Partakers Christian Podcasts

Consequences 02 - Holy Spirit Comes

Consequence 02

Holy Spirit Comes!

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Acts 2:1-4 When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

As we saw last time, Jesus has ascended back to the right hand of the Father. The 12 apostles are now back in Jerusalem and waiting. Waiting for the Holy Spirit to come and baptize, fill, empower, indwell and transform. Before Jesus went to the cross, He told his disciples a number of times that He was going back to the Father, that He would not leave them alone and powerless because the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, would be sent. The Holy Spirit would live in, empower and motivate the disciples. He would also remind them of all Jesus had taught them.

Throughout the Book of Acts and in the other New Testament writings we discover more about the Holy Spirit. We see that His prime role is to see Jesus Christ the Son of God praised and glorified (John 16:13-14) by testifying for Jesus Christ (John 15:26) and witnessing for Him (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit is involved with ministering to members of the church. The Holy Spirit declares God’s Word, interpreting and illuminating it. He convicts of sin, transforms, indwells, fills, baptizes and seals the believer. With all this, the Holy Spirit also equips for service. God is at work in His body the church, to will and to act accordingly to his purpose (Phil. 2:13), to be my witnesses (Acts 1:8).

Let’s look at the Holy Spirit at work, concentrating on His work in the life of Peter! Remember how Peter had rejected Jesus Christ and openly defied Him by trying to stop Jesus going to the cross. That Peter was a dejected and defeated man. There is now a new Peter! A new Peter, transformed by the Holy Spirit! A Peter who speaks with the authority Jesus gave all the disciples. This Peter, given impetus by the Holy Spirit, preaches a sermon and 3000 people are added to the church in one day (Acts 2:41). This Peter, who when passing by a man who couldn’t walk, told him to get up and walk – and the man did (Acts 3:1-11)! Peter was allowing himself to be guided and controlled by the Holy Spirit. The difference between this Peter and the dejected Peter before Jesus’ resurrection is due only to the Holy Spirit making a difference to Peter. Peter, by submitting himself to the authority and power of the Holy Spirit, was allowing the Holy Spirit to control him and guide him. The greatest evidence of the Holy Spirit living inside any of us, is the transformation of the individual into the image of Jesus – as demonstrated here in Peter.

This Peter who under the influence of Holy Spirit’s power, administered church discipline as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:10). But it wasn’t just Peter who was empowered. As Acts 5:12-16 shows us, all the disciples, not just the twelve apostles, were able to do all manner of things for the glory of Jesus Christ because they were baptized and controlled by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit empowers and delivers the disciples passion for making Jesus Christ known. The early church was dynamic and seen to be exercising the authority of Jesus Christ. This was done by preaching the good news about Jesus being the long waited for Messiah. The Disciples exercised Jesus’ authority by submitting themselves to and relying upon the Holy Spirit. Would that be for the church of the 21st century! The Holy Spirit, lives inside and empowering all believers for the service and glory of Jesus Christ! Not just the 12 apostles for the service of Jesus Christ. Next time in this series Consequences we will look at where the early disciples were told to go and teach!

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Psalm on Demand - Psalm 123

Psalm 123

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

To you I do lift up my eyes,
you who sit in the heavens.

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress;
so our eyes look to Yahweh,
our God, until he has mercy on us.

Have mercy on us, Yahweh, have mercy on us,
for we have endured much contempt.

Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scoffing of those who are at ease,
with the contempt of the proud.

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Consequences 01 - Jesus Goes

Consequence 01

Jesus Goes!

 

Jesus has been raised from the dead! What happened next! In this brief series called Consequences, we shall look together at 7 consequences of Jesus’ death and resurrection and some of the theological implications.

Jesus was crucified, dead and buried. Frequently Jesus taught that he would rise from the dead. He was mocked for it when on the cross. The disciples had seemingly forgotten this and were hiding in fear at any retribution by the Jewish religious authorities. At his tomb, there were both Temple and Roman Guards to ensure nobody could steal the body of Jesus.

Acts 1:1-12 In my first book, Theophilus, I wrote about what Jesus began to do and teach. This included everything from the beginning of his life until the day he was taken to heaven. Before he was taken to heaven, he gave instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles, whom he had chosen. After his death Jesus showed the apostles a lot of convincing evidence that he was alive. For days he appeared to them and talked with them about the kingdom of God. Once, while he was meeting with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for what the Father had promised. Jesus said to them, “I’ve told you what the Father promises: John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when the apostles came together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you’re going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus told them, “You don’t need to know about times or periods that the Father has determined by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you. Then you will be my witnesses to testify about me in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he had said this, he was taken to heaven. A cloud hid him so that they could no longer see him. They were staring into the sky as he departed. Suddenly, two men in white clothes stood near them. They asked, “Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking at the sky? Jesus, who was taken from you to heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called the Mount of Olives. It is near Jerusalem, about half a mile away.

Jesus’ resurrection is the catalyst for the mission of the church, beginning with the disciples and throughout history. Indeed, the growth and spread of the church, is a proof of the historical fact of Jesus’ physical resurrection or rising from the dead. Having been raised from the dead, Jesus’ mission to earth is coming to an end and shortly He will be returning to the right hand of the Father. Just as He had said to his disciples a few times before He went to the cross. Before He does leave though, He has some final instructions for His disciples.

In the Gospel of Mark 16:14-19, the Gospel of Luke 24:50-51 and in our reading from the book of Acts 1:1-12, we read about Jesus physically ascending into the heavens. Jesus has returned to the right hand of the Father, as He said he would do before His death on the cross. During their last discussion with Jesus, the disciples were still expecting him to lead a revolution against the Romans (Acts 1:6). Despite all Jesus had said to them in the previous 3 years, they still did not understand that Jesus had come to lead a spiritual kingdom and not a political kingdom.

Now it would be easy to think that Jesus has abandoned them, but no! Jesus tells them to go back to Jerusalem, wait for the Holy Spirit and then go tell others the Good News about Him! He had told them previously that he was going away and that it was better for them if He did, because the Holy Spirit would be sent to be with them, to live in them and empower them for the work they had to do! And even after Jesus had vanished into the clouds, the disciples still gathered around looking into the sky for Him to return! So two angels came and said “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.” (Acts 1:11) From there the disciples returned to Jerusalem and waited. They didn’t have to wait long, 10 days, until the Holy Spirit came, filled them and started living within them. And that is what we will look at tomorrow in the next of this series Consequences.

 

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Think Spot - Fruit and Light

 

Monday Think Spot

Fruit and Light

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  

These are perhaps some of most popular words within the church today, particularly western reformed Protestantism…  Look at those words again – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control… Beautiful words which I am sure fill you with a sense of well-being and are pleasing to your mind and to your soul… They are indeed beautiful but they are to be maintained by the Christian, because they are evidence that you have the Holy Spirit within you. 

If you are a Christian, this fact – you have the Holy Ghost within you and upon you – He is the seal of your salvation.  But these Fruit are difficult to maintain 24 hours a day. That is why we are to rely on His wisdom and strength as we go through each day, maintaining those fruit as we interact with others as well as in our private life – those moments when we are alone. One thing I have noticed about myself, is that it is easier to show the fruit of the Spirit in the big moments of life, but not that easy in the smaller moments of life such as when the traffic lights go green and the car ahead doesn’t move instantly! How about you?

But the fruit of the Spirit is not just for the individual. The fruit of the Spirit are also to be displayed by the community of Christians – local, national and international. For instance, if another Christian, even one from a church that is not the one you attend, is feeling unloved, it is your responsibility to love them – regardless of any doctrinal disagreements. You may not be able to love them in your own strength, but you can by using the power of the Holy Ghost – ask Him and He will help you!

The fruit of the Holy Ghost is not just for the individual Christian but for a group of Christians. Your church is to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit and all the churches in your town are to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit.  In your town, there is only one church – a church made up of all the churches in the town. How are the churches in your town exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit? By doing that, you are a witness for Jesus Christ – a bright shining light of God in your town.

When you partake of the sacrament of communion with others, there is power in the bread and wine. Whatever your view of the bread and wine – whether you think they are only symbolic of Jesus’ blood and flesh or if they are the actual body and blood of Jesus – there is power because Jesus is there! The Word is there! It has a psychological effect! There is a promise! Jesus said He would be there! So when churches from different traditions get together and take the Sacrament of Holy Communion together, despite the doctrinal disagreements, there is power! Power to show the communal fruit of the Spirit! Remember Paul is writing to a group of Churches in Galatia, not a lone individual or even a solitary church! The churches in your neighbourhood, town, state and country is to be a bright light for the neighbourhood, town, state, province and country! Can you imagine the witness if Churches were seen to be working together despite minor differences?

Go be a light for Jesus Christ this week and beyond – as an individual, a group or a gathering of churches. God loves you so go tell and show others that God loves them too. Go show “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” to others – that is your light of God to those outside the Church. Thank you and have a great week!

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Christian Testimony - God in the Tornado

God in the Tornado

A great wind in the darkness!

It was Thursday night, 26^th May 2011 at 10:10pm.  I was alone sharing in prayer requests with friends on the Internet. It was a cool but blustery night, I had the doors open, letting the air circulate through the screens.  When all of a sudden, the house seemed to shake violently due to the awesome power of a mighty wind. The Rottweiler pup with me began to howl and seconds later the sirens in town went off! There was a tornado alert and the tornado was coming!

Being dark and stormy, plus surrounded by woods, I was kept from seeing any visual signs of the turmoil surrounding me. The sounds were deafening, the force caused the wind chimes to chime loudly and items to be tossed across the yard.

Silence is loud!

Shortly afterwards, the noise dissipated, and the night became calm. Both Aachen & I were OK, but she had saucer size eyes...I probably did too. Checking the weather news, there was a tornado watch alert. Whatever we received was a very mild form of what others recently have endured in Missouri and elsewhere.

Startling, yes...loud and full of power, yes...scary...no, there was peace and calm in the storm. Comfort in the midst of the winds. Praise be to our Almighty God. Next morning we found some items displaced and blown about, but only minimally.

Praise be to God!

Praising God, because just as Jesus was with the disciples in the midst of the storm in the story told in the Gospels, Jesus was here in the storms with me and protecting us! Wow!

Praise God for His loving watch care for this house, property and all that has been lovingly dedicated to God's glory and ministry. This is God's anointed place dedicated to outreach in sharing His love and Word to others. Praising God for the safety of the property and the gardens so far planted. This is a divinely inspired Women's Gardening ministry and outreach to those at risk in society. A ministry of helps and works revolving around the core of God's own Word and guidance.

If you have found this helpful, please do let us know how it has helped your own journey of faith. You can do this by leaving a comment below! Thank you.

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Sermon - Joy and Judgement Leviticus 9

Joy and Judgement

Leviticus 9:22-10:3 & 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

Introduction

The first seven chapters of Leviticus talk about the different offerings or sacrifices that Israel was to make to God. Then in chapter 8 we see the beginning of the priesthood and the joyful work of Aaron and the priests. Their main role as Priests, was to act as mediators between a holy God and the people of Israel, particularly in the role of making those offerings and sacrifices. In fact, these Priests were the ultimate multi-taskers, as they seemed equally adept as butchers, doctors, teachers, quality assurors and public health inspectors! The passage we have in front of us today shows the culmination of this priestly ordination. Let us witness together a scene of great and exuberant joy!

 

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Christian Testimony - Steve

Glimpses 57- Stephen

This is the story of Stephen. He lives in Bournemouth and he shares how an encounter with Jesus changed is life from hatred, violence, cruelty and drug addiction... Come and hear!

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Sunday Bible Thought - David’s Final Prayer - 1 Chronicles 29v10-20

David's Final Prayer

1 Chronicles 29:10-20

Introduction

In the podcast today, we delve into the book of 1 Chronicles and this great and perhaps last public prayer of the great King David! It is a fabulous piece of Scripture, I am sure you agree, that tells us a lot about God we as Christians claim to know and love, as well as how we are to respond to Him. Originally 1 & 2 Chronicles were one book. It was the final book of the Jewish Canon, probably written by Ezra and was also known as the "the events of the days", "the things omitted" which would suggest that Chronicles were to be regarded as additional to the books of Kings and Samuel. It's a book which was written for those from the nation of Israel who are now in exile, to remind them of their spiritual heritage - the journey & history of Israel as a nation. For us though, not least I, it issues certain challenges to us all.

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Here is the great king David!

Now here to Chapter 29, we have King David in his final days before handing over the crown to his son, Solomon. David is no longer the shepherd-boy who slew Goliath. He is at the end of his life. He wanted to build the temple himself, but God told him in 1 Chronicles 28v3 "You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood." The building of the Temple was to be ultimately achieved by his great son Solomon to do!

What has happened so far?

So what has happened so far, according to the Chronicler? In the previous verses before our reading, we see how David has given publicly a great deal of wealth including gold, silver and other personal possessions for this building - the great Temple. This was to serve as an active encouragement for others to also give generously! Not only of their material possessions, but also as we read from 1 Chronicles 28v21, their talents and craftsmanship as well! This house of God would be a community effort - King & pauper alike, giving generously and honestly! So here is David, a man, who despite his many faults, is described as a man after God's own heart. Israel's greatest king, saying this prayer of intimate praise & adoration to his God in front of the assembled throngs. This prayer, like his gifts of gold etc., could be said, to be David's legacy to the nation of Israel, to Solomon and by extension also to us.

Part 1. WOW factor of God! (v10-13)

Part 2. David - its all Him (v14-20)

Part 3. So what?

Firstly, we saw the wow factor of God: a God who exudes greatness, power, glory, victory and majesty. Then we saw David's utter adoration and dependence upon the God that he knows intimately. So, finally, what does all this have to do with us? How often do we receive from our God, but not thank Him for it? We are to be thankful for every good gift that is given to us. We offer praises and thanks to Him, for who He is and for His generosity and grace towards us. Tonight's bible passage was a superb piece of thanksgiving.

When was the last time you thanked God for all the things He has given you? How can we put this thanks and praise into action? Lets see quickly! Firstly, I am convinced there are enough wealthy Christians sitting in churches in the West, who could make significant donations and virtually eradicate a lot of the poverty in the developing world and indeed their own countries. This would be active Christian giving on a radical scale. In biblical stories, such as this from 1 Chronicles 29, its always those who had the most, gave the most as an example to others of God's generosity. After all, God owns it all anyway and it's only given as a loan from God and not a transference of ownership.

As Christians, we are to desire to mature spiritually - growing in adoration, obedience and commitment to God. Perhaps the greatest indicator of today, concerns our giving. Giving is to be done whole-heartedly and cheerfully. It is also not so much about how much is given, but how much is left after giving and the attitude behind it. God looks beyond that which is given to the motive and attitude behind it. All our money and possessions belong to Him anyway, as we have seen, so giving is to be in response to this. Our money and possessions are a leasehold agreement not a freehold one. Giving done willingly is also not done to boost our own egos or for the feel-good factor, but rather to bring glory and honour to God as a thankful response to His giving all things to us.

Many prayers seemingly go unanswered because God is waiting on people to be obedient to Him, in order to answer the unanswered prayers of others. . We are to be generous with everything we have, not just in the area of money but with our very lives. We all have time, information, knowledge imagination, gifts and talents. All these too are to be given back to God . That may well take radical action to do, but radical giving is what we are called to do. God has given everything so that you and I may live and have life, so by caring and giving, we will reflect that. Let's be radical church together and encourage others to be likewise.

But, as we have seen, it's not only about giving money and resources. Giving is also to include skills, information, imagination and knowledge. Remember, the priests and craftsmen were waiting to give in the building of and service within the Temple. Churches, particularly these days, need to capture the imagination of those looking for a church home, and get them involved. Involvement in such a way that it builds up commitment to God and a growing adoration of Him. If people are involved, they will stay. It means training them up, to be fit for service within the church. If training for service doesn't occur, then commitment and dedication to God is likely to be diminished. If the same people do the same thing year after year, that local church will eventually die out. Each local church is only one generation away from closing its doors permanently. Giving, as we saw in tonight's passage, is also a community affair. This Church is to be a community, both within the church and outside of it, where the strongest members support the weakest members - including their time, possessions, money, knowledge and wisdom.

But, as we also saw tonight, it is not just for leaders to give! Giving is to be for everyone! Every church has a fantastic array of knowledge, wisdom, possessions and imagination. Let us share that with people outside the church. Who knows what our caring and giving will do for them as it reflects the glory of God! Too often, we are found turning a blind eye to the suffering of others where the necessities of life are in sparse existence. Too often we neglect to give up our personal space, time, imagination, information and money generously to help the poor and needy in our local, national and global communities. By doing this giving collectively, we will show our faith to be real and practical. There are people out there in our local community just waiting for somebody to give generously to them. We need to be seen to be radically giving to all - of our money, our possessions, and also our time, imagination, knowledge, practical help, care and love. Let us show our relevance to our local community and not be seen as just a curious gathering of people meeting on a Sunday. So if I could summarise all this up in one sentence, it would be something like this

"Ask not only what your God can give to you,

but what great things you can do and give to your God."

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Christian Testimony - Sharon

Sharon, a Chinese believer, talks about her journey of faith, from Daoism to Christianity and how Jesus Christ is relevant to her life today.

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Pulp Theology 04 - Church History - Heroes And Heretics Abound

PulpTheology Book

Church History - Heroes And Heretics Abound

I know what you are probably thinking! History is boring! Was I right? I have heard it a million times! I think history can be fascinating, particularly Church history. Why do I think that? Because how can anything with heroes and heretics be boring? More than that, the story of the Christian Church is your story! Yes! You, dear reader! Your story, regardless of where you are from and who you are. Your story, regardless of your belief or non-belief. Perhaps you know very little of it. No worries! This book is written with you in mind.

Before Jesus Christ ascended back to heaven, he commanded his 11 followers to go and tell others about Him and His work. They did, and we stand here today as a product of their obedience. But how did the Church get here today? Together we explore her birth, growth and development. Development to the point where today, she is worldwide and has at least 2 billion people who identify as a Christian, of one kind or another. All the while, striving to avoid the mistakes and embrace the joys of her history.

We also interact with some people of today, who tell about their relationship with the Church. Finally, we also interact with some of the great minds of Church history, looking at some of the prayers of the Church. As the Church of today and tomorrow, we can all learn something from this exciting story. Come on in!

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