SAYING SORRY IS SO HARD TO DO!

Of all the things that God asks us to do, saying sorry is normally the most difficult!

We will willingly go to the 'jungle for Jesus', whether that be in Africa or downtown New York! We will give of our time and energy for our Lord until we are dropping with exhaustion! We will discipline our lives and sacrifice our bodies to be pleasing to our Saviour!

Yet when He simply tells us to say 'sorry', we somehow just can't do it!

For the 'Big I' of 'prIde' capitalizes itself and paralyses us! "Oh Lord, I can't do that. I can't back down now! Admit I am wrong! That wouldn't look good! And it was mainly their fault anyway!"

"Just do it, David", comes the gentle but insistent reply. And every David, John, or Jill, does or doesn't do it as each so decides, with God-given freedom of will.

How many of the problems in our lives and divisions in the Church would be so simply overcome if only we were prepared to use that feared but powerful 5 letter s**** word more often? Quite simply - most! For the weapon of division, of disagreement, of unforgiveness, is the most potent weapon of all in satan's armoury. Yes, we all fall for it sometimes - or most likely, oftentimes! For I have yet to meet the 'perfect person'.

And the harsh reality is, the further we move into the realms of the 'Spirit', our susceptibility to satan's wiles increases. Yes, the arguments become more vehement, the divisions deeper.

Yet the solution, as always, is so basic and simple. Simply, to forgive as we have been forgiven. To obey the example of Jesus, following the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit, to do the will of our Heavenly Father.

So let's look at our lives right now and just do it. Before commencing writing tonight, I have had to do it. Without so doing, this article could not have written. I didn't want to! But I am slowly learning that to obey is the better way. Of course, it is hard at the time. But the rewards, like so many things in God, are threefold - internal, external and eternal!

Forgiveness is the oil through which our lives and God's Church are lubricated. (A new David's Doodling somewhere here!) Let's use it generously shall we, while His oilfields of grace remain overflowing and unlimited. He is waiting to release the 'seized up' engines of our lives and churches. But we must take that first step. Will you join me today?

In the end, we will both be pleased we did!

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FROM THE WORD

THE PARABLE OF THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT
"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” " (Matthew 18:21-35)

DAVID'S DOODLINGS

GROWING IN GOD
^^^ God’s word is a two-edged sword, revealing both love and judgement.

^^^ To believe in God is good, to hear from God is great, but to obey God reaps the ultimate reward.

^^^ A man’s wisdom is based upon experience, but God’s wisdom comes through revelation.

^^^ It’s easy to be wise in theory, but a lot more difficult in practise!

^^^ The major difference between childhood and adulthood is taking responsibility. Many Christians dislike responsibility!

^^^ In nature, human growth occurs naturally. We expect the same in the Spiritual and get offended when others grow more quickly than us.

^^^ Human growth is measured in height, girth and wrinkles, spiritual growth by the 'fruit of the Spirit.' Often we confuse the two.

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FREE MP3 DOWNLOAD OF THE WEEK

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QUIET TIME/GUIDANCE

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RESPONSES TO LAST WEEKS NEWSLETTER ' DAVID MUSING' REQUEST ABOUT CIRCLES

Hello David,
You wrote:
<<
God works therefore, not only in 'threes', which provide many of the keys for understanding God and His plans for us, but also in 'rounds'. For what reason I have absolutely no idea. Perhaps you could give me some creative suggestions? A circuitous matter to muse upon! >>

I do not have a degree in the subject, and what little I have read I can truly say that I do not understand it very well. But years ago, I did some intensive study on the Universe and how it works.

The field of study was "celestial mechanics". Through this study, I learned that everything in the Universe has an effect upon other bodies in the same universe. However very slightly and unnoticeably. The bodies in the big sky effect all others in proximity.
The Sun, Planets, Moons, Asteroids, and Meteor's are precisely placed that they keep each other in a proper field. This is certainly a blessing for us, because we live in an appropriate environment.

God certainly knew what he was doing when He put the heavens in place. There are people with more brains than me that understand that something as small as a meteor or asteroid that passes at a certain angle and in a certain proximity to another heavenly body can cause changes.

Several references from movies.
Armageddon with Bruce Willis. Remember as they were attempting to land on the asteroid to blow it up, the scientists noticed that the gravitational field of the moon started the asteroid rotating on a third axis, which they did not plan for.

Star Trek Generations (I think this was the name) This is where both Captain Kirk and Picard were dealing with a madman trying to get back into some sort of matrix. As Picard was working with Data on the computer to track a field, Picard asked Data to calculate how the course would be changed by a missing planet. I don't know if you enjoy space movies or not, but I thought it very interesting.

There are many scientists that offer some theories that I find very credible, but are rejected at large. They believe that in very recent (last 1 to 2 thousand years) that the planets in our Solar System were very close in proximity and some sort of large meteor kicked them out into where they are now. I find this credible because many ancient cultures (without telescopes available to them) were able to record in their writings about the rings around Saturn, the red spot on Jupiter, and the two moons of Mars and even the fact that the closer moon moves twice as fast as the outer moon around Mars. Totally weird stuff, but believable to me, because God has control over the universe and God has provided all we need for survival.

I know this is long and wordy, but I really believe that the stars, and celestial bodies work to keep each other in place. So it should be with our relationship with God and fellow Christians. Not that we have a two way relationship, but a multi-dimensional relationship, and it would be difficult to survive on a two-way but so much easier to survive in a three-way relationship.

We are admonished in the Scriptures to look out for one another and to love our fellow saints. We know our relationship with God, but we cannot maintain this very well without the encouragement and support of fellow saints. Each party in the relationship draws strength from all the other parties in the relationship.

Sort of like the greatest and second greatest commands.

Heavy, deep stuff, eh?

Well, them's my thoughts for what they are worth.

In Him
Carey Scott
www.simplebiblestudies.com

Hey David,

Another excellent edition! Thank you!

I have some thoughts on your musing about globes and circles.

First is that circles or globes are the only "perfect" shapes in the universe. They occur naturally and are the only shape the is uniform, complete symmetrical and balanced. Plus, only "nature" can form a perfect circle. Ever see a pizza cook toss the crust dough in the air? That's to form a perfect circle of the pizza. It's the best way to do it.

Maybe God formed planets, etc. as globes to remind us of God's perfection and that only true perfection come from God. We can imitate, but in the end, it's just that - an imperfect imitation.

The second thing about circles starts with an old joke. How many sides does a circle have? Two-inside and outside. The geometric truth of the matter is that a circle or a globe have an infinite number of sides.

Maybe God formed the heavenly bodies as globes to remind us of God's infinite-ness. Only God knows how many sides each one has.

A couple of asides: The earth is not truly round, but more oblong. An imperfect globe we live on, reminds us that this life is imperfect, but someday we will live in perfect harmony and roundness.

The second is the legendary crystal ball. Mystics and occultists believe demons' spirits can be trapped inside of objects, especially crystals, but the number of sides determines how long the spirit will be trapped. A quartz crystal will only hold the spirit for 6 periods (depending on the strength of the trapper). A crystal ball (a naturally occurring globe) has an infinite number of sides and therefore traps the spirit forever, enslaving it. That's why fortune tellers, etc. value "crystal balls."

Probably more information than you wanted...

<><
Mike Wacht
Director, Florida United Methodist Communications

Thanks so much Guys. Ask a silly question and get intelligent answers! Well 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." ***

174. WELL, YOU ASKED...
A young preacher, fresh out of seminary, was scheduled to deliver the sermon at a pastor’s convention. Afterwards he asked an old pastor what he thought of his sermon. Kindly, he replied, “Young man, your sermon was like the peace and mercy of God.”
Taking it as a compliment he pressed, “What do you mean?”

“It was like the peace of God in that it passed all understanding,” replied the pastor, “And the mercy of God in that I thought it would endure forever.”

173. OOPS!
A young preacher was visiting a man in an oxygen tent in a hospital room. Standing by the bed he asked the elderly gentleman how he was feeling, but the patient merely grunted. Undeterred, the minister opened his Bible and began to read.

Soon he noticed a change come over the man. His eyes started bulging and his face began to turn red. Sensing the end was near, the pastor asked if he had any message, or last words. The man nodded weakly, motioning to something beside the bed. Spotting a table, the sympathetic pastor picked up a pad and pencil and passed it to the man under the oxygen tent. The man wrote something, stuffed it in the preacher's hand, then died.
Shaken, the preacher stepped out of the room. Remembering the note, and realizing the importance of the man's last words, he uncrumpled the paper and read the hastily scrawled words: "You're standing on my oxygen line."

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FACTS FOR FUN

LAST WEEKS QUESTION: How come bright sunlight can make people sneeze?

ANSWER: We don't all sneeze when going out into bright sunlight, but up to a quarter of us do. It's called the 'photic sneeze reflex', which basically means a 'sneeze caused by light'. Nobody actually knows what causes it, although some scientists have suggested it might be a mix-up between the nerves of the eye and the nose, which run pretty close together.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is the world's only incorporated city where the dead outnumber the living - and why?

Answer Next Week.

SOME FUN FACTS

939. A GOLDEN SNEEZE
In the Middle Ages, pepper was used for bartering, often being more costly and stable in value than gold. (Pepper is to food as gold is to ladies.)

940. NOT TOO MUCH, NOT TOO LITTLE
A recent Harvard study found that women who sleep five hours or less nightly are 45% more likely to develop heart disease. But those who average nine-plus hours also have a 38% higher risk. (You can’t win – will die worrying about it anyway!)

941. AN AMERICAN INVENTION
It is hard to believe, but true, that an American invented the Asian transportation icon, the rickshaw. The Reverend Jonathan Scobie, a Baptist minister living in Yokohama, Japan, built the first rickshaw (a hand-drawn passenger cart) in 1869 in order to transport his invalid wife through the city. Others soon caught on. (Now we have the ‘auto-rickshaw’. American inspired ‘progress’?)

A CHALLENGE FOR YOU

Divide 30 by 1/2 and add 10. What is the answer?

Answer at the end of A David Musing.

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GOD FACTS

!!! At a steady rate over the last 20 centuries, and in all 238 countries, 70 million Christians have been martyred -killed, executed, murdered -for Christ.

!!! The 5 most dangerous of all Christian vocations (over 3% murder rates) are: bishops, evangelists, catechists, colporteurs, foreign missionaries.

!!! Books primarily about Jesus in today’s libraries number 175,000 different titles in 500 languages, increasing by 4 newly published every day.

!!! Emboldened by lax procedures, trusted church treasurers are embezzling each year $16 billion out of church funds but only 5% ever get found out.

!!! Christians spend more on the annual audits of their churches and agencies ($810 million) than on all their workers in the non-Christian world.

!!! The total cost of Christian outreach averages $330,000 for each and every newly baptised person.

!!! Despite Christ’s command to evangelize,67% of all humans from AD 30 to the present day have never even heard of his name.

!!! 648 million Christians today (called Great Commission Christians)are active in Christ’s world mission; 1,352 million Christians ignore this mission.

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'RIB'ALD HUMOUR

Sometimes women are overly suspicious of their husbands. When Adam stayed out very late for a few nights, Eve became upset.

"You're running around with other women," she charged.

"You're being unreasonable," Adam responded. "You're the only woman on earth."

The quarrel continued until Adam fell asleep, only to be awakened by someone poking him in the chest. It was Eve.

"What do you think you're doing?" Adam demanded.

"Counting your ribs," said Eve.

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WALKING WITH JESUS POSTER

Quoting 1 John 2:1-6, six of the most thought provoking and important verses in scripture for walking with Jesus today.A4 size.

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A DAVID MUSING

"EPT"
While Jesus wept,
The Disciples slept,
Could not accept,
His divine precept.

His death swept,
Felt totally inept,
To themselves kept,
While time crept.

Resurrection concept,
No promises unkept,
They became adept,
So to service lept!

His servant and yours

David Tait

Today's Challenge Answer: 70! (30 divided by a half = 60 + 10 =70)

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ABOUT US

WALKING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES is a non-profit, non-denominational, Bible based ministry located in Mount Maunganui, 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
P O Box 5160
Mount Maunganui
New Zealand

Phone: (06) 878-9330 International (0064) 6878-9330
Fax: (06) 878-9330 International (0064) 6878-9330
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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