Partakers Christian Podcasts

A Tale of 4 People

A Tale of 4 People

Let me share with you a story...

A story of 4 people,

all of whom would say they are Christians.

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Friday Prayers

Partakers Friday Prayers!

10th August 2012!

We pray together and when Christians pray together, from different nations, different churches and different denominations - that reveals Church unity!

• Opening prayers
• Confession
• Praise
• Petitions
• Doxology (as sung by Jeff Wooldridge)

Amen!

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Thursday Ponderings

9th August 2012

Hearing a gentle whispering voice...

Isaiah 30: 21 “Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, this is the way, walk in it.”

God promises to guide us thro’ each decision we have to make. He says in james 1 verse 5 if any of you lack wisdom you should ask God. All we need to do is try to live a Godly life, and truly desire to do what God wants us to do and He will guide us. Often we have to use common sense, as well in the decision making process or get advice from experts or friends but ultimately we will make the decision God wants us to make. He knows what decision we are going to make, He isn’t taken by surprise.

Sometimes He will talk to us in a dream or in the silence when we are listening to Him but often decisions are made just be weighing up the pros and cons of each option. God has given us all a certain amount of intelligence and He expects us to use it. Obviously if there is a scripture which we can use to guide us, that is helpful. It is never right to make a decision to steal or lie for example.

Unfortunately scripture doesn’t cover all situations and this is where it is best to get advice or talk to people who are close to God, or just people that you trust,particularly if the decision to be made is life changing such as marriage, divorce or changing a job. Often it is God s peace which guides us and if you make a decision and God s peace is lacking, you probably have made the wrong decision.

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Think Spot

Think Spot 6th August 2012

God… Church… You…

Does God meet with us and do you recognise and sense His presence or absence in your church when He is not there? You answer “Of course He is there”.. Isn't He everywhere? So He surely must be there in our church buildings. He is omnipresent. Permit me to ask you a further question? Who do you really expect to show up on Sundays? Your close friends? Your pastor? deacons, elders, the worship group.? Of course you do. Now listen carefully. Do you expect to meet with God? . Is His presence recognisably known and felt as you meet in worship? Do you expect to sense His presence with you? Do you know what it feels like to sense His presence? When the sermon begins do you expect God to carry the words into your hearts and minds. Do you find yourself drinking in every word. Do you recognise when He does show up and maybe when it doesn't happen.? Do you know the difference between a sermon that brings you closer to God and one that doesn't and why? Do the words and music in your worship really truly glorify God? Ot may be you feel someone hasn't got things quite right and the songs chosen that Sunday are not conducive or helpful to worship. Your heart is heavy and burdened and its not because of sins you are stubbornly holding on to.  You feel as if God is many miles away. You have been standing for many minutes as the song leader takes you yet again for the 20th time over the same words. You do not feel inspired. Instead words are coming into your minds like “Oh no not again I must sit down”. You sit down but the situation is still not good as you now are saying “when will this end. I want to go home.” I am afraid this kind of situation is not rare. But why? Where is the sensitivity of the Lord's absence in worship? Have we settled for something far less than recognising when God is surely with us in worship? When we know His presence with us. Moses once said “Lord if your presence does not go with us we will not go up hence.” Yes I know that was an occasion when sin was in the camp and God wanted that sin dealt with before He privileged Israel with that wonderful sense of His presence once more. I think that God's people are settling for far less than the best in many church fellowships. Sometimes it is a fact the songs do not glorify God but man. A service can become so man centred. Even the sermon can be produced in such a manner that all the people see is the preacher. I am not talking about conjuring the Lord up in your minds but truly experiencing a sense of His presence which can be beautifully awesome or so close to us when we feel we cannot leave the building. Is it not true that God can come down in a time of worship and surprise us in a beautiful manner especially when the attention is on His Son, His death, resurrection and sovereignty. When the music is enjoyable. Doesn't The Holy Spirit long for us to worship the Son and doesn't He encourage it? On one occasion I was in a meeting away from my home fellowship and it was such a meeting as I have been describing, but on this occasion the pastor was sensitive to realising something was wrong in the worship time. He asked the fellowship if the Lord was letting anyone know what the problem was. We were in a prayerful attitude when I sensed the Lord speaking into my heart and mind “They are worshipping me with their lips but their hearts are far from Me” Now I was a visitor to that church what was I to do? I was a little fearful to repeat that verse of Scripture but I plucked up courage and moved quietly towards the pastor leading the worship. With many ears listening in the quietness I whispered those words to the pastor. Suddenly the whole meeting was engulfed in tears as those words hit home. It was a sermon in itself. Hearts were not sensing the presence of God as worshipping hearts were far from Him. Repentance took place that evening and the whole atmosphere changed dramatically and God's presence returned to that meeting and it was a privilege to be there and enjoy God's presence with us. We need to be tuned in to sensing God's presence not just in church worship as we gather with others but singly on our own in our own homes and out and about. I am no one special but I am learning more of what it does mean to practice and sense the presence of God. I am on the way. My heart thirsts for God. How about you? I believe God is looking for the thirsty.

Joys Prayer

Gracious Lord , our Heavenly Father, we can have our minds full of all kinds of thoughts when we come to worship with God's people. Events later to be held that day . Perhaps particular People are on our minds, we are meeting up with later that day. Sports meetings and results etc. May be our minds are even on sins we do not want to let go with. We are simply going through the motions of worship. Lord forgive us and cleanse us through Jesus precious blood and give us worshipful hearts and the desire to get as close to You as is possible. Give us a stronger thirst for You. Lord how can you enjoy our worship when Jesus is not at the very centre of our lives. Lord draw near and renew us in our minds and hearts and do that necessary work in us that we need please. Help us to be totally honest with You in our prayers and if we are prayer less forgive and renew us. In Jesus Name

Amen

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Blessed

Seven Blessings for the Believer

Romans 5:1-11

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. View the 5 minute video below, to discover the 7 blessings, the Apostle Paul talks about in this passage, for all those who are believers!

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Friday Prayers

Friday Prayers

3 August 2012

G'day and welcome to Partakers! Today, once more, we are continuing to  pray for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani being held in Lakan Prison in Rasht, Iran! He has been imprisoned since October 2009 and on July 8, will have been imprisoned for 1,026 days. For those late to the story, Pastor Nadarkhani is under constant pressure from Iranian Authorities to convert to Islam! Keep praying! This will be reposted very Friday until Pastor Nadarkhani is released, so please return and pray for him, his family and the persecuted ancient church of Iran.  You can read more information by clicking here to go to the Christian Solidarity Worldwide website...

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dPpGdrRGfI]

Prayer for Youcef

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers and petitions concerning our brother, Youcef. May our brother know your presence with him as he is held in Lakan Prison in Rasht, Iran. Encourage, bless and maintain him as he seeks to trust in you!

Prayers for his family and church

Be also with his wife, Fatemah Pasindedah, his children and the group of believers under his charge! We pray against the decision of the Iranian authorities and ask that from your wellspring of mercy that a reprieve would be given and his life spared! For we ask this in the name of Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, whom we have fellowship with Youcef in prison. Amen.

Prayers for Iranian Christians

Now prayers for our Christian family in Iran. O Father, continue to embolden them with wisdom and courage. Lord Jesus, may their love of you, shine through their actions towards each other and their enemies, just as you commanded in the Written Word, the Bible. Holy Spirit, who indwells them, endow them with peace and strength as only you can give!

Help them to trust fully in you and be wise in their dealings with the authorities. Father, we ask these things in the name of your son, Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

You can take action here: http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=88&ea.campaign.id=12209

You can view a letter he wrote to the group of believers he pastors. http://presenttruthmn.com/blog/iran/letter-youcef-nadarkhani/

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Thursday Ponderings

2nd August 2012

When Life Gets Difficult, He Is Always there...

Sometimes life gets very difficult and you can’t see how God could possibly love you and you don’t want to read your bible let alone pray. You would be surprised at the range of things that can produce this feeling. Your helpful Christian friends might tell you, that you shouldn’t feel like that and point you to passages of scripture that show this. But nothing changes the way you feel.

My advice is to wait for it to pass, it will do – although it may well be horrible whilst it’s happening. You feel like you’ve had your right hand cut off, you feel Abandoned and desolate. But God is still there and He does love you, despite any evidence to the contrary.

At times like these, I phone up a trusted friend and try and quote psalm 139 over and over.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

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