Partakers Christian Podcasts

Jesus - A Glimpse Of God Part 3

Matthew’s Gospel Portrait

We are on Day 3 of our adventure, looking together at the life of the most amazing person in human history - Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Matthew's Gospel Portrait

Today we will look at the first of our Gospels, Matthew and what that overall teaches us about Jesus Christ of Nazareth. We read about Matthew being summoned to follow Jesus Christ in Matthew 9:9-12 “Jesus … saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill. But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’”

Matthew was one of Jesus’ main disciples. He wrote primarily to Jews who knew the Old Testament. Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah to Israel and he also records Israel’s attitude towards Jesus being the long waited for Messiah. Throughout his Gospel, Matthew gives us the genealogy, presentation, and the authentication of Jesus as the Christ Messiah. Matthew then shows the nation of Israel's opposition to, and subsequent rejection of, Jesus as the Christ Messiah. This leads to Jesus' rejection of Israel, due to Israel’s unbelief in him as their Christ. Matthew records in detail the death and resurrection of Christ and concludes with Jesus Christ commissioning the disciples.

Throughout, his Gospel portrait of Jesus, Matthew presents a well ordered and balanced account.

Key writing within Matthew to show what his Gospel is all about are:

Matthew 16:13-20 “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[ loosed in heaven.’ Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.”

Matthew 28:18-20 ‘Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Come back tomorrow for Part 4 of our series AGOG, as we continue to look at the life of this most extraordinary person in all human history – Jesus of Nazareth.

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Jesus - A Glimpse Of God Part 2

Jesus - Four Pen Portraits

 We are on Day 2 of our adventure, looking together at the life of the most amazing person in human history - Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

What the Gospels are! In the part of the Bible, we call the New Testament, we have four accounts of the life of Jesus Christ. They are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These are called Gospels. But what is a Gospel? They are called Gospels, because they gave substance to the ‘Gospel’ or ‘Good News’ as described by Paul in Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel. I see it as the very power of God working for the salvation of everyone who believes it, both Jew and Greek.”

We know that Jesus Christ during his time on earth wrote nothing. Yet the stories about him were preserved and passed on by Christian teachers and evangelists. For the first thirty years or so, these stories were collated and stored together. That would explain the similarity in the four accounts of Jesus’ life. The Gospels are not an exhaustive biographical detail of all that Jesus Christ did. Similarly they are also not diaries reflecting a daily account of Jesus’ life. Rather, they are selective accounts of His life, and were used by His disciples when preaching about Him. Therefore they would represent the theology of the disciples, as each story about is Jesus is told. That is why they are trustworthy accounts, as well as rooting the life of Jesus Christ in first century Judaism and the Greco-Roman world.

The first three of our Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke are what are called the synoptic Gospels. This is based on their great similarity and possibly use of a common source. Mark is probably the first Gospel as it is shorter in length than Matthew or Luke and it would appear that Matthew and Luke used Mark as a guide and elaborated where required. Matthew, was a disciple of Jesus Christ and writes from his own experiences. Luke writes for the experiences of eye witnesses. Apart from one exception, Mark wrote none of the great discourses of Matthew such as the Sermon on the Mount, nor does Mark show the great parables that Luke does, such as the Good Samaritan. Luke does share large portions of Mark and quite often verbatim, and with a greater use of the Greek language.

Our fourth Gospel, the Gospel of John meanwhile, while still telling about Jesus’ ministry, has vastly different story content. Like Matthew, John also was a disciple and close friend of Jesus Christ. Indeed, John is called the apostle whom Jesus loved. In his Gospel, John reveals Jesus talking about himself much more often than in the other Gospel accounts. For this reason, John was probably written later than the synoptic Gospels.

Come back tomorrow for Part 3 of our series AGOG, as we continue to look at the life of this most extraordinary person in all human history – Jesus of Nazareth.

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Psalm 46 - Psalm and prayer for peace

Psalm 46

For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah.

According to Alamoth.

 

46:1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
46:2 Therefore we won't be afraid, though the earth changes,
though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas;
46:3 though its waters roar and are troubled,
though the mountains tremble with their swelling.

Selah

46:4 There is a river, the streams of which make the city of God glad,
the holy place of the tents of the Most High.
46:5 God is in her midst.
She shall not be moved.
God will help her at dawn.
46:6 The nations raged. The kingdoms were moved.
He lifted his voice, and the earth melted.
46:7 Yahweh of Armies is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge.

Selah

46:8 Come, see Yahweh's works,
what desolations he has made in the earth.
46:9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth.
He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear.
He burns the chariots in the fire.
46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be exalted in the earth."
46:11 Yahweh of Armies is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge.

Selah

 

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Jesus - A Glimpse Of God Part 1

Jesus - a baby who will live up to his name.

We are looking at the life of the most amazing person who ever lived - Jesus Christ of Nazareth. We will travel from the time he was born, wander through his life, glimpsing at His meeting other people and wondering at some of his wisdom, which will lead our series culminating at Easter, where we look at the significance of his death and resurrection.

When Jesus was born, his name imbued the very reason he was born. His conception and birth were extraordinary at every level. The name of Jesus, means “one who saves”. The entirety of his birth, life and death were centred on this very role. His role was to save all those who would follow Him. Jesus is the most talked about person in history. Almost everyone has an opinion about him. Jesus was born to confirm God's promises, to reveal God as a Father, and to be our representative before Him. Jesus gave us an example of how to live a holy life to the full. Jesus was not merely a man who received some special power, nor was he some strange creation that was half man and half God. He was much more than those ideas! That Jesus is both human and divine is what makes Christianity unique amongst the world’s religions.

It is why Jesus’ claims to be the only way to God are true and make sense, and it is why millions of people today worship Him and acknowledge Him as their Lord and their God. Tomorrow we will continue to look briefly at the 4 accounts of the life of this most extraordinary person in all of history – Jesus of Nazareth.

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Psalm On Demand - Psalm 138

Psalm 138

A psalm of David.

¹ I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart;

I will sing your praises before the gods.

² I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.

I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;

for your promises are backed

by all the honor of your name.

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³ As soon as I pray, you answer me;

you encourage me by giving me strength.

⁴ Every king in all the earth will thank you, Lord,

for all of them will hear your words.

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⁵ Yes, they will sing about the Lord's ways,

for the glory of the Lord is very great.

⁶ Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,

but he keeps his distance from the proud.

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⁷ Though I am surrounded by troubles,

you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.

You reach out your hand,

and the power of your right hand saves me.

⁸ The Lord will work out his plans for my life-

for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.

Don't abandon me, for you made me.

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Partakers Bible Thought – The Christian and Angels

Partakers Bible Thought

13 To which of the angels did God ever say,
‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet’?
14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:13-14)

11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering
thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.
They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.
12 In a loud voice they were saying:
‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honour and glory and praise!’
(Revelation 5:11-12)

Bookshops are filled with books on Angels! But we must beware, for not all angels are good! We know from the Bible that there are good angels and bad angels. As we explore in this Podcast about angels, we discover the answer to question such as: What are angels? What is their purpose or function? How can we tell the difference between good angels and bad angels?"

Come and explore what the Bible has to say about the topic of Angels by downloading and listening to the podcast!

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Psalm On Demand - Psalm 33

Psalm 33

1 You are the LORD's people. Obey him and celebrate! He deserves your praise.
2 Praise the LORD with harps!
Use harps with ten strings to make music for him.
3 Sing a new song. Shout! Play beautiful music.
4 The LORD is truthful; he can be trusted.
5 He loves justice and fairness, and he is kind to everyone everywhere on earth.
6 The LORD made the heavens and everything in them by his word.
7 He scooped up the ocean and stored the water.
8 Everyone in this world should worship and honor the LORD!
9 As soon as he spoke the world was created; at his command, the earth was formed.
10 The LORD destroys the plans and spoils the schemes of the nations.
11 But what the LORD has planned will stand forever. 
His thoughts never change.

12 The LORD blesses each nation that worships only him. He blesses his chosen ones.
13 The LORD looks at the world
14 from his throne in heaven, and he watches us all.
15 The LORD gave us each a mind, and nothing we do can be hidden from him.
16 Mighty armies alone cannot win wars for a king;
great strength by itself cannot keep a soldier safe.
17 In war the strength of a horse cannot be trusted to take you to safety.
18 But the LORD watches over all who honor him and trust his kindness.
19 He protects them from death and starvation.
20 We depend on you, LORD, to help and protect us.
21 You make our hearts glad because we trust you, the only God.
22 Be kind and bless us! We depend on you.

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Psalm On Demand - Psalm 132

Psalm 132

A Song of Ascents.

132:1 Yahweh, remember David and all his affliction,

132:2 how he swore to Yahweh, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:

132:3 “Surely I will not come into the structure of my house, nor go up into my bed;

132:4 I will not give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids;

132:5 until I find out a place for Yahweh, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

132:6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah. We found it in the field of Jaar:

132:7 “We will go into his dwelling place. We will worship at his footstool.

132:8 Arise, Yahweh, into your resting place; you, and the ark of your strength.

132:9 Let your priest be clothed with righteousness. Let your saints shout for joy!”

132:10 For your servant David’s sake, don’t turn away the face of your anointed one.

132:11 Yahweh has sworn to David in truth. He will not turn from it: “I will set the fruit of your body on your throne.

132:12 If your children will keep my covenant, my testimony that I will teach them, their children also will sit on your throne forevermore.”

132:13 For Yahweh has chosen Zion. He has desired it for his habitation.

132:14 “This is my resting place forever. Here I will live, for I have desired it.

132:15 I will abundantly bless her provision. I will satisfy her poor with bread.

132:16 Her priests I will also clothe with salvation. Her saints will shout aloud for joy.

132:17 There I will make the horn of David to bud. I have ordained a lamp for my anointed. 132:18 I will clothe his enemies with shame, but on himself, his crown will be resplendent.”

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Psalm On Demand - Psalm 131

Psalm 131

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.

 

Lord, my heart is not proud;

my eyes are not haughty.

 

I don't concern myself with matters too great

or too awesome for me to grasp.

Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,

like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother's milk.

Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord

- now and always.

 

 

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Romans 12 - Living Life - Part 30

Romans 12: Living Life

Study 30: Do good!

v21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

I am sure you are aware that evil is all around us in this world. It is easy for us to become unenthusiastic and downcast in the face of the stress, pain and atrocity of evil. What is our response to be, says Paul? We are to overcome evil with good. We are to overcome evil by living such good lives of love of God and others, that evil is vanquished.
Evil wants to snatch away your inner joy and dependence upon God. We can overcome and conquer evil by submitting all to God - remembering that our love for God must always be stronger than any other love. That is good overcoming evil!
It is why in what we call the Lord’s Prayer, we pray “Deliver us from evil!” We have three enemies – satan, the world and our old nature. All three evils died a death when Jesus, the Son of God, died on the cross and rose again to new life three days later. They just refuse to accept it! Light always overcomes darkness, good always overcomes evil.
When we are tempted to sin, we are to resist. That is one way you conquer evil – by refusing to bow to it’s seductive requests. When our enemies do wrong against us, we are to forgive them. Just as God forgives us. That is good conquering evil. That is light overcoming darkness! Remember that God who lives within you, is greater than anything that would tempt you away from Him. Let His light dispel the darkness and evil which threatens to over come you. Resist in the power of the Holy Spirit and overcome evil with good.

Go! Live such a good life, that nobody can accuse you. Go – let your light shine in darkness! Overcome your enemies with love! Overcome evil with good.

Throughout this chapter Paul has chronicle living a life worthy of loving God. The Christian life is to be active and dynamic – reflecting a God who is also active and dynamic in this world! How so? Because He has people like you and I who are living lives worthy of being called His children! WOW!

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