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Episodes
Wednesday Apr 30, 2014
Wednesday Apr 30, 2014
WOW Word - Resurrection
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Today Alfie talks about the WOW Word - Resurrection!
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Our WOW Word today is Resurrection! I wonder what you think the word “resurrection” means. Resurrection means more than just coming back to life! Jesus raised at least three people from the dead, but that was more a resuscitation than a resurrection! They came back to life with their normal bodies and they would go on to die a physical death again! So let’s start by looking at Jesus’ resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ provides the central theme for the sermons and teaching in the early church (Acts 1:22; Acts 4:33, Acts 17:18). But what significance is there in Jesus’ resurrection?
1 Corinthians 15v12-19 “Now if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised. If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain. Yes, we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn’t raise up, if it is so that the dead are not raised. For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all people most pitiable.”
Alfie the WOWChurch Cat explains the significance of Jesus' resurrection! Play the video to discover what Alfie has to say and/or download the file to take away! Bless ya!
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Monday Apr 21, 2014
Monday Apr 21, 2014
Easter 2014 – Easter Monday
Responding To The Easter Events
Our response to the events of Easter?
Today is Easter Monday! We have looked at the events of Easter! Jesus dead and buried! Jesus resurrected – raised to new life physically and with a new glorious body! WOW ! Alleluia!! - But so what? What is our response to this to be?
Our first response if we are followers of Jesus is that we are to love. Love not just in words but also in action.. Love God and love others. What kind of love? It is to be a practical, self-less, giving and sacrificial love. 1 John 3:16 states: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” Jesus told all his followers to take up their cross if they were to follow Him as His Disciple (Luke 9:23). Are you as a Christian Disciple willing to take up your cross and do all you can do to love others?
There is a price to pay for true followers of Jesus Christ! Followers are surrender completely to Him in all aspects of life! Followers identify with Him in suffering and death and follow Him obediently, wherever He leads. Followers are to take up their own cross in order to show that they are followers of Jesus Christ – the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The Cross is a choice
The cross is God’s solution to the suffering, evil, troubles and sin of the world. Only by Jesus Christ going to the cross have evil, sin, suffering and satan been dealt mortal blows. The cross provides the victorious solution. The cross is not a symbol to be merely placed around the neck on a chain, to be worn as a lapel pin, or as a item statement of fashion. The cross is not meant to portray Jesus as some form of sadomasochistic ‘tragi-hero’ as some people try to make it out to be. The cross is God’s solution to the problem of evil, sin, suffering and pain, as much as the wise of this world would love to think that it is not.
The cross is a choice. You can choose to deny the cross and say it doesn’t matter. You can say that it is an irrelevance and that is your right. God will not force you to accept the cross and love him. If He did, He would have created Adam so that Adam would automatically love him and not given him free will to rebel. That way the cross would not have been needed. But such is the enormity of the love of God, that each person, including you and I, have a choice to make – follow Jesus and take up your own cross and be an overcomer for Him. God will not force you to accept it, but he will keep on calling you back to the cross. Calling sometimes in quiet ways and at other times, much more loudly. You can deny the cross and its meaning and when Jesus Christ comes again in judgment, you will find that He denies you entrance into His glorious kingdom. When Jesus comes again, everyone will know who He is and bow down to Him. But only those whom He knows, will be granted access into everlasting life.
How you think of the cross, ultimately has relevance to you and affects your reality. You can accept the cross as your personal substitution, personal propitiation and personal redemption. That way you have peace with God. The cross of Jesus Christ thoroughly epitomises God’s glory, and if there were any other way that God the Father could restore people into relationship with Himself, then surely He would have done it that way. But there was no other way – Jesus Christ, as the Son of God who was simultaneously fully God and fully human, died on a Roman cross. He took on the sins of the world, paying the greatest price, so that you can be restored into a peaceful relationship with God the Father. That is for all people, of all nations, ages, generations, statuses and gender. The cross is amazing love in action and is ignored at great peril. Let us go forward in hope and faith, choosing deliberately not to boast in anything else, save only of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The wisdom of God as exhibited on and in the Cross of Jesus Christ, is foolishness but only to those who don’t accept it.
But it is more than that for the Christian!
Luke 9:23-26 Jesus speaking “Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”
What is our response to this to be? As followers of Jesus Christ we are commanded to count the cost of following Him. That is how we carry our own cross for the sake of Jesus Christ. Jesus wants to be number one in the life of all those who choose to follow him! Jesus wants supremacy over everything in our lives, including family, friends, and possessions! Alas, that’s a cost too high for some! Here is one man who couldn’t give up something to follow Jesus!
Let’s call him Basil. Basil runs up to Jesus! Basil wants eternal life, and he wants it now! So Basil asks Jesus about how to get it. He has fully kept the commandments listed by Jesus. However! However when Jesus said to Basil that in order to follow Him, he would have to give up all his wealth and possessions in order to have treasure in heaven and eternal life, Basil leaves disconsolate and shattered. Basil couldn’t do it!
It was a step too far for Basil. He wanted his riches and also everlasting life, but Jesus said he couldn’t have both. He remains the only person that we know of, who left Jesus’ presence sorrowful. That was due to Basil putting his trust in himself, his riches and wealth alone. Now riches, in and of themselves, are not necessarily wrong! The life of Basil, this rich young ruler, reflected a life of absorption with his own self-interest and self-importance! Basil was not willing to make the sacrifice required to follow Jesus. He couldn’t count the cost of following Jesus– it was too high a price for him to pay!
What have you given up in and as a result of your decision to follow Jesus? Making sacrifices to follow Jesus is all part of the WOW factor of Jesus. Jesus demands that He is number one and supreme over everything else in your life - yourself, family, others and material goods including money and possessions.
How is this done? This is done by consistently ensuring that your works and words match your lifestyle and that no hypocrisy can be found, or indeed will be found. It means standing up for God in the face of adversity. It means loving others even though they hate you. In the UK, we aren’t systematically persecuted. We are marginalized, ridiculed and ignored but some of our Christian family around the world who daily face death simply because they chose to follow Jesus. They are carrying their cross for Jesus!
What about us in the UK? For example if we as Christians were known by our self-sacrificial love of all others, then Jesus whom we claim to love, follow, worship, and adore would be seen. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote "When Jesus Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. ... Discipleship is not an offer that man makes to Jesus Christ, nor is it hero worship, but intimacy with Christ." (The Cost of Discipleship). Bonnhoeffer knew that as a Christian, a person has to take up their own cross in following Jesus and count the cost of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
He goes onto say: "Earthly goods are given to be used, not to be collected. ... The Christian disciple must receive his portion from God every day. If he stores it up as a permanent possession, he spoils not only the gift, but himself as well, for he sets his heart on accumulated wealth, and makes it a barrier between himself and God. Where our treasure is, there is our trust, our security, our consolation and our God. Hoarding is idolatry." (The Cost of Discipleship)
Finally, let’s look at 1 John 3:16 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for others.” Jesus told us to take up our own cross if we are to follow Him as His Disciple. How is that possible? If we try to do that in our own strength and wisdom, we will fail. If we do that using the power and strength of the Holy Spirit within you, then you will succeed at following Jesus’ command. Are you as a Disciple of Jesus Christ willing to take up your? What a difference that would make to the community where you live!
Jesus still meets people today
To those that have responded to Jesus and are following Him, Jesus still meets with them. How does He do this?
Jesus walks with us, wherever we go and in particular in the darkest periods of our life. Just as he did with the two people on the road to Emmaus, he walks with those who proclaim to follow Him (Mark 16:12-13, Luke 24:13-32). Jesus speaks whenever the Bible is faithfully preached and read from, just as He opened the eyes of those on the Emmaus road when He explained the Scriptures (Luke 24:27). Jesus meets us in the Communion or Lord’s Supper, with the bread and wine, which symbolise His flesh and blood as an act of remembrance of what He did for humanity.
Because of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, it show that we as Christians have also risen from the dead! Our old nature is dead and our new nature is alive! In the sacrament of baptism, Christ’s death is symbolised in our going under the water bodily, just as His resurrection is symbolised when we are raised up and out of the water! WOW! Jesus Christ – dead, buried and raised to new life! The Christian – dies to self, buries their old sinful nature and raised to new life in Jesus Christ with a new nature, ready to serve the risen Jesus! WOW!
More than that, His resurrection was not merely coming back to life. Jesus had raised people back to life during his ministry. But those people would go on to die again. Jesus was not like that, because he had new and glorious body! And we too will one day have new bodies! WOW!
If you are not yet a follower of this Jesus, then start following now! You may not have another opportunity to do so! If you don’t know what to do then contact us here at Partakers and we will help you!! Thank you.
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Sunday Apr 20, 2014
Sunday Apr 20, 2014
Easter 2014 – Easter Sunday
Risen and Firstborn from the Dead!
So far in the Easter story, we have seen that Jesus has been crucified and he is dead. He is buried within a sealed and guarded unused tomb. Or is he? Let’s look at what the historical Gospel accounts say!
Let us first look at the sequence of events over the period of time after Jesus death till He ascended. Now remember, the Gospels are documents which have recorded historical events. All four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, tell us that Jesus was crucified, died and was buried within a sealed and guarded tomb. What do these four Gospels say happened next?
The tomb is empty
- Two Marys watch the burial: (Matthew27:61, Mark 15:47, Luke23:54-55)
- Roman soldiers guard the tomb and place an official Roman seal upon it: (Matthew 27:62-66)
- Women prepare burial spices then rest: (Luke 23:56)
- An angel rolls the stone away: (Matthew 28:2-4)
- Women arrive at dawn with spices: (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1-4, Luke 24:1-3, John 20:1)
- Angels appear to women: (Matthew 28:5-7, Mark 16:5-7, Luke 24:4-8)
- Women dart back to tell disciples: (Matthew 28:8, Mark 16:8, Luke 24:9-11, John 20:2)
- Peter and John investigate the empty tomb: (Luke 24:12, John 20:3-9)
- Peter and John go home: (Luke 24:12, John 20:10)
- Mary Magdalene weeps by the tomb: (John 20:11)
- Mary sees two angels: (John 20:12-13)
Jesus’ appearances
- Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene: (Mark 16:9, John 20:14-17) •
- Jesus appears to the other women: (Matthew 28:9-10) •
- Women report to the disciples: (Mark 16:10-11, John 20:18) •
- Guards testify to the priests: (Matthew 28:11-15) •
- Jesus meets two people on the Emmaus Road: (Mark 16:12-13, Luke 24:13-32) •
- Jesus appears to Simon Peter: (1 Corinthians 15:5, Luke 24:34) •
- 2 report to disciples in Jerusalem: (Luke 24:33-35) •
- Jesus appears to the Disciples less Thomas: (Luke 24:36-43, John 20:19-24) •
- Disciples report to Thomas: (John 20:25) •
- Jesus appears to the Disciples and Thomas: (Mark 16:14, John 20:26-29) •
- Jesus appears to seven people: (John 21:1-14) •
- Jesus questions Peter 3 times: (John 21:15-23) •
- Jesus appears to 500 people: (1 Corinthians 15:6) •
- Jesus appears to James: (1 Corinthians 15:7)
Evidences for the resurrection
OK so Jesus is resurrected! What evidence do we have for Jesus resurrection to new life? As you read the Gospels and the Book of Acts, notice the changed attitude of the disciples after seeing the risen Jesus. They changed from defeated, cowardly people to victorious, brave people. Nobody who could have produced the dead body of Jesus, did so. Their silence is as significant as the preaching of the Apostles. Or take the multiple appearances of Jesus to various numbers of individuals and groups of people at, various times of the day and in differing circumstances. This shows that Jesus’ resurrection was physical in nature! Some people say Jesus’ resurrection was spiritual in nature but not physical. But the amount of people that saw Him physically afterwards dispels that particular myth. What about the current tangible evidence - the survival and inordinate growth and impact of the early church and that the church is still growing 2000 years later. If there was no bodily resurrection of Jesus’ would people really have risked persecution and death for knowing a lie? One or two people maybe, but not hundreds and thousands!
Dealing with Doubters
Yet people still doubt. Let us say Jesus didn’t rise from the dead. Surely the authorities, both Jewish and Roman, would have produced his dead body in order to quench this new movement! But they didn’t, and the reason they didn’t is because there was no body to produce! Would the disciples have really risked death for telling and maintaining a lie about the risen Jesus? They were beaten, confused, defeated and dispersed men until they saw Jesus truly did rise from the dead. After seeing Him, they were transformed and victorious people.
I have had people say to me that somebody (even the disciples) stole the body. Hardly likely! If the body had been stolen, for what reason or purpose? How would they have got past the Roman Guard and moved the stone a great distance from the tomb? This very reason is what the Jewish authorities tried to perpetuate by way of a bribe, in Matthew 28:11-15 “Now while the disciples of Jesus were going, behold, some of the guards came into the city, and told the chief priests all the things that had happened. When they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave a large amount of silver to the soldiers, saying, “Say that his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him and make you free of worry.” So they took the money and did as they were told. This saying was spread abroad among the Jews, and continues until this day.”
Then we have the swoon theory. Jesus didn’t die but merely fainted and recovered consciousness in the tomb. Even the sceptics disagree with this theory, one of whom said “It is impossible that a being who had stolen half-dead out of the sepulchre, who crept about weak and ill, wanting medical treatment, who required bandaging, strengthening and indulgence, and who still at last yielded to His sufferings, could have given to the disciples the impression that He was a Conqueror over death and the grave, the Prince of Life”.
Or perhaps, they all went to the wrong tomb. That’s it – they went to the wrong tomb. Whilst one person may have gone to a wrong tomb, not everyone would have done. Besides, the gospel accounts tell us that people were waiting outside the tomb where Jesus was buried! Surely Joseph would know which tomb Jesus was buried in, seeing as Joseph owned it!
Lastly, Jesus didn’t die on the cross but somebody was substituted for him. This is certainly untenable, given the rigidity and strict record keeping of Roman rule and with the eyes of the Jewish hierarchy watching. This conjecture is a lie of satan, because he knows the significance of Jesus having risen physically from the dead.
Significance of the Resurrection
Now let us look briefly at the significance of the Jesus’ resurrection. We look in the writings of the Apostle Paul in
1 Corinthians 15:1-8: Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.
That was the Apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthian church about the Jesus having been raised from the dead – physically! The resurrection of Jesus Christ provided the central theme for the sermons and teaching in the early church (Acts 1:22; Acts 4:33, Acts 17:18). But what significance is there in Jesus’ resurrection?
The resurrection proved and vindicated all Jesus’ teaching and claims as the suffering Servant and attested to His being fully God and the last Judge of all mankind (Isaiah 53:10-12; Acts 2:36; Acts 3:13-15; Romans 1:4). The resurrection, declared God’s approval of Jesus obedient service and the fulfilment of all the Old Testament promises, resulting in forgiveness of sins and salvation being only found in and through Jesus Christ, which was the prime motive for evangelism in the early church (Acts 2:32, Romans 4:24-25). Jesus’ resurrection is a sign of the bodily resurrection for all believers in Him, giving a new attitude to death and transforming hopes (1 Corinthians 15:12-58, Romans 8:10, 2 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Peter 1:3 & 21). As the resurrected King, Jesus now intercedes for us and has perfected the redemption of all those who choose to follow Him (Romans 5:10; Hebrews 6:20; 1 Peter 1:21).
Finally the resurrection of Jesus’ physical body is a sure victory over satan, sin and death. All three are conquered and squashed. Satan is a defeated creature and will do anything to drag people into defeat with him. The power of sin is conquered, and sin’s grip is overcome if you are a believer in Jesus Christ. Finally, as I said earlier, death has been beaten, because those who believe and trust in Jesus Christ will live forever with him – death is not the end but a beginning. If Jesus Christ did not physically rise from the dead then as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 “Now if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised. If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain. Yes, we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn’t raise up, if it is so that the dead are not raised. For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all people most pitiable.”
Or let me put it in my own words - if Jesus Christ did not physically rise from the dead, we as Christians are the product of the greatest delusional lie and are the most foolish of all people.
Tomorrow, on Easter Monday, we will look at how we are to respond to the message of Easter.
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Saturday Apr 19, 2014
Saturday Apr 19, 2014
Easter 2014 - Silent Saturday
It is Saturday. Jesus Christ has been condemned, crucified, died and is buried in an unused tomb. What now? It is the day after. It is the Saturday, which means it is the Sabbath. The Bible is silent about this day. This is the day between the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There isn't a story about the tears shed, the memories shared, the hugs and the hurting hearts. Where are His close followers, the disciples? What of the Jewish authorities? Were they gleeful at the demise of this man Jesus who claimed to be the Messiah? We don’t know.
This is a dark day, a day when Jesus did some of the most precious work ever. This is the day when after his physical death He walked through the Valley of the Shadow of Death and He carried all of us. Every sin, every tear, every wound - He carried them all and didn't drop a single one.
Harried and harassed, He fought death and washed us clean. From that last breath to the angelic tomb break He fought for us, He carried us.
We used to have to walk through that valley, until Jesus on that dark Sabbath walked it one last time for us. How wonderful! How amazing. How awesome!
Knowing what we know now, we can see this dark Sabbath for what it really is. But how was it for the sisters, Mary and Martha or for Mary, the mother of Jesus and the other Mary of Magdalene and the other women who were waiting to tend to him.
Their time was short on that terror filled Friday and they could offer no proper anointing, no proper farewell. A quick bit of tearful heart broken work before the sun went down. Then a day to wait. The longest, darkest day knowing that He was gone.
Even in the middle of our deepest grief we can find peace. I think these people of Jesus were seeking that peace, together. I wonder how much love they had for each other or how badly they were frightened? I believe that the Holy Spirit quietened their hearts.
I wonder on that dark Sabbath if the members of the Sanhedrin or Pilate and Claudia or Herod were frightened by what they had wrought? Or were they rejoicing that another problem was solved? When did someone find Judas? Did he lay at the bottom of the hill all day, alone and scavenged upon? Possibly. Did anyone mourn that lost soul, besides Jesus?
I wonder about the thief who accepted Jesus at the last moment of his life. Today you will be with me in paradise! That was the promise. What a promise!
Because of our sins, we all shared the same death sentence as those criminals who flanked our Lord. And yet it was because of those very sins that He choose to pay our price for freedom. Jesus did what no one else could do - He saved the world from itself. And, wonder of all wonders, He did it willingly and with love. The ultimate love. The perfect love.
That dark Sabbath was washed in tears, blood and yet it claimed no victory. The temple curtain was torn. The old was passed away. That dark Sabbath was the last of its kind. No more innocent lambs to bleed out, potion out and burn. The perfect Lamb took all of our places, forever!
It is fitting that the dark Sabbath had no words spoken about it. It is fitting because everyone needs to catch their breath from the cross to the empty tomb. It is a huge journey to take, but Jesus no only led the way but He cleared it, filled it with light and love.
Today, as you catch your breath between Good Friday and Easter Sunday think of the quiet darkness of that Sabbath day. Consider what the silence, the tears and the sense of waiting for something amazing must have been like. The world waited, the very creation beneath our feet, just as was beneath theirs, held its breath. Everything was waiting for that light to burst forth victorious!
Shanyn
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Friday Apr 18, 2014
Friday Apr 18, 2014
Centuries before Jesus Christ, these words were spoken about the coming Messiah.
Isaiah 52:13-14: See, my servant will act wisely he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness—
Isaiah 53:10-11: Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
On this Good Friday, let us look briefly at the events before Jesus crucifixion – His trial and condemnation – going on to looking briefly at his crucifixion, death and burial before finishing with what the Cross of Jesus Christ was all about.
1. What of Jesus?
Jesus was Condemned
Jesus is before the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate. Pilate gave in and permitted the flogging and mockery of Jesus, in the hope of shaming & appeasing Jesus’ accusers (John 19:1-3). Pilate affirmed Jesus’ innocence after the scourging (John 19:4). Jesus’ refusal to answer stung Pilate into reminding Jesus of his Roman authority (John 19:10). Jesus, however, corrected Pilate’s idea of authority and told him that although Pilate may have power on earth, Jesus’ power reached beyond earth (John 19:11). Jesus knew that his work of bring people back to God in a loving relationship did not rest on the actions of a mere Roman governor. Pilate was more concerned with his own position than he was for justice. In all this, we see Jesus as the true Passover lamb.
Jesus was Crucified
Jesus bearing his own cross, was killed as a common criminal (John 19:17). We read, that Pilate was responsible for fixing the sign “The King of the Jews” (John 19:21-22). The clothes of condemned prisoners were given to soldiers on duty (John 19:23). Even when he himself was in agony, Jesus showed concern for his mother, committing her to the Apostle John (John 19:s.26-27).
In Jesus’ final moments he uttered “I am thirsty.” (John 19:28) and “It is finished.” (John 19:30). The desire of the Jews (John 19:32) to fulfil their rituals was important because the Sabbath fell within the Passover festival. The breaking of legs (John 19:s.32-33) sped up the process of death. The piercing of Jesus’ side, and the flow of blood and water proved Jesus was really dead (John 19:34).
Jesus was Buried
Joseph of Arimithea and Nicodemus buried Jesus. The significance of “in which no-one had ever been laid” (John 19:41) is to demonstrate that the body of Jesus at no point came into contact with the decay of a dead body. But before we leave today, lets investigate what Jesus’ death on a Roman cross two thousand years ago means for humanity today and why He had to die on a cross in the first place.
2. What Has Jesus’ Death Done For All Mankind?
All human beings, in their natural state, are born sinners and have rebelled against God (Romans 3:23). That is what sin is – rebellion and disobedience against God. However, because of Jesus’ death on the cross, God offers forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7), Peace (Romans 5:1) and reconciliation with God, so that we are no longer His enemies (2 Corinthians 5:19).
Through the cross, and only through the cross, we are made just before God (Romans 3:24-26), it cleanses us from sin (1 John 1:7) and makes us right before Almighty God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Because of the Cross, we have direct access to God (Ephesians 2:18) and Jesus Christ intercedes for us (Hebrews 2:17-18). Because of Jesus Christ’s death on a Roman cross, all those who follow Him have freedom from the power of slavery to sin (Galatians 5:1) and freedom from the power of the devil (Hebrews 2: 14). None of the above things are true if we do not follow Jesus.
3. Why did Jesus go to the cross?
The problem!
The problem is sin or disobedience (active or passive) of and towards God. Sin is what separates humans from God and as a consequence leads to both a spiritual and physical death (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Isaiah 59:2). In the Old Testament, sins were dealt with by blood sacrifices of atonement as coverings for sin (Leviticus 17:11), for without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22). A blood sacrifice is God's way of dealing with sin.
These blood sacrifices of the Old Testament signified several things:
- They provided a covering for sin.
- They showed the great cost of sin.
- They were an exchange or substitution.
- They were only always going to be a temporary measure as they pointed forward to Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross.
The Solution!
The solution lies not in continual animal sacrifice of the Old Testament because Hebrews 10:4 reminds us that the blood of animals cannot take away sin but was only a veneer or covering. That was why it was necessary to repeat time and time again! It is only through the death of Jesus, that sin is taken away (Hebrews 9:11-15, 26-28), because Jesus is our permanent sacrificial substitute!
Substitution
Jesus died for our sin, the just for the unjust (1 Peter 3:18). That is how God is both just and the Justifier of sinners. That is why Jesus needed to be both fully God and fully human! If he lacked either, it would not be the full substitutionary sacrifice that was necessary to bear the permanent consequences of sin! When Jesus died on the cross, in our place, he bore the consequences of all sin – past, present and future. He therefore became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) and it was His blood as a lamb without spot or blemish (1Peter 1:18-19) that fulfils God’s requirements permanently.
Propitiation
Towards sin and sinful behaviour, God has great fury, anger and wrath (Jeremiah 21:5). Yet as Micah 7:18 “He is slow to anger and quick to forgive”. Propitiation basically means the turning aside of God's anger by the offering of the sacrifice of Christ. God's anger and judgment of sin falls on Christ, instead of us. We need to approach God to appease His anger, in order to accept it (Romans 3:25; Isaiah 53:5; John 2:2, 5:6).
1 John 2:2: He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 4:10: This is real loved—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice (or propitiation) to take away our sins.
Redemption (Ransom) Mark 10:45
Not only was it propitiation, but also an act of redemption! In the time of the New Testament, this word was used to refer to the buying back of a slave - the price paid to buy the slave’s freedom. God paid redemption so that humans can be freed from the slavery to sin (John 8:35 Romans 7:14). The price was paid (1 Peter 1:18-19) and so we are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). But it is our responsibility to choose that way! God does not coerce forcefully – He leaves it as a choice for humans to make as individuals.
4. Victory over Satan, death and sin.
As we look back through the Gospel accounts, we see Jesus being tempted and taunted by satan. We see the temptations in the wilderness, satan using the Apostle Peter to try and deflect Jesus away from the cross and satan using Judas to betray him. If Jesus had ever succumbed to temptation, and sinned in thought, word, action or inaction, then He Himself would have needed a Saviour. That is why Jesus is the perfect sacrifice – because he never sinned and always did what He saw God the Father wanting Him to do. Jesus’ death on the cross is the centrepiece of all human history and the focal point of eternity. At the cross, Jesus’ mission is accomplished. At the cross, this God-man, Jesus Christ paid the penalty for all sin of all time, so that people can have the opportunity to be restored into relationship with God.
Some people say that Jesus didn’t die on the cross, but rather somebody was made to be His substitute. But this is a lie of the devil. Nobody could have been a substitute or the Jewish leaders would have said so when the rumours of Jesus’ resurrection began to circulate. The Romans kept strict discipline and regimen and nobody would have been able to get in amongst the Roman soldiers and somehow substitute themselves for Jesus. Yes, somebody else carried the cross for Him, but nobody but Jesus was nailed to that cross. Jesus died on that cross and not some substitute.
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Monday Apr 14, 2014
Monday Apr 14, 2014
Monday Think Spot
14 April 2014
Filled With The Spirit
Ephesians 5:18-19 “Let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts.”
Now we might think of being filled with Holy Spirit as a one time occurrence, I grew up Pentecostal so in doing so it was more than a one time occurrence, because you know one thing the Pentecostals have is the Spirit. Even more than that, in our every day walk Christ is in us, Holy Spirit is there. He’s our comforter. Christ said that He had to leave so that the comforter could come. And as I bring this message to you this morning, I just want to share with you that our comforter is with us, ever present and we just have to lean into Him.
This past week was a very hard week for me as the son of some friends of mine was murdered last weekend. So I spent a lot of time grieving this weekend and last week but in this grief, it was a time for me to withdraw. Normally I am very socially active on Facebook and other social media and everything. I have several prayer groups that I am a part of and a few other communities that I am a part of; but I retreated. I wasn’t online as much but in doing so, it did cause some people to worry about me and I apologize for that worry, but this was a time that I needed to cry out to Holy Spirit to comfort me, to bring a message to me and to bring peace to me. And in my retreat that is what I did.
I stayed in the Word, and I just cried out to God to send that comforter to me. I listened to praise and worship music, things that would soothe my soul. In doing so, I have come to the other side. I’m not completely through the grieving process because grief does come as a process, just like forgiveness. It is multifaceted and it is a journey.
But I did not become stuck in this journey. I’m not stuck in the mud. It’s very easy when we lose something whether it’s a job, a family member, or a pet to become stuck in that grief. But as we take action then we can continue to move through it.
That is what I want to talk with you about: The action that I took was going into prayer, staying in my prayer closet. I could not do things as ordinary. I had to be a little different; I had to take a different stance in order to bring comfort and healing to my soul. I had to welcome Holy Spirit to do His work there.
There may be many of you out there this morning that are facing loss; again, loss covers a multitude of things. Typically when we think of grief we only think of losing a loved one but you know grief...my father in law is experiencing grief because he had a stroke last October. Before his stroke he was very independent now he has to rely on others a lot more than he ever did. But he has come a long way. He can do some things for himself. But where he’s not a hundred percent independent any more, that is a loss that he has suffered and he is experiencing grief and I am trying to help him through that; to help him realize that each time he does therapy he is taking action to heal in that grief and to recover from that grief.
When we think of grief, a lot of times people will say, “Give it time, it will get better. Time heals.” I’m sorry you all, I’m going to be honest, time does not heal anything. It just doesn’t! Not sure about that? Walk outside, if your tire is flat, pull up a chair and sit down beside that flat tire and wait on time to put air back in that tire. Time is not going to do that. It’s not going to replace the air in your tire. That is an action YOU have to take in order to continue your journey and grief works in much the same way. We have to take action. For me it is going to prayer, going for a walk, making myself eat because I don’t find comfort in food. I tend to do the opposite of a lot of other people and where a lot of people turn to food, I turn away from it. So, just the little steps of preparing a salad, things like that are things that move us or progress us further into the journey so that we can come out victorious on the other side. And we don’t have to do it alone because Holy Spirit is right there doing it with us.
So let’s close in prayer this morning. Father I thank you that Jesus died on the cross for us. I thank you that He told the disciples, “It is expedient for Me to go so that the comforter can come.” And I thank you that Holy Spirit does come and pray for us when we are too bogged down to even have words to pray, that He brings us comfort and that He brings us peace in these trying times. I thank you for this, I thank you for your love for us because it is your love for us that prepared this for us.
And I thank you, Father, for the opportunity to be connected with Partakers, with each ministry that is taking place there, with their prayer team. I thank you for each listener that comes every Monday morning to hear Think Spot, and each day throughout the week for the other messages. I just thank you, Father, for the divine appointments that You have put together here, for the way that you are using the internet to reach others and I just ask you to bless each listener abundantly. Rain your peace upon them, send the comforter to them and guide them down the journeys that they face this week. I ask you to place a hedge of protection around each one.
Blessed are You, Adonai, God our provider, God of peace, God of comfort, God of love. In Jesus name I pray, amen. Thank you for joining me today. I pray that you will come back tomorrow and the next day and the next day and be blessed with each message that is brought to you this with. And with that being said, may God rain his blessings and favor on you this week. Good day mates!
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Wednesday Apr 09, 2014
Wednesday Apr 09, 2014
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Today in the Church Calender we celebrate one of the greatest Saints of the 20th Century Dietrich Bonhoeffer. His books and writings have never been more influential than they are today. His fight to stand for the cause of Christ cost him his life. We do well to honour and remember him as an example to us all. http://www.dbonhoeffer.org/Right mouse click here to download as a MP3 audio file
Beginnings
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born on February 4, 1906 in Germany. He was a a Lutheran pastor and theologian and had spent time studying in the USA and pastored two churches in London, England in the early 1930s. He returned to Germany to lead an illegal training centre for pastors during which time, he also called for more vocal and active opposition from the churches towards Hitler's treatment of Jews. Because of this, he was forbidden from preaching, teaching, and all speaking in public to gathered audiences. Dietrich was ultimately arrested and imprisoned for his part in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. What we will concentrate on in this study is how he viewed and lived Christian discipleship. In doing so we will look at some excerpts from two of his published writings "The Cost of Discipleship" and "Letters and Papers from Prison"Discipleship
Jesus Christ, when He talked about the cost of following Him and being His disciple said this: "If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me." (Matthew 10:38; 16v24-25)Echoing these words, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote "When Jesus Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. ... Discipleship is not an offer that man makes to Jesus Christ, nor is it hero worship, but intimacy with Christ." (The Cost of Discipleship). He knew that as a Christian, a person has to take up their own cross in following Jesus and count the cost of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Dietrich also wrote "Earthly goods are given to be used, not to be collected. ... The Christian disciple must receive his portion from God every day. If he stores it up as a permanent possession, he spoils not only the gift, but himself as well, for he sets his heart on accumulated wealth, and makes it a barrier between himself and God. Where our treasure is, there is our trust, our security, our consolation and our God. Hoarding is idolatry." (The Cost of Discipleship)
In a Sermon on 2 Corinthians 12v9, he said that "Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness and pride of power and with its plea for the weak. Christians adjusts themselves far too easily to the worship of power. Christians should give more offense and shock the world far more than they are doing now. Christians should take a stronger stand in favour of the weak rather than considering first the possible right of the strong."
A Cost of Following Jesus
These are strong and powerful words I am sure you would agree! So did Bonhoeffer's life match his words? In one extreme example, we look at his first days in prison "For my first night in prison I was locked up in an admission cell. The blankets in the camp had such a foul smell that in spite of the cold it was impossible to use them. Next morning a piece of bread was thrown into my cell; I had to pick it up from the floor. The sound of the prison's staff vile abuse of the prisoners who were held for investigation penetrated into my cell for the first time; since then, I have heard it every day from morning to night. The first night in my cell I could sleep very little because in the next cell a prisoner wept loudly for several hours. Nobody took any notice. After twelve days the authorities got to know of my family connections. While this was of course, a great relief for me personally, from an objective point of view it was most embarrassing to see how everything changed from that moment,. I was put in a more spacious cell which was cleaned for me daily by one of the men. When the food came round I was offered larger rations, which I always refused, since they would have been at the expense of other prisoners." (Malcolm Muggeridge, The Third Testament)So, after just twelve nights in atrocious conditions, because he had good connections on the outside of prison, he was moved to a more spacious, cleaner and quieter cell. He probably had no choice about the cell he was given. He could have just eaten the extra food given to him there. But he decided not to, because to eat that extra food, he would have robbed somebody else. For him, material possessions and food were part of his Christian discipleship - part of the cost of following Jesus Christ faithfully. Just as they are of your Christian discipleship - whether you are aware of it or not.
Speak Out!
But another facet of the cost of Dietrich Bonhoeffer following Jesus was speaking out for those who had no voice. In the case of Bonhoeffer, the Jewish race undergoing systematic persecution and extinction under Hitler and the German Nazis.He wrote those: "We have been silent witnesses of evil deeds; we have been drenched by many storms; we have learnt the arts of equivocation and pretence; experience has made us suspicious of others and kept us from being truthful and open; ... Will our inward power of resistance be strong enough, and our honesty with ourselves remorseless enough, for us to find our way back to simplicity and straightforwardness?" Letters and Papers from Prison
He ultimately paid the price for his speaking out for those who had no voice. His life motto could be summed up in these 2 sentences from his writings: "One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons ... Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility,"
He was eventually hanged on April 9, 1945 following the failure of an assassination attempt on Hitler on July 20, 1944. His life actions echoed his words.
How are you counting the cost of being a disciple of Jesus Christ? What do your material possessions and consumption of necessities of food say about your being a Christian? Are you willing to speak up for those who have no voice in your local community, national community and global community?
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Monday Apr 07, 2014
Monday Apr 07, 2014
Monday Think Spot
7 April 2014
Blessings of the Christian
G’day! Welcome to Partakers Monday Think Spot!
In Romans 5:1-11, Paul elucidates 8 blessings for those who would call themselves Christian – those who have taken up God’s free offer of salvation and are justified by faith in and through Jesus Christ alone!
Here are those 8 blessings:
- We have peace with God.
- We have access into God’s grace.
- We have a glorious hope.
- We develop Godly character.
- We have God's love.
- We have the God the Holy Spirit living within us.
- We have salvation from God’s future wrath.
- We have reconciliation with God!
What are we to do with these blessings?
We can remember them as we engage in spiritual warfare & overcoming temptation by our old nature, by the world and by satan. When we are faced with these, we remember the blessings we have because we are in a relationship with God. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, despite what the world says, despite what satan whispers to us. We, if we are Christians, are fully justified by Almighty God.
We are to take great joy in our God! That doesn’t mean we go around with a big silly grin on our faces at all times! Joy is that inner confidence of knowing that you are God’s treasured possession and He is yours. When somebody we know who is a Christian is not feeling the joy, we as a body are to help encourage and build up that person. Not to stomp on them as we often do. The strongest amongst us is to help the weakest amongst us. That is an act of worship.
As God’s people here, we should be making a positive impact for God in our communities. People should be able to see why we Christians are different and want to join us. Being assured of God’s love should inspire us to reflect that love to all those we come into contact with, exhibiting our transformed character before a watching world. Being assured of God’s love for us should spur us on to tell others about this wonder! When was the last time you told somebody?
Here in Romans 5, Paul uses the words “we”, “our” and “us”, and not the words “I” or “you”. Whereas in the earlier chapters he has mixed them up! This reflects the unity of the church! Each person makes an individual commitment to God but then is drawn into the wider group of all Christians! Each person is loved by God, and if you have taken up that salvation offer from God, then you are in a relationship with other people who have done likewise. Whether you want to be or not! Those outside the church are watching to see how we act towards each other. Do they see Christians being over generous, reflecting an abundantly generous God. A God who gave all He had to those who were undeserving? Or do we exhibit our love only to those whom we respect esteem and think deserve our generosity, hiding under the banner of “good stewardship”? When God loves, He gives generously to those who are undeserving... Jesus always had time for the outcast of his society. That is grace...
When we as Christians give anything - money, possessions, wisdom, time - we are to emulate that love - giving generously even to those who we think are undeserving. And we all neglect to give to people who we think don't deserve it! How is your giving and loving? What do you need to change? As a Christian you are blessed! When undergoing hard times, reflect on those 8 blessings from Romans 5 and remember who you are because of Jesus Christ! Go into this week knowing who you are in God because of Jesus Christ and the work He has completed for you.
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Sunday Apr 06, 2014
Sunday Apr 06, 2014
6th April 2014
Questions... Questions...
One person who always set out to alleviate awkwardness and be uncomplicated, and generally managed it was Saint John, and for the next few weeks we will look in more depth about what we know about him, his writings, and learn more about the Jesus he knew as he saw him. There is a wonderful saying that ‘John is like a magic pool in which an infant can paddle and an elephant can swim’. His language is generally uncomplicated, and the syntax and vocabulary he used are simple but oh so powerful.
His Gospel, the fourth, fell out of favour in the 19th century, as the search for the ‘real Jesus’ continued, and people favoured Mark’s writings, being more historical. Thankfully, contemporary interest in the early church has restored him and his works. John is credited with not only that 4th gospel, but also a series of epistles which were placed almost at the end of the Bible. You might hear someone reading in church say, ‘herein endeth the epistle’. An epistle is simply a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually in the form of an elegant and formal letter with emphasis on instruction and information.
Even though at the time of writing, John was between 50 and 60 years of age, he would have been one of the youngest followers at the time Jesus was alive on earth. So, having written a fairly comprehensive gospel, why would John have felt the need to write these letters to people?
Well, it was written to counter docetism, which is the posh name for a heresy declaring that Jesus did not come "in the flesh", but only as a spirit. The letter also outlined how Christians are to discern true teachers: by their ethics, their proclamation of Jesus in the flesh, and by their love. We can assume that John was living in Ephesus at the time of the writings, as that was where he died around the year 100AD and much like St Paul, John wrote his letters to encourage Christians. He wanted them to know the truth. Then they would, hopefully, recognise false ideals, subsequently then knowing how to turn back to Christ. Some people in these churches believed wrong things. The people who had taught them these wrong things had been members of the church. However, they had moved away from the faith and they had left the church (1 John 2:19). So John intended to correct these wrong ideas in his letter.
One wrong idea was that Christ was not really a man, back to docetism. It was thought that He seemed to be a man but was not a real man. John taught quite clearly that the Son of God came as a real man. He lived his life here on earth as a man. The Christ actually died as a man. The man, Christ Jesus, rose again from the dead.
Some people taught that Jesus was merely a man. They taught that he was not really God. They did not believe that God could die. They said that the Christ came upon Jesus. Then the Christ left him again before he died. John answered this. He showed that Jesus is one with God. He is the Christ, who gave his life for us. No mere man could take away our sins as the Lord Jesus Christ has done.
As I said, John wrote this letter to encourage the Christians. He wanted them to know the truth. Then they would recognise false ideas. The letter shows that Christians are children of God. They know God as Father. If God is their Father, then they are all brothers and sisters. John shows them the kind of life that the children of God should live. They all share the life that the Lord Jesus gives to them. This is eternal life, which has no end. John wants all Christians to know that they have this life. He wants them to be sure about this.
John wrote about the truth. This is how we know the truth. We know it because we have met Jesus. We know Jesus, so we know the truth.
This is what the letter says to the Christians.
- They can be sure about Christ (1 John 5:20).
- They know what is true about God and Christ. 1 John 2:21; 5:7, 16, 20
- They know that the Son (Jesus Christ) has come. 1 John 5:20
- They know that Jesus came to take away their sin. 1 John 3:16
Let’s look at the letter in more detail, this week we will start with the 1st verse through to verse 4. It reads…
1 John 1:1-4 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
Verse 1 - John wrote this letter about Jesus, who is the Word of life! We use words to communicate with people. Jesus is God’s way of communicating with us. Therefore, the ‘Word of life’ is the Lord Jesus. And the ‘Word of life’ also means the message of the gospel. John wrote about the Lord Jesus. And he wrote about the life that Jesus gives. This life is for those who believe. The Word produces life. This is about the good news of Jesus Christ who is the life. The Word, that is the Lord Jesus, always existed. He was alive before time and the world began. Christ and the message of life came from God. This was God’s purpose from before creation. The Lord Jesus came into the world to achieve this purpose.
John and those who were with him knew the Lord Jesus. They had heard what he said. They had listened to what he taught. They were with him. They actually saw him. They watched him. They saw all that he did. They lived with him for 3 years. They knew that Jesus was a real human person. Some people denied that God really came as a human person. But he did come. He is Jesus Christ. John says that they have had a real experience of him. Jesus Christ was God with them here on earth.
Verse 2 - Jesus came from God to show us real life. The Lord Jesus came from God. He became a real man. He showed us what real life is. Real life is life in the spirit. He has that life and he came to give it to us. This is eternal life. God gives it to those who believe in his Son. John was a witness to this life. The life was with the Father. Jesus showed that life to us. John and those who believed in the Lord Jesus saw this real life. They had received it. They proved that the message is true.
What they saw was eternal life. God gives this life. John knew that he had this life now. And this life will never end. John wants to share this life with the readers of his letter. This life is in the Lord Jesus. Those who know Jesus have this life. The Lord Jesus, who is life, was with God the Father. But he came to us and he showed us this life. These witnesses have received this life from God. Eternal life comes from God the Father.
Verse 3 - When we believe God’s message, we join God’s family. Those who first believed spoke and they described what they had seen. They repeated what they had heard. The Word of life (that is, Jesus) appeared to them. And we need to believe in him. They heard what he said. We too need to hear what he says. And we need to believe it. The message of life in the Lord Jesus was not only for them. John declares it to those who read his letter. All people can now see and hear God’s truth in Jesus. To know Jesus is to receive the life that God gives by him.
The message of the gospel is that people may believe in Jesus. Those who believe will receive eternal life. That life comes from God. They will share the same life that John and his friends had. They will know that they have a new life with God. They also can become good friends by having the same life. They will join with John and his friends in the family of God. This life unites Christians with God who is the Father. It unites them with Jesus the Son of the Father. Jesus is one with the Father. Therefore, he also is God as the Father is God. There is one God but three persons. The third person is the Spirit of God.
Verse 4 - John wrote this letter as if he were an agent for all those other witnesses. ‘These things’ are all that is in the letter. He writes so that both he and the readers may have much joy. It would give them all much joy if they believed the message of the gospel. The purpose of the letter is that the readers would share the same life as John and his friends. God gives this eternal life to those who believe in his Son. The people living in the time that John was writing his letters could not go and find the man Jesus, he wasn’t there, they were living in another time – much like we are now – in another stage of the Kingdom, that of the Holy Spirit. John desperately wanted the people that he had come to know and love, his brothers and sisters in Christ not to forget their teachings, and that even though he was no longer living on earth with them, he was very much alive, in the Spirit, and alive in those who truly believed.
I leave you with, of course, a question. If a light bulb when switched off is still there and very much a part of the lamp, why therefore is Jesus Christ not very much a part of us, even though with him it is the Spirit (light) that remains and the shell which is gone to the Father? The answer of course, is He is! In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Amen.
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