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: 970 Published: 25 May 2020
APOLOGIES FOR THE DAY'S DELAY
Internet challenges!
Sorry
David
THINKING GREEK OR HEBREW?
PEACE
Greek (Western) In Western thought, peace is a state of mind.
If all is going well, there is peace. If there is no war, there is peace. If the kids aren't fighting, there is peace in the home. If there is no crime, the neighbourhood is at peace. And so on.
Peace and quietness go together. A monk goes into a monastery to find peace. Mum sends the kids away to have peace and quiet for a time. Yoga is seen as a way to find peace. Nirvana is peace.
Peace therefore, is related to a lack of friction, often found in a state of quietness.
Eastern (Hebrew) In Hebrew thought, 'shalom' or peace, is wholeness or completeness
In Hebrew thought, peace is not quietness or an absence of trouble, but rather, a oneness with God. Peace is found in the submission of body, soul and spirit to the Creator, the Lord of the universe.
Jesus did not come to bring peace in a worldly sense....
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ (Matthew 10:34-6)
But He did promise peace to us.....
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
and again.....
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)
When Jesus sent out the 72 He told them to look for houses where there was peace. He did not mean quietness but rather, a house where there was a oneness with the Lord, knowing that these people would put them up for the time they were in that place.....
5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. (Luke 10:5-7)
Paul was able to find peace in the torment of prison and encouraged us to do the same.
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)
We can therefore experience the true peace of Jesus at all times, when we fully submit our lives to Him.....
36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. (Acts 10:36)
SOME SPIRITUAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY
1. True peace is obtained through a submissive relationship to God, not as an emotional experience or state.
2. True peace can be found in the midst of tumult and torment.
3. True peace is a lifestyle, not a feeling.
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FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUS
May we hear what the Lord is saying to us.....
Many Desert Jesus (John 6:60-71)
Deciding the teaching was too difficult to accept.
“Are you offended by this? Then what if you were to see the Son ascend to where he was before? The Spirit gives life; the physical body doesn’t do anything. The words I’ve told you are spirit and life! Yet there are some of you who don’t trust me.”
“This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is made possible by the Father.”
Now speaking to the disciples.
“What about you? Do you want to leave as well?”
“Lord, who would we follow? You’re the one who has the words of eternal life. We trust in you, and we’re convinced that you are God’s Holy One.”
“Didn’t I choose you, the twelve disciples? Yet one of you is a devil,”
Men’s Traditions Rebuked.(Matthew 15:1-11, Mark 17:1-16)
Jesus asked why the disciples didn’t wash their hands before they ate.
“Why do you break God’s commandment because of your tradition?” “For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother should be put to death.’ But you say that if someone tells their father or mother, ‘Whatever you might have expected to get from me is now a gift to God,’ then they don’t have to honor their father. In this way you’ve annulled God’s word for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! How well Isaiah described you when he prophesied: ‘These people say they honor me but in their minds they don’t care about me. Their worship of me is pointless. What they teach are just man-made requirements.’”
“Listen, and understand this: it’s not what goes into you through your mouth that defiles you. It’s what comes out of your mouth that defiles you.”
Parable and Explanation of Man’s Traditions to Disciples (Matthew 15:12-20,
Mark 17:17-23 )
When the disciples commented that the Pharisees were offended by this teaching, Jesus gave this parable.
“Every plant my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted,” Jesus replied. “Forget about them—they are blind guides. If a blind man leads another blind man, then they’ll both fall into a ditch.”
An explanation asked for.
“Haven’t you understood this yet?” “Don’t you see that whatever goes in through the mouth then passes through the stomach, and then leaves the body as wasted? 18But what comes out through the mouth comes from the mind, and that’s what defiles you. 19For what comes from the mind are evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, and blasphemy and those are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands doesn’t defile you.”
(Continued next week)
Download the complete 'Words of Jesus' here.
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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.
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
NEXT WEEK: TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHURCH: 3. FROM KINGS TO KINGDOM continues..... .
The second thing the Lord pointed out, and the more controversial to many leaders, is that we rely too heavily upon our followers' provision for our needs. We will have a look at this tomorrow.
*** 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. ***
414. The Preacher and The Policeman
A man lost two buttons from his shirt and put them in his pants pocket. But the pocket had a hole, so the buttons fell into his shoe. Unfortunately, the shoe sole also had a hole, so he lost the buttons. Since pockets with holes, holes without buttons, and shoe soles with holes are useless, the man ripped the buttonholes out of his shirt and the pocket from his pants and tossed them in the trash along with the soles of his shoes. After looking in a mirror at the holes in his clothing, he decided to toss his clothes in the trash as well.
A policeman observed all this and asked the man for identification. The man produced a document that he was an ordained minister of the gospel. So, of course, the policeman promptly escorted him to a mental institution.
The minister protested violently, asking why he was receiving such unjust treatment.
"Look, it's the best place for you now," the policeman replied, "Anyone claiming to be a preacher, but who doesn't save souls or wear holy clothes has probably lost his buttons.
QWIK QWIP: “If all my friends jumped off a cliff, I wouldn't jump with them… I would be at the bottom to catch them.”
415. New Services
A church congregation that decided to have four worship services each Sunday.
There was one for those new to the faith. Another for those who liked traditional worship. One for those who'd lost their faith and would like to get it back. And another for those who had bad experiences with churches and were complaining about it.
The church came up with names for each of the services: FINDERS, KEEPERS, LOSERS, and WEEPERS.
416. Finally - The Truth
There was a parish that had a notorious reputation for spitting out their pastors. Every three years, the council would review their satisfaction with the current pastor, and invariably ask for his or her resignation. Pastor Smith was on pins and needles as the council meeting marking his third anniversary drew near. He knew the Church's anti-clerical tradition, and he began to prepare for the worst. He was in consultation with his bishop over other call possibilities, should he have to make a change. He even contemplated leaving the pastorate.
The night of that dreaded council meeting, the lay president said, "Well, Pastor Smith, as you probably know, we have to ask you to step outside, while we discuss some concerns among ourselves." With his heart palpitating, Pastor Smith waited for what seemed like forever.
Finally, the president invited him back in and to have a seat. "Pastor Smith, we've reviewed the past three years, and the council has unanimously voted to renew your term as our pastor."
"That's wonderful!" cried a relieved Pastor Smith. "But tell me, that' a first here for many, many years. How did you come about to that decision?"
"Well," replied the lay president, "if it were up to us, we wouldn't have pastors at all. But as long as the Church says we have to have one, we figured you're the closest thing we'll ever get to not having a pastor."
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
Life is full of surprises - some good, some bad, some both good and bad at the same time!
The third selection has been our experience today!
I can't say any more.
As you may know, my wife Kathy and I have been married for 50 years, celebrating our Golden Wedding on 2 May. We live in Kenya, while our family is split between New Zealand and Britain. We had arranged to celebrate with 3 of our 4 boys in Britain, but surprise, Covid put a stop to that.
We celebrated here in Kenya and enjoyed ourselves, taking half a day off from our hospital oversight!
But why I mentioned this is, even after being married for 50 years, Kathy can still surprise me at times! Says that it keeps her interesting!
God can surprise us to. For us, the latest surprise in our life has been to be sent by Him to Kenya! At 70 years of age!
The question is not, whether we are surprised, but whether we will obey. For that is what God requires of us, irrespective of our age.
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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