WHO WILL DARE TO BE A DISCIPLE? (Part 3)

There is a cost to being a disciple!

Jesus was quite open about this. It can cost us our family.....

52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:52-4)

Discipleship can cost us our life.....

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:9-14)

Of course the first to be martyred was Jesus Himself.....

39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross (Acts 10:39)

..... and not too long after, the we have recorded the martyrdom of Stephen, presided over by Paul.....

The Stoning of Stephen

54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Act 7:54-60)

It is very very sobering to look at the fate of the Apostles. All appear to have died as martyrs, with the exception of John, and he was boiled in oil but lived, and then died on the prison island of Patmos. Quoting Christianity.com.....

Many wonder how the 12 apostles died, but The New Testament tells of the fate of only two of the apostles: Judas, who betrayed Jesus and then went out and hanged himself, and James the son of Zebedee, who was executed by Herod about 44 AD (Acts 12:2). Read how each of the apostles spread out to minister and evangilize and how many of the apostles died for their faith.

Into All the World

Reports and legends abound and they are not always reliable, but it is safe to say that the apostles went far and wide as heralds of the message of the risen Christ. An early legend says they cast lots and divided up the world to determine who would go where, so all could hear about Jesus. They suffered greatly for their faith and in most cases met violent deaths on account of their bold witness.

PETER and PAUL were both martyred in Rome about 66 AD, during the persecution under Emperor Nero. Paul was beheaded. Peter was crucified, upside down at his request, since he did not feel he was worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.

ANDREW went to the "land of the man-eaters," in what is now the Soviet Union. Christians there claim him as the first to bring the gospel to their land. He also preached in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey, and in Greece, where he is said to have been crucified.

"Doubting" THOMAS was probably most active in the area east of Syria. Tradition has him preaching as far east as India, where the ancient Marthoma Christians revere him as their founder. They claim that he died there when pierced through with the spears of four soldiers.

PHILIP possibly had a powerful ministry in Carthage in North Africa and then in Asia Minor, where he converted the wife of a Roman proconsul. In retaliation the proconsul had Philip arrested and cruelly put to death.

MATTHEW the tax collector and writer of a Gospel, ministered in Persia and Ethiopia. Some of the oldest reports say he was not martyred, while others say he was stabbed to death in Ethiopia.

BARTHOLOMEW had widespread missionary travels attributed to him by tradition: to India with Thomas, back to Armenia, and also to Ethiopia and Southern Arabia. There are various accounts of how he met his death as a martyr for the gospel.

JAMES the son of Alpheus, is one of at least three James referred to in the New Testament. There is some confusion as to which is which, but this James is reckoned to have ministered in Syria. The Jewish historian Josephus reported that he was stoned and then clubbed to death.

SIMON THE ZEALOT, so the story goes, ministered in Persia and was killed after refusing to sacrifice to the sun god.

MATTHIAS was the apostle chosen to replace Judas. Tradition sends him to Syria with Andrew and to death by burning.

JOHN is the only one of the company generally thought to have died a natural death from old age. He was the leader of the church in the Ephesus area and is said to have taken care of Mary the mother of Jesus in his home. During Domitian's persecution in the middle 90's, he was exiled to the island of Patmos. There he is credited with writing the last book of the New Testament--the Revelation. An early Latin tradition has him escaping unhurt after being cast into boiling oil at Rome. (http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/whatever-happened-to-the-twelve-apostles-11629558.html)

I have been blessed to visit the site in Kerala, India, where Thomas made His first converts of Hindu priests. They were throwing water up in the air as part of their religious rites, which then fell to the ground. Thomas, having last his doubts, asked them if they would believe in his God if, when they next threw their water in the air, it would stay there! It did! There is a Catholic church there to this day. The amazing thing to me was the strong presence of the Holy Spirit on that site, 2000 odd years later.

Thomas then traveled throughout India from the west coast to the east, and was martyred in Chennai (Madras), where you can visit his tomb.

It wasn't, and isn't, easy being a disciple, then and now!

Will you dare to be a disciple? I will.

(Continued next week)

Thomas's tomb near Chennai.

FROM THE WORD

THE WORDS OF JESUS

May we hear what the Lord is saying to us.

THE RESSURECTION

Jesus Appears to the Disciples Excluding Thomas (Luke 24:36-49, John:20:19-24)

“Peace to you!”
“Why are you frightened? Why are you doubting?” “Look at my hands and my feet—you can see it’s me. Touch me and you’ll be certain, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
“Do you have anything to eat?”

They gave Him broiled fish.

“This is what I explained to you while I was still with you. Everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, had to be fulfilled.”
“It was written like this: the Messiah would suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that in his name repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. You are witnesses of all this. Now I’m going to send you what my Father promised—but wait in the city until you receive power from heaven.”

Again Jesus said.

May you have peace!” Jesus told them again. “In the same way the Father sent me, so I’m sending you.”

Jesus breathed on them, saying,

“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you hold them unforgiven, unforgiven they remain.”

(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

HEAVENLY TRUTHS GOD HAS SHOWN ME

739. - 809. God has shown me that...

... life is to be our investment in eternity.

... ultimately, I am the one responsible for me.

... salvation is a process, not an event.

... life's limitations are man driven, not God given.

... when my wants line up with His desires, things happen.

... I need to place godliness even above wisdom.

... to be effective for Him, the light within, must shine without.

... happiness comes and happiness goes, but joy stands firm.

... we have second chances in life but not in death.

... we only get to live life once.

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CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER

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TUESDAY TEACHINGS

THIS WEEK:THINKING GREEK OR HEBREW continues.....

..... as we look at CATHEDRAL v TABERNACLE/TEMPLE

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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. ***

352. NOAH'S ARK
Noah's Ark if it happened today:

And the Lord spoke to Noah and said, "In six months I'm going to make it rain until the whole Earth is covered with water and all evil people are destroyed. But I want to save a few good people, and two of every kind of living thing on the planet. I am commanding you to build an Ark." And in a flash of lightning, He delivered the specifications for an Ark.

"Okay," said Noah, trembling with fear and fumbling with the blueprints.

"Six months and it starts to rain," thundered the Lord. "You'd better have the Ark completed, or learn to swim for a very long time."

Six months passed, the skies clouded up and rain began to fall. The Lord saw that Noah was sitting in his front yard, weeping....and there was no Ark. "Noah," shouted the Lord, "Where is the Ark?"

"Lord, please forgive me!" begged Noah. "I did my best. But there were big problems. First, I had to get a building permit for the Ark construction project, and your plans didn't meet code. So I had to hire an engineer to redraw the plans. Then I got into a big fight over whether or not the Ark needed a fire sprinkler system. Then my neighbor objected, claiming I was violating zoning by building the Ark in my front yard, so I had to get a variance from the city planning commission." "Then I had problems getting enough wood for the Ark, because there was a ban on cutting trees to save the Spotted Owl. I had to convince the Fish and Wildlife that I need the wood to save the owls, but they wouldn't let me catch any owls. So, no owls." "The carpenters formed a union and went out on strike. I had to negotiate a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board before anyone would pick up a saw or hammer. Now we have 16 carpenters on board, and still no owls." "Then I started gathering up animals, and got sued by an animal rights group. They objected to me taking only two of each kind. Just when I got the suit dismissed, EPA notified me that I couldn't complete the Ark without filing an environmental impact statement on your proposed flood. They didn't take kindly to the idea that they had no jurisdiction over the conduct of a Supreme Being. Then the Army Corp of Engineers wanted a map of the new flood plain. I sent them a globe." "Right now, I'm trying to resolve a complaint from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over how many Croatians I'm supposed to hire. The IRS has seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to avoid taxes by leaving the country. And I just got a notice from the state about owing them some kind of use tax. I really don't think I can finish the Ark for at least another 5 years."

Then the sky began to clear. The sun began to shine. A rainbow arched across the sky. Noah looked up, "You mean you're not going to destroy the earth?" he asked hopefully.

"No," the Lord said sadly. "The government already has."

351. BACKWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
Backward Christian Soldiers, Fleeing from the Fight
With The cross of Jesus nearly out of sight
Christ our rightful Master stands against the foe
But forward into battle we are loathe to go
Like a mighty tortoise moves the church of God
Brothers we are treading where we've often trod
We are much divided many bodies we,
Having different doctrines not much charity
Backward Christian soldiers fleeing from the fight
With the cross of Jesus nearly out of sight!

350. HOW CAN I GET THERE?
There's the story of the new Pastor in town who got turned around on his very first Sunday on the way to the new church He stops the paperboy and gives him the street address and then adds "you know that's First Baptist Church."

The kid wants to help so he very politely says, "Oh sure, down three blocks, make a right, 2 blocks make a left and it's in the next block on your right."

The preacher is moved by this kind of friendship to a newcomer like himself so he says, "son, how'd you like me to tell you how you can get to Heaven?"

At this the kid laughs slightly and says, "How you gonna do that, you can't even find First Baptist?"

"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 ...

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FACTS FOR FUN

LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Is it true that hair and nails continue to grow after death?

ANSWER: No, they only seem to. What really happens is that the body dries out after death and the skin recedes from the hair and nails, making it appear as if they are longer. In fact, even though hair is not technically ‘living’, hair and nail cells still need to be nourished by blood in order to grow. (They’re bloodthirsty?)

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is an ‘inclined elevator’?

SOME FUN FACTS

385. SCIENTIFIC EXPLOSION
It is believed that 90 percent of all scientists who have ever lived are alive now, and that more scientific paper’s have been published in the years since 1950 than were published in all the centuries before 1950. (Have the knowledge, but what about the wisdom to go with it?)

386. CONFUSED CHILDREN
According to the federal Trade Commission, there are 20,000 television commercials made each year aimed exclusively at children. Of these, 7,000 are for sugared breakfast cereals. (Both the ads and the sugared cereals are bad for you?)

387. INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE
All pilots on international flights have to identify themselves in English, regardless of country of origin. (Some English that even the French cannot avoid!)

A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU

Make another word from this word using all the letters.

NEOLITH

Answer at the end of A David Musing

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BIBLE OR NOT

Is this saying in the Bible or not?

5. "It's one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody."

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

!!!!!!! An egotist is a person who is me-deep in conversation.

!!!!!! When an egotist meets another egotist, it's an "I" for an "I". Really, they are both I-sores.

!!!!! He who fiddles around seldom gets to lead the orchestra.

!!!! He who throws dirt loses ground.

!!! Some people can stay longer in an hour than others can in a week.

!! In God we trust ~ all others pay cash.

! Church membership does not make you a Christian any more than owning a piano makes you a musician.

100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...

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WHY?

Some of Life’s Most Puzzling Questions - Can You Provide the Answers?

1. Why is the time of day when the traffic is slowest called the ‘rush hour’?

2. Why isn’t ‘phonetics’ spelled the way it sounds?

3. Why are homes called apartments when they are all stuck together?

4. Why do we drive in parks and park in drives?

5. Why don’t sheep shrink in the rain?

6. If nothing sticks to teflon, how do they make it stick to the pan?

7. Why is it for each and every action, there is an equal and greater criticism?

8. If fire fighters fight fires and crime fighters fight crime, what do freedom fighters fight?

9. If a service station never closes, why do they still have locks on the door?

10. Do vegetarians eat animal biscuits?

11. How come an iron has a setting for ‘permanent press’?

12. If Barbie (the doll of course) is so popular, why do you need to buy her friends?

13. What’s another word for ‘Thesaurus’?

14. If you had everything in the world, where would you put it?

15. After they make styrofoam, what do they ship it in?

16. When you see a microwave, do you wave back?

17. Why is experience something you don’t get until just after you need it?

18. Why is the severity of an itch inversely proportional to your ability to reach it?

19. Why is change inevitable, except from vending machines?

20. Why do bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of cheques?

Enjoy more real life humour here.....

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Porn Is More Criticized and More Popular Than Ever

There are so many problems with porn; it’s hard to pick just one.
Halee Gray Scott/ JUNE 23, 2016

This spring, Utah became the first state to declare pornography a public health crisis, calling on businesses and educators to protect children from it. Around the same time, a Time Magazine cover story story reported that porn causes erectile dysfunction in young men whose minds have marinated in X-rated clips from the time they were teenagers.

Pornography trains the user to seek more extreme sexual experiences to receive the same satisfying flood of dopamine. It’s what researchers call the Coolidge effect—the prospect of a new sexual partner excites males (and sometimes females) so much that normal sexual activity becomes boring by comparison.

Time focused on how porn usage prevents couples from having healthy sex lives. That’s only the beginning of a troubling and growing amount of research and trends. We’re learning more and more about the lasting impact of living in a world wired to a porn-saturated Internet.

When I was a teenager in the 1990s, when the Internet was in its infancy and all cell phones were “dumb,” churches’ major concern regarding sexual matters was premarital sex. In 1993, teens had to steal magazines or VHS tapes to view porn; today, all they need is an Internet connection. While the evidence continues to reveal negative effects of this multibillion-dollar industry, few secular commentators dare to say what many of us see: our porn problem is a moral problem, with drastic consequences for individuals and communities.

Studies have linked porn consumption to depression and higher drug and alcohol consumption. Researchers in Germany found that men who watch porn showed a weaker connection between the part of the brain responsible for decision-making and the part of the brain involved in memory storage and information processing. A wave of “pornified” advertisements, depicting women in erotic poses selling everyday products, lead both men and women to view women’s bodies differently—and certainly not more humanly.

Aside from the neurological consequences, science has unpacked a plethora of sociological effects. Pornography negatively shapes romantic relationships; one study found that women in relationships with men who use porn report being less happy than those with men who abstain. Research in a dozen countries showed that men who viewed pornography when they were boys were less likely to form healthy relationships and more likely to think sexual harassment was acceptable.

At the same time that researchers are unearthing porn’s tolls, Americans have grown more tolerant of it. According to an extensive study conducted by Barna Group, only half of US adults and one-third of teens and young adults thought pornography was “wrong.” Teens and young adults believe not recycling is more immoral than using porn. Barna found porn use is up among Christians, too. Some 41 percent of Christian men ages 13–24 and 23 percent of Christian men ages 25 and up said they “frequently” used porn. (The figures were 5 percent and 13 percent for Christian women in those age groups.)

Porn isn’t just an individual moral problem. It strikes to the heart of what it means to be human.

Porn advocates argue that pornography feeds our innate and uncontrollable instincts, and that healthy adults should explore those instincts freely. Christians know better. We are right to exhort each other to make every thought captive to Christ and to live into our new life in him.

Source: http://www.christianitytoday.com/

DAVID'S DOWNLOADS

‘WALKING WITH JESUS’ COURSE

A 3-part course of understanding based on Revelation 12:11. An easily understood, practical series on living the Christian life today. Compiled in 1993-4, the 3 studies, each accompanied by 6 hours of tapes, have been used by over 10,000 New Zealanders plus many overseas, to gain an increased understanding of what ‘walking with Jesus’ is all about. Is useful for enquirers, new Christians and particularly, those seeking an extra dimension to their faith. Ideal for home groups and church teaching sessions too. A non-denominational course, it is supported by Christians from diverse backgrounds. The 3 parts cover

1. The Way of Salvation: Finding Jesus as your personal Saviour.
2. Life Through the Spirit: Christian living through the teaching of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
3. Jesus is Lord: Living our lives for Jesus.

So if you desire a deeper relationship with your God, this can help point you in the right direction. You still have to make the effort though! Can’t do that for you!

WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT IT

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WAXING LYRICAL

Just couldn’t leave out this story of the sailing of my friend Neil’s yacht from Whangarei to Tauranga, a 30 hour journey down the North Island of New Zealand’s east coast. One of the longest 30 hours of my life!

DAYS OF ‘CHUNDER’! (Part 2)

For an hour or two throughout the night,
I enjoyed the trip – the stars were a sight.
My mate Neil, was able to have a snooze,
Confidence in me, again starting to ooze.

But the sea, was not yet ready to finish,
Determined my pride, to fully diminish!
Yes, the swells they did rise in an uncomfortable way,
‘Old man sea’, always determined to have the last say!

By now my stomach, surely was bare,
Empty of food, with the sea to share!
But how little about myself, do I know,
For there was still a little left, to let go!

And let go I did, four times more,
The sea now, really settling the score.
Before calming down all the rest of the way,
"Beginning to enjoy this," I could now say.

Of course, all adventures do come to an end,
Back on solid earth, my time now to spend.
I had conquered the challenge inside of me,
My fear overcome – with a little difficulty!

As I reflect upon what I have done,
Of a victory earned, a race won.
The surprising parallel of life at sea
With God’s working, occurs to me.

For as He continues to purify us in the fire,
To remove the dross of sin, as is His desire.
It can be likened to the act of ‘chunder’,
Which wrenches the stomach asunder!

To empty ones gut, overboard,
With some, will strike a chord.
An example of removing sin from life,
As God seeks, to keep us from strife.

Letting go of things, is not always easy,
Amazing, how we hold on to the sleazy!
But once we have given our homely habit away,
We wonder, why so long, we allowed it to stay.

But surely Lord, there can be no more!
I’m good enough now, to be in your store.
But like the spew spraying forth, from the gut to the sea,
The Lord finds more that needs changing, inside of me.

No more Lord! Please – I’ve had enough,
My life’s spew is horrible tasting stuff!
But as the seemingly endless bouts of ‘chunder’ go on,
A voice says "eat my food, and your sickness will be gone."

For as we give over our desires to Him,
He then rebuilds us, limb upon limb.
Until we come into His likeness you see,
Yes, that’s the place, He wants us to be.

(Concluded next week.)

More of David's poetry here.....

http://wwj.org.nz/waxing.php

A DAVID MUSING

I am generally very blessed to keep excellent health - for a (nearly) old guy! Actually age is relative. When you are 10, even 16, life ends at 21! But when you are in your 60's the 70's seem not so old!

However, last Tuesday, I did a light workout at the gym, had my normal spa, sauna and shower. Not a problem in the world - other than my triathlon challenge to come on Wednesday. Suddenly, walking out of the shower, my back decided it would rather painfully bend in two, rather than stand erect - as erect as it normally does now!

Gone was my triathlon challenge, was my first thought! I am going to get 'stick' from my friend for that! Then the pain got me, and try as I may, I eventually had go to bed to get any some relief!

After two days in and out of bed, I am now recovering well and by the time you receive this, I should be back to normal.

I do know that many have continual back pain, and other long term ailments, but when you are well, you cannot so easily empathize with them. But when you experience pain yourself, your empathy levels raise a level or three!

It is like that with our life in Jesus too. If all times were good, if we never went through trials and testings, we would not change. My experience has been that I have got a lot closer to God through the bad times, rather than in the good, when, to use Kiwi slang, I tend to think, "I'm all right, mate!"

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: HOTLINE

TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTION' ANSWER: b. NOT BIBLE (Maya Angelou)

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LINKS

If you would like to link your web site to ours, and ours to yours, please advise us on
links@wwj.org.nz

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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 website
wwj.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