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: 818 Published: 03 Jul 2017
WHOSE CHURCH IS IT ANYWAY? Part 4
THE EARLY JEWISH CHURCH
God often uses persecution to spread the church. This first happened in Jerusalem, immediately after the stoning of Stephen. The apostles though, remained there.....
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. (Acts 8:1)
Philip is an example of one of the church who was dispersed, travelling to Samaria, where the Holy Spirit's power accompanied him, making His ministry powerful and effective.....
Philip in Samaria
4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city. (Acts 8:4-8)
However, as in much of the church today, people accepted Jesus as Saviour and were baptized, but were not filled with the Holy Spirit. The apostles in Jerusalem discovered this and sent Peter and John to rectify the situation, for they understood the church could not function fully without Holy Spirit power.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14-17)
Problems arose when foreigners, that are 'gentiles', started accepting Jesus. Of course, their customs were different to the Jews. Peter found out by way of a vision, that the dietary laws that applied to the Jewish culture had changed. This did not meet with universal acceptance amongst the Jewish church.
Peter himself was convinced when he saw the gentiles had been filled with the Holy Spirit (before being water baptized - maybe a thought to challenge our theology!).....
Then Peter said, 47 “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days. (Acts 10:46b-48)
The key, most persuasive argument, which Peter used to explain to the people back in Jerusalem about gentiles coming to the Lord, was that they had been filled with the Holy Spirit.....
15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?” 18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:15-18)
I trust you can see, the dynamic that convinced the Jewish church of the credibility of the church being extended to the gentiles was not the baptism of John which, in reality, man could do, but the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which could only come from God.
The Jewish Christians were spread far and wide. While, naturally, they witnessed to other Jews first, they soon found that the Greeks were interested too.....
19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
(Acts 11:19-21)
As always, then and now, religion and law rear their twin heads....
Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1)
Once again, the anointing of the Holy Spirit convinced the leadership in Jerusalem that keeping Jewish laws was not required.....
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. (15:6-9)
The church in Jerusalem was founded through the Holy Spirit outpouring at Pentecost. Holy Spirit power continued throughout times of change, turmoil and persecution to validate their actions, as seen both in themselves and in the gentiles who became members of the kingdom of God.
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FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUS
May we hear what the Lord is saying to us.
A Woman Blesses Mary (Luke 11:27-8)
Jesus corrects her.
“Even more blessed are those who hear God’s word, and follow what it says.”
Sign of Jonah (Luke 11:29-32)
Jesus addressed the crowd.
“This is an evil generation for it’s looking for some miraculous sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. In the same way that Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be a sign to this generation. The queen of the south will rise in the judgment together with the people of this generation and will condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon’s wisdom, and now there is someone greater than Solomon here! The people of Nineveh rise in the judgment together with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented when they heard Jonah’s message, and now there’s someone greater than Jonah here!
The Lamp of Your Body (Luke 11:33-6)
No one lights a lamp and then hides it or places it under a bowl. No, you put it on a lamp stand so that those who come into the house can see the light. Your eye is the light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body is in the dark. So make sure the light you have in you is not actually darkness. If your whole body is full of light, with no areas of darkness, then it will be completely illuminated, just as a bright lamp gives you light.”
You can download the complete 'Words of Jesus' here.
***NOW***NINE BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!!!
9 BOOKS are now available on Amazon (Kindle)!
All are available worldwide for electronic download on Amazon (Kindle) for $US0.99c . Unfortunately there has to be a charge in order to list.
Your support would be appreciated and they could well change your life!
They are all found at this link.....
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BOOK OF THE WEEK
SERMON ON THE MOUNT THE KINGDOM WAY:
JESUS’ GUIDE TO LIVING THE KINGDOM LIFESTYLE TODAY
We look at the Bible, and sometimes it overwhelms us – or it does me! How can I extract from all the vast wisdom it contains, the principles for living a kingdom lifestyle today?
I couldn’t! So I asked the lord what was the answer to me seeking! A very sensible thing to do when in this situation, don’t you think? And He showed me! A brilliant summary of kingdom living is contained in just 3 chapters of the Bible, Matthew chapters 5-7, in what we know as the ‘Sermon on the Mount’.
Then He proceeded to explain to me what they mean, and this is what I am sharing with you now. May you be challenged, encouraged and built up in living for the Lord as I have been in bringing it to you, through both exposition and my personal experiences, both good and bad.
Downloadable from Amazon for USD99c at.....
https://www.amazon.com/PURGING-CHURCH-WITHOUT-WRINKLE-PREPARED-ebook/dp/B01LE1RSNU/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=V9E3AYAJ88FW41A34NPZ
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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.
Download the free PDF here.....
***DAILY EZINE!*** 'DAVID'S DAILY DOODLINGS' Subscribe Today
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
CHARACTER
1090. To be as one with the character of Jesus is our highest call.
1091. To believe in Jesus is wonderful, but to develop His character, divine.
1092. Many say, "Lord, give me faith." But I say "Lord help me develop my character" and faith will automatically come.
1093. It is easy to believe, but a godly character reflects the true disciple.
1094. Our character is truly visible in the reflection of our love for God and for others.
1095. Rather than asking God for gifts, develop character, and gifts will automatically follow.
1096. A sin forgiven is of the moment, but developing godly character lasts a lifetime.
1097. The only proven way to avoid sin is to develop the character of Jesus in our lives.
1098. Character is 'walking the talk.'
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
Visit the Toon Fever website for more cartoon fun..... http://www.toonfever.com
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK: A REVELATION OF... THE 3 RIVERS OF GOD Continues.....
We revisit Ezekiel's Temple river, comparing it with the pattern of the Tabernacle of Moses. See you again then!
*** ANOTHER DAILY EZINE FROM WWJ!*** 'LAUGHING AT OURSELVES' Subscribe Today
As Christians, if we can't laugh at ourselves, others will! A fun way to start your day. To register today, go down to the bottom of the page link below, click on the subscribe link lao--on@wwj.org.nz (or paste the address in an email yourself and send) Then it's done!
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. ***
16. More Church Bulletin Bloopers
*** The Low Self Esteem group will meet on Thursday at 7pm. Please use the back door.
*** Ushers will eat latecomers.
*** The third verses of Blessed Assurance will be sung without musical accomplishment.
*** For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
*** The Rev. Merriwether spoke briefly, much to the delight of the congregation.
17. Ralph
"I hope you didn’t take it personally Pastor," the embarrassed women said after a church service, "when my husband walked out during your sermon."
"I must admit, I did find it rather disconcerting," he replied.
"Its not a reflection on you," said the now red faced lady in a confidential tone, "Ralph’s been walking in his sleep ever since he was a child."
18. Count Your Blessings
A visitor once asked, "Does it ever rain in Arizona?"
The rancher thought about it a minute and then replied, "Yes it does. You remember in the Bible how it rained for 40 days and 40 nights during Noah’s flood. Well, we got 2 inches of that."
QWIK QWIP: “When God ordains, He sustains.”
FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: What is the underlying meaning of the number '7' in the Bible?
ANSWER: Completion, Perfection, and Maturity (70 tomorrow! Do I have to grow up now?)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Which three of the United States are not states? Why?
SOME FUN FACTS
17. Star Wars Stars Split Personality
Darth Vader was actually a composite of four people. James Earl Jones did the voice, David Prowse served as the body, while Sebastian Shaw was the face, and a fourth actor performed the heavy breathing. (Why don’t we know who it was?)
PALPABLY PUZZLING PROBLEM No. 2….. Why isn’t ‘phonetics’ spelt the way it sounds?
18. Bollywood
India’s version of Hollywood produces over 800 full-length feature films every year in 14 languages. This amounts to more than 2 films every day. (Quantity or even less quality?)
19. Just Warming Up
The Harlem Globetrotters played their unprecedented 20,000th career basketball game on January 12, 1998. No professional sports team, including the NBA, MLB, NHL, and NFL, has ever reached this historical milestone. The Globetrotters got their start in 1926 as the "Savoy Big Five." (Leaping into the Record Books.)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
EXTRA
Answer at the end of A David Musing
FREE DOWNLOAD: You can download the full version of our Trivia Book at TRULY TRIFFLING TRIVIA here..... https://www.wwj.org.nz/content/wwj14p11.pdf
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PAUL
11: To where did Paul & Silas flee?
1. Amphipolis
2. Thessalonica
3. Berea
4. Appolonia
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"""
STILL MORE THOUGHTS
!!!!!!! Millions who long for immortality don't know what to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
!!!!!! Since I have the shape of a yeast roll, don't you think I would make a good roll model.-Lawrence Brotherton
!!!!! Some power saws are a cut above the rest.
!!!!! Why should I waste my time reliving the past when I can spend it worrying about the future?
!!!! If you cut yourself, rub thyme into the cut, because thyme heals all wounds. -Steve Jacobson
!!! I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places. -Henny Youngman
!! If you can't get your work done in the first 24 hours, work nights.
! If it were not for Thomas Edison, we would all be watching television in the dark.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
JUST JOKES
"Who is it? a passenger asks the Captain.
"I've no idea, says the captain. "Every year we go past and he does the same routine.
"I'm in the class of 2001, have just graduated from Harvard, and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for me.
The driver looks back and shakes the young man by the hand and introduces himself. "Hi, I'm Mitch - class of 99.
The second replies, "I've brought food, so we won't go hungry.
The third then proudly adds, "I brought this car window, so we can roll it down if it gets hot.
DAVID'S DOWNLOADS
THE POWER OF THE CALL
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WAXING LYRICAL
I WILL
I will walk with You.
I will talk with You.
I will seek You.
I will speak You.
I will crave You.
I will rave You.
I will submit to You.
I will remit to You.
I will bow to You.
I will vow to You.
I will grace You.
I will pace You.
I will, I will.
I will, I will!
So help me Lord!
More of David's 'poetry' here.....
A DAVID MUSING
On holiday! Back soon......
Until next week.......
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: TAXER
TODAY'S 'BIBLE QUESTIONS' ANSWER: 3. Berea (Acts 17:10)
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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