tradition has entered into the Spirit based churches, where Pastors are effectively unwilling to give away their authority. Hence most have lost the Holy Spirit and are operating in a very similar mode to the older established churches, with formal denominational structures and denominational theological qualifications, rather than God's call, being the criteria for appointment to Pastoral positions.
Please, I am not criticizing individual pastors, who don't understand these things, and most of whom are doing good work under trying conditions. But Scripturally, it is not their God-given role to lead the church, whether or not one has a pastoral gifting.
What we need is a change of thinking and action away from the established ways which effectively, in spite of good intentions, hasn't changed that much from the time of the Roman Catholic Church. It is simply now fractured, multitudinous (30,000+) denominations, instead of the one church of the Roman era.
We will look at some of the changes God is requiring in 'His church' next week.
FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUSMay we hear what the Lord is saying to us.
Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1-13)
Told to the disciples.
“There was once a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting what belonged to his master. So the rich man called in his manager, and asked him ‘What’s this I hear about you? Bring in your accounts, because you won’t be continuing as manager.’
The manager said to himself, ‘Now what will I do since my master going to fire me from my job? I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg. Oh, I know what I’m going to do so that when I’m sacked as manager people will make me welcome in their homes.’
“So he invited all those who were in debt to his master to come and see him. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ The man replied, ‘A hundred units of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Sit down quickly.
Take your bill, and change it to fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?†The man replied, ‘A hundred units of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and change it to eighty.’
“The rich man commended his dishonest manager for his cunning idea. The children of this world are more cunning towards one another than are the children of light.
“I tell you, use the wealth of this world to make friends for yourselves so that when it’s gone, you’ll be welcomed into an eternal home. If you can be trusted with very little you can also be trusted with much; if you are dishonest with very little you will also be dishonest with much. So if you can’t be trusted when it comes to worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you can’t be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will trust you with what is yours? No servant can obey two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Money.â€
Heard by and scoffed at by the Pharisees.
“You appear pious to people, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detested by God.
Further Teachings (Luke 16:14-18)
On that day.
What was written in the law and the prophets lasted until John. From then on the good news of the kingdom of God is being spread, and everyone is forcing their way in. However, it’s easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the smallest point of the Law to disappear. Any man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and a man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
(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
LOVE508. True love is of the will, rather than the heart.
509. True love is truly proven in unlovely situations.
510.“It is better to have loved and lost…†is not true of God’s love. For He never fails us.
511. Jesus specialises in loving the unlovely – fortunately for me!
512. We all need love. What differs, is where we seek to find it!
513. To submit our will to another is the ultimate love commitment.
514. Jesus loved us to death!
515. It is much harder for the worthy to accept God’s love than the unworthy. Always has been, always will be.
516. As passion goes, true love grows.
517. Passion stirs, love builds.
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 MOUNT continues.....Looking at 'giving to the needy'.
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. ***
269. UNUSUAL MEMORIAL
A newly appointed young preacher was contacted by the local funeral director to hold a graveside service at a small country cemetery.
There was to be no funeral, just the committal, because the deceased had no family or friends left. The young pastor started early to the cemetery, but soon lost his way.
After making several wrong turns, he finally arrived a half-hour late. The hearse was no where in sight, and the workman were relaxing under a nearby tree, eating their lunch. The pastor went to the open grave and found that the vault lid was already in place. He took out his book and read the service.
As he returned to his car, he overheard one of the workman say, "Maybe we'd better tell him that's a septic tank."
268. WHY GOD CREATED EVE
The first 10 reasons why God created Eve.
10. God was worried that Adam would frequently become lost in the Garden.
9. God knew that one day Adam would require someone to locate and hand him the remote.
8. God knew Adam would never go out and buy himself a new fig leaf when his wore out and would therefore need Eve to buy one for him.
7. God knew Adam would never be able to make a doctor's, dentist, or haircut appointment for himself.
6. God knew Adam would never remember which night to put the garbage on the curb.
5. God knew if the world was to be populated, men would never be able to handle the pain and discomfort of childbearing.
4. As the Keeper of the Garden, Adam would never remember where he left his tools.
3. Apparently, Adam needed someone to blame his troubles on when God caught him hiding in the garden.
2. As the Bible says, It is not good for man to be alone!
And finally, the Number 1 reason why God created Eve...
1. When God finished the creation of Adam, He stepped back, scratched his head, and said, "I can do better than that."
267. ASHES TO ASHES, DUST TO DUST
After church, Johnny tells his parents he has to go and talk to the minister right away. They agree and the pastor greets the family.
"Pastor," Johnny says, "I heard you say today that our bodies came from the dust."
"That's right, Johnny, I did."
"And I heard you say that when we die, our bodies go back to dust."
"Yes, I'm glad you were listening. Why do you ask?"
"Well you better come over to our house right away and look under my bed 'cause there's someone either comin' or goin'!"
"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 creature has infrared receptors to help it catch prey in total darkness?ANSWER: Snakes! Certain snakes, including Pythons and Boa Constrictors, have pits along their lips that are actually infrared heat receptors. These receptors can help a snake locate prey even in total darkness. (I pray not to be the prey! What am I worried about? New Zealand is about the only country that doesn’t have snakes!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is the lowest place on Earth?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS 458. THAT SINKING FEELING
Fourteen years before the Titanic sailed on an April day in 1912 on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, a novel titled "Futility" was published about an unsinkable and glamorous Atlantic liner, the largest in the world. Like the Titanic, the fictional vessel was triple-screw and could make 24-25 knots. At 800 feet, it was a little shorter than the Titanic, but at 70,000 tons, its displacement was 4,000 tons greater. Like the Titanic itself, its passenger list was the creme de la creme and there were not enough lifeboats on board. On a cold April night, the fictional ‘unsinkable’ vessel strikes an iceberg and glides to the bottom of the Atlantic. The name of this liner, in the story by Morgan Robertson, was ‘The Titan.’ (A sad story of man’s ‘irresistible force’ meeting nature’s ‘immovable object’. Nature won – again!)
459. THEN…
Florence in Italy, was the first city to mint its own gold coins in 1252. The ‘fiorino’ became known as the ‘florence’, then finally as the ‘florin’. (Since then we have all been trying to ‘make a mint’!)
460. AND NOW…
According to U.S. Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, there were more than 10 billion pennies minted in the United States in 1998. The actual number of coins produced, by denomination, was pennies, 10,257,400,000; nickels, 1,323,672,000; dimes, 2,335,300,000; quarters, 1,867,400,000; and half-dollars, 30,710,000. (More money, but seemingly, always more to spread it amongst.)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
DESCENT
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?
In which Gospel is this account found?17: Three Loaves at Midnight?
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"""!!!!!!! If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, you can bet the water bill is higher.
!!!!!! God gave the angels Wings, and He gave humans CHOCOLATE.
!!!!! The optimist says the glass is half full. The pessimist says the glass is half empty. The pragmatist, being thirsty, drinks the water.
!!!! What's the greatest worldwide use of cowhide? To hold cows together.
!!! It hurts to be on the cutting edge.
!! Some people itch for success when they should be scratching for it.
! I don't get even, I get odder.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
JUST JOKES
330. LOOKING"I hear the First National Bank is looking for a new teller."
"I thought they just hired a new teller last week."
"Right. That's the one they're looking for."
329. HOPEFUL
"Dear IRS: I would like to cancel my subscription.
Please remove my name from your mailing list..."
328. IT'S ALL ABOUT NUMBERS
A factory owner said to a store owner, "Thank you, Mr. Smith, for your patronage. I wish I had twenty customers like you."
"Gosh, it's nice to hear that, but I'm kind of surprised," admitted Smith. "You know that I argue every bill and always pay late."
The factory owner said, "I'd still like twenty customers like you. The problem is, I have two hundred."
327. AN ODD REQUEST
A housewife called up a pet store and said, "Send me thirty-thousand cockroaches at once."
"What in the world do you want with thirty-thousand cockroaches?" asked the astonished clerk.
"Well," replied the woman, "I am moving today and my lease says I must leave the premises in exactly the same condition I found them."
326. MORE LENGTH
After another frustrating day out on the course, Bob was once again sitting at the dinner table moaning about his lack of playing ability.
"If only I had Tiger Woods' length," he cried.
"I know," his wife replied, who was by now becoming so sick at having to listen to his carrying on day after day that she couldn't sit quietly and take it anymore.
"If you only had Tiger Woods' length, if you only had Tiger Woods' length. Let me tell you something, Buster, the only thing that having Tiger Woods' length would mean to your game is that you'd be able to hit the ball that much farther into the woods!"
325. POLITENESS
One day a sergeant of long service standing was trying to teach a bunch of raw recruits how to handle the rifle. The rookies were firing hither and yon and finally one of them shot the sarge in the seat of his britches.
"You dumb, [censored, son of censored, censored, censored]," screamed the sarge.
A second lieutenant who was with the group cautioned, "Remember, sarge, you're in the New Army. No profanities."
The sergeant apologized to the officer and turned back to the recruit. "My goodness gracious," he said, "What on earth was your motivation in shooting me with unwarranted expenditure of valuable ammunition?"
Just laugh here.....
Good News in China
Andrew Palau shares the Good News of Jesus Christ with thousands of people in China during special Christmas eventsBEIJING, CHINA (ANS -- December 24, 2015) -- For the third straight year, evangelist Andrew Palau (son of Luis Palau) partnered with leaders in China to share the Gospel at events in three major cities this December: Beijing, Hangzhou, and Harbin. At each event, Palau worked with local churches to distribute thousands of copies of the book What is Christmas?, an evangelistic tool designed to share the story of the birth of Jesus.
Throughout the week of December 12-19, the Gospel was proclaimed at Haidian Church in Beijing (the largest church in the city), Chongyi Church in Hangzhou (the largest church in China), and Hallelujah Church in Harbin (the third largest church in China). At each gathering hundreds of individuals responded to the Christmas message.
Everyone who attended the events was provided with a copy of the book, and many people took extra copies to give to family members or friends. Palau also met with seminary students and top government officials regarding further visits to China, as well as a publisher to discuss further evangelistic book opportunities in the years ahead.
By the end of the week, more than 15,000 copies of the book had been distributed and thousands of individuals had heard the Good News.
“There was great joy and testimonies shared about the great harvest in these days to those who are faithfully preaching the Good News and appealing for response, and there are many doing so,†Palau said. “We found the same to be true in our opportunities in every city. We are grateful for the privilege of being able to partner to share with the Chinese people that we love dearly!â€
Since 2013, the Palau Association has prayerfully cultivated an ongoing long-term vision for a Christmas tour every year using the book What is Christmas? (co-written by Luis, Kevin, and Andrew Palau). In 2013 and 2014, Palau shared the Christmas message at churches in Beijing and Hangzhou, establishing deep relationships with the pastors and churches. This year marked Palau’s first time sharing the Good News in Northern China, focusing on the “Ice City†of Harbin (population 3.4 million people).
“They (government leaders) see us as long-term friends who love China and really have a genuine heart to bless the nation,†said Tim Innes, the Luis Palau Association’s Festival Director.
The Palau team hopes to continue working with a local publisher to produce evangelistic tools in order to share the Gospel across the country. In addition, Palau hopes to continue to visit the country and speak at local churches and events, in accordance with government regulations.
For more information about the Palau Association, visit www.palau.org.
SOURCE: ASSIST News Service (www.assisnews.net) via OpenHeaven.com
DAVID'S DOWNLOADS
A REVELATION OF.... THE ETERNAL KINGDOM OF GODLooking at the kingdom of God from past, future and present perspectives.
Download your free PDF Files here.....
WAXING LYRICAL
We need to understand that even after coming to Jesus, we have both good and bad weeks. I hope this encourages you that you are not alone! This was written 7 years ago, as Kathy and I have now been married for 45 years.THIS WEEK
I would like to write good things about this week,
With a magnificent achievement of which to speak.
But reality is, the week's been hard!
Really, truly, caught me off guard!
Would love to have huge shop sales of which to skite,
But to be truthful, Kathy and I just had a fight!
It doesn't happen very often between her and me,
Been together for thirty-eight years, you see.
But all is now well, for we finally sorted things out.
After a slow week, on Saturday, sales turned about,
You see, all in all, I can't now complain,
Life wouldn't be life, without some pain.
If life was a bed of roses, from week to week,
My Jesus I would have, no real need to seek.
But life, like roses, does have thorns,
We all have, both good and bad morns.
So I do hope this little ditty may now encourage you,
That in tough times, light can still shine through.
For Jesus has come, not the perfect to save,
Nor the streets of earth, with gold to pave.
But to offer us comfort and support through life,
Also to correct us, when we argue with the wife!
For in Him, we have a friend in whom we can trust,
Until that day we too, go from 'dust to dust'.
Then we can be with Him in heaven, forever to reign,
No more worries, no more arguments, no more pain.
"But first Lord, establish Your kingdom here on earth,
So as a very human human, I may be of some worth."
This week I will again seek to become more like Him,
Spiritual sails, to His wind of wisdom, will I trim.
"Lord, please mould me in your image,
May I truly grow into your visage."
More of David's poetry here.....
A DAVID MUSING
Kathy and I are going on a 3 day holiday, just for a break from the pressured situations we have faced recently.For something different we are leaving the beautiful tourist city of Napier where we live to go to a farming country town, Taihape, where no-one goes for a holiday! It is reached over a long winding road. The man in the motel when we booked couldn't believe we were going there for a break! LOL!
Taihape is a farming service town and is known as the 'Gumboot Capital Of The World' (see photo) due to the gumboot throwing contest they hold annually that has achieved a certain 'fame' or 'notoriety' worldwide. You mean you haven't heard of it?! Shame on you!!! LOL!!!
Throwing a gumboot any distance is a real skill - one that I don't have!
Catch you next week - if we survive!!! LOL!!!
So until next week.....
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: SCENTED
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' C. Luke 11:5-8
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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