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: 760 Published: 23 May 2016
A REVELATION TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE!
THE TRUE ARMOUR OF GOD - Part 4The primary problem we have with our 'Roman soldier' concept of the armour of God is that we see it as aggressive weaponry, strengthening us to go out and beat the devil into submission! This is particularly so in the Pentecostal stream of churches where the armour of God is most promoted.
Unfortunately however, while it may make us feel good (temporarily) it doesn't work, for satan, the devil, is still with us. It is a battle we cannot win through this way of so called 'spiritual warfare'.
Yes, the Bible does say.....
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)
.....but we misinterpret this to mean a 'physical' rather than a 'spiritual' battle. Yes, Jesus sometimes cast out demons with a physical manifestation and I have seen others, and done so myself, at times. But at other times, Jesus simply said, go and sin no more.
Being human, we love physical manifestations, but true spiritual warefare, in reality is spiritual!
The function of our spiritual armour is to enable us to RESIST the devil, not to REBUKE him.
Let's have a look at some scriptures.....
Going back to the Old Testament.....
Jehoshaphat defeats Moab and Ammon
King Jehoshaphat faced a seemingly uneinnable battle against the hordes of Moabites and Ammonites. It was hopeless in the natural! But the Lord gave Jahaziel a message for the King.....
15 He said: ‘Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.â€â€™ 18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. 20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.’ 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendour of his[c] holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures for ever.’ 22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. (2 Chronicles 20:15-22)
The battle (with the physical devil) was the Lord's, not the King's or the peoples! It was won in the Spirit, not the physical. The Lord destroyed their enemies for them.
Psalm 149 makes the same point.....
Let his faithful people rejoice in this honour and sing for joy on their beds.
6 May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands,
7 to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron,
9 to carry out the sentence written against them – this is the glory of all his faithful people.
Praise the Lord. (Psalm 149:5-9)
The Old Testament is primarily physically based, eg. the material blessing of Solomon, while blessings in the New Testament are primarily spiritual. eg. The Beatitudes. However, even in the Old Testament, which set's the pattern for the New, the 'battle is the Lord's'.
Let us again refer to the battle between David and Goliath, we looked at earlier. David did not go out to attack and defeat Goliath on his own account, but only because Goliath was attacking Israel on behalf of the Philistines. That was how wars were sometimes decided in those days, in order to avoid excessive bloodshed.
10 Then the Philistine said, ‘This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.’ 11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. (1 Samuel 17:10-11)
David came, not in physical strength, but in the name of the Lord.....
45 David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. (1 Samuel 17:45-6)
And the Lord did!
Finally today, as an Old Testament summary.....
So he said to me, ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,†says the Lord Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6)
Amen.
We will continue with the New Testament next week.
(Continued next week.)
FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUSMay we hear what the Lord is saying to us.
Preparations for the Passover (Matthew 26:17-19, Mark 14:12-16, Luke 22:7-13)
Instructions to Peter and John.
“Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.â€
“When you enter the city you’ll meet a man carrying a jar of water. Follow him and go into the house he enters. Tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks you, “Where is the dining room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?â€â€™ He’ll show you a large upstairs room that already has the necessary furniture. Prepare the meal there.â€
Jesus Washes the Feet of His Disciples (John 13:1-20)
Peter protests.
“You won’t realize what I’m doing for you now. But one day you’ll understand.â€
“If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me,â€
“Anyone who has had a bath only needs to wash their feet and then they’re clean all over. You are clean—but not all of you.â€
“Do you understand what I’ve done to you?†“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that’s who I am. So if I, your Teacher and Lord, washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example, so you should do just as I did. I tell you the truth, servants are not more important than their master, and the one sent is not greater than the sender. Now that you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
I’m not talking about all of you—I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill Scripture: “The one who shares my food has turned against me. I’m telling you this now, before it happens, so when it does happen you will be convinced that I am who I am. I tell you the truth, whoever welcomes anyone I send welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the One who sent me.â€
(Continued next week.)
You can download the complete 'Words of Jesus' here.
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'THE WORDS OF JESUS' REMAIN 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.
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
TO BE or TO DO701. Man expects 'to do' in order 'to be', but God requires us 'to be' in order 'to do'.
702. In God's dictionary, 'doing' follows 'being'.
703. 'To do' is simply living out our 'to be'.
704. If 'to do' does not follow out of our 'to be', then our 'to be' is 'not to be'!
705. 'To be' a witness is 'to do' God's will.
706. We are first called 'to be', then 'to do'.
707. Too often we try 'to do' when God is simply calling us 'to be'.
708. 'To do' good, it is best 'to be' good!
709. To best know what 'to do', we must first learn how 'to be'.
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CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK:THINKING GREEK OR HEBREW..... as we look at the KINGDOM OF GOD (ETERNAL LIFE) and possibly also the COMMUNITY v INDIVIDUAL, as space allows.
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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. ***
324. THE CONTEST
Between moments of dispensing wisdom, it seems that historical religious leaders had also learned software programming. One day, a great contest was held to test their skills. After days and days of fierce competition, only two leaders remained for the last day's event: Jesus and Mohammed.
The judge described the software application required for the final test, and gave the signal to start writing code. The two contestants feverishly typed away on their keyboards. Routines, classes, applets and applications flew by on their screens at incredible speeds. Windows, dialogs, and other intricate graphics began forming on their monitors. The clock showed that the contest would soon be finished.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightening flashed and the power went out. After a moment, it came back on - just in time for the clock to announce that the last competition was over. The judge asked the two contestants to reveal their finished software. Mohammed angrily said that he'd lost it all in the power outage. The judge turned to the other competitor.
Jesus smiled, clicked a mouse, and a dazzling application appeared on his screen.
After just a few moments, the judge was clearly impressed and declared Jesus the victor. When asked why the decision was made, the judge pointed out the unique characteristic that set the winner apart from all the other leaders: Jesus saves.
323. GOD IS REAL AND TRULY WORKING IT OUT!
There was a Christian lady who lived next door to an atheist. Everyday, when the lady prayed, the atheist guy could hear her. He thought to himself, "She sure is crazy, praying all the time like that. Doesn't she know there isn't a God?" Many times while she was praying, he would go to her house and harass her, saying "Lady, why do you pray all the time? Don't you know there is no God?"
But she kept on praying. One day, she ran out of groceries. As usual, she was praying to the Lord explaining her situation and thanking Him for what He was gonna do.
AS USUAL, the atheist heard her praying and thought to himself. "Hmph...I'll fix her." He went to the grocery store, bought a whole bunch of groceries, took them to her house, dropped them off on the front porch, rang the door bell and then hid in the bushes to see what she would do. When she opened the door and saw the groceries, she began to praise the Lord with all her heart, jumping, singing and shoutin' everywhere!
The atheist then jumped out of the bushes and told her, "You ol' crazy lady, God didn't buy you those groceries, I bought those groceries!"
Well, she broke out and started running down the street, shouting and praising the Lord. When he finally caught her, he asked what her problem was...
She said, "I KNEW THE LORD WOULD PROVIDE ME WITH SOME GROCERIES, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS GONNA MAKE THE DEVIL PAY FOR THEM!"
322. THEIF
There is the story of a minister in a small town who was having trouble with his offering collections.
So one Sunday he announced from the pulpit: "Before we pass the collection plate, I would like to request that the person who stole the chickens from Brother Smith's hen house please refrain from giving any money to the Lord. The Lord doesn't want money from a thief."
The collection plate was passed around, and for the first time in many months everybody put something in.
"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: Which Shakespearean play is the only one that has a dog in its cast?ANSWER: The dog's name is Crab, appearing in ‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona’. (To nip its fellow actors?)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is an ‘interrobang’?
SOME FUN FACTS 415. FLY HIGH
A jet powered aircraft uses more fuel flying at 25,000 feet than at 30,000 feet. The higher it flies the thinner the atmosphere and the less atmospheric resistance it encounters. (The Concord used too much at any height.)
416. GET THE GEARS
A car with a manual shift gets 2 miles more per gallon of gas than a similar one with an automatic gearbox. (The effort is worthwhile for both economy and fun.)
417. FIRST PRIZE
You may call it Britain, Great Britain, United Kingdom, or the U.K. However, if you purchase a stamp there, you won't find any name on it. Great Britain was the first country in the world to issue postage stamps, and still today, they are the only nation in the world that doesn't use a national name on their stamps. (Because they wouldn’t know which name to put on?)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
FINGER
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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GENERAL TRIVIA 1
16: Why did Herod arrest Peter?a. For threatening his position as king
b. For causing a riot
c. To protect him from harm
d. To please the Jews
Source: http://biblequizzes.org.uk
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""More of "MURPHY'S OTHER LAWS"
!!!!!!! It is hard to understand how a cemetery can raise its burial costs and blame it on the higher cost of living.
!!!!!! It is said that if you line up all the cars in the world end to end, someone would be stupid enough to try and pass them.
!!!!! Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries.
!!!! The shin bone is a device for finding furniture.
!!! A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.
!! Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
! Diamonds are a girl's best friends. Dogs are man's best friend. So which is more intelligent ?
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
TIL DEATH DO US PART
39. JUST STUPIDDuring a friendly argument, Jim asked his wife why she married him in the first place. "I was just stupid," she teased. When he said he was happy to hear that, she was surprised and requested an explanation.
"Well, people get divorced all the time because they fall out of love," he said. "But I've never heard of anybody falling out of stupid."
40. RULES THAT RULE PARENTS
Sir Isaac Newton may have discovered the laws of gravity, but here's a parallel set of laws that govern mums and dads:
1. A child's behavior will improve in proportion to the distance she is away from the parent.
2. Two is equal to two, except when referring to time. Two minutes of tantrum lasts 20 times as long as two minutes of quiet time.
3. The choice of a preschooler's best friend corresponds directly to the distance the friend lives from your house.
4. A child's enjoyment of a popular entertainment will be inversely proportionate to the parent's enjoyment.
5. The chance of a surprise visit by your parents-in-law is directly proportional to the size of the mess in your home.
6. A child will always eat exactly what she has loved for the past year ... unless it is the only food in the fridge.
7. The ease with which a toddler acquires the ability to say a word increases with its likelihood to embarrass a sailor.
41. MAKING A MARRIAGE LAST
1. Two times a week, we go to a nice restaurant, have a little wine, some good food and companionship. She goes Tuesday's, I go Friday's.
2. We also sleep in separate beds. Hers is in Ontario and mine is in B.C.
3. I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back.
4. I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary. "Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said. So I suggested the kitchen.
5. We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.
6. She has an electric blender, electric toaster, and electric bread maker. Then she said, "There are too many gadgets, and no place to sit down!" So I bought her an electric chair.
7. My wife told me the car wasn't running well because there was water in the carburetor. I asked where the car was, she told me, "In the lake."
8. She got a mudpack and looked great for two days. Then the mud fell off.
9. She ran after the garbage truck, yelling, "Am I too late for the garbage?" The driver said, "No, jump in!"
10. Remember....Marriage is the number one cause of divorce.
11. Statistically, 100% of all divorces start with marriage.
12. I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her first name was Always.
13. I haven't spoken to my wife for 18 months. I don't like to interrupt her.
14. The last fight was my fault. My wife asked, "What's on the TV?"...I said, 'Dust!"
15. In the beginning, God created earth and rested. Then God created man and rested. Then God created woman... Since then, neither God nor man has rested.
Laugh about family life here.....
China Frees Imprisoned Pastor
Chinese authorities released a pastor who had been imprisoned for eight months for protesting against the government's forced demolition of Christian crosses and churches.Zhang Chongzhu frequently spoke out against the ongoing persecution of Christians in the country, reports China Aid.
Some churchgoers also suggested that Zhang might have been singled out and arrested for meeting with a U.S. diplomat in Shanghai last year.
In 2013, Communist party officials began a campaign to take down hundreds of rooftop crosses and churches. The government claims it is targeting places that violate building codes and deems rooftop crosses as unsafe.
Since 2014, authorities across Zhejiang province have demolished more than 2,000 church crosses.
Zhang whose Three-Self Patriotic Movement Church is in the Zhejiang province was reportedly taken into custody on September 8, 2015. He was charged with "stealing, spying, buying, or illegally providing state secrets or intelligence to entities outside China." This is a common accusation against those who challenge the Communist regime, reports China Aid.
Although China allows state-run churches to operate, it has not spared even the highest ranking pastors from prison if they speak or act out against the Communist Party.
Source: CBN News
Via: OpenHeaven.com
DAVID'S DOWNLOADS
UP THE MOUNTAINAn exciting yet challenging allegory of one man’s spiritual journey and his participation in the fulfilment of God’s plan
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WAXING LYRICAL
Asking the question. Do you have the answer?A DAVID MUSING
For David Tait
Is Running late
Here's a musing
Find it amusing
Life was short
People then fought
Now life's longer
Are people stronger?
More of David's poetry here.....
A DAVID MUSING
Sometimes we just run out of time. And sometimes maybe energy too! Circumstances are against us!This has happened to me this weekend. Oh Dear! I have had to forsake my Sunday market stall for the first time other than for weather. Kathy has had a bad dose of the flu, we have been busy with one time commitments, I ran out of time and energy to prepare my ingredients, and my stall assistant has had to go to a grandparents funeral and this PGIM was incomplete! Probably reasonable reasons to call it a day today, on the stall!
So this morning (Sunday) we were able to sleep in a little, then go for a (slow) waterfront walk, hand in hand, in the amazingly beautiful sunshine and warmth of this near week of Autumn. We had an amazing time, taking in the scenery of sea, boats, houses and the hills in the background. We certainly do live in paradise on a day like this!
Sometimes we are just not meant to get everything done! And not to feel guilty about it! Thank you Lord for your sunshine and beautiful creation!
So until next week.....
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: FRINGE
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' d. To please the Jews (Acts 12:1-3)
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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!
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