G‘day! Partakers Christian podcasts of Bible Teaching, Bible Readings, Worship, Prayer and Church History on Podbean to help enable and encourage you! Come listen and interact.
Episodes
Wednesday Dec 04, 2019
Wednesday Dec 04, 2019
WOW Word 51 - Justification
Today, Alphy the WOWChurch cat shares with us about Justification - what it is, what it is not, who, why, where? Come see and hear Alphy the WOWChurch Cat explain more!!
“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 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 – 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 3:21-26)
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:18)
Play the video below and/or download it by right mouse clicking here and saving it as mp4 video file!
Click on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
Wednesday Sep 18, 2019
Wednesday Sep 18, 2019
WOW Word - Christ
Our WOW Word today is Christ! I wonder if you know what the word "Christ" means and where it comes from? The word Christ is the New Testament word for the Old Testament word, Messiah. So we look to the Old Testament first, in order to understand what the New Testament word Christ means! It was appended to His name in the New Testament, as a way of expressing who He was! Play or download the Podcast to discover what Alphy the WOWChurch Cat has to say! Bless ya!
~
Right mouse click or tap here to download this as a mp3 file
Click on the appropriate link below to subscribe or share
Wednesday Aug 21, 2019
Wednesday Aug 21, 2019
The Goal Of Being A Christian
Our WOW Word today is Goal! As in the goal of being a disciple of Jesus Christ!
I wonder what you think the goal of being a Disciple of Jesus Christ is to be. Is it just a means to get to heaven? Maybe it is praying a lot? Perhaps it is reading and memorizing the whole Bible? Doing lots of evangelism or doing lots of work for the church? As admirable as those things are, they are not what is to be the goal for those who claim to be Disciples of Jesus Christ.
The ultimate goal for any Christian Disciple is to be found in these verses from 1 John 2:3-6 -
“We know that we have come to know Jesus if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
According to the Apostle John, the goal of being a Christian Disciple is to walk and live as Jesus did and to follow the commands of Jesus. That doesn’t mean walking around in sandals, wearing white clothes and traversing the terrain where Jesus Himself walked. The Apostle John means that we, as followers of Jesus Christ, are to be radical, holy and living lives worthy of that of Jesus.
How can we be radical and holy?
Jean Calvin said that “Denying oneself and relying on God for all things is the goal of the Christian life.” This can only be attained by total submission to the Holy Spirit and a life of constantly “dealing with God” in all matters. That is how Christian Disciples are to be radical, holy and endeavouring to reach the goal of being Jesus to others! This is done by a constant renewing of the mind (Ephesians 4:23) and having a heart willing to be transformed. It is by loving others in such a way, that the end of a Disciple’s generosity is only when the resources have expired.
A Christian Disciple is to live and walk as Jesus did. There is no better way for a Disciple to fulfil this goal, than by imitating Jesus and obeying his command from Luke 9:23 to “…take up their cross daily and follow me.” This is seen as a higher challenge for the mind! Dietrich Bonhoeffer commented that “Discipleship of Jesus Christ, leads to death for all who follow Christ; either as a physical death or in being ostracized from the wider community.”
For the first century Christians, just as in some parts of today’s world, persecution and martyrdom were, and are, reality. A biblical example is that of Stephen recorded for us in Acts 7. Yet it also means enduring suffering, for this is how a Christian Disciple maintains a “communion with Christ”. For it is through suffering, that we share with the crucified Jesus. The bitterness of our cross is made sweeter, the more we dwell on the sufferings of Jesus and our enabled fellowship with Him.
As Christian Disciples, we are linked together in a Christian community through rebirth, and our relationship exists only through our relationship with Christ. There is no such thing as an individual member of the radical Christian community. Members are to be interdependent upon one another, bound by a corporate and inclusive personality. The church community is to be dynamic by nature, and individualism is not coherent with New Testament teaching. Remember these words, the world will know we are God’s possession and people, if we exhibit and demonstrate love toward one another.
How about that for being radical and holy? That is the goal for the Christian Disciple. We as Christians have a goal to be radical and holy. We are to be obedient to Jesus in loving God and loving others - including those who are our enemies. How can we do and be that? If we try that in our own strength we will fail. It is only through the power, strength and wisdom of the Holy Spirit who lives within you, that you can do this! How is that for a WOW Word?
Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file
~
You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site!
Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
Wednesday Aug 14, 2019
Wednesday Aug 14, 2019
WOW Word - Spiritual Armor
Today Alphy has a special guest, the Reverend Sammy!
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6:10-20 NIV)
~~~~~~~
To help His people resist satan and to fight spiritual warfare, God has designed spiritual armor for Christians to wear during our constant battle with temptation, sin & also with the evil one. That’s what the Apostle Paul is talking about here in Ephesians 6! This armour is what God wears according to Isaiah 59:17, when He goes out to battle! The hallmarks of this Armor are: Truth, Righteousness, Gospel, Faith, Salvation, the Scriptures and Prayer.
To discover more about the Spiritual Armor, download the mp3 using the links below.
~
Right mouse click or tap here to download this as a mp3 file
You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site!
Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
Wednesday Aug 07, 2019
Wednesday Aug 07, 2019
WOW Word - Salvation
Salvation! What is it?
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.
Who decides who is saved?
The question “Who decides the saved?” has been asked for centuries!! There are two extremist views – one view says, “God has decided who is saved and nothing can be done about it.” The other view says that God will grant salvation to all.
But we need to see these two views in the balance of Scripture. Firstly God does choose individuals to fulfil His purposes (Romans 9) and He chooses those who are, or will be, saved (John 15v16). These chosen ones are called the elect. However, it is also His will that all people should be saved (1 Timothy 2v3-4) and that nobody should perish (2 Peter 3v9).
So in reading those two statements, we must accept both these Scriptural statements as equally and absolutely true. When we use words about God with a time element such as 'chose', 'elect', we need to consider God's infinite time framework, timelessness, and not in our human finite time framework. So God offers salvation to all, and leaves the responsibility to take up the offer with humans.
Saved from and saved to?
As a Christian you are now saved from everlasting alienation from Him, for that’s what Hell is. As a Christian you are saved to an everlasting relationship with Him, for that’s what Heaven is. Salvation is for all people of all time and of every nation. As a Christian, you have accepted the offer.
Salvation! What do you do with it?
Now you are to do what Paul suggests in Philippians 2v12-13: “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.” So now you live to please God alone and not your self.
Go this week and tell somebody this Good News of salvation that God offers, and continue to show the transforming power of God in your life. For as one of the early church fathers Irenaeus said: “To follow Jesus is to participate in salvation.”
~
Right mouse click or tap here to download this as a mp3 file
You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site!
Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
Wednesday Dec 05, 2018
Wednesday Dec 05, 2018
Peace
The world we live in, wants peace! The world is unified around the concept of peace! However, the peace the world wants requires the manipulation of circumstances. God's peace, and peace with God, however, comes regardless of circumstances. We look in this video at the following things!
- How can we define true Peace?
- Look at a short history of Peace!
- Look at peace with God, other people and with ourselves!
- How do we maintain peace within?
Right mouse click to save this Podcast as a MP4 video file.
Click on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
Wednesday Nov 28, 2018
Wednesday Nov 28, 2018
WOW Word - Christ
Our WOW Word today is Christ! We are approaching the Christmas season. I wonder if you know what the word Christ means and where it comes from? The word Christ is the New Testament word for the Old Testament word, Messiah. So we look to the Old Testament first, in order to understand what the New Testament word Christ means! It was appended to His name in the New Testament, as a way of expressing who He was! Play the video to discover what Alphiy the WOWChurch Cat has to say and/or download the file to take away! Bless ya!
~
Right mouse click or tap here to download this as a mp4 video file
Click on the appropriate link below to subscribe or share
Wednesday Nov 21, 2018
Wednesday Nov 21, 2018
WOW Word 58 - Temptation
“No temptation has come your way that is too hard for flesh and blood to bear. But God can be trusted not to allow you to suffer any temptation beyond your powers of endurance. He will see to it that every temptation has a way out, so that it will never be impossible for you to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
Play the video below and/or download it by right mouse clicking or tapping here to saving it as mp4 video file!
Today, Alphy the WOWChurch cat shares with us about temptation - what it is, what it is not, who, why, where? Come see and hear Alphy the WOWChurch Cat explain more!!
Play the video below and/or download it by right mouse clicking here and saving it as mp4 video file!
You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site!
Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
Wednesday Nov 14, 2018
Wednesday Nov 14, 2018
WOW Word 22
Prayer
Today Alphy shares about the WOW Word - Prayer!!
~
Ephesians 6:18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.
Philippians 4:6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God
1 Timothy 2:1-4 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ”
What is the response of a Christian to be to these words about prayer by Paul? Prayer, along with the Bible, are our weapons to be used in spiritual warfare! Martin Luther once said that for Christians, their “protection by God lies in prayer” because Christians are too weak in their own strength to withstand all that is against them...
Play the video to see Alphy talking about prayer and its place within the life of the Christian Disciple!!
~
Right mouse or tap click here to download this as a mp4 video file
You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site!
Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
Saturday Jun 14, 2008
Saturday Jun 14, 2008
Partake - Words In Scripture Explained – Old Nature & New Nature
Welcome to Partake WISE. The word for today is “old and new nature”…
Old clothing!
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.
Swapping old for new!
That is the same for the Christian Disciple in regards 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 Disciple, you gained a new nature that is both God pleasing and God centred. When Jesus died on the cross, it was for your old sinful nature as well as your sins! Your baptism in water symbolizes your old inherent sinful nature as being buried with Jesus Christ (Romans 6v6) and you are raised to live a new life with a new nature (Romans 6v4)!
Why have this new nature?
Now that you are a Christian Disciple, and have a new nature, you are no longer separated from Him because of your old nature. You have a new nature and God has taken care of your past and He no longer holds your sin against you!
We fight the old with the new!
As a Christian Disciple, you have a new spiritual nature to help you fight the struggle against sin and disobedience against God who is now your King and master! Moreover, He has put His Spirit within you, and the more you allow Him to control you, the stronger your new nature becomes. Your old nature is gone, burned and buried. Continue living as if you are always putting on your new nature like a new coat, so that as His disciple, you are living a life worthy of His Holy Name.
Thank you
If you have found this resource helpful to you, please do prayerfully consider donating £1.
Thank you