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: 768 Published: 18 Jul 2016
WHO WILL DARE TO BE A DISCIPLE?
Jesus is calling out right now, personally to you and to me, 'Follow me.'But what does follow me mean? Reading Scripture, we will normally quote.....
“Come, follow me,†Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.†(Matthew 4:19)
So we 'give our heart to Jesus', say the sinners prayer, and lo and behold, we will be netting people for Jesus? Right? Wrong! For there is one ingredient missing, that being 100% commitment to our Saviour and Lord.
For 'follow me' means so much more than mental assent. (Nearly typed 'ascent' which would be a misspelling - but actually more accurate!) For let's see what the Word says. It starts.....
But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.†(Matthew 8:22)
That requires more COMMITMENT but there is more.....
Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:38)
We must take up our cross! What does that mean? It means a total life change as one man found out.....
THE RICH AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,†he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?†18 “Why do you call me good?†Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’†20 “Teacher,†he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.â€
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,†he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.†22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. (Mark 10 17-22)
OOPS! That is more serious! Actually for me personally, this requirement has been literally true - the giving up of riches, not the refusal to!
As it was too for Levi, who had the extremely lucrative job of a tax collector.....
After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,†Jesus said to him, (Luke 5:27)
PERSONAL NOTE: I trust you can now understand why I get so upset about prosperity preachers!
Jesus summed it up succinctly.....
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)
And the result?
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.†(John 8:12)
Are you walking in darkness or the light?
Will you dare to be a disciple? I will.
(Continued next week)
FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUSMay we hear what the Lord is saying to us.
Pilate Questions Jesus Again (John 19:8-11)
Trying to release Him.
“You would have no power over me unless it had been given to you from above,†“Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of the greater sin.â€
Before the Crucifixion (Luke 23:27-32)
Jesus speaking to weeping women.
“Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me. Weep for yourselves and your children. For the time is coming when they’ll say, ‘Happy are those who are childless, and those who never had babies, and those who never nursed them.’ They’ll say to the mountains, ‘Fall down on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do this to wood that is new, what will happen when it’s dried out?â€
The Crucifixion (Matthew27:32-55, Mark 15:21-41, Luke 23:33-49, John 9:18-37)
To the Romans and Jews.
“Father, please forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.â€
To the thief who repented.
“I promise you today you will be with me in paradise.â€
To Mary and John
“Mother, this is your son.†“This is your mother.â€
Approaching death.
“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?†(which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?â€)
“I’m thirsty.†“It’s finished!â€
“Father, I place my spirit in your hands.â€
(Continued next week.)
You can download the complete 'Words of Jesus' here.
***NOW***EIGHT BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!!!
8 BOOKS are now available on Amazon (Kindle)!Two extra ones have been added about the core of our walk with Jesus - AND THE GREATEST OF THESE IS..... LOVE another this week, TWENTY-FIVE COMMANDMENTS OF JESUS.
All are available worldwide for electronic download on Amazon (Kindle) for $US0.99c . Unfortunately there has to be charge in order to list.
Your support would be appreciated and they could well change your life!
They are all found at this link.....
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=david+tait+books/
'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.
Download the free PDF here.....
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
HEAVENLY TRUTHS GOD HAS SHOWN ME739. - 809. God has shown me that...
... our love for Him is reflected through our service to others.
... His love is infinitely greater than my hurts, and His grace, than my sins.
... I can't hide anything from Him, even though I try.
... while we currently live in the Age of Grace, one day it will come to an end.
... His grace can only be activated through our repentance.
... our part is to present the Truth. Other's responsibility is to accept or reject it.
... unity comes from the Spirit, not the soul.
... happiness and joyfulness are not the same.
... without Him, we will never fulfil our potential.
... the more I get into Him, the more He gets into me.
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:THINKING GREEK OR HEBREW continues.......... as we look at FAITH AND WORKS.
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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. ***
347. THE CONSULTANT
There once was a consultant who lived her whole life without ever taking advantage of any of the people she worked for. In fact, she made sure that every job she did resulted in a win-win situation. One day while walking down the street she was tragically hit by a bus and she died.
Her soul arrived up in heaven where she was met at the Pearly Gates by St. Peter himself.
"Welcome to Heaven," said St. Peter. "Before you get settled in though it seems we have a problem. You see, strangely enough, we've never once had a consultant make it this far and we're not really sure what to do with you."
"No problem, just let me in." said the consultant.
"Well, I'd like to, but I have higher orders. What we're going to do is let you have a day in Hell and a day in Heaven and then you can choose whichever one you want to spend an eternity in." "Actually, I think I've made up my mind...I prefer to stay in Heaven" "Sorry, we have rules..." And with that St. Peter put the consultant in an elevator and it went down-down-down to hell.
The doors opened and the consultant found herself stepping out onto the putting green of a beautiful golf course. In the distance was a country club and standing in front of her were all her friends - fellow consultants that she had worked with and they were all dressed in evening gowns and cheering for her. They ran up and kissed her on both cheeks and they talked about old times. They played an excellent round of golf and at night went to the country club where she enjoyed an excellent steak and lobster dinner. She met the Devil who was actually a really nice guy (kinda cute) and she had a great time telling jokes and dancing. The consultant was having such a good time that before she knew it, it was time to leave. Everybody shook her hand and waved good-bye as she got on the elevator.
The elevator went up-up-up and opened back up at the Pearly Gates and found St. Peter waiting for her. "Now it's time to spend a day in heaven." So the consultant spent the next 24 hours lounging around on clouds and playing the harp and singing. She had a great time and before she knew it her 24 hours were up and St. Peter came and got her. "So, you've spent a day in hell and you've spent a day in heaven. Now you must choose your eternity." The consultant paused for a second and then replied, "Well, I never thought I'd say this, I mean, Heaven has been really great and all, but I think I had a better time in Hell." So St. Peter escorted her to the elevator and again the consultant went down-down-down back to Hell.
When the doors of the elevator opened she found herself standing in a desolate wasteland covered in garbage and filth. She saw her friends were dressed in rags and were picking up the garbage and putting it in sacks. The Devil came up to her and put his arm around her. "I don't understand," stammered the consultant, "yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and a country club and we ate lobster and we danced and had a great time. Now all there is a wasteland of garbage and all my friends look miserable."
The Devil looked at her and smiled, "That's because yesterday we were recruiting you, but today you're staff."
346. HANG ON
A mountain climber, who was also a Christian, began to slip as he climbed a dangerous section of the mountain. In a flash he had fallen over the edge of a cliff and began to plunge downward when he thrust out his hand and grabbed a small tree that had grown out from between two rocks. As he hung there fearing the worse, but trying to figure out what to do, he suddenly heard a voice calling him from above, "Just trust me, let go of the branch, and I will save you." Pausing a moment while he glanced down, the climber called out, "Hey, is there anyone else up there?"
"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: How did trivia (such as this), get its name?ANSWER: It is a merging of the Latin words 'tri' (three) and 'via' (road). To educate the public, news and information was posted on boards at crossroads (where three roads met) and so the word 'trivialis' was applied to the snippets of unrelated information. The word trivial is derived from this ‘Trivia' as a word on its own dates to about 1920. (Trivial by name, triffling by nature!)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: From where does the saying ‘Hobson's Choice’ originate?
SOME FUN FACTS 391. MAGNIFICATION
If a glass of water were magnified to the size of the Earth, the molecules comprising it would be about as big as a large orange. (Large multiplication giving a small answer.)
392. NOT A SURE BET
In horse races, the favourite wins fewer than 30 percent of all races. (In the human race too!)
393. STICKY STUFF
Many hair sprays are made largely of cellulose, the major ingredient of the cell walls of plants. Ethyl cellulose adhesives dry quickly, do not remain tacky, and wash out with water. (Plant a plant in your hair.)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
SPLENDID
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...
BIBLE OR NOT
Is this saying in the Bible or not?3. "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."
a. BIBLE
b. NOT BIBLE
Source: http://biblequizzes.org.uk
Answer at the end of A DAVID MUSING
IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""SAYINGS FOR YOU TO PONDER
!!!!!!! Beware of an half-truth ~ you may get hold of the wrong half.
!!!!!! Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
!!!!! If God is your Father, please call home.
!!!! If you can't be a Christian where you are, you can't be one anywhere.
!!! You have to be pretty low for a molehill to look like a mountain.
!! Lots of nuts hold a car together ~ one can scatter it all over the road.
! There are two periods in a man's life when he doesn't understand women ~ before and after marriage.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
JUST JOKES
332. SEVEN WORDSA woman from the deepest, most southern part of Alabama goes into the local newspaper office to see that the obituary for her recently deceased husband is written. The obit editor informs her that the fee for the obituary is 50 cents a word.
She pauses, reflects and then says, "Well, then, let it read, 'Billy Bob died'."
Amused at the woman's thrift, the editor says, "Sorry ma'am, there is a 7 word minimum on all obituaries."
Only a little flustered, she thinks things over and in a few seconds says, "In that case, let it read, 'Billy Bob died - 1983 Pick-up for sale.'"
331.0 CHICKENS
The farmer's son was returning from the market with he crate of chicken's his father had entrusted to him, when all of a sudden the box fell and broke open. Chickens scurried off in different directions, but the determined boy walked all over the neighborhood scooping up the wayward birds and returning them to the repaired crate. Hoping he had found them all, the boy reluctantly returned home, expecting the worst.
"Pa, the chickens got loose," the boy confessed sadly, "but I managed to find all twelve of them."
"Well, you did real good, son," the farmer beamed.
"You left with seven."
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."
Enjoy more humour here.....
She Was Told She'd Never Run Again: Now Olympic Sprinter is Praising Jesus
by News Staff : Jul 12, 2016 : CBN News"Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus. Oh, God I praise You. I give You so much glory.†– English Gardner
(Eugene, OR) — [CBN News] She was told she may never run again. But sprinter English Gardner instead qualified for the Olympics after becoming the fourth-fastest American in history and the seventh fastest sprinter in world history this weekend. (Photo Credit: CBN News)
Gardner won the 100-meter dash at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Oregon on Sunday in record-time.
According to NBC, her time would have won every Olympic game ever held other than in 1988 when Florence Griffith-Joyner ran 10.62.
When Gardner crossed the finish line she was overwhelmed and immediately started praising Jesus.
"Thank You Jesus. Thank You Jesus. Oh, God I praise you. I give you so much glory," she said, slapping the ground while on her knees.
The video of her record-setting race has more than 1 million views and 15,000 likes along with 800 comments.
Gardner's journey has not been an easy one. She underwent knee surgery in 2008 after tearing her right ACL, MCL and lateral meniscus. Every college recruiting her withdrew their scholarship offers after the injury, except for the University of Oregon.
Four years ago Gardner thought her dream was coming to an end. She placed seventh in the 100-meter dash finals on the exact same track, CSN Philly reports.
"I cried my eyes out and came to the realization that I never wanted to feel that feeling again. And so when I crossed the line and saw the results, I didn't really care if I came in first, second or third, I was just excited that I made the team," Gardner said.
Before Gardner entered the race on Sunday she told The Oregonian that she gained confidence by focusing on stories from the Bible.
"I started reading a lot and reading stories - David and Goliath and Noah and Daniel in the lion's den. Little stories like that I've heard as a little girl but kind of interpreting them and putting them in my life,†Gardner said.
The one character Gardner says she related to the most was Noah.
"The person I felt like I grasped the most was Noah. I felt as though year after year, I watched people have what I wanted … for me I didn't want that to happen anymore," she said.
Now Gardner is ranked as the second fastest in the world since the Sunday race. This summer Gardner will have two chances to win an Olympic medal, once in the 400-meter relay and once the open 100.
The track portion of the Olympic Games are scheduled to start on Aug. 12.
CBN News
Source: www.breakingchristiannews.com/
Via OpenHeaven.com
Photo: CBN News
DAVID'S DOWNLOADS
'TABERNEAGLE' THOUGHTS FROM.....- A poster of thoughts about living life in Tabernacles. Out of a human mind but hopefully with God given inspiration. An A4 sized wall (’loo?’) hanger. A4 size.
Download your free PDF Files here.....
WAXING LYRICAL
Faith is to be a living, growing, dynamic feature of our walk with our God.FAITH
I wonder why, when 'faith' is an issue,
So often then, we reach for a tissue,
To mop up the tears of doubt you see,
That assail us now, both you and me.
For on the one hand, we trust God with our all,
On the other, human doubt, our faith does stall!
"Will He or wont He?" we are wont to think,
Our faith, once so strong, begins to sink.
"You've always proved faithful to me, my Lord,"
While former blessings, I wish I could hoard!
Each new level requiring greater trust in Him,
Memories of past successes faded, now so dim.
If today's faith was the same as in the past,
Our belief in Him, just simply wouldn't last.
It would just be our own strength that had won,
Not that of our Lord, Jesus Christ the Son.
Now, today's challenge is to break new ground,
Then our faith in Him, it will be truly found.
Oh Lord, please help me in my unbelief!
You've come through again - what a relief!
Put simply, it's the way God's faith works,
Though to our human spirit, it still irks!
So if now, we are to mature and grow,
Trusting Him's, the only way to go!
David Tait 4 August 2002
More of David's poetry here.....
A DAVID MUSING
Well, what can we say this week! Nothing is certain - except uncertainty!Old orders, and 'givens' are giving away to tumult and change.
We are on the merry-go-round that is going faster and faster, and faster..... until CRASH! We are thrown off, bemused, hurt, and wondering where the world has gone.
The world's pace is ever increasing! So much to do! So many options available! Instant communication dragging us further apart rather than drawing us closer! The old moral order is being replaced by one of expediency! Help! Help! Help!
In the church too, the former 'bastion of society' of so many countries, is also being wracked with crisis and controversy.
What do we do? How should we react? Both in the world and in the church.
For me there is only one answer - to get deeper into Jesus. How about you?
Until next week.......
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: SPINDLED
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' ANSWER: a. BIBLE (Romans 12:9)
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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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david@wwj.org.nz