THE CALL TO BECOME 'THE BRIDE'

Throughout the past fortnight I have been amazed, both at meetings and over the Internet, how the message of becoming true disciples, is being trumpeted aloud into all corners of the earth. A call to be sold out to God, to work in unity, live holy lives, to become the 'Bride of Christ'. From the Americas to Europe, Africa to Asia, and yes, even in the farthest corners of the earth - Australia and New Zealand.

It is heralding the beginnings of a 'new' church of 'Tabernacle Christians', arising to become true reflections of Jesus to this desperate and needy world. A movement not bound by the physical walls of church buildings or the spiritual constraints of denominational limitations. But a group of people whose reason for living is the proclamation of, and living for, Jesus. Not a new denomination or church group, but disciples operating both from within and without organized and disorganized Christianity, united in Spirit, to prepare mankind for the return of our Saviour (Or Savior - we can't even agree on the spelling!) and Lord.

As I have traveled, particularly through Africa, where the Holy Spirit is noticably active amongst a receptive populace, I have seen in places, the beginnings of such a move of God. And it is reflected in increase, in the Holy Spirit's presence and His manifestation in healings and miracles. Yet even there, it is still only a portent, a shadow of what is to come. We, in the so called 'developed West' have known about this, but until now, have not been prepared to make the necessary sacrifices in our all too comfortable lifestyles to see it happen in our countries too.

Yet, what is particularly exciting, is that this trumpet call is now starting to be heard and heeded here too! From America to Australia, from Britain to New Zealand, and all places in between, there is a new hunger arising amongst those who truly have a heart for their God. To respond to the trumpet call of action rather than words, the call of 'being' God's committed people, the call of 'doing' God's will. A diverse, yet single-minded people, now being stung out of their lethargy and into action.

United not by denomination or man's limited theology, but by the Spirit of God, to prepare for the entrance of God's Kingdom upon the earth. Not all Christians, or even the majority, see the need for change, for spiritual growth. But the ultimate spiritual revival which Christians have always desired, must be sparked into life by the vision and the dedication of the few, who will in turn, infect the many.

So, do not give up hope, do not despair, if you have been fighting this seemingly hopeless battle for some time. For your voice is being heard, and people are starting to take notice. To commit to the 'impossible' vision of a church, united in Christ, reflecting, in an increasingly powerful way, Jesus to the World. Lord, Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

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FROM THE WORD

"Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!” Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 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. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”" (Revelation 19:5-9)

"“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen." (Revelation 22:16-21)

DAVID'S DOODLINGS

2. A foolish man needs wisdom, the wise man godliness, a godly man the character of Christ.

4. The foolish man seeks pleasure on earth. A wise man builds treasure in heaven. But the godly man seeks to build heaven on earth.

7. The foolish man rejects God, the wise man respects God, but the godly man lives for his God.

8. A foolish man speaks before he thinks, a wise man thinks before he speaks, but a godly man lets his life speak for him.

9. The foolish man is satisfied with reading the Word, a wise man follows the Word, but the godly man is as one with the Word.

305. A foolish man can seek wisdom, the wise man godliness, while the godly man grows into the image of Christ.

427. A foolish man seeks nothing, a wise man seeks 'to do', while the godly man desires 'to be'.

485. Laziness begets foolishness, knowledge wisdom, but the truth, godliness.

13. Unity of fellowship is spurned by the foolish, acknowledged by the wise, but sought by the godly.

213. United we stand, divided... God will wait upon another generation.

401. Unity in Christ is so close to God's heart but so far away from ours!

402. Why do we keep asking God for more strength, when He has already given us the answer - unity!

403. We keep looking for the unity of one world government to arise in the nations, but constantly fail to seek it in the church.

404. The Godhead is the ultimate example of how a many faceted Church is to become united as one.

Please feel free to quote these quotes. Acknowledgement of David Tait as the author would be appreciated. There are now more than 700 David sayings for you to view at ...

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FROM YOU - TO ME - TO YOU

LAST WEEK'S LEAD ITEM
Linda,

Somewhere we got the idea that the job of Christians is to separate the tares from the wheat. Clearly, Jesus left this task to himself. He said He would separate the tares from the wheat. Most churches today have a list of rules and regulations these are men's efforts to separate the tares from the wheat.

The word commands us to go into the highways and byways and compel them to come in. In one of the parables we find that the wedding feast was fitted with both bad and good. No preacher or Christian came along and decided who was fit for the wedding. It was the Master who would do this task.

We should focus our time and energy on reaching the lost. Praying for them to receive the spirit of God. Once they have the Holy Spirit, He said He would lead them and guide them in all truth.

It is difficult for Christians to abide by this simply concept. We all seem to want to recreate 'carbon copies' of ourselves.

In the United States I can often tell what group a person is from by their clothing, hair, manner, etc.

What should identify us with Jesus Christ is that the old nature is gone.

Dr Bernie Wade

Thank you David. I really appreciated your response that came out in the "Praise God It's Monday" newsletter.

I can tell that this response isn't from you. (Because the person is from the United States? Could that be a clue?) But also because only one notion is taken into account.

In Paul's letters to the churches, he was constantly giving correction and direction. Just because we have received the Holy Spirit doesn't mean that we will always make right decisions after that. We humans are very capable of being influenced by our cultures and our own desires even though we have truly made a commitment to be God's people. Just like driving a car requires continual adjustments, we need to keep realigning ourselves with God and filtering the influences around us by what the scriptures say.

Paul told the churches that they needed to be different from their culture. If people majorly messed up, they needed to be held accountable. He said that we needed to go to our brothers and sisters who are in error in a loving way and try to lead them back into line with God. That's not particularly easy since people don't like to consider themselves as less than okay. And it would be easy for some log-eyed people to set about
trying to clean the specks out of other people's eyes. We come back to the balance between Grace and Righteousness again.

I think matching people up with God and then not supporting and guiding them would be like taking a beginning driver, teaching them to start the car and just leaving them to it - expecting them to be able to handle curving roads and traffic.

Thanks for your prayerful and thoughtful consideration of my questions.

Joy!
Linda

BACK TO DRINKING OUT OF YOUR SAUCER
I've not written to you before, but thought that you would appreciate it following on from the recent discussion. I appreciate all you try to do to keep us informed and on track.

Lois

I'M DRINKING FROM MY SAUCER
I've never made a fortune,
and it's probably too late now.
But I don't worry about that much,
I'm happy anyhow.

And as I go along life's way,
I'm reaping better than I sowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

Haven't got a lot of riches,
and sometimes the going's tough.
But I've got loving ones all around me,
and that makes me rich enough.

I thank God for his blessings,
and the mercies He's bestowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

I remember times when things went wrong,
My faith wore somewhat thin.
But all at once the dark clouds broke,
and the sun peeped through again.

So Lord, help me not to gripe,
about the tough rows I have hoed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

If God gives me strength and courage,
When the way grows steep and rough.
I'll not ask for other blessings,
I'm already blessed enough.

And may I never be too busy,
to help others bear their loads.
Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

When I think of how many people
in this world have it worse than I do.
I realize just how lucky most of us really are.

Your comments to me or fellow readers are always welcomed at... david@wwj.org.nz

FREE MP3 DOWNLOAD OF THE WEEK

In conjunction with Inspirational Tapes
inspirational.org.nz we are pleased to offer you the opportunity to download the following message in MP3 format, free of charge. Inspirational Tapes offers a range of over 4,000 Audio Cassette Tapes, CD's and Videos to members worldwide, for hire, download or purchase.

This week's free download is...

GOD DIRECTS OUR LIVES

By: Kathryn Kuhlman

A lady who knew what it was like to be close to - and also to disobey - her God. A classic message.

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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." ***

186. STUCK IN A RUT...
An old gentleman at a small country church had given the same testimony at every meeting for the last twenty years. It was always, "I'm not making much progress, but Praise the Lord, I'm established."

One rainy afternoon his car slipped off the narrow dirt road and into the ditch. Try as he could, he couldn't budge, but simply spun his tires. Along came a deacon who could never quite accept the old fellow's testimony. Stopping to look the situation over he said with a smile, "Well, Brother, I see you're not making much progress, but you 're sure established!"

185. ALL TOGETHER NOW...
A worker was trying to get a large, heavy pulpit through the door of a church. A passerby, seeing his struggle, offered to help. They pushed and tugged until they were exhausted but it wouldn't move. Finally, the man on the inside said, "We'd better give up, we'll never get this out."

The volunteer on the outside end said, "What do you mean, get it out? I thought you were trying to get it in!"

Now one of the most comprehensive sources of Christian Humour on the Net with 550 sermon fillers for your entertainment and use at ...

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FACTS FOR FUN

LAST WEEKS QUESTION: Did Cinderella really dance in glass slippers?

ANSWER: Probably not - even in the fairy tale! The reason this fairy tale princess has glass slippers may be due to a translation error. Hundreds of "Cinderella" stories exist, in many different cultures, dating back as far as the ninth century. However, not one of the tales featured glass slippers until Charles Perrault, in his 1697 anthology of fairy tales, apparently confused an old French word for "fur" with a word meaning "glass." In most of the stories, the shoes are valuable and remarkable, but they're usually fur or some other wearable material. Perrault's version, however, is the one on which Disney based its Cinderella film and the one most of us remember.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Why do cats like to rub against people's legs?

Answer Next Week.

SOME FUN FACTS
921. KEEPING IT CLEAN
Antiseptics, used to prevent infection, were not used widely, even in hospitals, until the late nineteenth century. Up to then, many patients died after successful surgeries from infections they contracted in the hospital. (And the anesthetics weren’t wonderful either. We’re lucky to live today!)

922. SNAIL MATING
The snail mates only once in a lifetime, which many believe is a good thing. However, it makes the most of it, as the act itself can take more than 12 hours to consummate. (The ultimate ‘snails pace’!)

923. A MILITARY CITY
Because of its huge size, the Pentagon operates much like a small city within a city, having it's own shopping mall, bank, power plant, water and sewage facilities, fire station, police force, fast food restaurants and even a "mayor". (and fights battles with the Legislature and White House to fund itself.)

A CHALLENGE FOR YOU
LAST WEEKS ANSWER
A farmer has 17 sheep and all but 9 die. How many are left? - 9.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION
How many animals of each sex did Moses take into the Ark?

Answer at the end of A David Musing

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JUST JOKES

Some recent additions...

ABSTACT
"An abstract noun," the teacher said, "is something you can think of, but you can't touch it. Can you give me an example of one?"

"Sure," a teenage boy replied. "My father's new car."

HOLDING?
Little Johnny asked his grandma how old she was.

Grandma answered, "Thirty-nine and holding."

Johnny thought for a moment, then said, "And how old would you be if you let go?"

SUPPORT
The prospective father-in-law asked, "Young man, can you support a family?"
The surprised groom-to-be replied, "Well, no. I was just planning to support your daughter. The rest of you will have to fend for yourselves."

200+ clean, fun jokes for any occasion at...

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'CHURCHSPEAK'

Many things in the Bible have underlying spiritual meanings, generally revealed, like the meaning of parables, to believers only.

ALMOND ROD----Word of God

FIG-------------Tree Strength

FIRSTFRUITS---Overcoming or mature Christians

FRUIT/S--------Results or attributes to be developed in a Christian

HYSSOP--------Faith

MYRTLE--------Joy, Fragrance

OLIVE TREE----Anointing

PALM----------Victory, Righteousness

PINE-----------Oil

Find lots more interesting items at...

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A VERY INTERESTING SITE ON MARRIAGE RECOMMENDED TO US

Dear David,

IN regards to marriage, thought you might enjoy this link:

http://marriagesavers.org/

It is a most worth while group.

Shalom in Yeshua Ha Moshiach

Michael Joe Thannisch

You can check this out simply by clicking on this link...

http://marriagesavers.org

THE 'TABERNACLE' CHURCH

If you wish to find out more about the Lord's plans for His future church, have a look at 'Eagles Fly High - Pastors, Teachers and Students Version'

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A DAVID MUSING

One of the 'BIGGGGGGG' questions in life, when you want to give your all to God is, 'should I do anything else?!?!'

Now, we all have things that we like doing, that do take up time. Eating, for instance! Maybe a 40 day fast every couple of months?!

Of course we all know that we shouldn't watch Soaps on TV! Easy for me, because they don't interest me! But I am sure you too, can think of many things that distract us from heavenly pursuits!

However, I have to admit to a weakness - and that is sport. Of course Paul in the Bible says that sport is good - but then ruins it by stating that spiritual exercise is better! (David Translation) Now of course, being a 'couch potato' sportsman fails on both counts! But I have to admit to succumbing to temptation this week, for there were 3 hugely tempting sporting contests between the arch foes - Australia and New Zealand - to distract me and ruin my spiritual perfection.

Now, Australia, having 5 times our population, should win every time. But us 'Kiwis' (our sports men and women can fly, even though our national symbol, the Kiwi bird, cannot) always enjoy the increasingly infrequent occasions in recent years, when we can deal out a lesson to our cocky, colonial cousins!

So this week, we had international sporting contests in 3 different sports. First blood to the New Zealand women in winning the World Netball Championships, beating the long reigning Aussies in the final, in Jamaica. Then, the devastation of a big defeat in Rugby League came 1 day before a final record trouncing of our Aussie 'friends' (seeing we beat them) in our countries national sport of Rugby Union. New Zealand 2, Australia 1! Please excuse me if you come from the majority of the world that has never even heard of these 3 sports. You don't know what you are missing! But I am sure you can still get the picture, for sport is sport! A winner and a loser! An Australian loser!

So this week, I will have to repent and return 100% to my work for my Lord. I just have to trust that God is not Australian and I have not committed the unforgivable sin! But if He were, they would win all the time - wouldn't they?!

His servant and yours

David Tait

Today's Challenge Answer: NONE. Noah loaded the Ark, not Moses!

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ABOUT US

WALKING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES is a non-profit, non-denominational, Bible based ministry located in Mount Maunganui, 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
wwj.org.nz or by contacting us as follows.

Walking With Jesus Ministries
P O Box 5160
Mount Maunganui
New Zealand

Phone: (06) 878-9330 International (0064) 6878-9330
Fax: (06) 878-9330 International (0064) 6878-9330
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