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: 964 Published: 13 Apr 2020
Apologies for the delay.....
caused by computer upgrading issues.
THINKING GREEK OR HEBREW?
SPIRITUALITY
Greek (Western) To the Western mind, life is dualistic, with a separation between the physical and emotional, and the spiritual.
Spirituality is otherworldly. The emphasis in both teaching and living is to go to heaven where all physical pain and the cares of the world will be left behind. The physical and emotional are regarded as evil, so physical and emotional self-denial is good. Initially, the monastic system grew out of this thinking while today escapism is reflected in the (false) rapture teachings.
Spirituality is considered to be of the mind. Therefore, those who have been trained in theology are considered to be more worthy than those who haven't. This has led to a division between clergy and people, starting with the Roman Catholic Church, and which, formally or informally, still remains today.
We separate the (bad) physical and emotional from the (good) spiritual. So we celebrate the spiritual in church for an hour or two then go back into the world and happily live an unspiritual life.
Eastern (Hebrew) In the Eastern way of thinking spirituality is earthly, not otherworldly.
Man was put on earth to look after it.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis1:27-8)
Mankind was given comprehensive instructions on how to look after earth, from planting crops, to celebration, to work, to rest, to handling money, and how to take care of the poor.
For example.....
12 “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed. (Exodus 23:12)
Appropriate emotionalism was encouraged, along with the physical.....
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, (Ecclesiastes 3:4)
That the spiritual is a part of this world, is reflected in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. For example.....
9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9)
Jesus did not send His disciples to heaven, but into the world, to follow His example.....
18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. (John 17:18-19)
Marriage is perhaps considered to be the most spiritual thing one can do. Sex within marriage is regarded as particularly spiritual, just touching the surface of what our union with the Messiah is to be. We are to participate in the glorious marriage with the Lamb of God.....
7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) (Revelation 19:7-8)
When the Scriptures speak of 'the flesh', they are speaking of our worldly nature, our pre-Christ nature. As Paul said.....
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. (Philippians 3:4b-6)
Now, although no longer of the world, in our new nature, we are to remain in the world and to be its light. As Jesus said.....
14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
May we build His kingdom upon the earth.....
10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)
SOME SPIRITUAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY
1. To accept that the renewed physical and emotional within us is good, is to be celebrated, and not rejected as unspiritual.
2. Forget about the escapism of early rapture teaching. We will meet with Jesus in the sky upon His return, coming to His kingdom on earth with Him. (Matthew 24;30-31, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
3. To understand that, (and behave like), we are part of His kingdom now being built upon the earth.
4. To live life to the full, spiritually, physically and emotionally, as worthy witnesses of our Lord Jesus in the here and now.
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FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUS
May we hear what the Lord is saying to us.....
Parables by the Lake(Matthew 13:1-35, Mark 4:1-34, Luke 8:4-18)
Told from a boat anchored away from the shore, out there because of the size of the crowd.
Parable of the Growing Seed(Mark 4:26-9)
“God’s kingdom is like a man sowing seed in the ground,” Jesus said. “He goes to bed and gets up, day after day, but the man has no knowledge of how the seeds sprout and grow. The earth produces a harvest by itself. First a shoot appears, then the heads of grain, and then the heads of grain ripen. When the grain is ripe, the farmer reaps it with a sickle, because the harvest is ready.
Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30)
“The kingdom of heaven is like a farmer who sowed good seeds in his field. But while his workers were sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weed seeds on top of the wheat. Then they left. So when the wheat grew and produced ears of grain, the weeds also grew up. The farmer’s workers came and asked him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seeds in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’
“‘Some enemy has done this,’ he replied. ‘Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’ they asked him.
‘No,’ he answered, ‘as you pull up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat too. Let them both grow until harvest, and then at harvest-time I’ll tell the reapers, “First gather the weeds, tie them up into bundles and burn them. Then gather the wheat and store it in my barn.”’”
Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast(Matthew 13:31-5)
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a farmer sowed in his field. Even though it’s the tiniest of seeds it grows much bigger than other plants. In fact it grows into a tree big enough for birds to roost in its branches.”
“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman mixed with a large quantity of flour, until all the dough was raised.”
(Continued next week)
Download the complete 'Words of Jesus' here.
A MUZUNGU’S (White Man’s) THOUGHT – Issue 33
GOD OR THE CHURCH?
Following on from last week's thought about the need for repentance, this week's word is even more challenging.
For today, I wish to ask the question, "Do we worship God or the Church?"
I have worshipped in so many churches of every hue, all around the world in the course of life and ministry as a traveling speaker.
As time has gone on I have struggled more and more with the concept of 'church' as we know it. For rather than being God and Christ centred, the large majority are building and pastor centred.
Reading the New Testament over and over as I do, the church we have today is very different from that of the early New Testament.
I know all the arguments used to justify the development of church buildings and their accompanying hierarchy of pastors, ministers, and priests. Many leaders are good meaning people with a real heart for God, particularly at the beginning of their ministries. (I know that the majority of those reading this are these people. Please just continue reading and let me share my heart.)
What tends to happen is that the church buildings become a substitute for God, as the Tabernacle and Temple of the Old Testament eventually became, and their denominations, pastors, etc. form another Old Testament priesthood.
On the other side of the coin, the people now see God as being the church building, with their ministers, etc., being their conduit or telephone line to God. It saddens me so much to see so many good people who are dedicated to the church, and believe through that, they are saved and serving God. Others come to church and rely on the pastor to be the 'spiritual one' to look after their spiritual needs while they go on living a worldly life.
The Biblical, New Testament truth, however, is that God lives within us in the form of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus is our one and the only Priest, the mediator on our behalf with God the Father.
Sadly, this change primarily came about withe conversion of Emperor Constantine and the in reality, forced 'Christianization' of the Roman Empire. Large churches and cathedrals were built as a vision of heaven and a priesthood developed to keep the peasants under control.
After the 1000+ years of the spiritually bereft Dark Ages, the Reformation took place. For the Bible was now made available to the common people, in their own languages, through the invention of the printing press. However, Luther and the mainstream Protestants soon went back, albeit in a simpler way, to the spiritual and physical structure of the Catholic Church. Churches were built and a New Testament priesthood evolved.
In the early 20th century, with the development of pentecostalism, worship went back into homes, led by those with spiritual gifts received from God, with no thought of payment or position. Gradually, however, over the next century pentecostalism has become as formalized as the church before it. Today there are magnificent structures (eg, the now-defunct Chrystal Cathedral) that are trying to create a 'Temple mentality' once again. Many pastors are wearing robes, which is both against Jesus, who dressed so simply, like the people around Him, and the revelation of the pentecostal outpouring.
True Christianity grows faster spontaneously, through persecution, eg. China, than through our inward-looking, modern church. Money is required for building and maintenance, salaries, and programmes. Helping the poor and evangelism each takes a back seat.
Jesus was a revolutionary! He battled more against the religious establishment than the Romans! And would likely have to do the same if He was here today.
We now have the Covid-19 virus, which is creating turmoil in the church, and amongst those Christians, both pastors and people, whose life revolves around the church rather than God.
My prayer and hope is, many will search out the Father heart of God for their lives during this time. Others, of course, will fall away, as the Bible predicts in the end times.
May leaders and people get back to basics and build a renewed personal kingdom relationship with Jesus, seeking out and applying God the Father's personal will for their lives, through the Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Life indeed, will never be the same again spiritually, as a new, powerful group of overcomers arise.
Shurakini
(Thank You)
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Making progress! Have now got our first display stands!
Note the Optometrist has a mask on, even though there have been np reported cases of the virus in Western Kenya. We are quarantined off from Nairobi and the Coast where so far 198 cases with 7 deaths have been identified.
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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
1294. What Jesus did on the cross He proved through the resurrection.
1295. How I long for my resurrection body!
1296. To be resurrected I must first die. a hard lesson to learn!
1297. While all desire resurrection, few are prepared to pay the price of the cross.
1298. The price of eternal life is death - Jesus' and mine!
1299. As a flower dies to produce the seed of new life, so must I.
1300. Jesus resurrected is a glimpse of the glorious kingdom of God.
1301. The cross qualifies me to walk in resurrection power.
1302. Death is the price of resurrection.
1303. Once we can walk through walls, will there any longer be a need for doors?
Please feel free to quote these quotes. Acknowledgment of David Tait as the author would be appreciated. There are now over 1300 David sayings for you to view at ...
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
NEXT WEEK: TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCH: 3. FROM KINGS TO KINGDOM continues.....
....... as we look at Jesus as a leader.
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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. ***
QWIK QWIP: “The trouble with learning from experience is that the test comes first and the lesson afterwards.”
398. It might be a country church if . . .
1. The doors are never locked.
2. The Call to Worship is ,"Y'all come on in!"
3. People grumble about Noah letting coyotes on the Ark.
4. The Preacher says, "I'd like to ask Bubba to help take up the offering" - and five guys stand up.
5. The restroom is outside.
6. Opening day of deer hunting season is recognised as an official church holiday.
7. A member requests to be buried in his four-wheel drive truck because, "I ain't never been in a hole it couldn't get me out of".
8. In the annual stewardship drive there is at least one pledge of "two calves."
9. Never in its entire 100-year history has one of its pastors had to buy any meat or vegetables.
10. When it rains, everybody's smiling.
11. Prayers regarding the weather are a standard part of every worship service.
12. A singing group is known as "The OK Chorale."
13. The church directory doesn't have last names.
14. The pastor wears boots.
15. Four generations of one family sit together in worship every Sunday.
16. The only time people lock their cars in the parking lot is during the summer and then only so their neighbours can't leave them a bag of squash.
17. There is no such thing as a "secret'' sin.
18. Baptism is referred to as "branding.''
19. There is a special fund-raiser for a new septic tank.
20. Finding and returning lost sheep is not just a parable.
21. You miss worship one Sunday morning and by 2 o'clock that afternoon you have had a dozen phone calls inquiring about your health.
22. High notes on the organ set dogs in the parking lot to howling.
23. People wonder, when Jesus fed the 5,000, whether the two fish were bass or catfish.
24. It's not heaven, but you can see heaven from there.
25. The final words, of the benediction are, "Y'all come on back now, ya hear!"
26. On Sunday morning the parking lot looks like the parking lot at the livestock auction.
399. Mistaken E-mail
It is wise to remember how easily this wonderful e-mail technology can be misused, sometimes unintentionally, with serious consequences. Consider the case of the Illinois man who left the snow-filled streets of Chicago for a vacation in Florida. His wife was on a business trip and was planning to meet him there the next day. When he reached his hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick e-mail. Unable to find the scrap of paper on which he had written her e-mail address, he did his best to type it in from memory.
Unfortunately, he missed one letter, and his note was directed instead to an elderly preacher's wife, whose husband had passed away only the day before. When the grieving widow checked her e-mail, she took one look at the monitor, let out a piercing scream, and fell to the floor in a dead faint. At the sound, her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen:
Dearest Wife,
Just got checked in. Everything prepared for your arrival tomorrow.
P.S. Sure is hot down here!
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A DAVID MUSING
In life, we face many challenges!
It matters not whether we are rich or poor, challenges are always there.
While many challenges relate to money, either getting or keeping it, there are other challenges, eg relationships, that are equally, or more, of importance.
We have to accept that we are always going to be challenged in life.
What determines our success or failure is how we handle the roadblocks life throws at us. Do we throw up our hands in horror, or run away, or face the challenge head-on.
I know you may say my current challenge is too difficult, and do nothing. But then your problem will remain.
The Bible says we will have many challenges in life, but we have our Saviour and Lord to help us get through them. They won't go away, for that is our job to deal with them, but unlike others, we have a comforter and guide with us to help us handle them.
Life is not easy. But if we approach it with a positive, overcoming attitude, it is amazing how much better it will become.
Until next time.....
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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