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: 1115 Published: 27 Feb 2023
PLEASE SEE "A DAVID MUSING" AGAIN
About the cyclone that hit our home town this week.
Devastating!
THINKING GREEK OR HEBREW
GODS v GOD
Greek (Western) In Greek culture, there was a multiplicity of gods who, although residing in heavenly places, took on the characteristics of men. No one god was capable of reflecting the great diversity of man.
Gods were seen as acting in the human image, exhibiting human emotions such as love and hate, good and evil, rage and happiness. But no single god was capable of encompassing all of these.
Additionally, the god's behaviour, their morality, changed over time, as determined by the democratic decisions of the majority of the people at the time. There were no godly behavioural absolutes. Therefore the people governed themselves by what they thought to be right at the time.
This process can be seen in action today, both in the world and in the church.
In the world, man has effectively set himself up as the supreme ruler, being guided and developed by the gods of education and science. There are no moral absolutes. Morality is developed to suit the desires of the people of the time and place.
In the church too, we have subtly changed from 'knowing God' to 'knowing about God', through our emphasis on theological education. Christianity has gradually absorbed many of the ideas of the world, from a fetish about prosperity, to a major battleground of today, the place of homosexuality within the church. And many, many, others.
Salvation has become an intellectual pursuit, reflected in structured creeds, rather than a relationship with the person Jesus, the unchanging reflection of God upon the earth.
Eastern (Hebrew) In the Hebrew, there is only one, unique God. There is no other like Him. He is the ultimate source of life, and all life begins with Him.
This is reflected in the Old Testament, again.....
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-8)
and again.....
6 “This is what the LORD says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. 7 Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come— yes, let him foretell what will come. 8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.” (Isaiah 44:6-8)
Again in the New..
4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. (1 Corinthians 8:4-6)
and again.....
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. (John 17:1-5)
In the Western world we view God as evolving and changing in a linear fashion. This is entirely different to the Jewish way, where God is considered in a cyclical way, illustrated in the natural by the repeated phases of the moon. Biblically, this is reflected in the seasonal 'Feasts of the Lord' which are repeated year after year in a continuous, unchanging pattern, as illustrated in Leviticus 23.....
The Sabbath..... The Passover and Unleavened Bread..... Firstfruits..... Feast of Weeks..... Feast of Trumpets..... Day of Atonement..... Feast of Tabernacles
God is the one and only 'I AM', who remains constant and unchanged, from generation to generation.....
14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation (Exodus 3:14-15)
May we never forget.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
SOME SPIRITUAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY
1. We are to become one with Jesus through personal relationship with Him.
2. Knowing about Jesus is not a substitute for knowing Jesus.
3. We need to stand firm on Biblical principles, not being swayed by the changing morality of the day of the world.
4. We must make Jesus the lord of our life, and live for Him, irrespective of the cost.
(Continued next week)
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FROM THE WORD
THE WORDS OF JESUS
Sermon on the Mount(Matthew 5:1-7:29, Luke 6:17-49)
The primary ‘life teachings’ of Jesus.
Salt and Light (Matthew 5:13-16)
“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt becomes tasteless, how can you make it salty again? It’s good for nothing, so it’s thrown out and trodden on. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill can’t be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a bucket. No, it’s placed on a lamp-stand and it provides light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way you should let your light shine before everyone so they can see the good things you do and praise your heavenly Father.
Fulfillment of the Law (Matthew 5:17-20)
“Don’t think I came to abolish the law or the writings of the prophets. I didn’t come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. 18I assure you, until heaven and earth come to an end, not a single letter, not a single dot of the law will come to an end before everything is fulfilled. 19So whoever disregards the least important commandment, and teaches people to do so, will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches the commandments will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20I tell you, unless your righteousness is more than that of the religious teachers and the Pharisees, you can never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Murder (Matthew 5:21-6, Luke 12:58-9)
“You’ve heard that the law said to the people of long ago: ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who commits murder will be condemned as guilty.’ But I tell you, anyone who is angry with his brother will be condemned as guilty. Whoever calls his brother an idiot has to answer to the council, and whoever insults people is liable to the fire of judgment.”
“If you’re at the altar making an offering, and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering on the altar and go and make peace with him first, and afterwards come back and make your offering. While you’re on the way to court with your opponent, make sure you settle things quickly. Otherwise your opponent might hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the court official, and you will be thrown into jail. I tell you the truth: you won’t get out of there until you’ve paid every last penny.
(Continued next week)
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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
WORRY
96. Definition of a worrier ' one who worries that they have nothing to worry about.
97. I can never catch up with my worries, for they are all about tomorrow.
98. Rarely does tomorrow's worry become today's problem.
99. Today's worry rarely solves tomorrow's problems.
100. An apple a day keeps the Doctor away, but a worry a day keeps him fully employed.
101. Repentance is when you change a 'worry' into a 'sorry.'
102. Laughter is the only medicine I know where the side effects are even more beneficial than the medicine itself.
103. After birth on earth, a dearth of mirth reduces self-worth, leading to an increased girth
208. The ultimate worrier does not have the time to concern themselves with today or tomorrow for they are still too busy worrying about what happened yesterday.
356. An optimist tackles a problem while the worrier lets the problem tackle them.
357. Magicians and worriers both create illusions. Magicians entertain others, while worriers entertain themselves.
358. Worry is like the fast breeder nuclear reactor, which feeds upon itself. Unsurprisingly, neither has proved to be of lasting benefit to mankind.
359. Somehow, it seems easier to build a mountain of worry than a molehill of achievement.
360. A worry a day keeps the psychiatrist in business.
349. The bigger the problem, the bigger we can discover our God is.
CARTOONS FROM TOON FEVER
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
THIS WEEK: WAIT AND SEE!
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LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
***Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused***
QWIK QWIP: “Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.”
313. Tradition
During a service at an old synagogue in Eastern Europe, when the Shema prayer was said, half the congregants stood up and half remained sitting.
The half that was seated started yelling at those standing to sit down, and the ones standing yelled at the ones sitting to stand up.
The rabbi, learned as he was in the Law and commentaries, didn't know what to do. His congregation suggested that he consult a housebound 98-year-old man, who was one of the original founders of their temple. The rabbi hoped the elderly man would be able to tell him what the actual temple tradition was, so he went to the nursing home with a representative of each faction of the congregation.
The one whose followers stood during Shema said to the old man, "Is the tradition to stand during this prayer?"
The old man answered, "No, that is not our tradition."
The one whose followers sat asked, "Is the tradition to sit during Shema?"
The old man answered, "No, that is not our tradition."
Then the rabbi said to the old man, "Please help us! The congregants fight all the time, yelling at each other about whether they should sit or stand."
The old man interrupted, exclaiming, "THAT is our tradition!"
QWIK QWIP: “Today is the Tomorrow you worried about Yesterday. Was it worth it?”
314. Favourite Hymns, by Profession
Dentist - "Crown Him with Many Crowns"
Weatherman - "There Shall be Showers of Blessing"
Building contractor - "The Church's One Foundation"
Tailor - "Holy, Holy, Holy"
Golfer - "There is a Green Hill Far Away"
Politician - "Standing on the Promises"
Optometrist - "Open Mine Eyes that I Might See"
Internal Revenue Service - "All to Thee"
Gossip - "Pass It On"
Electrician - "Send the Light"
Shopper - "Sweet By and By"
315. Observant
A Sunday school teacher asked the children, "Why should you be quiet in church?"
Little Johnny promptly answered, "Because people are sleeping!"
316. For the Preacher - Good News & Bad News
Good News: You baptised seven people today in the river.
Bad News: You lost two of them in the swift current.
Good News: The Women's Guild voted to send you a get-well card.
Bad News: The vote passed by 31-30
Good News: The Elder Board accepted your job description the way you wrote it.
Bad News: They were so inspired by it, they also formed a search committee to find somebody capable of filling the position.
Good News: You finally found a choir director who approaches things exactly the same way you do.
Bad News: The choir mutinied.
Good News: Mrs. Jones is wild about your sermons.
Bad News: Mrs. Jones is also wild about the "Jerry Springer show," "Beavis and Butthead" and "Texas Chain Saw Massacre."
Good News: Your women's softball team finally won a game.
Bad News: They beat your men's softball team.
Good News: The trustees finally voted to add more church parking.
Bad News: They're going to pave the front lawn of your parsonage.
Good News: Church attendance rose dramatically the last three weeks.
Bad News: You were on vacation.
Good News: Your deacons want to send you to the Holy Land.
Bad News: They are waiting until the next war.
Good News: The youth in your church have come to your home to pay a surprise visit.
Bad News: It's midnight and they are armed with toilet paper & shaving cream to "decorate" your house.
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
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A DAVID MUSING
The cyclone referred to last week that hit our home city of Napier has gone, leaving behind it a trail of devastation.
Kathy is okay. She and her friend prepared to evacuate, but it wasn't necessary. It was wonderful to finally be able to speak to her and find out they were safe.
However, as I write this, there is another heavy rain waning for today, as if they have not experienced enough rain in the last 10 days or so. Damage throughout New Zealand has been estimated to be many, many billions of dollars, and our area will take a decent share of that.
Orchards and vineyards were wiped out in some areas, and the water came up to the rooftops of houses. Mud from the hills covered much productive farmland and the recovery will take years. Numbers of people have been killed, but the total won't be known for some time yet.
To top it all off Kathy picked up Covid! This is running rampant in the region now. I have had to stay away while she is infectious, but she is recovering well, and I should be able to return as you read this. At times like this you realize how much important to you, especially after 52 years of marriage and still counting!
Fortunately Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Father remain with us whatever our situation is. As believers, we are so blessed to have Him with us at all times, both good and bad.
Until next time
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 website
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Walking With Jesus Ministries
P O Box 2
Webuye 50205
Kenya
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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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