Partakers Christian Podcasts

Bible Reading - Psalm 91

Psalm 91

91:1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

91:2 I will say of Yahweh, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust."

91:3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence.

91:4 He will cover you with his feathers. Under his wings you will take refuge. His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.

~

91:5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day;

91:6 nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.

91:7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you.

91:8 You will only look with your eyes, and see the recompense of the wicked.

~

91:9 Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place,

91:10 no evil shall happen to you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.

91:11 For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.

91:12 They will bear you up in their hands, so that you won't dash your foot against a stone.

~

91:13 You will tread on the lion and cobra. You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot.

91:14 "Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him on high, because he has known my name.

91:15 He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him, and honor him.

91:16 I will satisfy him with long life, and show him my salvation."

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Bible Reading - Psalm 88

Psalm 88

If you can, as you read and listen to Psalm 88, feel the agony of the Psalmist and ask the same questions he does, particularly in regards to our recent troubles across the world...

Psalm 88

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth. A maskilof Heman the Ezrahite.

1 LORD, you are the God who saves me;
day and night I cry out to you.
2 May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.
3 I am overwhelmed with troubles
and my life draws near to death.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am like one without strength.
5 I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut off from your care.
6 You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.
7 Your wrath lies heavily on me;
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.
8 You have taken from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;
9 my eyes are dim with grief.
I call to you, LORD, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.

10 Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up and praise you?
11 Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulness in Destruction?
12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
13 But I cry to you for help, LORD;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 Why, LORD, do you reject me
and hide your face from me?
15 From my youth I have suffered and been close to death;
I have borne your terrors and am in despair.
16 Your wrath has swept over me;
your terrors have destroyed me.
17 All day long they surround me like a flood;
they have completely engulfed me.
18 You have taken from me friend and neighbour –
darkness is my closest friend.

 

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Bible Reading - Psalm 128

Psalm 128

A Song of Ascents.

Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh, who walks in his ways.
For you will eat the labor of your hands.

You will be happy, and it will be well with you.
Your wife will be as a fruitful vine,
in the innermost parts of your house;
your children like olive plants, around your table.

Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears Yahweh.
May Yahweh bless you out of Zion,
and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

Yes, may you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel.

 

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Bible Thought - Remember Who You Are

Colossians 3v1-4

“Remember Who You Are!”

During last week, I attended the funeral of a friend, mentor and editor. This friend is now more alive than ever before! Why? That is explained here from Colossians 3:1-4. 

If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

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Testimony - Why I am a Christian

Why I am a Christian?

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The Apostle John, writing in 1 John 5:9-12 - "We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."

Why Is It So?

Why I am a Christian?

God had been pursuing me

In my more smug moments I used to congratulate myself for being a Christian. How proud I was that I, was a Christian and that God was a jolly lucky God that I had decided to follow Him. It was during one of my less self-deluded moments, that I examined myself and I found God pricking my conscience and correcting me, and I read the New Testament "For the Son of Man came, not to be served but to give His life as a ransom for many" (Mark10:45).

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Friday Prayers - Augustine

Partakers Friday Prayers!

We pray together and when Christians pray together, from different nations, different churches and different denominations - that reveals Church unity! Come! Let us pray together!

Let us pray earnestly this prayer together to our great God! 

 

Look upon us, O Lord,

and let all the darkness of our souls

vanish before the beams of Your brightness.

~

Fill us with holy love,

and open to us the treasures of Your wisdom.

~

All our desire is known by You,

therefore perfect what You have begun,

and what the Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer.

~

We seek Your face,

turn Your face toward us

and show us Your glory.

~

Then shall our longing be satisfied,

and our peace shall be perfect.

Amen

 

Augustine (354-430AD)

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Bible Thought - WOW Factor of Jesus Christ - Part 28 - Why would God become human?

Why would God become human?

In our last study we looked at Jesus Christ being fully God. We concluded with a question - Why would Jesus be fully man and fully God and so what? Today we seek to engage with that question and briefly answer it. One of the church father’s, Anselm, wrote that God’s salvation plan for humans’ involved triumphant victory over sin, death and the grave. However no person could be found that was eligible or capable to do this.

Because of this, God stepped into the human history, so that this victory could be achieved. This God-man would be fully human, so as to live every feature of humanity, including suffering and death. This God-man would also need to remain fully God, so as to defeat sin, death and the grave. Jesus, being sinless, was this God-man, consisting as he did of two complete natures, the God nature and the human nature. So what does all that mean!

Firstly, it means that God himself has taken on the responsibility for our sins. Jesus on the cross bore our sins, though he was sinless, and became sin for us. By doing this, we are drawn to him in a personal way. God has shown that he loves us and wants us in a relationship with himself.

Secondly, it means that God has bridged the gap between the supernatural and the natural, the infinite and the finite, to show us what He is like. Jesus as God in person gives us a focal point to respond to. God does not compel us to love Him, but invites all to a dynamic relationship with Him.

Lastly, it means that God is one and therefore there could only be one incarnation. By doing away with the incarnation, how then could God’s salvation plan be fulfilled? Not at all! If Jesus was not God, then he would be part of the problem and therefore need to be redeemed himself! This is most certainly an untenable proposition.

Yet our inquisitive human minds ask yet another question. How can somebody have both natures - deity and humanity? This was another question asked in the early church. One of the church fathers, Athanasius said “in the Incarnation there was no subtraction of deity but an addition of humanity”. By this he means that Jesus whilst being fully God, didn’t lose any of that divinity when he became human.

Instead of losing anything, Jesus gained humanity. This divine and human nature unity is called ‘hypostatic union‘. Early church councils affirmed Jesus’ two natures as well as his personal unity. We have much to be thankful for the early church fathers. This is the final part of this particular segment of studies looking at the how, why and what of Jesus of Nazareth. It is our prayer that you have grown a little in your knowledge of God and that you are a little closer to Him. Come back to us soon where every day something new is uploaded to help you follow Jesus Christ. Thank you.

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Bible Thought - WOW Factor of Jesus Christ - Part 27 - Jesus is fully God

WOW Jesus

Fully God

Today we are looking at Jesus being fully God! You may remember that in our previous study, we looked at Jesus being fully human. This is also part of what we celebrate at Christmas. As Christians, we believe God inhabited a human body, thereby still being God, but also being fully human. Throughout the Bible, Jesus is acknowledged as God. The apostle John, as we discussed in a previous study in this series, expressly called Jesus, the Word or God. Later on in his life, John expressly stated that Jesus was “the true God and eternal life”. Jesus himself claimed equality with God and when He stated “your sins are forgiven”, some of the Jewish rulers attributed this as a “God alone” action and thereby accused Him, at least in their minds, of blasphemy against God! When He was on trial for blasphemy, during the questioning again Jesus equated himself with being God. 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. Let’s now look at some of the claims in the Bible, revealing the deity of Jesus Christ!

• In these examples from the New Testament, the deity of Jesus Christ is revealed. Jesus is expressly called God - (John 1v1) The Word was God; (John 1v14) The Word became flesh; (John 1v18) The only begotten God; (John 20v28) My Lord and my God as declared by Thomas; (Titus 2v13) Our great God and Saviour, Jesus; (Romans 9v 5) Christ who is God overall; (Hebrews 1v 8) About the Son, He says 'Your throne O God is forever and ever...’; (1 John 5v20) Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
• Old Testament description of God was applied to Jesus. (Matthew 3v3) 'Prepare ye the way of Jehovah'
• Jesus possessed the very attributes of God - (John 14v6) Life; (John 8v58) Eternal; (John 14v6) Truth
• The very works of God were ascribed to Him - (Col 1v16) Creation; (John 20v28; 5v23) Receives honour worship and glory belonging to God.
• Jesus had equality with God - (John 10v30, 33) I and the Father are One; John 5v18) Making Himself equal with God; (Philippians 2v6) In His very nature God; (1 Timothy 6v15) King of Kings and Lord of Lords - God; (Revelations 19v16) King of Kings and Lord of Lords - Christ; (Isaiah 44v6; Revelations 1v8) - Alpha and Omega - God; (Revelations 22v13-16) - Alpha and Omega - Christ; (John 8v58) Before Abraham was I AM

Jesus- fully human and fully God. But a further question needs to be answered. Why would Jesus be fully man and fully God and so what?

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Bible Thought - WOW Factor of Jesus Christ - Part 26 - Jesus is fully human

WOW Jesus

Fully Human

At Christmas, we celebrate when God became human, in what we call the incarnation. But could God really enter this world as a human? As Christians, we believe that God did indeed enter our messed up world, as a man – the man Jesus Christ. That Jesus was a man is not really disputable. The primary documents about Him, found in the Bible, says that he was born of a woman, which in itself tells us that at least in a prenatal state he was nurtured and formed as any other male baby was and is. His genealogical line is given and He grew into maturity as any young Jewish boy did. His birth was messy, just as any child’s birth was 2000 years ago, let alone all that was going on behind the scenes!

With his humanity, and being fully human, Jesus exhibited normal human emotions such as love, happiness, joy, laughter, weeping, sadness, anger and anguish. Jesus ate and drank. Jesus grew tired. Jesus slept, perspired and bled. Jesus died just as all humans do. Religiously, he worshipped as a Jew. Not only these facts, but the 4 ‘biographies’ or gospels written about him acknowledge his humanity. He was human in every way that we are - physically, mentally and emotionally. The only exception to this, is that he was sinless. Yet we must ask, could Jesus have sinned? Yes he was tempted just as we are, but could Jesus really have succumbed to temptation? We must conclude that while he could have sinned, it was certain he would not and did not. For if He had sinned, he would have been in need of a saviour Himself! And that of course, is an untenable position.

Why did Jesus need to fully human? Firstly, so Jesus death could appease God’s anger with us. Secondly so that Jesus can empathize and pray for us. Thirdly, Jesus exhibited true and perfect humanity. Fourthly, due to his perfect humanity, Jesus is to be our example to follow. Fifthly, true human nature is good. Lastly, while God is both above and beyond, He is not so far removed from us, that He cannot interact with his creation.

Let us now look at some of the major errors or heresies mad ein history concerning the humanity of Jesus. Ebionite - Jewish heresy. Jesus was a man who received divine power at His baptism. Docetist - believed that the material world was evil (Common Greek & Eastern idea). So Jesus could not have had a real body, He only appeared to be human, denying His deity. Arian - 4th Century. Arius taught that Christ was a created being, trying to explain the idea of Christ being the 'firstborn' or 'begotten'. Denied the deity of Christ Apollinarian - taught that Christ had a human body and soul, but that His spirit was divine. Denies the humanity of Christ. Nestorian - 5th Century. Denied the union of the divine and human natures in Christ. Christ became 2 people (man and God) in one body. Eutychian - 5th Century. Mixed divine and human natures to create a third type of person. The human nature was absorbed into the divine.

Sadly though, even in some parts of the church today, these errors and heresies are repeated. The Jesus of history was fully human, just as he was also fully God – and that’s what we will look at next time.

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Bible Thought - WOW Factor of Jesus Christ - Part 25 - Just a good moral teacher?

WOW Jesus

Just A Good Moral Teacher?

One thing that a lot of people say about Jesus, even those who are not Christian, is that he was a good moral teacher. The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates offered, “how we ought to live”, as a working definition of ‘moral‘.

As I said, people often say, even those who would claim to be following Jesus, say that Jesus was simply a good moral teacher – and that’s all he was. Today we seek to discover if Jesus was a good moral teacher? If he was, did Jesus teach and does it reflect a good way to live?

Finally, we will look briefly at if he was more than just a good moral teacher – as some claim! Jesus’ moral code, revolving as it would have done around the part of the Bible we call the Old Testament, can be seen in “do to others, what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Some people refer to this as the “Golden Rule“. However, Jesus, as ever goes further than anybody else and says that it is not only the outward actions of a person that makes them morally good, it is also the internal attitude behind it. Jesus was acknowledged as a great teacher often during his lifetime. One example is Nicodemus in John 3. Let’s have a brief reading of some of his moral teaching.

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain;

and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.

Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven,

for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Those words are from what is generally called the “The Sermon on the Mount”. Jesus also said “Love your neighbour as yourself”. “Love your enemies, not just your friends” That is a world-turning morality! He forgave people their sin, but also told people not to continue in their sin – such as the woman caught in adultery and dragged before Him in by the teachers of the law, to whom Jesus said “neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:1-11. Jesus not only taught great morality, but he lived his morality!

That is part of his uniqueness and set him apart from others! In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, people today hold it as a paragon of virtuous teaching and regard Jesus as a great teacher. Although, this is the best-known teaching of Jesus, it is also the least understood, and certainly the least obeyed. Whilst some may see The Sermon on the Mount as a call to peaceful demonstration against provocation, this was never Jesus intention regarding this teaching. It is as somebody once said “a picture of God’s alternative society… containing the standards, the values and priorities of God’s Kingdom”. It was this that Jesus spoke in the Sermon, not as a general guideline for people to wallow in comfort and boundless joy. Jesus was a good moral teacher, certainly at least to his followers, but was he more than this?

CS Lewis once wrote “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a good moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great moral teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Jesus Christ of Nazareth, was certainly more than a good moral teacher! As Christians we believe that His purpose for coming was to rescue this world from the mess it is in! That is why God became human in Jesus Christ. Our next study looks at Jesus being fully human and that will be followed by Jesus being fully God – and why it is so!

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