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: 745 Published: 08 Feb 2016
CHRISTIANITY - A CULTURE, ORGANISATION, OR A RELATIONSHIP?
It is easy to criticize the church and its religious ways, but the real question is 'what do we do about it?' That is the challenge that we as God's disciples face today. Over these 12 weeks we are looking at practical ways God is calling His church, you and me, and the body corporate, to change today. These are taken from my publication A REVELATION OF……. GOD'S CALL TO HIS CHURCH, published 10 years ago. I do not pretend that the changes are easy, but they are necessary for God's kingdom to be established on the earth in preparation for the return of Jesus. Let's continue.....1: FROM MARTHA TO MARY
2: FROM GREEK TO HEBREW
3: FROM REVIVAL TO HABITATION
4: FROM KINGSHIP TO SERVANTHOOD
In Christian circles there is much talk about kingship, about taking the land, ruling and reigning, and much more victorious analogy.
"We will take the land for Jesus!" Unfortunately, it rarely seems to happen - does it? The emphasis on victorious kingship, in a worldly sense, which most of us interpret it in, neither rings true, nor is a reality in the church today.
We teach excellence, we teach vision, we teach success principles, and much more in a similar vein. We look for perfect pastors (an oxymoron) who are as handsome and worldly-wise as was King Saul. Successful men, and women too, to lead us powerfully into the Promised Land of milk and honey.
Just like Jesus was! Conquering the Romans! Leading the people to retake the Promised Land! Taking the kingdom by physical force...! I don't think so. In fact, He died a pauper, on a cross, a criminal's fate, battered and bruised, suffering an agonising death for you and for me. And we are called to become like Him! Oh dear - not a pleasant thought!
In one of the most amazing pieces of New Testament Scripture, Philippians 2, we learn that Jesus, God, came in humility, not seeking recognition, but as a servant. Obedient to the Father, he suffered and died on the cross. It was then, and only then, that Jesus was exalted to the highest place and proclaimed Lord of all!
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-10)
You see, my friend, we have things all the wrong way round. We look for the glory without first paying the price necessary to attain it. We seek glory now, rather than building treasures in the heavenly kingdom, those that will last for eternity.
In God, down is up! It's no good seeking promotion in the kingdom without being prepared first to sacrifice our life spiritually, as Jesus did physically, on the cross. To serve others. To feel the pain of rejection by the world, often those helped, as Jesus did. Even rejection by fellow Christians, that which hurts most of all. Then, continuing to serve, no matter what the cost to pride, ego, comfort, to our very life.
But finally, when we do, we can look forward to hearing those wonderful words, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’(Matthew 25:21)
PRINCIPLE 4: God is calling out to Himself a servant church, one prepared to sacrifice everything for Him, as did His Son, Jesus.
DAVID'S DOUBTS: "But God, it would be nice to be appreciated - sometimes!" "You are by me all the time, my son." "Thank you God!"
(Continued next week)
FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUSMay we hear what the Lord is saying to us.
Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8)
Explaining persistent prayer to the disciples.
“Once there was a judge in this particular town who didn’t respect God or care about anyone,†“In the same town lived a widow who time and again went to the judge, saying, ‘Give me justice in the case against my enemy!’ For a while he didn’t want to do anything about it, but eventually he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t respect God or care about anyone, this widow is so annoying I’ll make sure she receives justice. Then she won’t wear me out by her coming to see me so often.’
“Listen to what even an unjust judge decided,†said the Lord. “Don’t you think that God will make sure his chosen people receive justice, those who cry out to him day and night? Do you think he will make them wait? No, I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. However, when the Son of man comes, will he find people on earth who trust in him?â€
Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. (Luke 18:9-14)
Spoken to some self righteous Pharisees.
“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed to himself, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—cheats, criminals, adulterers— or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithe on my income.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He wouldn’t even look up to heaven. Instead he beat his chest and prayed, ‘God, please be merciful to me. I am a sinner.’
“I tell you, it was this man who went home right in God’s sight and not the other. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, while those who humble themselves will be exalted.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
SERVANTHOOOD561. It is better to be ‘led’ by God than ’bled’ by life.
562. In God, to obey is the better way.
563. Our Christian walk in a ‘t’ – from rust to trust!
564. To serve is to…
… love the unlovely
… help the helpless
… befriend the lonely
… rebuild the brokenhearted
… soothe the sick
… bless the poor
… raise up the downtrodden
… seek the lost
… comfort the dying
565. True servants add their own desires to the end of the queue.
566. Pride demolishes, while servanthood builds.
567. Leaders of character understand the twin character difference between serve and slave.
568. To serve is God initiated, to slave, human imposed.
569. A servant serves by choice, a slave through fear.
570. For down to be up, up must first be down.
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........ as we look at the way to Jesus, plus spiritual fruit in our lives.
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. ***
281. JONAH AND THE WHALE
After telling the story of Jonah and the whale to her Sunday school class, the teacher decided to quiz them. She asked, "Timmy, what is the moral of the story?"
Timmy thought for a minute, then said, "People make whales throw up."
280. CHURCH FUNNIES
*** I asked our six-year-old, "How did you like the service?" She said, "I liked the music, but I thought the commercial was too long."
*** Pastor, I've got some terrible news. Someone broke into our church last night and stole ninety thousand dollars worth of pledges.
***Does a good beginning and a good ending make a good sermon? Yes, if they're close enough together.
*** A new pastor preached a stirring sermon on "Gossip" but then made a fatal error by closing the service by singing "I Love to Tell the Story."
*** Sunday school teacher: "Cleanliness is next to what?" Little boy answers, "Next to impossible."
279. THE BARBER
After twenty years of shaving himself every morning, a man in a small Southern town decided he had had enough. He told his wife that he intended to let the local barber shave him each day. He put on his hat and coat and went to the barber shop, which was owned by the pastor of the town's Baptist Church.
The barber's wife, Grace, was working that day, so she performed the task. Grace shaved him and sprayed him with lilac water, and said, "That will be $20." The man thought the price was a bit high, but he paid the bill and went to work.
The next morning the man looked in the mirror, and his face was as smooth as it had been when he left the barber shop the day before. Not bad, he thought. At least I don't need to get a shave every day. The next morning, the man's face was still smooth. Two weeks later, the man was still unable to find any trace of whiskers on his face.
It was more than he could take, so he returned to the barber shop. "I thought $20 was high for a shave", he told the barber's wife, "But you must have done a great job. It's been two weeks and my whiskers still haven't started growing back."
Expecting his comment, the expression on her face didn't even change. She responded, "You were shaved by Grace. Once shaved, always shaved."
"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: Why do some animals have eyes that glow in the dark?ANSWER: Taking a flashlight outside at night to look for your cat, you might have been greeted with the eerie glow of two eyes that appear to be floating free of the cat. What makes cat eyes, and those of some other animals, glow in the dark? Many nocturnal animals (those that hunt at night) have a mirror like layer called the ‘tapetum’ behind the cells of the retina. This reflective surface helps the animal to gather more light so that it can clearly see, even in very low levels of illumination. Animals that have this ability include rabbits, deer, cats, racoons, wolves, and even bullfrogs. Animals' eyes glow different colours, too, depending on the type of animal and the pigment in the animal's photoreceptors. Some shine red or green, while others are yellow, gold or white. (Glow worms too.)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS 446. UN-AMERICAN!
Vermont, Alaska, Hawaii, and Maine are the four states in the U.S. that do not allow billboards. (Have to be radical and look at the scenery instead!)
447. CAN'T KISS
In Riverside, California, there is an old law on the city's books, which makes it illegal to kiss unless both people wipe their lips with rose water. (So that’s why men give roses to their sweethearts – in Riverside anyway!)
448. RUN AND DIVORCE?
A study of New York marathoners a few years ago found that their divorce rate – male and female – was twice the national average. Persons engaging in solitary endurance sports are the ones most likely to be compulsive exercisers – for example, joggers, long-distance swimmers, weight-lifters, and cross-country skiers. Occasionally, devotees of these activities set unrealistic, ambitious goals, then drive themselves mercilessly to reach them. (But it’s not another excuse to be a couch potato though!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
NEOLITH
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...
GENERAL TRIVIA 1
1: Under the law, when laying siege to a city, what natural food source was to be spared from destruction?a. Sheep
b. Crop fields
c. Fruit trees
d. Honey
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"""Some interesting thoughts . . .
If you're not familiar with the work of Steven Wright, he's an erudite scientist who once said:
"I woke up one morning, and all of my stuff had been stolen and replaced by exact duplicates."
His mind sees things differently than most of us do. Here are some of his gems.....
8 - If you want the rainbow, you got to put up with the rain.
9 - All those who believe in psycho kinesis, raise my hand.
10 - The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
11 - I almost had a psychic girlfriend, ...... But she left me before we met.
12 - OK, so what's the speed of dark?
13 - How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?
14 - If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
JUST JOKES
264. MATHS PROBLEM?Mrs. Applebee, the 6th grade teacher, posed the following problem to one of her arithmatic classes:
"A wealthy man dies and leaves ten million dollars. One-fifth is to go to his wife, one-fifth is to go to his son, one-sixth to his butler, and the rest to charity. Now, what does each get?"
After a very long silence in the classroom, Little Morris raised his hand.
The teacher called on Little Morris for his answer.
With complete sincerity in his voice, Little Morris answered,
"A lawyer!"
263. THE MONEY
A man was caught for speeding and went before the judge. The judge said, "What will you take....30 days or $30."
The man replied, "I think I'll take the money."
262. FEMINIST LOGIC
A feminist is getting on a bus when, just in front of her, a man gets up from his seat.
She thinks to herself, "Here's another man trying to keep up the customs of a patriarchal society by offering a poor, defenseless woman his seat," so she pushes him back onto the seat.
A few minutes later, the man tries to get up again. She is still insulted so she refuses to let him up again.
Finally, the man says, "Look, lady, you've got to let me get up. I'm twelve blocks past my stop already!"
261. ADD A LITTLE WATER
Father visiting America, from Europe, for the very first time: Goes up & down the aisles with his son, at the local Giant Food Store.
Dad: "Vas diss?? Powdered orange juice?"
Son: "Yeh, Dad. You just add a little water, and you have fresh orange juice."
A few minutes later, in a different aisle
Dad: "Und vas dis?? Powdered milk?"
Son: "Yeh, Dad. You just add a little water, and you have fresh milk!"
A few minutes later, in a different aisle
Dad: "Und give a look here!! Baby Powder !!
Vat a country, vat a country!"
260. BIG PROBLEM
I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose-fitting clothing. If I HAD any loose-fitting clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place!
259. NOT IMPRESSED
A fisherman returned to shore with a giant marlin that was bigger and heavier than he. On the way to the cleaning shed, he ran into a second fisherman who had a stringer with a dozen baby minnows. The second fisherman looked at the marlin, turned to the first fisherman and said, "Only caught one, eh?"
Serbian Christian survived bombings, became best tennis player in the world
By Michael Ashcraft and Mark EllisTo win the Australian Open, a tennis player needs composure – something Novak Djokovic, 28, developed when his city was bombed by NATO for 78 consecutive nights in 1999.
A Christian of deep faith, Djokovic – also known as Super Novak – made use of his poise under pressure to take the Jan. 31 Open by storm. He slammed contender Andy Murray 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 in a display of dominance proving why he’s tennis’ new #1 ranked player.
Djokovic grew up playing tennis in Belgrade when NATO imposed an embargo and bombed the city during the Kosovo War in 1999, causing great shortages of food.
“We started the war living in fear, but somewhere during the course of the bombings, something changed in me, in my family, in my people,†Djokovic wrote in his memoir, Serve to Win. “We decided to stop being afraid. After so much death, after so much destruction, we simply stopped hiding. We decided to make fun of how ridiculous our situation was. One friend died his hair like a bulls-eye, a target.â€
Young Djokovic himself stumbled and fell while scrambling to a bomb shelter one night. He looked up and saw a fearsome F-117 bomber release its cargo upon a hospital, he said.
If you can play tennis while dodging bullets and standing in long lines for bread and milk, then nothing can unnerve you. After facing the hardships of war, the psychological games played by opponents on a tennis court are relatively tame to Djokovic. His inner resolve has resulted in many come from behind victories.
His opponents seem befuddled next to his highly-trained concentration level that screens out distractions of any form.
When Djokovic did the unimaginable and recovered from a breakdown in the fifth set to beat Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open of 2013, the Australian news.com.au proclaimed it an act akin to turning water into wine or opening up the Red Sea.
“No one does that,†the reporter wrote. “Djokovic wins a lot of matches he should lose.â€
Djokovic, jubilant over a triumph that made the world stand up and notice, tore off his shirt to celebrate. The wooden cross around his neck bore visible testament to his faith.
Other players choke. Djokovic brings out his best tennis when the heat is on. At the 2011 U.S. Open he played 16-time major winner Roger Federer and returned a mind-boggling ball on match point that seemed impossible to retrieve – now memorialized as “the shot†– that shocked Federer and the entire tennis world. Federer was reportedly upset about it for months.
Once upon a time, Djokovic was the upstart among tennis champions. He was the “third man†behind Federer and Nadal. Now, he stands alone. He has won 11 Grand Slam singles titles – four of the last five. In 2015, he won 82 of 88 matches – a 93% win percentage.
“He doesn’t miss anymore,†said John Lloyd, once an Australian Open finalist, as quoted by the BBC.
Djokovic describes himself as “orthodox Christian†but “less a religious person than a person of faith,†according to the UK’s Guardian. He frequently gestures thanks to God on the court.
Off the court, Djorkovic serves as a Unicef ambassador for his native Serbia and he also founded the Novak Djokovic Foundation, which fosters education for disadvantaged children. He attends the Eastern Orthodox Church. He speaks five languages fluently and is studying others.
If on the hard court he breaks down his opponents, off the court he impersonates them, earning himself the nickname “Djoker†(pronounced, similarly to his name, “jokerâ€). He recently won the hearts of the public and the ball boys by hanging out with his ball boy during a spell of rain.
He married his long-time girlfriend, model Jelena Ristic, in 2014. The couple has a baby son, Stefan. Regarding God’s institution of marriage, he counseled his tennis compatriots: “I suggest that to every player: Get married, have kids, let’s enjoy this.â€
Source: www.godreports.com
DAVID'S DOWNLOADS
A REVELATION OF....... THE AMAZING TABERNACLE OF MOSESThe first modern revelation of the importance of Moses Tabernacle as being the pattern of a godly walk, and one of church development and life, came out of the Latter Rain Movement, after World War 2.
In more recent times the teaching has been neglected, but it is still applicable today. And the Lord is today, giving even more revelation about it, as we move still closer to the end of the age.
Yes, an understanding of Moses Tabernacle is vital for every Christian with a heart to know God and His plans in a deeper way.
I pray that you will find it as illuminating, challenging, yet encouraging, as I have in my life.
Download your free PDF Files here.....
WAXING LYRICAL
So often we 'live for the day' but the reality is, we don't know how many more days we will have to live! What will be our eternal future of endless days!PLANNING AHEAD
Reality is, today's life is ever so uncertain,
Never know when God will pull down the curtain!
Yes, we all like to think it will never end,
That forever, death's punches, we can fend!
But that is not the way with real life,
Never know when we'll end up in strife.
Yes, it's true our life may be long - or it may be short,
But, one day, by death's clutches, we'll all be caught.
When that day comes, what will we say?
For there's no longer any time to pray.
Yes, it's time now to be held accountable,
Will we then rejoice - or be miserable?
We only get one shot at living,
Too late now for any misgiving.
Yes, the reality of heaven and hell has come,
Can't change our mind, what's done is done.
"Oh Lord, give me another chance,
My claims to heaven to advance!"
"No, you've had your chance, it's now too late,
With a loud clang, He closes the heavenly gate."
Where will you be found on that inevitable day?
On which side of the gate will you forever stay?
Yes, I know now where I'm going to be,
How will it, my friend, be with thee?
More of David's poetry here.....
A DAVID MUSING
In our modern life we are by words - from radio, TV, papers, the net, the pulpit, and more. We live in the Information Age - or of excess information depending upon how we cope with it.It seems everyone (including me in PGIM!) has an opinion to express, for information, entertainment, to change our opinion or convince us to act in a certain way. We are all too easily tossed to and fro in the stormy sea of information, we live in.
Yet our God is found in stillness, in quietness, in the still small voice of the gentle breeze of the Spirit.
Are we prepared to put aside the noise of the world, in order to listen to Him today?
Only we can make our own decision.
So until next week.....
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: HOTLINE
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' c. Fruit trees (Deuteronomy 20:19-20)
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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