Partakers Christian Podcasts

Partakers Bible Thought 11 August 2021 –The Christian and Salvation

Partakers Bible Thought

11 August 2021

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is
“‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:8-12)

“Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (Philippians 2:12-13)

I wonder what you know or think about the word “Salvation”. Salvation means a rescue or having been saved! As humans, from the time we are born, we inherit a sinful nature and are alienated from God. But God has seen fit to offer a way back into relationship with Him, so that we may no longer be alienated from Him! This offer of relationship is a result of Jesus, who was both fully God and fully man, dying on the cross.

Salvation is for all people of all time and of every nation. As a Christian, you have accepted the offer and you have salvation. Great! Fantastic! So what? What are you as a Christian to do with your Salvation? Who decides who is saved? Come and discover more about Salvation and its significance for your life today, by listening to the podcast!

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Partakers Bible Thought 10 August 2021 – The Christian and Resurrection

Partakers Bible Thought

10 August 2021

1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words. (Luke 24:1-8)

11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. (Acts 3:11-16)

I wonder what you know or think about the word “resurrection". Resurrection means rising or raising up. It certainly means more than coming back to life as some people think. Jesus raised three people from the dead, but that was more a resuscitation than a resurrection - those three people would die again!

Jesus Himself was resurrected from the dead! That was amazing! Jesus’ resurrection proves and vindicates all of His teaching. It certifies His claims to be the suffering Servant, just as it attests 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 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? What does Jesus’ resurrection mean for the Christian? Come and discover more about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and how that has significance for your life as a Christian today, by listening to the podcast!

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Partakers Bible Thought 8 August 2021 –The Christian Remembers Who They Are

Partakers Bible Thought

8 August 2021

4 Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me, for you, LORD, are good.
(Psalm 25:4-7)

1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

The ability to remember is a wonderful gift of God to all people! Memories can bring about the full gamut of emotions –sadness, bitterness, anger, joy, ecstasy and love! I wonder what your ability to remember is like! Perhaps you are like me, and your memory sometimes fails. Sometimes I will think I have remembered something, but it turns out to be a false memory of an event that never occurred. Or other times I will forget to remember something, and then miss out on something important! So I have learnt to write things down, in order to remember!

As a Christian, sin still tries to entangle us, but remembering certain things will help you as a  Christian to live a righteous Christian life. Why is remembering a great help in your Christian life? How can remembering, be useful to the Christian in the 21st century? Come and discover more about the role of memory in the life of the Christian by listening to the podcast!

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Partakers Bible Thought 7 August 2021 – God, the Christian and Redemption

 

Partakers Bible Thought

7 August 2021

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” (Ruth 4:13-15)

42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1:18-21)

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).

Our Bible Thought yesterday was propitiation. Today we look at another big Bible word, which is a consequence of propitiation. The thought today concerns the word redemption. What is redemption? Why is redemption required? What is the consequence of redemption for the Christian, the person following Jesus Christ? Once redemption has been accepted by a person, how should that Christian respond? Come and discover more about God, the Christian and propitiation by listening to the podcast!

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Partakers Bible Thought 6 August 2021 – God, the Christian and Propitiation

Partakers Bible Thought

6 August 2021

15 “He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull’s blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. 16 In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the tent of meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 17 No one is to be in the tent of meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel. (Leviticus 16:15-17)

25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:25-26)

When I talk to people I often hear things like, God is love, so I don’t have to worry about my own lifestyle or my morals, because God is love. When I die, He will accept me as I am providing I have tried your best. And of course that is partly true! God is indeed a God of love. But we must also remember that towards sin and sinful behaviour, He has great fury, anger and wrath (Psalm 7:11; Jeremiah 21:5). Nothing we say or do can appease His hatred of sin and sinful lifestyles. Nothing we can do is able to appease God’s anger, because His anger toward sin is unquenchable. Unquenchable that is, except for one thing.

Our word today, propitiation, means the turning aside of God's anger by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. What is your understanding of this Bible word, propitiation? How does it make you feel? Why the need for propitiation at all? Why are some Christians turned off by it? How should a Christian respond to propitiation? Come and discover more about God, the Christian and propitiation by listening to the podcast!

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Partakers Bible Thought 5 August 2021 – God, the Christian and Prayer

Partakers Bible Thought

5 August 2021

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:5-8)

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)

I wonder what you think prayer is and how much of it you have experienced? Is your vision and experience of prayer too small? Let us find out together, a small part of prayer! Prayer is to be at the centre of the relationship between God and the Christian.
How is your prayer life going? What have you learnt about prayer in the time you have been a Christian? What is the function of prayer? How is prayer more than just a mental or verbal action? What role does God Himself take in helping the Christian to pray? Come and discover more about the Christian and prayer by listening to the podcast!

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Partakers Bible Thought 4 August 2021 – Holy Spirit, the Christian and Perseverance

Partakers Bible Thought

4 August 2021

25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” (John 10:25-30)

4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:4-6)

As a Christian, you are called to persevere! Did you know that? Perseverance is the continuous operation of the Holy Spirit in the believer, by which the work of divine grace that is begun in the heart is continued and brought to completion.
The New Testament has a lot to say about perseverance and the Christian! How can Christians persevere despite all that life throws at them? Why should Christians persevere and for what reason? What does perseverance mean for the Christian and their life of following Jesus Christ?

Come and discover more about the Christian persevering by listening to the podcast!

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Partakers Bible Thought 3 August 2021 – The Christian Is A Partaker

Partakers Bible Thought

3 August 2021

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them,[a] fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:14-18)

To partake of something can mean at least three things! Firstly, it means having the qualities or attributes of something. Secondly it can mean having, giving or receiving something. Finally, to partake of something, means to consume!

Jesus Christ was a Partaker! Did you know that? He was a Partaker, in so much as that when He became human, He adorned human flesh and blood (Hebrews 2:14-18). Because of Jesus, and only because of Jesus Christ, all Christians are Partakers! Did you know that? That includes you! The New Testament has a lot to say about what Christians are Partakers of and what they will be. Hence the name of this ministry, Partakers! What are Christians automatically “partakers” of? How does being a partaker help the Christian to live life to the full and to the glory of God who they serve freely?
Come and discover more about the Christian being a Partaker by listening to the podcast!

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Partakers Bible Thought 2 August 2021 – The Christian Has A New Nature

Partakers Bible Thought

2 August 2021

4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. (Romans 6:4-6)

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:17-24)

I wonder if you have ever had a favourite piece of clothing, say a coat, a shirt or a dress. It was so comfortable and cosy that you wore it seemingly every day. Then one day you realised that this coat was dirty and smelled badly. It was infested with fleas, mites and disease-ridden bacteria. It was filthy and needed washing. It was no longer fit to be worn yet you still wanted to wear it because it is so comfortable. But you couldn’t wear it, because it was only fit for burning and burying.

That is the same for the Christian in regard to the old sinful nature that each person is born with. This old nature is in conflict with God, because it is self-centred and self-pleasing. When you became a Christian, you gained a new nature that is both God pleasing and God centred.

What are the old nature and new nature? When does the Christian partake of the new nature given to them by God? Let’s discover together more about the Christian and their new nature, by listening to the podcast!

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Partakers Bible Thought 1 August 2021 – A Strategy to Cope With Covid-19

A Strategy to Cope With Covid19 Pandemic

It is almost 40 years now since I first became a Christian and started following Jesus Christ. I haven't fallen away from Him in that time, but I have known some people who have. How can we, as 21st century Christians, keep from falling away from Jesus Christ, particularly at this time when we have a global pandemic due to COVID19. The answer I believe, is what I would call the COPE strategy: Consider, Persevere and Encourage.

1. Keep Considering! (Hebrews 3:1-6)

2. Keep Persevering! (Hebrews 3:7-12, 15-19)

3. Keep Encouraging! (Hebrews 3:12-14)

Conclusion

If you would call yourself a Christian and you are unsure where you are, then please do look back and remember what Jesus has done for you. Consider Him as you look back to your first profession of faith in Him. Consider that just as He died, you died in the waters of baptism. Consider that just as He rose to physical life, you rose from the waters of baptism and will also rise again when you physically die. Consider that just as Jesus will be glorified, so too will you be glorified before the Father - if you hold out until the end.

Be assured of who you are - you are a child of the living God - hold out to the end. He has a firm grip on you, so maintain your grip on Him! Remember who you are! The way to cope with the rigours of 21st century life as a Christian believer is to keep considering, keep persevering and keep encouraging others.

 

Download and listen to the mp3 to discover more as we explore together how as 21st century Christians, we can keep from falling away from our faith. Particularly at this time when we have a global pandemic due to the Corona Virus. Come and listen as we discover more about Considering, Persevering and Encouraging!!

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