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: 242 Published: 12 Jun 2006
HAVING FUN!
Over the past 3 months our editorials have been quite serious.As I came to write today, the thought just occurred to me that this is how we as Christians generally are seen as being - serious! The joy of the Lord is not apparent on our faces, nor seen in our behaviour.
As a general rule, the more 'religious' we become the more serious we get! Who would want to join us? Yes, seriousness is what society sees the 'religious thing' as being.
Ironically I have found this lack of joy to be extreme in 'Holiness Churches', in those whose living style should reflect it. These people have the wonderful desire to be holy, as God is holy. Unfortunately though, they try and achieve it through being holy on the outside - no makeup or jewellery, a dress code, a behaviour code etc, to which the congregation is expected to adhere. It is simply bondage to law. The very thing that Jesus came to overthrow, for it did not, nor ever will, work.
Jesus liked a good party! In fact, His very first miracle involved making alcoholic drink! Just imagine the furore if your church decided to invest in the local brewery!
The Pharisees accused Jesus of not being religious enough! Of eating and drinking and being merry, not fasting nor acting superior and serious, as they did.
Religion, by its nature, breeds an air of false seriousness and superiority. Of robes and artifacts. Of position and exclusion. We must qualify, in order to join the club.
Just as I finished the last sentence, I received an email, the contents of which follow. Thank you Jim and Carolyn!
REVISIONIST DEFINITIONS!
ADULT: A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle.
BEAUTY PARLOR: A place where women curl up and dye.
CANNIBAL: Someone who is fed up with people.
CHICKENS: The only animals you eat before they are born and after they are dead.
COMMITTEE: A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.
DUST: Mud with the juice squeezed out.
EGOTIST: Someone who is usually me-deep in conversation.
HANDKERCHIEF: Cold Storage.
INFLATION: Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.
MOSQUITO: An insect that makes you like flies better.
RAISIN: Grape with a sunburn.
SECRET: Something you tell to one person at a time.
SKELETON: A bunch of bones with the person scraped off.
TOOTHACHE: The pain that drives you to extraction.
TOMORROW: One of the greatest labor saving devices of today.
YAWN: An honest opinion openly expressed.
WRINKLES: Something other people have. You have character lines.
I have had a good laugh! Hope you have too!
For Jesus came to set us from the bonds of the Law - and surely, to release us to have a good laugh! No, I am not confusing laughter with inner joy, the true sign of Christian maturity. But a 'smile on the dial' sure helps others see the reality of Jesus in us.
Let's be more concerned with developing that which is within rather than conforming to any restrictive, manmade religious pattern. That which Jesus did in His day, we are to model today.
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FROM THE WORD
"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.â€" (1 Peter 1:13-15)"Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with waterâ€; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.†They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.†This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him." (John 2:6-11)
"“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!" (Matthew 23:23-32)
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DAVID'S DOODLINGS
JOY615. Joy is much like eating prunes. You may not like them but you are joyful because of the good effect they have at the other end.
616. True joy is a positive peace about your eternal destiny.
617. Joy is the ballast that stabilizes your ship on its voyage through the sea of life.
618. Laughter lasts but a moment, but joy is eternal.
619. Joy is a bottomless well that bubbles up from within the soul.
620. To laugh is great, but to be joyful, everlasting.
621. One of life’s greatest assets is the ability to turn tears of sadness into pools of joy.
622. Tears of joy soothe the soul.
623. Joy is the outward expression of the certain hope of your eternal destiny.
624. Laughter expresses emotion, joy character.
625. Remaining joyful in adverse circumstances reflects God in you.
626. Joy is not an emotion, but a way of life.
627. Joy is the outward expression of peace within.
628. Laughter comes, laughter goes, but joy goes on forever.
1217. True joy is God given, not human driven.
1218. The source of true joy is righteousness rather then happiness.
1219. Real joy is of the spirit, not the soul.
Please feel free to quote these quotes. Acknowledgement of David Tait as the author would be appreciated. There are now over 1200 David sayings for you to view at ...
FROM YOU - TO ME - TO YOU
Dear David,This in response to your editorial of PGIM dated 5th June 2006 “A 'NEEDS' TO 'WANTS' GENERATIONâ€. As you know normally I don’t post any comments, because we have oneness of the mind. Today I felt that I should leave a comment on this. All these years I have come across so many Westerners and Europeans, I have seen their life styles when I visited your country and Australia. During my first visit to New Zealand I shared the same (that earlier New Zealand has sent several missionaries into the world than any other country has sent and today the same country is in need of missionaries! And that may be another reason people like me preached Gospel in the market places and on the streets of New Zealand) in one of the churches and I challenged your people to send the missionaries again. Unfortunately today the percentage of believers is coming down in your country and in other countries as well. And they do not have the freedom to share the Gospel and demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ.
I have seen so many preachers who talk about prosperity and prosperity doctrine! I have been told by some of preachers that Jesus was not poor and he was rich and we are the princes and priests hence we have live like princes! And even been told that is the reason they wore expensive dresses and jewelry/ornaments! They talk about apostles’ days, their teaching and their life styles but no one follow it. Is it not strange, they keep the possessions themselves and wants to show the pity on the poor. When they don’t share their wealth how can they show pity and demonstrate the LOVE (of JESUS)!!!
I appreciate your editorial and it is really thought provoking which is the need of the hour, hope that looking in it some will realize A 'NEEDS' TO 'WANTS' GENERATION.
Love Asher Peri
India.
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Your comments to me or fellow readers are always welcomed at... david@wwj.org.nz
This is an opportunity for you to express your views, which may not be my views. But none of us have a mortgage on all the truth - except for Jesus!
CRANWELL'S CARTOON
6 After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark 7 and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. 9 But the dove could find no place to set its feet because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. 10 He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him. (Genesis 8:6-12)
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TUESDAY TEACHINGS
A REVELATION OF....... THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID - Part 5REJOICING IN GOD'S GOODNESS
We all look good when things are going well, don't we?
But the real test of the true state of our walk with Jesus, is how we react when we are placed under pressure. Particularly if we believe the trial is not of our own making!
If we can remain joyful in the Lord and His goodness during the hard times, we are truly reflecting the genuineness and depth of a mature faith.
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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." ***
THE COWBOYS 10 COMMANDMENTS
(1) Just one God.
(2) Honor yer Ma & Pa.
(3) No telling tales or gossipin'.
(4) Git yourself to Sunday meeting.
(5) Put nothin' before God.
(6) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal.
(7) No killin'.
(8) Watch yer mouth.
(9) Don't take what ain't yers.
(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff
Y'all have a good Day.
Guess cowboys just kinda tell it like it is!!!!
Think if we all used these instead of the one with all the "shalt nots" in it, we could probably understand and live up to them a lot better!
KIDS!
To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own children, grandchildren, nieces/nephews, or even students, here is something to make you chuckle.
Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God had "situations" with his own children.
After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was, "Don't".
"Don't what?" Adam replied.
"Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said.
"Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit?
"Hey, Eve .. . we have forbidden fruit!"
"No way!"
"Yes, way!"
"Do NOT eat the fruit!" said God.
"Why?"
Because I am your Father and I said so!" God replied, (wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants).
A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and was He ticked!
"Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God, asked?
"Uh huh," Adam replied.
"Then why did you?" said the Father.
"I don't know," said Eve.
"She started it!" Adam said.
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"DID NOT!"
Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus, the pattern was set into motion.
FREE DOWNLOAD: You can now download the book 'Laughing At Ourselves' in PDF format at LAUGHING AT OURSELVES
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FACTS FOR FUN
LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Which three of the United States are not states? Why?ANSWER: Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Virginia are not states. They are all commonwealths. (Must be common, not stately?)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Why isn't Puerto Rico on the list of countries?
Answer Next Week.
SOME FUN FACTS500. NOT TO WORRY
You're just as likely to die by falling out of bed then you are to get struck by lightning; each is a 1 in 2,000,000 chance. You have a 1 in 3,000,000 chance of being killed by a snake. (But if you stay in bed longer…..?)
501. SEEING THE BLUES
Owls are one of the only birds who can see the colour blue! (In the dark too?)
502. SNEEZE SPEED
A sneeze travels out of your mouth at over 100mph (160kmh). (Yet I can catch it in my hand!)
A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU
Make another word from this word using all the letters.
ANDERSEN
Answer at the end of A David Musing
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BIBLE QUESTION - THE GOSPELS
What is the difference between Catholic and Protestant Bibles?a. Protestant Bibles contain the writings of Martin Luther, but Catholic Bibles do not.
b. The Catholic Bible contains the writings of several popes, but Protestant Bibles do not.
c. The New Testament of the Catholic Bible contains the Gospel of Thomas, but most Protestant Bibles do not.
d. The Old Testament of the Catholic Bible contains the books of the Apocrypha, but most Protestant Bibles do not.
Answer at the end of A DAVID MUSING.
Source: "TwoPaths Bible Study, www.twopaths.com"
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IF ONLY I'D THOUGHT OF IT!
"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""WISDOM FROM GRANDPA
!!!!!! Too many couples marry for better, or for worse, but not for good.
!!!!! When a man marries a woman, they become one; but the trouble starts when they try to decide which one.
!!!! The bonds of matrimony are a good investment, only when the interest is kept up.
!!! The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
!! How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?
! Ah, being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
100'S MORE TO BE FOUND AT...
WHY?
??? 41. Why doesn’t glue stick to the inside of the bottle???? 42. If ‘Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers’, where did he find a pickled pepper bush?
??? 43. How do you get off a non-stop flight?
??? 44. How come that no-one is listening until you make a mistake?
??? 45. Why is it that the colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required on it?
??? 46. Why are credit cards always in debit?
??? 47. Why did Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
??? 48. Do illiterate people get the full affect of alphabet soup?
??? 49. Why when you blow in a dog's face he gets mad at you, but when you take him in a car he sticks his head out the window?
??? 50. Why is anyone going slower than you an idiot, but anyone going faster than you a maniac?
??? 51. How come SUPERMAN could stop bullets with his chest, but always ducked when someone threw a gun at him?
??? 52. If it was only a 3 hour cruise, why did MRS. HOWELL have so many clothes?
??? 53. Why does SOUR CREAM have an Expiration date?
??? 54. Why buy a product that it takes 2000 flushes to get rid of?
233 of Life's Most Profound Questions Found Here!
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN BIBLICAL LANDS
PILGRIMAGE JOURNEYSWere a most important part of Jewish life. Three times a year the whole family, but certainly the men and boys were called to go the Feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. (Exodus 34:23)
Jesus got lost for the day on a Feast return trip. This was not unusual as people travelled in extended family groups.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys
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MARRIAGE STATISTICS FROM GREAT BRITAIN
***More than 40% of marriages end in divorce. The number of divorces granted in England and Wales in 2004 was 153,399. More than half of these couples had at least one child aged under the age of 16***Nearly one in two children in the UK are born to unmarried parents, compared with one in eight in 1980. Some 2.3 million children (26%) currently live in lone parent households, compared with 15% in 1986
***The median duration of marriages ending in divorce is a little over 11 years. The average cohabitation relationship (not ending in marriage) is a just 39 months.
***One in four single women aged 18 - 49 are living with a man to whom they are not married
***Britain has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Europe. In 2002 legally induced abortions were carried out on 3,514 girls aged 15 or under (nearly 1,000 were aged 14 or younger)
***The percentage of births outside marriage continues to rise. In 2004, 42.2 per cent of births were outside marriage, up from 41.4 in 2003
***In 2004, more than 500 legally induced abortions were carried out in England and Wales EVERY DAY - a total of 185,400. (82% were funded by the NHS)
***In December 2004 around 100,000 people were living in temporary accommodation. Family breakup was cited as the main cause.
***A child whose mother is living with a partner (not the child's father) is 33 times more likely to be exposed to abuse than a child living with its natural parents who are married
***5,000 children every week suffer the pain and anguish of a broken home. 4,000 children call Childline every day
The relentless erosion of our quality of life in Britain is, we believe, a result of family breakdown and the abandonment of Christian family values. Social problems such as Domestic violence, Dysfunctional Families, Drug and Alcohol dependency, Anti-social Behaviour, Abuse and Homelessness often have their roots in family breakdown. The evidence is all around us.
Family breakdown is estimated to cost the British taxpayer £16 billion every year, but even this staggering figure pales to insignificance when we count the social cost. Behind the statistics lies human misery on a grand scale - and it reaches into all corners of our society.
Source: http://gnfc.org.uk/
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DAVID'S DOWNLOAD
A REVELATION OF... THE POWER OF THREE IN GOD AND THE CHURCHIn walking further with Jesus, I increasingly appreciate that this particular revelation of 'threes in God' has been hugely important in developing my understanding of God and how He works both in the church and in our lives.
It matters not whether you are a 'oneness', 'twoness', or 'trinitarian' believer. The concept still applies. For we're all very good at putting God in a box, limited to the walls of our theology and understanding. But, one day, we will know all the truth of the great mystery of God.
In the meantime, if you can grasp this simple, yet profound concept, I'm sure it will open up new realms of understanding for you too about God and His plans for His people in these end days.
It certainly developed my faith tremendously, being able to grasp more of God's mighty plan for me. And for you too!
VICTORY!
The inspiration for the first two parts of this poem came from a cross-island trek Kathyand I went on when we were staying on the beautiful Island of Rarotonga, in the Cook
Islands. For those who don’t know, The Cooks are situated around the Tropic of Capricorn
in the Pacific Ocean. A great place to visit! The last part is based loosely on the book
of Revelation, Chapters 21 and 22, the biblical promise of what is to come. Hope it is
both enjoyable and challenging to you. Of course it is just verse, so is not all strictly
theologically accurate! Called poetic licence! (Part 4 of 9)
Having got to the top of the mountain, we can now enjoy the beautiful waterfall.
VICTORY!
UNDER THE WATERFALL
Finally the track bursts out into a clearing,
A sigh of relief, so many of us are feeling,
But the few who noticed the grin, those minutes ago,
With a new sense of anticipation, now begin to glow.
Here is a sparkling, different world.
Vines aplenty with leaves unfurled,
Spreading their wings with reckless abandon,
We can see we are entering a heavenly garden.
Centre of the landscape is a refreshing waterfall,
Cascading gently down over a sheer rock wall,
Bouncing, dancing into a delightful rock pool,
Over which the waterfall, as master, does rule.
The pool is bordered with trees so lush,
The sound of the water, they seem to hush,
And flying among them I see a pure white dove,
Which Jesus tells me, is the sign of perfect love.
Is something about this place I can’t work out,
So I seek out Jesus asking, “What is it all about?â€
He looks at me, as only a father looks at his son,
“Enjoy it my son, It’s all for you, my job is done.â€
Looking back to the water I hear, “David come inâ€
A voice from somewhere - seemingly from within!
Now that is impossible, I think to myself with ‘logicality’,
“Pull yourself together, clear your head, get back to reality!â€
(To be continued next week)
More of David's poems at...
A DAVID MUSING
Isn't it amazing how you can receive a letter or have a conversation which clarifies what you are thinking of doing. I had such a case this week when I received a letter from my friend Mbogo, who lives in Kenya. He wrote his letter from the depths of his heart, and as I pondered it, the light switched on!I had one of those 'vision moments' (or if you are cruel about my age, 'dream moments'!). All of a sudden, the individual pieces of the jigsaw fell into place and gave me the full picture of the way ahead.
Over the time ahead I will be able to share with you some of the things I saw. It really feels good to be back on track after a long period of uncertainty. God's ways most certainly aren't our ways! Nor His time, our time.
Still, we need to learn to praise Him at all times, irrespective of our circumstances.
So until next week...
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD.
His servant and yours
David Tait
Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: ENSNARED
TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?' ANSWER: d. The Old Testament of the Catholic Bible contains the books of the Apocrypha, but most Protestant Bibles do not. The books of the Apocrypha were originally included with other Old Testament books. But Protestant reformers considered them less authentic and put them in a separate section of the Bible -- the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha was routinely printed as part of Protestant Bibles until the mid 1800s, but is now rarely included.
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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
290 Flaxmere Avenue
Flaxmere
Hastings
New Zealand
Phone: (06) 8799 911 International (+64) 6 8799 911
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!
For comments upon and contributions to this service, please contact
david@wwj.org.nz