Partakers Christian Podcasts

Thursday Story - Life from the Faroe Islands

Thursday Story

People meeting Jesus

 The story of Life from the Faroe Islands...

We continue apace into the twentieth century and hear the story of a friend of mine. Her name is Life and she is from the Faroe Islands. Let's look together at how and why she started her Christian journey and the relevancy of Jesus Christ to her life! Come and listen to her story of faith...

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Thursday with Tabitha - Joel

Joel

This is our penultimate podcast in the minor prophets series! This week we are looking at the book of Joel. I had some degree of dilemma about where to place Joel in the roughly chronological order of the series and that’s because the estimates of when the book was written vary widely from the 9^th to 4^th century BC. After looking at the content of Joel’s prophecies, I decided to go with the scholars who argue that Joel was written after the exile to Babylon, dating it somewhere around the year 500 BC. Joel evidently has knowledge of Judah and Jerusalem and it seems likely that he was from Judah himself. His name means “Yahweh is God” and we are told that his father was called Pethuel. Other than that, we know little about Joel himself. ~

Joel is similar in style to several of the other minor prophetic books, being written in the form of oracles of judgement and salvation, mostly in poetic style. Joel appears to have written during a time of national calamity for Judah. Key themes of his book are the Day of the Lord, the need to repent, the promise of God that he will dwell in the midst of his people, and the future promise of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. ~

Chapter one contains a vivid description of the invasion of the land of Judah by a locust swarm. Locusts are grasshoppers that breed very rapidly and fly in swarms when their population density is high enough. They can migrate large distances when in a swarm and they consume vast amounts of vegetation when they land. A swarm of locusts is a potential disaster for any farmer as it can decimate crops and vineyards, leaving virtually nothing behind. ~

Joel describes exactly this sort of devastation in chapter 1 verses 1-12. Everything is laid bare, even the bark of the trees is stripped. The priests of Judah are instructed to lament and fast because they can no longer offer the proper sacrifices at the temple because all the grain, wine and oil are gone. The animals are suffering from lack of food and verses 19-20 indicate that there is also a drought occurring at the same time. Joel’s prophecy warns the people that the Day of the Lord is near. This could refer to the immediate day of the locust invasion, or to a future day of God’s judgement on the nations, or perhaps to both.~

Just when it seems that things couldn’t get worse, chapter 2 reveals that it can get much worse! The second chapter contains a terrifying description of an invading army, marching unstoppably across Judah. There are a number of opinions about the nature of this army: some believe that Joel is still describing the locusts, using more graphic imagery; others say that Joel is describing a human army invading Judah; or a third interpretation is that the army described is the Lord’s army, coming to judge the world on the Day of the Lord in an epic final conflict. Whichever is the case, this army is fearsome, purposeful and not hindered by any obstacle. Joel also describes other apocalyptic signs, which are found in other parts of the Bible when describing the Day of the Lord: the sun, moon and stars are dimmed and the earth is shaken.~

Yet, even in spite of this predicted calamity, it is not too late. In chapter 2:12-17 God calls his people to repentance and entreats them to return to him. Joel describes God as a God of mercy and grace, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. God desires to see real change in the hearts and souls of his people, not just outward signs of repentance (like the tearing of clothes), but a genuine change of heart. ~

“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. (Joel 2:12-13)

~ 

The priests are urged to consecrate the whole congregation, even including little babies and newly weds. No one is exempt.

In response to the people’s repentance, God promises to restore Judah again, refilling the wine and oil vats and replenishing the threshing floors. God has judged his people but he has also brought deliverance and restoration to them. In chapter 2 verses 28-29 we find a prophecy about the future outpouring of the Holy Spirit.~

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. (Joel 2:28-29)

~

We see this prophecy fulfilled after Jesus’ death and resurrection when God pours out the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Peter quotes from this section in his speech to the crowd on the day of Pentecost – you can find this in Acts 2. Just after this prophecy in Joel, we find the declaration that in those days,

“…everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” (Joel 2:32)

~

Paul quotes this in Romans 10:13 in his explanation of the universal availability of God’s salvation to anyone who calls on the name of Jesus, regardless of their ethnic background or previous religious credentials, or lack of them. ~

In chapter 3 God promises that he will judge the nations and restore the fortunes of his people. He will dwell in the midst of his people and be a source of security and refuge in the midst of the judgement to come. ~

Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel. (Joel 3:14-16)

~

The picture is one of great contrasts. As in other prophetic books, like Zephaniah, the Day of the Lord brings judgement and fear to some and relief and restoration for others.

What messages can we take from the book of Joel today?

Firstly, we can celebrate the fulfilment of the prophecy in Joel 2:28-29. The Holy Spirit has been poured out on all believers, both young and old, men and women. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to us - to help us, equip us, guide us and comfort us. In the early church, one of the things that helped to convince the Jewish believers that the Gentiles were also welcomed into God’s kingdom was the clear evidence of the dramatic work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Salvation is indeed available to all people, to anyone who calls on the name of Jesus.

I was particularly struck by God’s plea for the people to rend their hearts, not their garments. This reminds me of David’s prayer in Psalm 51:

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (Psalm 51:17)

We can be so easily taken in by outward appearances, and we can spend a lot of time cultivating our outward appearance to portray the right image to the world around us, or to our fellow believers. But God is interested in the states of our hearts. He sees the real you and the real me, all of the time.

When David was being chosen from the sons of Jesse to be anointed by Samuel, the prophet declared that:

 …the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

~

David came to know this truth very deeply for himself. He tried to hide lies and adultery and murder from other people but he could not hide from God.

We may also try to hide the parts of our lives, or the aspects of our character that we are embarrassed or ashamed about, but God knows us better than we know ourselves. Nothing is hidden from his sight. As our loving Father, he longs for us to acknowledge these things before him and rend our hearts in response. Nothing will come as a surprise to him - he already knows!

We can try all sorts of things to fix our own hearts and we can sometimes convince ourselves we’ve done quite a good patching up job. But in truth, only God can perform the heart transplant we need. He is the one who can renew our hearts and clean us from the inside out. And his invitation stands open to anyone who would call on his name. So we can pray along with David:

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

~

Join me next week as we look at the final book in our series – Malachi - the last recorded prophetic voice before John the Baptist!

 

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POD - Psalms 141 to 145

Psalm 136 to Psalm 140

Often we hear the Psalms one by one, but today we offer you the chance to hear a group of Psalms read as a collection!

Psalm 141
A psalm of David.

1 I call to you, LORD, come quickly to me;
hear me when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a guard over my mouth, LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil
so that I take part in wicked deeds
along with those who are evildoers;
do not let me eat their delicacies.
5 Let a righteous man strike me – that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me – that is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.
6 Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
7 They will say, ‘As one ploughs and breaks up the earth,
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.’
8 But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign LORD;
in you I take refuge – do not give me over to death.
9 Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers,
from the snares they have laid for me.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.

Psalm 142
A maskil of David. When he was in the cave. A prayer.

1 I cry aloud to the LORD;
I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.
2 I pour out before him my complaint;
before him I tell my trouble.
3 When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk people have hidden a snare for me.
4 Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.
5 I cry to you, LORD;
I say, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’
6 Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.
7 Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.

Psalm 143
A psalm of David.

1 LORD, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
3 The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead.
4 So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.
5 I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.
6 I spread out my hands to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.
7 Answer me quickly, LORD; my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, LORD, for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God;
may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11 For your name’s sake, LORD, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.

Psalm 144
A psalm of David.

1 Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.
2 He is my loving God and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.
3 LORD, what are human beings that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?
4 They are like a breath;
their days are like a fleeting shadow.
5 Part your heavens, LORD, and come down;
touch the mountains, so that they smoke.
6 Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy;
shoot your arrows and rout them.
7 Reach down your hand from on high;
deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters,
from the hands of foreigners
8 whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.
9 I will sing a new song to you, my God;
on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,
10 to the One who gives victory to kings,
who delivers his servant David.
From the deadly sword 11 deliver me;
rescue me from the hands of foreigners
whose mouths are full of lies,
whose right hands are deceitful.
12 Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants,
and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace.
13 Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our fields;
14 our oxen will draw heavy loads.
There will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity,
no cry of distress in our streets.
15 Blessed is the people of whom this is true;
blessed is the people whose God is the LORD.

Psalm 145

A psalm of praise. Of David.

1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
5 They speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty –
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
6 They tell of the power of your awesome works –
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
7 They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All your works praise you, LORD;
your faithful people extol you.
11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.
14 The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfils the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

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Bible Thought - Romans 8 Freedom to live

Freedom to Live

Romans 8:18-39

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 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 with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:18-39)

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Bible Thought - The Hour Is Near - Matthew 26

The Hour Is Near

Matthew 26:36-46

Opening Prayer

Father, as we come to your written word, keep our eyes and minds awake by your Spirit, so that we can engage with, and learn more, about your living Word, Jesus Christ, apply that learning to our lives so that you receive all glory and honour due your name. Amen.

Introduction

Well, I don’t know how you are coping with this lockdown due to CoronaVirus, but not much has changed for myself, as I am used to working from home. I have been praying with people regularly online and have done interactive Church services every couple of days as people want. If you think that internet Church, isn't Church, well that is ok. You can think of it as simply an interactive time on the internet, between people in different physical locations, meeting at the same time, where God is worshipped, prayed to and studied in the Bible by each of them simultaneously. My biggest problem is forgetting to take breaks, unlike in normal practise, going off to the coffeeshop for a couple of hours with the newspaper. But I know that some folks aren’t coping with the lockdown and isolation, particularly the extroverts amongst us. What can we do about that? As ever, the Bible has something to say into that situation. So lets start with our passage in Matthew 26.
The public ministry of Jesus has been going for just about 3 years now. It started when he was baptized by John the Baptist, where the crowds heard these words from God the Father: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” And where God the Holy Spirit descended upon him as a dove.
Since that time, Jesus has gathered his disciples, such as Peter, James and John with the words: “Come and follow me!” During those three years, Jesus has traversed the countryside, announcing Good News, feeding the multitudes, healing the sick and raising the dead. Jesus, who was asleep in the back of a boat while his disciples were scared of the storm. Jesus, who awoke, told the storm to cease. And it ceased! Jesus who cared for the poor, the destitute, and the outcasts of society. Jesus who taught with such wisdom and authority, that people were amazed. Jesus who confidently walked upon water. Jesus who throughout his public ministry gave clues to the events which are now coming into eventuality.
Jesus who clearly proclaimed that he alone was the living bread; the light of the world; the good shepherd and the gate; the resurrection; the way, the truth, and the life; and finally declaring that He alone was the true vine! Whereas the nation of Israel was the symbol, Jesus was the reality, and it was He who was the long waited for Messiah or Saviour. Jesus, who not so long ago, entered Jerusalem in that amazing scene, to the shouts of the crowds: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ A very different scene than the one before us in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus also seems a different person as well.

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Thursday with Tabitha - Zechariah

Zechariah

 

 

This week we’ve reached the book of Zechariah. After spending a couple of weeks in the very short books of Obadiah and Haggai, I found Zechariah to be quite a contrast. It’s a much longer book with 14 chapters, and the style of prophetic writing is quite different too. There is so much that we could choose to look at in this complex, beautiful book, but it would be beyond the scope of this podcast to look in detail at all the prophesies that Zechariah received. Instead I’ll start with a brief historical background and an overview of some of the main themes of the book, and then I’ll focus on some of the prophecies that were fulfilled most clearly in the life of Jesus. We’ll end with some thoughts to take away for our own lives.

Zechariah came from a priestly family. We are given the names of his father and grandfather, Berechiah and Iddo. His grandfather’s name appears in Nehemiah 12:4 where he is listed as one of the Levites who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel in about 538 BC, according to the edict of King Cyrus of Persia.

Zechariah’s prophecy starts 2 months after Haggai’s. The book is made up of a collection of nine visions followed by other prophetic oracles. These take the form of individual units, which don’t follow a clear narrative pattern. The style of the prophecy is futuristic, and sometimes quite obscure to the modern reader. Many of the prophecies bear similarities to those found in the book of Revelation, at the end of the New Testament, and they need to be approached in a similar way, with careful appreciation of the symbolism involved.

As we learned last week, some of the exiled people of Judah had returned to Jerusalem after King Cyrus permitted them to do so. They had started to rebuild the temple and the walls but they had become discouraged by opposition. They were also facing difficulties in their everyday lives, including high taxes under the Persian rule. Worship of God and obedience to his law were quite low down on their list of priorities.

The book of Zechariah opens with a call from God to the people to repent and return to him:

Therefore say to them, Thus declares the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. (Zechariah 1:3)

~

The people do repent and turn back to God, so God keeps his promise. There then follows a series of visions that Zechariah receives during the night. The visions contain God’s promises of restoration for his people, forgiveness, removal of sin and idolatry from the land, and the blessing and expansion of Jerusalem. 

God calls his people back to sincere and genuine faith. He wants them to be just, merciful, mindful of the vulnerable and honest in their dealings with each other (Zech 7:8-10).

The book of Zechariah does contain some messages of judgement for the enemies of God’s people, and for those who do not respond to God’s call to return to him, but the majority of the book is made up of promises of hope and restoration. God promises to turn the former times of fasting into times of feasting for his people (Zech 7:18-19).

In the second half of the book, we find prophecy relating to the coming King of Zion. He is portrayed as a divine warrior (Zech 9:1-8) and also called The Branch. In chapter 11, God promises to replace the evil shepherds of his people, the corrupt leaders, with a good shepherd. These are all prophecies about the coming Messiah.  

~

There are up to 54 passages in Zechariah that are alluded to in 67 places in the New Testament, mostly in the book of Revelation. In addition, there are a few specific prophecies in Zechariah, which find their fulfilment very clearly in the life of Jesus. The gospel writers quote these verses from Zechariah in their accounts. We’ll look at these verses now.

~

Firstly, Zechariah 9:9: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)

~

Matthew and John both refer to this verse in their gospel accounts of Jesus entering Jerusalem riding on a donkey (Matt 21:5, John 12:15). They understood that Jesus was deliberately fulfilling prophecy, making a clear statement about his identity as the promised Messiah.

~

In Zechariah 11:13 we read a slightly odd statement about the good shepherd being valued at 30 pieces of silver, and these pieces subsequently being thrown back into the house of the Lord, to the potter. In Matthew 27:9 we see that Matthew draws on the words of Zechariah and Jeremiah and applies these to the actions and fate of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. When Judas saw what was going to happen to Jesus, he tried to give the blood money back to the priests, who refused to take it back. Overcome with remorse and guilt, he threw the 30 pieces of silver back into the temple and went and hanged himself. The priests and elders bought a field known as the Potters Field with the money and it was used as a burial place for foreigners.

~

In Zechariah 12:10 we read: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10)

~

John takes this verse and applies it to Jesus’ crucifixion. In John 19:31-37 we read about the soldier who pierced Jesus’ side to verify that he was dead after his crucifixion. John then quotes Zechariah, “they will look on him whom they have pierced” and sees the action of the solider as a fulfilment of this prophecy. There are other Old Testament passages which speak prophetically about the manner of the Messiah’s death, notably sections in Isaiah 53 and in Psalm 22. The details are quite striking, particularly bearing in mind that crucifixion did not come into use as a means of execution until several hundred years after Psalm 22 was written.

~

Finally we see Zechariah 13:7 quoted by Matthew (26:31) and Mark (14:27) in their descriptions of Jesus’s disciples deserting him and fleeing from the garden of Gethsemane.

~

“Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered”. (Zechariah 13:7)

~

The verse in Zechariah is describing the good shepherd and how he will be struck down. Matthew and Mark both see the scattering of the disciples in the scattering of the sheep.

~

The book of Zechariah ends on a note of victory and triumph with God reigning over the whole earth and Jerusalem finally dwelling in peace.

There are two short verses from the early parts of the book that I want to consider. The first is Zechariah 4:10. In this section, God is encouraging Zechariah that he will empower Zerubbabel and his fellow workers to complete the rebuilding of the temple. God says: For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. (Zechariah 4:10a ESV)

~

Sometimes it can feel as if we live in a day of small things. The ordinary routines and rhythms of our everyday lives can seem quite insignificant. There is a temptation to always be looking ahead to what the next big thing will be or feeling despondent about an apparent lack of excitement or significance in what we do. Sometimes we have our mountain top experiences and spiritual highs in special events or significant achievements, but the reality is that life is lived in the in-between times. In the days of small things.

~

God knows all the days of our lives and each day and moment can be used for his glory. But not if we’re despising the time. Our awesome Creator and Sustainer is the source of our every breath and his gift of life to us is not to be taken lightly. In the times that are difficult, painful or seemingly futile, we can cling on to Jesus’ promise to us that our Father God cares about us more than we can imagine. He even knows the number of hairs on our heads (Matt 10:30).

~

The second verse is Zechariah 3:6. God gives Zechariah a message to encourage Zerubbabel. He wants him to know that the rebuilding of the temple will be accomplished and he says: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” (Zech 3:6)

~

There are times when we will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles or daunting mountains of opposition. The Holy Spirit can empower us in ways we could not imagine and those mountains can become plains in front of us. We need to be prepared for God to work in ways we do not expect but if we have faith in his promises to us, the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit is available to help us and that is far better than any human power or might.

~

I’ll close with Paul’s words to the Ephesians: Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

~

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Bible Reading - Psalm 47

Psalm 47

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah.

47:1 Oh clap your hands, all you nations.
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
47:2 For Yahweh Most High is awesome.
He is a great King over all the earth.
47:3 He subdues nations under us,
and peoples under our feet.
47:4 He chooses our inheritance for us,
the glory of Jacob whom he loved.

Selah.

47:5 God has gone up with a shout,
Yahweh with the sound of a trumpet.
47:6 Sing praise to God, sing praises.
Sing praises to our King, sing praises.
47:7 For God is the King of all the earth.
Sing praises with understanding.
47:8 God reigns over the nations.
God sits on his holy throne.
47:9 The princes of the peoples are gathered together,
the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God.
He is greatly exalted!

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Bible Reading - Psalms 136 to 140

Psalm 136 to Psalm 140

Often we hear the Psalms one by one, but today we offer you the chance to hear a group of Psalms read as a collection!

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Psalm 136

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures for ever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures for ever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures for ever.
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures for ever.
5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures for ever.
6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures for ever.
7 who made the great lights –
His love endures for ever.
8 the sun to govern the day,
His love endures for ever.
9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures for ever.
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures for ever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures for ever.
12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures for ever.
13 to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures for ever.
14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures for ever.
15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures for ever.
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures for ever.
17 to him who struck down great kings,
His love endures for ever.
18 and killed mighty kings –
His love endures for ever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures for ever.
20 and Og king of Bashan –
His love endures for ever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures for ever.
22 an inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures for ever.
23 He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures for ever.
24 and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures for ever.
25 He gives food to every creature.
His love endures for ever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures for ever.

Psalm 137

1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
2 There on the poplars
we hung our harps,
3 for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’
4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill.
6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
my highest joy.
7 Remember, LORD, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
‘Tear it down,’ they cried,
‘tear it down to its foundations!’
8 Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is the one who repays you
according to what you have done to us.
9 Happy is the one who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks.

Psalm 138
f David.

1 I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
before the ‘gods’ I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down towards your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.
3 When I called, you answered me;
you greatly emboldened me.
4 May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD,
when they hear what you have decreed.
5 May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
for the glory of the LORD is great.
6 Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
though lofty, he sees them from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
with your right hand you save me.
8 The LORD will vindicate me;
your love, LORD, endures for ever –
do not abandon the works of your hands.

Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1 You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,’
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand –
when I awake, I am still with you.
19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 140

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 Rescue me, LORD, from evildoers;
protect me from the violent,
2 who devise evil plans in their hearts
and stir up war every day.
3 They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s;
the poison of vipers is on their lips.
4 Keep me safe, LORD, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.
5 The arrogant have hidden a snare for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net
and have set traps for me along my path.
6 I say to the LORD, ‘You are my God.’
Hear, LORD, my cry for mercy.
7 Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer,
you shield my head in the day of battle.
8 Do not grant the wicked their desires, LORD;
do not let their plans succeed.
9 Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
may the mischief of their lips engulf them.
10 May burning coals fall on them;
may they be thrown into the fire,
into miry pits, never to rise.
11 May slanderers not be established in the land;
may disaster hunt down the violent.
12 I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor
and upholds the cause of the needy.
13 Surely the righteous will praise your name,
and the upright will live in your presence.

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Bible Thought - A Strategy to Cope - Hebrews 3

A Strategy to Cope

Hebrews 3

1 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice,8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,9 where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.10 That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.'

11 So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.' "12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.15 As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."

16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

The first thing we do is to consider Jesus or as the NIV here puts it “fix our thoughts”. Now remember, that these are Hebrew believers. I guess we would call them Messianic Jews today. They believed that Jesus was their Messiah, Saviour and Lord. They were obviously coming under pressure from their Jewish friends and leaders to deny this Jesus and return to the fold. They would have been told how great Moses was.

In the previous chapter we read how Jesus is greater than the angels, because He is God, but was made a little lower than the angels when he became a man.

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Bible Thought - God Loves You And Me

 

God Loves You

God loves you. Let me say that again. God loves you. Isn’t that amazing? God loves you. It doesn’t matter what you have done, what you haven’t done – God loves you. God loves you irrespective of your gender, your sexuality, your marital status or none, your age, your culture, your background, who ever you are, what ever you have done. It remains a fact. God loves you. He is beckoning you to love Him in return. He wants you to be in relationship with Him. Nothing you can do will make Him love you more than He already does. Perhaps the most famous sentence in the whole world is this:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave is one and only Son, so that who ever believed in Him would have everlasting life.”  John 3:16.

You can choose to have that life right now and accept God’s love for you. God won’t force you to love Him in return, because if He forced you, that wouldn’t be love. God’s love is compelling but it is not coercion. Once you accept His love and enter into a loving relationship with Him, be prepared to be transformed into a much better person. I look back over the 45 years since I started my relationship with Him, and I am so glad I am transformed from that time and that in the future I will be transformed even more.  I can’t promise in what areas He will want to transform you, but He is reliable and will help you. He will come and live inside you. God loves you. I can’t promise their won’t be hard times for you, but God will be with you through what ever it is you go through – each second of each minute of each hour of each day. God is seeking you out to return His love. Will you not do that now before it is too late?

 

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