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| David Tait |
A Mother's Request
20 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 21 "What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." 22 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered. 23 Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father." 24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:20-28) THE ILLUSION OF GREATNESS My father was Mayor of the City of Napier for 18 years. For some years he was also the President of the Association of all the mayors of New Zealand. He received a Knighthood for his work to the citizens of Napier and New Zealand. Dad died. He is buried in a grave, incognito amongst 100's of others, along with members of our family. A lonely grave, unremembered, unvisited, except by a few family members. Fifty years on his foundational work in building a vibrant city is all but forgotten, except by a few remaining 'oldies', his life marked by 'just another city street', Tait Drive. In another 50 years, he will be forgotten entirely. For that is the harsh reality of life - and death. Greatness is much desired, rarely achieved, and easily forgotten. The mother of James and John wanted greatness for her siblings. Not just worldly, but eternal greatness! But she viewed greatness from an earthly perspective. She wanted her sons to be, next to Jesus, the most powerful men in God's kingdom, ruling over all others - forever! What a dream! What a big ask! Jesus must have been really frustrated! The people, then and now, weren't getting the message! In essence, Jesus' reply was to them was, 'Are you prepared to pay the price of greatness?' His cup, his price of greatness, was death - death on a cross carrying the burden of the sins of all the world. Your sins. My sins. Everyone's sins. The cost of greatness is death. Firstly, death to self, to our own desires and ambitions. Then perhaps physically. How about being boiled in oil, as experienced by John, or martyrdom, as suffered by James? Greatness in the kingdom is diametrically opposed to mankind's version, here on earth. It is slavery versus ruling. Servanthood versus the exercise of worldly power. Humility versus position. Jesus summed it up on another occasion. 35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." (Mark 9:35) We are to follow the example of Jesus. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1) In the 'church' world too, we are not to seek glory but to serve. The word ministry means serving! Ministers are neither to seek to be on a pedestal, nor to be put on one by people! How saddened I am to see so many modern ministries seek to follow in the direction of the religious leaders of Jesus' time. 5 "Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.' (Matthew 23:5-7) And his message for them bears repeating, once more. 8 "But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23:8-12) My father was a good man. He did not do what he did for fame, but had a genuine desire to help people. My desires, as I have 'matured' in Jesus, have turned more towards the example of Jesus, both personally and in ministry. I truly desire to get to the position where I can genuinely say, 'I do not have a life or a ministry of my own. For my life and ministry are His alone.' I have not got there yet, for the 'old man' of my human nature sometimes surfaces. But, with His grace, I am gradually giving up on me. How about you? |
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"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person-such a man is an idolater-has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." (Ephesians 5:1-21)
Seven Woes "Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. "Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.' "But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. "Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it. "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. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"" (Matthew 23:1-28) |
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| David Tait |
HUMILITY
210. It's hard to be humble when you always win. So God doesn't let that happen!
211. Learning humility in defeat trains us to remain humble in success. 212. Boasting is of the human heart, but humility is God's heart for us. 396. True humility cannot be generated in the mind, for it comes from our spirit. 397. True humility arises when confidence in God overcomes confidence in ones self. 398. Humility is a positive attribute, not a weakness. 399. False humility reflects weakness, but true humility exudes godly strength. 400. The truest expression of a godly character is reflected in humility. 1306. True humility is 'putting Jesus first' in our life. Please feel free to quote these quotes. Acknowledgement of David Tait as the author would be appreciated. |
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THE GREAT COMMISSION
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20) |
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***Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused***
353. A LITTLE BIBLE STUDY PROPHETS EVERYONE
The following are some insights young Sunday school students turned in to their teachers:
Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree.
352. NOAH'S ARK And the Lord spoke to Noah and said, "In six months I'm going to make it rain until the whole Earth is covered with water and all evil people are destroyed. But I want to save a few good people, and two of every kind of living thing on the planet. I am commanding you to build an Ark." And in a flash of lightning, He delivered the specifications for an Ark. "Okay," said Noah, trembling with fear and fumbling with the blueprints. "Six months and it starts to rain," thundered the Lord. "You'd better have the Ark completed, or learn to swim for a very long time." Six months passed, the skies clouded up and rain began to fall. The Lord saw that Noah was sitting in his front yard, weeping....and there was no Ark. "Noah," shouted the Lord, "Where is the Ark?" "Lord, please forgive me!" begged Noah. "I did my best. But there were big problems. First, I had to get a building permit for the Ark construction project, and your plans didn't meet code. So I had to hire an engineer to redraw the plans. Then I got into a big fight over whether or not the Ark needed a fire sprinkler system. Then my neighbor objected, claiming I was violating zoning by building the Ark in my front yard, so I had to get a variance from the city planning commission." "Then I had problems getting enough wood for the Ark, because there was a ban on cutting trees to save the Spotted Owl. I had to convince the Fish and Wildlife that I need the wood to save the owls, but they wouldn't let me catch any owls. So, no owls." "The carpenters formed a union and went out on strike. I had to negotiate a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board before anyone would pick up a saw or hammer. Now we have 16 carpenters on board, and still no owls." "Then I started gathering up animals, and got sued by an animal rights group. They objected to me taking only two of each kind. Just when I got the suit dismissed, EPA notified me that I couldn't complete the Ark without filing an environmental impact statement on your proposed flood. They didn't take kindly to the idea that they had no jurisdiction over the conduct of a Supreme Being. Then the Army Corp of Engineers wanted a map of the new flood plain. I sent them a globe." "Right now, I'm trying to resolve a complaint from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over how many Croatians I'm supposed to hire. The IRS has seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to avoid taxes by leaving the country. And I just got a notice from the state about owing them some kind of use tax. I really don't think I can finish the Ark for at least another 5 years." Then the sky began to clear. The sun began to shine. A rainbow arched across the sky. Noah looked up, "You mean you're not going to destroy the earth?" he asked hopefully. "No," the Lord said sadly. "The government already has." |
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| David Tait |
LAST WEEKS QUESTION:
Why do scientists describe cancer cells as 'immortal'?
ANSWER:
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: SOME FUN FACTS
55. A REAL POPULATION EXPLOSION!
56. STONED SOUP!
57. TOOTH TRANSPLANT A WORD PUZZLE FOR YOU Make another word from this word using all the letters. MUNDANE Answer at the end of A David Musing |
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BIBLE QUESTION - BIRDS AND CREEPING THINGS
13) What was the first bird that Noah let out of the ark?
A - Dove Source: www.biblequizzes.com Answer at the end of A DAVID MUSING |
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"""OTHER'S SAYINGS TO ENLIGHTEN, AMUSE, OR BEMUSE"""
!!!!!!! There is something wrong if you're always right.
!!!!!! After all is said and done, more is said than done. !!!!! People are like tea bags - You never know their strength until they get into hot water. !!!! The easiest crops to grow are weeds and pests. !!! If you do nothing, nothing will happen. If you do something, something will happen but not necessarily what you intended. !! All's war in love and fairness. ! Before having a midlife crisis, it's good to have a life. |
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127. JOHNNY'S A CARING BOY
A new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses. She started her class by saying, "Everyone who thinks you're stupid, stand up!" After a few seconds, Little Johnny stood up. The teacher said, "Do you think you're stupid, Little Johnny?" "No, ma'am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself!"
126. THE 'RIGHT' FOOT "What!?! You mean my foot has to be amputated?" "Oh, no, no..." replied the good doctor, "I mean you have to lose a foot from around your waistline!"
125. MORE GEMS FROM STEVEN WRIGHT I had some eyeglasses. I was walking down the street when suddenly the prescription ran out. I took lessons in bicycle riding. But I could only afford half of them. Now I can ride a unicycle. Last week I forgot how to ride a bicycle.
I went to a fancy french restaurant called "Deja Vu." The Bermuda Triangle got tired of warm weather. It moved to Alaska. Now Santa Claus is missing. I had my coathangers spayed. I went to San Francisco. I found someone's heart. I went to a garage sale. "How much for the garage?" "It's not for sale." I xeroxed a mirror. Now I have an extra xerox machine. In school, every period ends with a bell. Every sentence ends with a period. Every crime ends with a sentence. When I get bored I go to a Seven-Eleven and ask for a two-by-four and a box of three-by-fives. Yesterday I saw a chicken crossing the road. I asked it why. It told me it was none of my business. I rented a lottery ticket. I won a million dollars. But I had to give it back. |
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SCAPEGOAT
On the Day of Atonement the High Priest laid his hands on a goat, transferring the sins of the people to it. This goat was driven into the wilderness, symbolic of the people's sins being 'gone'. A scapegoat today, is an innocent, or just one, person, being blamed for others indiscretions.
Adapted from: '1001 Surprising Things You Should Know About The Bible' MacGregor & Prys |
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By Efrem Graham
News Anchor & Reporter
Monday, June 13, 2011 For the first time in its 11-year history, a U.S. city hosted the main event. The global broadcast from Jacksonville, Fla. was also streamed live by CBNNews.com. The worshippers prayed in the languages of many nations. Similar scenes took place across the world. In Mexico City, Christians prayed for an end to the violence, kidnappings, and drug trade that is destroying their country. In the Philippines, the Day of Prayer fell on the same date as their Independence Day. Christians seized the moment to highlight their spiritual freedom in Christ. "We focus on celebrating our freedom as a country and using that freedom to worship the Lord," said Pastor Lloyd Estrada, the Global Day of Prayer coordinator for the Philippines. "But more importantly, we celebrate our freedom in Christ to spread the glory of Christ not only in our country, but all over the world," he added. Christians in the Philippine Islands also held the first ever Kids Global Day of Prayer, which was designed to build up young people to carry the mantle of prayer into the future |
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| David Tait |
A REVELATION OF……. GIVING TO GOD
In Christianity, we hear an awful lot about what God has done for us, but much less of what He desires from us in return!
There is a saying that 'salvation is a free gift, but discipleship costs us everything!' For as Jesus sacrificed His life for us on Calvary's grim hill, so we, in turn, are to model Him, and sacrifice our life for God and for others<.p> In this study we are going to look at the ways in which we are to offer God the sacrifices He so much desires from us - Praise and Worship, Prayer and Fasting and Tithes and Gifts. My God sacrificed His son Jesus, for me! Surely, the first thing I can do for Him is to offer back the sacrifices He desires of me. Is that too much to ask? In theory we would probably agree, but the practice of our lives often tends to fall short of our good intentions! I trust that this study will encourage you, as it has me, to give back to God what He desires of each one of us. |
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| David Tait |
One Sunday I was late starting to write PGIM, for I listened in the early morning on the radio to the New Zealand 'All Blacks' beating Ireland 22-3 in a Rugby Union international. By way of explanation, the game was played in Ireland, who are currently 11 hours behind New Zealand time.
Finally, coming to write, A David Musing, I had no inspiration, so asked the Lord what to write! 'A poem!' 'No Lord, takes too long! 'Call it Tick Tock!' (God has a sense of humour!) 'Okay Lord.' The result follows. And it didn't take too long, after all! TICK TOCK
Hours fly by, Tick tock goes the clock.
The day dawns nice and bright, Tick tock goes the clock.
Months do pass, Tick tock goes the clock.
The years, they roll by, Tick tock goes the clock.
A new generation takes the stage, Tick tock goes the clock.
The clock stops... silence reigns. |
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| David Tait |
On Saturday, I drove our truck from Napier to Masterton, a town 250km away, to both deliver and pick up a load of clothing. I enjoy driving, but the amount of time it takes makes me glad that we have a new driver starting with us today.
Before leaving Napier, I delivered a refrigerator to one of our staff. Not a problem. Arriving in Masterton however, I went to lower the tail-lift that had worked perfectly a few hours earlier, and it wouldn't budge. All power had gone. It took two mechanics, called out on a Saturday, when they weren't working, to get it fixed. More time gone. It set me thinking about life. We simply don't know what is going to happen in the next hour or day. Will the tail-lift of our life lose power and simply stop? I had no idea when I left home that the one on my truck would. We need to be prepared at all times. For one day, the 'master mechanic' will say our 'truck of life' cannot be repaired, and our journey will end. Are we prepared? Until next week___ MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD. His servant and yours David Tait Today's 'Word Puzzle' Answer: UNNAMED TODAY'S 'DO YOU KNOW?' 13) C - Raven (Genesis 8:7) |
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