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
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Issue No: 925 Published: 15 Jul 2019
A REVELATION OF……. THE THIRD AND FINAL DWELLING PLACE OF GOD’S GLORY PLUS THE RIVER OF LIFE. Part 6
THE RIVER OF LIFE (Concluded)
THE CALL TO THE LIVING WATER OF THE MATURITY OF THE TRIBULATION
Maturity involves sacrifice. I was given another picture…..
I have a picture of the lonely, single cross left on Calvary’s hill, some time after the resurrection and coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. As I watched as the cross sprouted and grew into a huge tree, the tree of life.
Partaking of the tree of life requires sacrifice on our part too…..
The Great Multitude in White Robes
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” 14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ ” (Revelation 7:9-17)
I need also to come back to the key verse on which this ministry is based…..
They overcame him (ie satan) by the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) and by the word of their testimony (ie Through the Holy Spirit); they loved not their lives so much as to shrink from death. (Through obedience to the Father) (Revelation 12:11)
These passages talk about the sacrifice of our lives to the will of the Father, whether literally or through the submission of our lives to God’s will for us. That is, dying to self, to our own dreams and desires in order to fulfil the purpose God has for us.
While I don’t like talking about Kathy and myself, our relocation to Kenya, leaving behind the home comforts of New Zealand where we lived for 70 years, is an example of this. It has been a challenging time, particularly for Kathy, but we continue to walk in obedience day by day. In the midst of our challenges, God has come through time and time again in many ways.
Probably the easiest measured is financially. Our donors have blessed us hugely. But at times we have been at the end of our tether, wondering how we can pay the bills, but God always comes through in the end.
Obeying God is not easy. Other than leaving things behind He will challenge and test your commitment to Him every step of the way. It is not an easy walk. The road leading up the mountain of God is narrow and rocky and not many choose to walk on it. But the rewards are eternal.
CONCLUSION
As we conclude our study, I trust that we have learned that the mountain of God, the river of life and the tree of life are all able to be experienced now, in our walk with Jesus.
The Kingdom of God is a PRESENT as well as a FUTURE experience.
The teaching of most of the church concentrates on the future hope of the return of Jesus without understanding that our hope is NOW. We have ETERNAL LIFE NOW so our duty and privilege is to live in it now also.
As Jesus said in the Garden shortly before His crucifixion “not my will, but Yours be done, O Lord”, so His words are to become ours, to be lived out in our day to day lives’
May the Lord bless you as you get a new understanding of His word, and put it into practice in its fullness in your life.
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FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUS
May we hear what the Lord is saying to us.....
Jesus Comforts the Disciples (John:14:1-31)
In general.
“Don’t let your minds be anxious. Trust in God, trust in me as well. In my Father’s house there are many rooms. If this wasn’t so I would have told you. I’m going to prepare a place for you. Once I’ve gone and prepared a place for you, I will come again and take you with me, so that you can be there with me too. You know the way to where I’m going.”
To Thomas.
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and you have seen him.”
To Philip
“Have I been with you such a long time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know me? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I live in the Father and the Father lives in me? The words I speak are not mine; it’s the Father living in me who is doing his work. Believe me when I tell you that I live in the Father, and the Father lives in me, or at least believe because of the evidence of all that I’ve done.
“I tell you the truth, anyone who trusts in me will do the same things I am doing. In fact they will do even greater things because I am going to the Father. I’ll do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified through the Son. Whatever you ask for in my name, I will do it.
If you love me, you will keep my commands. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who will always be with you. The world cannot accept him because it isn’t looking for him and does not know him. But you know him because he lives with you and will be in you.
“I will not abandon you like orphans: I will come back to you. Soon the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. On that day you will know that I live in the Father, you live in me, and I live in you. Those who keep my commands are the ones who love me, those who love me will be loved by my Father. I will love them too, and will reveal myself to them.”
To Judas (not Iscariot)
“Those who love me will do as I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with them. Those who don’t love me don’t do what I say. These words don’t come from me, they come from the Father who sent me.
“I’m explaining this to you while I’m still here with you. But when the Father sends the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, in my place, he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.
“Peace I leave you; my peace I’m giving you. The peace I give you is nothing like what the world gives.
Don’t let your minds be anxious, and don’t be afraid.
“You’ve heard me tell you, ‘I am going away, but I will come back to you.’ If you really loved me, you would be happy because I’m going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I’ve explained this to you now before it happens so that when it does happen you will be convinced. I can’t talk to you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no power to control me, but I’m doing what my Father told me to do so that the world will know that I love the Father.
Now get up. Let’s go.”
(Continued next week)
Download the complete 'Words of Jesus' here.
OUR AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
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ALL WORK AND NO 'FOOD' MAKES DAVID A 'HUNGRY' BOY! (Apologies 'Anon' from before 1659)
Kenyan food and David don't get on too well together!
However that doesn't stop the intrepid -or desperate- David from creating this delicious delicacy!
Take a big block of Kenyan Cooking Chocolate, spied in a supermarket, and get Kathy to melt. Pour into a paper patty pan full of of delicious home grown strawberries, chill and eat!
An EXTRA SUPER SUPERB, SPECTACULARLY DELICIOUS, TREAT!!!!!!!!!
Sure you will agree? Doesn't it make you salivate?
What a taste treat!
Just half left and saved for tomorrow!
Of course, someone has to do the hard work! David is 'the Boss'! So here is 'Patrick the Gardener' and 'Kathy the Weeder!' My thanks to you both for such a great effort!
For the Horticulturalists, we tried growing in plastic but it was an expensive failed experiment, as the temperatures here are too warm. No-one has tried growing in this area previously, but they do grow well, just not in plastic. The wheat straw provides a cooling mulch and helps reduce the weeds.
A 'FOODFULL' African Experience!
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***DAILY EZINE!*** 'DAVID'S DAILY DOODLINGS' Subscribe Today
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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.....
DAVID'S DOODLINGS
... my time invariably runs ahead of His time for me.
... to wait is still to grow.
... my job is simply to be available to Him.
... yesterdays faith is to become today's normality.
... exercising my 'will' frequently involves my 'wont'.
... the wall of faith is built one brick at a time.
... to 'overcome' I need to 'undergo' change in my life.
... God is God, is God.
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 VISION OF THE KINGDOM CHURCH
Something completely different as I share a vision the Lord gave me around the time of the millennium.
*** 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. ***
285. Brief Sermon
A minister preached a very brief sermon and explained to the congregation, "My dog got into my office and ate all my notes."
On the way out the door, a visitor said to the pastor, "If your dog ever has pups, would you see that my minister gets one?"
286. Non-Partisan Pastor
A new pastor of a Presbyterian church in a southern city found himself in a difficult position due to the fact that two officers in his church were running for mayor. The young preacher had to walk with much caution the impartial, equal-time line.
At the post office one morning, a church member who was flagrantly partisan asked, "Pastor, what do you think about the election?"
"I'm praying about it," the pastor told her.
"Well, what are you praying for?" the partisan Presbyterian wanted to know.
And the preacher told her, "I'm just thanking God for the secret ballot."
QWIK QWIP: “You had no choice from where you came. But you CAN choose where you go from here.”
287. Liquid Plumber
A Pastor in Oregon called a plumber to fix a leak in the parsonage bathroom. When the plumber finished the job, he left a bill in the bathroom itemising the repairs. There was also a P.S. He drew an arrow pointing to a bottle of Liquid-Plumber that the pastor kept in the bathroom, and noted: "How would you feel if you walked into someone's house and found a bottle of 'liquid pastor'?"
288. Further Pastoral Candidates
MELCHIZADEK: Great credentials at current work place, but where does this guy come from? No information on his resume about former work records. Every line about parents was left blank and he refused to supply a birth date.
JOHN: Says he is a Baptist, but definitely doesn't dress like one. Has slept in the outdoors for months on end, has a weird diet, and provokes denominational leaders.
PETER: Too blue collar. Has a bad temper-even has been known to curse. Had a big run-in with Paul in Antioch. Aggressive, but a loose cannon.
PAUL: Powerful CEO type leader and fascinating preacher. However, short on tact, unforgiving with younger ministers, harsh and has been known to preach all night.
JAMES AND JOHN: Package deal preacher & associate seemed good at first, but found out they have an ego problem regarding other fellow workers and seating positions. Threatened an entire town after an insult. Also known to try to discourage workers who didn't follow along with them.
TIMOTHY: Too young!
METHUSELAH: Too old . . . WAY too old!
JESUS: Has had popular times, but once his church grew to 5000 he managed to offend them all, and then this church dwindled down to twelve people. Seldom stays in one place very long. And, of course, he's single.
JUDAS: His references are solid. A steady plodder. Conservative. Good connections. Knows how to handle money. We're inviting him to preach this Sunday. Possibilities here.
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 ..... https://www.wwj.org.nz/content/wwj18p47.pdf
Or read them all online at.....
A DAVID MUSING
MATURITY IN CHRIST
Not chronological age.
CHILD IN CHRIST
1. Giving life to Jesus
2. God gives presents
TEENAGER IN CHRIST
3. Still some presents
4. Growing pains of questioning.
5. First testings
6 First steps of faith
MATURITY IN CHRIST
7. Trials and tribulations
8. Greater steps of faith
9. Challenges, challenges, challenges
10. Maturing into character of Christ
Can you relate?
Until next week.....
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD
His servant and yours
David Tait
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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