Partakers Christian Podcasts

Psalm Bible Thought - Psalm 99

Psalm 99

(as read by Sarah)

99:1 Yahweh reigns!
Let the peoples tremble.
He sits enthroned among the cherubim.
Let the earth be moved.
99:2 Yahweh is great in Zion.
He is high above all the peoples.
99:3 Let them praise your great and awesome name.
He is Holy!

99:4 The King's strength also loves justice.
You do establish equity.
You execute justice and righteousness in Jacob.
99:5 Exalt Yahweh our God.
Worship at his footstool. He is Holy!
99:6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel among those who call on his name;
they called on Yahweh, and he answered them.

99:7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud.
They kept his testimonies, the statute that he gave them.
99:8 You answered them, Yahweh our God.
You are a God who forgave them,
although you took vengeance for their doings.
99:9 Exalt Yahweh, our God.
Worship at his holy hill, for Yahweh, our God, is holy!

 

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Bible Thought 1 May 2022 – Jesus and the rich young ruler

1. Rich Young Ruler

Mark 10:17-22: As Jesus started on his way; a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good-except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honour your father and mother.'" "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

This story is in the three synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. Luke describes him as a wealthy ruler (Luke 18v18-27). Matthew describes him as a young man (Matthew 19v16-26). In Mark's account, he is simply a man (Mark 10v17-22). Put altogether that makes him a rich young ruler. He runs up to Jesus and falls on his knees before him. He wants eternal life, wants it now and so asks Jesus about it. When he calls Jesus a good teacher, Jesus responds "No one is good-except God alone."

Now Jesus could have been correcting the young man, but more likely Jesus was asking: "Do you know what you are saying and how close to the truth about me you are?" This young man had fully kept the commandments listed by Jesus (Mark 10v19). However when Jesus said to the young ruler that in order to follow Him, he would have to give up all his wealth in order to have treasure in heaven and eternal life, the man left disconsolate.

That was a step too far for the rich young ruler. He wanted his riches and also eternal life but Jesus said he couldn't have both. He remains the only man who left Jesus' presence sorrowful, and that due to putting his trust in his riches and wealth alone. Now riches are not necessarily wrong but they do make trusting fully in God very difficult (Mark 10v23).

I ask, who do you say this Jesus is? But further, what are you going to do with this Jesus and let Him do to you?

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Bible Thought - 26 April 2022 - Prayer

Prayer

I wonder what you think prayer is and how much of it you have experienced? Is your vision and experience of prayer too small? Let us find out together, a small part of prayer!

Relationship: Prayer is to be at the centre of the relationship between God and the Christian. It is the major interaction and fellowship between God and humans, and of humans communicating with God, both in talking and listening. Prayer is allowing God to be consciously in to all aspects of Christian’s life and enjoying God’s companionship. John Calvin, said that part of praying was asking for “what we have learned to be available” in God’s love and of His being the infinitesimal good giver. He goes on to say our “only security” is achieved by calling on the Father for His providence out of His infinite mercy. Prayer is ultimately what humans were made for: conversing with God. Regardless of status or maturity or any other man-made barrier, God is always accessible, through prayer, to all those seeking Him with a contrite heart and a humble spirit. This dynamic relationship enables the Christian to engage in prayer that is both personal and relational. All prayer consists of a desire or longing to know God better, and that is to be the prime motivation: to know God better and more intimately.

Function: Prayer’s function is to a constant yearning for God’s assistance! It is to be a strengthening of desire towards eternal happiness, holiness and worship and knowledge of God. God Himself assists us as we pray! Did you know that? He does this by correcting and strengthening the yearning we express. Prayers express desires and thoughts in a contributory way to the journey of the Christian.

Words: Prayer emits our words from ourselves to the God we seek to know, as a response to His reaching out to us. Through prayer, God is able to comprehend the Christian regardless of language, grammar or oratory skill as long as the Christian approaches with a correct attitude.

Intimacy: Words however, are not just to be a mental action but also an emotive act, conveying emotions and feeling. Prayer is to convey deep emotions to God, regardless of our language skills. The words spoken in prayer portray our innermost feeling to Him. Because God is personal, He values language and expects His people to talk to Him. Prayer is intimacy with God! If for some reason, the Christian is unable to convey their words in prayer, then Romans 8:26, intimates that the Holy Spirit intercedes. Prayer epitomises the Father-child relationship symbolized in the Christian’s relationship with God. It further symbolizes the freedom and peace in prayer, advocated by Jesus to communicate His deepest desires, as in the Lords Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) and in John 17.

Don’t just have your prayer time in the morning or evening and leave it at that. Pray throughout the day as well, asking God for His assistance as you go about your daily life in an attitude of prayer! Go! Pray!

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Bible Thought - 25 April 2022 - A Prayer of David

Bible Thought - A Prayer of Dave

Today's Bible Thought concerns a Prayer of King David from 1 Chronicles 29:10-20  Together we find out some keys about prayer from King David - Israel's greatest King and known as a man after God's own heart!

 

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10 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
“Praise be to you, Lord,
the God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
12 Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.
14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15 We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 18 Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. 19 And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, statutes and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.”

20 Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the Lord and the king.

Pulp Theology 14 - Glimpses Into Leviticus

PulpTheology Book

Glimpses Into Leviticus

The book we are looking at this week is Glimpses Into Leviticus: a book of Joy (part of the "Glimpses Into" series). Available as Hardback, Paperback and Kindle.

Leviticus is perhaps the most maligned, misunderstood and under-read book of the Bible today.

Andrew Bonar once said: "There is no book that contains more of the very words of God than Leviticus. It is God that is the direct speaker in almost every page; his gracious words are recorded in the form wherein they were uttered."

How are we to read this amazing book? Leviticus does have important things to tell us about God, sin, obedience and holiness. Perhaps most importantly it tells of God wanting to live with His people. Some of the words and phrases we commonly use in the English language, come straight from the book of Leviticus. Come! Let us glimpse into this marvellous book of the Bible together - Leviticus the book of joy! Why do I call it a book of joy? One reason is that it reveals a God who wants to live with His people. For other reasons, you will have to look inside and read it to discover why!

Here is what one Amazon reviewer said: "5 stars! A theological view of Leviticus as opposed to the view it is an archaic 'laundry list'. Whether you agree with some of the conclusions or not, it will help you want to delve deeper, think more deeply about this often avoided book."

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Partakers Prayers 16 March 2022 - Ukraine Russia War Молитви за Україну - Molytvy za Ukrayinu

 

G'day! Today we are praying a series of prayer together concerning the Ukraine Russian conflict and war. Молитви за Україну / Molytvy za Ukrayinu Come! Let's pray together!

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Partakers Bible Thought 17 February 2022 - Devotional Life

A Devotional Life

What do we mean by a devotional life? A good place to start is the question: what do we mean by a “Devotional life”? For the Christian, it can be defined as the obedient submission in all facets of life to God. That is the historical meaning. That means the use of our time, money, energy along with prayer, worship, Bible Study, and other religious activities that are done in private rather than with other people.

As Christians, we are called to be God’s light into the world. A world, a community, where we Christians work, rest and play with other humans. In doing this, we need to have a devotional life where we spend time each day in simple prayer and Bible study. A time where God encourages and energizes us. This devotional life of Bible Study and prayer which goes on to affect every aspect of our life, as God the Holy Spirit who lives within us, helps, encourages and transforms us. Bible Study and prayer which are used by God to develop our lives, both as individuals and as a Church, into showing God to a society which is apart from God.

To be a Christian is to be in a relationship with God. It is a developing and maturing intimacy between God and the Christian. Could the same be said of you and me? We develop our intimacy with God through simple prayer – both speaking and in listening. The major way we can hear God speak, is through the Bible. That is why prayer and reading the Bible go hand in hand. How is your prayer life and your reading of the Bible?

A devotional life shows the Christian to be in a dynamic and living relationship with God and has a developing intimacy with God. Intimacy with God which is going on with the Christian life, developing that relationship and refining that unique bond between God and yourself. It is a reminder to me constantly that I am loved by God, regardless of how I am feeling and how other people treat me. Could the same be said of you? How is your devotional life with God going? Let's have a look at prayer and the Bible.

Part 1. Prayer

12 One day Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’ 13 If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”
14 The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”
15 Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. 16 How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”
17 The Lord replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.”
18 Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence.”
19 The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh,[a] before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. 20 But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” 21 The Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. 22 As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.” Exodus 33:12-23

Part 2 – The Bible.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.
14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.
15 And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— 16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.
17 You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen. (2 Peter 3:10-18)

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Psalm On Demand - Psalm 64

 

Psalm 64

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.

64:1 Hear my voice, God, in my complaint.
Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
64:2 Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil;
64:3 who sharpen their tongue like a sword,
and aim their arrows, deadly words,
64:4 to shoot innocent men from ambushes.
They shoot at him suddenly and fearlessly.
64:5 They encourage themselves in evil plans.
They talk about laying snares secretly.
They say, "Who will see them?"

64:6 They plot injustice, saying, "We have made a perfect plan!"
Surely man's mind and heart are cunning.
64:7 But God will shoot at them.
They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow.
64:8 Their own tongues shall ruin them.
All who see them will shake their heads.
64:9 All mankind shall be afraid.
They shall declare the work of God,
and shall wisely ponder what he has done.
64:10 The righteous shall be glad in Yahweh,
and shall take refuge in him.
All the upright in heart shall praise him!

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Partakers Bible Thought 14 February 2022 - Love in Practise Romans 12

Sermon

Romans 12 - Love in Practise

Paul is speaking a letter to the Church in Rome, those he calls “God's beloved”. He has not yet been to Rome and is currently in the great Greek city of Corinth, and it is about AD57-58. A man we know as Tertius is acting as his scribe and writing down what Paul is saying. Tertius would later go onto be a Bishop in Iconium.

So far in this letter, Romans 1 to 11, Paul has been drawing a word picture of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel which demonstrates that God gets his hands dirty. The Gospel which tells us that God has done all He could do, in order that humanity could be saved, be in a living and dynamic relationship with Him, if they choose to be so. Paul then goes on to investigate in depth about this Gospel, the nation of Israel and the Gentiles.

That is where we are up to with the passage before us, Romans 12. Now, just as Romans 1-11 shows us that God got his hands dirty, in the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, so must all those who call themselves His followers and children. As we will hopefully see together, if you are a Christian, you also must put your faith into practice, exercising it as you do your muscles. If muscles aren’t exercised or used, they wither away. The same can be said concerning our faith. How we live our life as Christians, is to reflect the life and love of the God whom we declare openly that we follow and love.

This morning, we will look at this chapter before us in two sections. Firstly, in v1-8, then we will have a break for a song before concluding with our second section in v9-21

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Psalm On Demand - Psalm 63

Psalm 63

63:1 God, you are my God. I will earnestly seek you.
My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you,
in a dry and weary land, where there is no water.
63:2 So I have seen you in the sanctuary,
watching your power and your glory.
63:3 Because your loving kindness is better than life,
my lips shall praise you.
63:4 So I will bless you while I live.
I will lift up my hands in your name.
63:5 My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food.
My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,
63:6 when I remember you on my bed,
and think about you in the night watches.

63:7 For you have been my help.
I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.
63:8 My soul stays close to you.
Your right hand holds me up.
63:9 But those who seek my soul, to destroy it,
shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
63:10 They shall be given over to the power of the sword.
They shall be jackal food.
63:11 But the king shall rejoice in God.
Everyone who swears by him will praise him,
for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be silenced.

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