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Episodes
Friday Mar 15, 2024
Friday Mar 15, 2024
Jesus in the Four Gospels
In the New Testament, we have four accounts of the life of Jesus Christ that are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These are called Gospels. But what is a Gospel, how are the four accounts different or similar and what were the main points each writer sought to communicate?
What the Gospels are!
Firstly they are called Gospels, because they gave substance to the Gospel or Good News as described by Paul in Romans 1:16 (The Message): "this extraordinary Message of God's powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else!"
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 possibly collated and stored together. That would explain the similarity in the four accounts of Jesus' life. They are not an exhaustive biographical detail of all that Jesus did. Similarly they are also not diaries reflecting a daily account of Jesus' life. Rather they are selective accounts of His life, and were probably factual illustrations 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 Jesus' life 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. Mark wrote none of the great discourses of Matthew (Mark 13 being the exception), such as the Sermon on the Mount, nor does Mark show the great parables that Luke recorded, such as the Good Samaritan. Surely if Mark had used either the accounts of Matthew or Luke, he would have used those two examples! Matthew is closer in similarity to Mark than Luke. Luke does share large portions of Mark and quite often verbatim, and with a greater use of the Greek language.
John on the other hand, while still telling about Jesus' ministry, has vastly different story content. Whereas in the synoptic Gospels Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God frequently, in the Gospel of John, Jesus talks about himself much more often, as in the seven I AM statements. For this reason, John was probably written later than the synoptic Gospels.
Four Different Portraits
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 16:16 - Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Matthew 28:18 -Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
Matthew wrote primarily to Jews who knew the Old Testament. He wrote to present Jesus as the Messiah to Israel. He also records Israel's attitude towards Him as Messiah. Throughout this Gospel, Matthew gives us the genealogy, presentation, and the authentification of Jesus as the Christ Messiah. Matthew then shows the nation of Israel's opposition to and rejection of Jesus as the Christ, followed by Jesus' rejection of Israel due to her unbelief. He then records the death and resurrection of Christ. He concludes with Christ commissioning the disciples. Throughout, this Gospel is a well ordered and balanced account.
The Gospel of Mark
Mark 8:34 - "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Mark 10:45 - For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Mark presents Jesus as the Suffering Servant of the Lord, coming in fulfilment of the Old Testament. Jesus offers His credentials, gathers His disciples, offers the Kingdom of God and its message. Jesus' teaching is seen in short parables, which hide the truth from those hardened against Him, yet prepares and instructs those responsive to Him. Overall Jesus calls those who follow him to serve others and to deny themselves by taking up their own cross, just as He took. Early tradition states that Mark's Gospel had a connection with the Apostle Peter, and was therefore written to preserve some of Peter's memories before his death.
The Gospel of Luke
Luke 1:3-4 -Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
Luke 19:10 -For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.
Luke presents Jesus as the God-Man, as a saviour for the entire world, writing primarily to Gentiles. He does this from a broad vantage point that is compatible with the fact that he is a Greek. Luke traces the incarnation, Christ's introduction, ministry, rejection, subsequent teaching in view of His rejection, the cross, resurrection and ascension. Even though a Gentile, Luke emphasizes the kingdom program with Israel's place in the kingdom. This Gospel is not complete in itself, but is rather the first of two parts, with the Book of Acts being the second section. Both are addressed to Theophilus (Luke 1:1-4 & Acts 1:1). The author is probably the Luke identified by Paul as a doctor, and was one of Paul's travelling companions (Colossians 4:14; Philemon 24; 2 Timothy 4:11). The style and language used are those of a native Greek speaker.
The Gospel of John
John 1:9 & 12: The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world... Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
John 20:31: - These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John presents the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ so that mankind would believe in him as the Son of God, Messiah, and Saviour of the world. His selective argument portrays Christ as the God-Man. John records miracles and messages that affirm the deity and humanity of Christ. John builds his record around the public ministry of Christ, the private ministry, the cross, and the resurrection.
For more to think about please do ask yourself the following questions and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.
Q1. Read Mark 8:34 and Mark 10:45. How strongly am I encouraged to carry my own cross, knowing that Jesus carried His cross?
Q2. Read Luke 1:34 and Luke 19:10. If Jesus gave up everything to seek me, what more can I give, in order to help spread the good news of Him?
Q3. Read Matthew 16:16 and Matthew 28:18. If Jesus is still living and has authority, how is that a help to me as I live a life worthy of His name?
Q4. Read John 1:9-12 and John 20:31. As a Christian Disciple and therefore a child of God, how is Jesus working on and changing me?
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Thursday Mar 14, 2024
Thursday Mar 14, 2024
WOW Word - Covenant
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In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Luke 22:20 ~
Throughout history God has made covenants with humanity! These culminate in the New Covenant which was sealed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. How much do you know about the Covenants between God and humanity? Come and listen to more about the amazing promises of God! ~
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Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Holiness
I wonder what the biggest fence, wall or barrier is that you have either seen or that you know about! Perhaps one of the biggest walls in the world is the Great Wall of China. It is seen from space and is over 4000 miles long, about 25 feet high and up to 30 feet thick! It is huge and enormous!! It was built to keep out invaders – for that is what walls and barriers do: Keep out enemies!
Holy Barrier
However big the Great Wall of China is, there is one barrier that is even bigger! I wonder if you know what it is!! The biggest barrier to exist is the one, which separates God from all His creation. This barrier is holiness, for God is a holy God. Ezekiel 1:27-28 gives us a vivid picture of the holiness of God and is seen in the fire, light, radiance, full of glory and majesty.
What is holiness?
Holiness is what separates God from all His creation. For God alone is holy and full of glory. Exodus 15:2 “Who is like you, O God, glorious in holiness!” Or Isaiah 60:25 “To whom will you liken me, or shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. Holiness is also a moral attribute of God, of purity and freedom from the stain of ALL sin. Habakkuk 1:13 “of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look upon sin. Holiness is still more than that! It is in fact the sum of all His attributes! God is holiness and holiness is God!
Holy People:
Perfect holiness, while to us is inconceivable, has been revealed; revealed in the sinless man, Jesus Christ. As a Christian, you also are declared holy! That is because of what Jesus did on the cross… He has broken down the barrier between God and man. And if you are a Christian, you are declared holy, and therefore you are to live a holy life worthy of Jesus Christ.! As a Christian, the Holy Spirit is transforming you into the very image of the holy one, Jesus Christ. As a Christian, you are no longer an enemy of God but a friend of God and belong to God! So live out your faith and live your Christian Discipleship in holiness.
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Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
WOW Word - Sin
~Today Alphy the WOWChurch Cat shares about
the WOW Word - Sin!
I wonder if you have ever played tennis and went to hit the ball but missed. Or you actually hit the ball and it went outside the court! Or perhaps you are a golfer, and one day you went to putt the ball in the hole, and you missed! The tennis player who hit the ball out of court or the golfer who missed the hole can be both be said to have committed a sin, because they missed! And that is what a sin, in biblical terms, is: it is missing the mark that God has set.
Big and Little Sins
And everybody, particularly in the West, including those who would not call themselves Christians, has some idea of sin. They generally call doing things like telling lies or speeding in the car, “little sins” because everybody does those, they say! And of course, only a tiny minority of people commit the real big sins, such as murdering other people or robbing banks! So to most people’s minds, there are degrees of sins, depending on how many people actually do that kind of sin.
Sin actually is...
So what actually is the biblical definition of sin? Sin is the lack of conformity, , to the Moral Law of God, either in deeds, attitudes, or state. Do you remember Jesus saying the two greatest commands were to love God and love others? Any breakage of those two commandments is sin, whether by a lot or a little. There are two kinds of sin. Firstly there are the sins, which are active disobedience, or the sins of commission. These are where God’s commands are actively broken! Secondly there are the passive kinds, which are sins of omission. These occur when people are not doing, as they ought to do (James 4:17)!
Stop! Confess! Live!
Everybody, including Christian Disciples, sin in one of those two ways! Of course Christian Disciples have accepted Jesus Christ and have had their sins forgiven. But Christian Disciples, still sin! But as a Christian Disciple, you are to take God’s view of sin! You cannot claim to be without sin, because as 1 John 1 says, you would be living in self-delusion and making God out to be a liar! So, when you realise you have sinned, be quick to confess it, so that your relationship with Jesus Christ remains at peak intimacy! For as 1 John 1v9 says, “Jesus is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Jesus wants us to have complete fellowship with him, and by confessing sin; your fellowship with Him is made richer, more intimate and stronger.
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Monday Mar 11, 2024
Monday Mar 11, 2024
WOW Word - Truth
~Today Alphy the WOWChurch Cat shares about
the WOW Word - Truth!
Truth! What is truth? Today we hear consistently that there are no absolute truths anymore! We hear all the time that for twenty first century people “What is true for me may not be true to you! What is true for you may not be true for me?”
So what is truth? Truth in the Old Testament was used in two ways…. Firstly, facts may be either true or false – an intellectual truth. An example would be that Moses existed as a person. That is a true fact. Or it could used to define a characteristic of a reliable person, such as Joseph’s brothers in Genesis 42:16.
These are also used to describe God as a true God, rather than the pagan gods belonging to the nations around Israel. Truth, or being true, is described as a characteristic of Yahweh, the God of Israel. He is consistently true and therefore trustworthy in all His ways. His loving care is trustworthy and seen in His dealings with Israel.
In the New Testament, Christianity, is seen as Truth (Galatians 2:5; Ephesians 1:13)! Indeed Jesus said that He was the only truth, the only life and the only way to God. Jesus is the true bread and the true vine! Furthermore, truth is God’s word to be obeyed actively and not dismissed passively.
What role does active truth and being actively true play in the life of a Christian? Truth develops character, Peter writes (2 Peter 1:3-9). The strongest Christians are those with a good growing knowledge of biblical truth. Since understanding the Bible increases your knowledge of God, it also increases the possibilities for love, growth and service. "Ignorance is the mother of superstition, not of devotion". "Truth combats error".
satan and the world, do and will, distort scripture to put people off the truth. Therefore, you need to get to know what the Bible does say, so that you will not be led into error by others who would want to deceive you. As John writes “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.” (1 John 4:1-3)
However, for truth to be effective, it needs to be an animated truth. This is done by being a doer of the Bible and not merely a passive hearer. Your life as a Christian must be a balance of love and truth. Both coexist with each other and through your knowledge, service and faith in Almighty God, you will continually grow and be strengthened.
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Sunday Mar 10, 2024
Sunday Mar 10, 2024
WOW Word - Idolatry
Images of Idolatry
I wonder if you are like me and when you hear the word idolatry, you imagine somebody bowing before a statue and worshipping it. A good example is the story of the Israelites worshipping the golden calf, as recorded by Moses in Exodus 32. Or perhaps in our own time when seeing people bow down to the statue of the Buddha or one of the many Hindu gods.
Therefore, we tend to think that idolatry is worshipping statues or worshipping in other religions such as Islam, Jainism and Zoroastrianism. However, the Bible is very clear, certainly Jesus was, that idolatry is a threat to living and partaking of the Christian life. How can that be, you may very well ask?
Christian Idolatry
As a Christian, you are to love God and love others. Anything that replaces your love of God as your first priority, is an idol, and therefore, is idolatry. For idolatry is not merely worshipping statues. Idolatry is the transference of allegiance to something apart from God. It is worshipping created things, and not worshipping God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son of God in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Idolatry can be anything! For anything can take first place in your life! It may be your computer, your car, your books, your family, your church, a Christian leader, entertainment, celebrities and even love of yourself! These are all good things, in and of themselves, but they are not good things if they remove God from first priority in your life. These things can turn out to be idols, because they relegate your thinking of Almighty God to below first place.
Idolatry is the mind’s sin
Paul writes to the Roman church in Romans 1:18-25
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is for ever praised. Amen."
In that passage of scripture, Paul links idolatry with immorality. Immorality is the outer sins and idolatry is the inward sin. Idolatry is an attitude inside you that says to God “You are not first place, this other thing is”. Somebody who commits the sin of idolatry is a slave to that something else, and is not a slave to God through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, idolatry is not just worshipping in another religion and bowing down to statues. Idolatry is relegating God to second place, in both actions and attitudes. Therefore cast off anything that is blocking your relationship with Almighty God. As idolatry is primarily the sin of the mind, those depraved ideas turn to sins of lusts and idolatrous physical pleasures. Be renewed in your thinking and have a renewed mind, so that you can worship Almighty God through Jesus Christ the Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
How’s that for a WOW Word?
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Saturday Mar 09, 2024
Saturday Mar 09, 2024
The Gospel of Mark - Mark 16
G’day and welcome to Partakers! We are reading together through the Gospel of Mark together, to get a broad view of the life of Jesus during his time here on earth. Today we are looking at Chapter 16. Come on in!
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** We are reading from the World English Bible translation, which used to be the American Standard Version. It is in the Public Domain and therefore copyright free. Come inside to hear and see! The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. That means that you may freely copy it in any form, including electronic and print formats. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.
Friday Mar 08, 2024
Friday Mar 08, 2024
The Gospel of Mark - Mark 15
G’day and welcome to Partakers! We are reading together through the Gospel of Mark together, to get a broad view of the life of Jesus during his time here on earth. Today we are looking at Chapter 15. Come on in!
Right Mouse click or tap here to save Chapter 15 as an audio mp3 file
** We are reading from the World English Bible translation, which used to be the American Standard Version. It is in the Public Domain and therefore copyright free. Come inside to hear and see! The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. That means that you may freely copy it in any form, including electronic and print formats. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
The Gospel of Mark - Mark 14
G’day and welcome to Partakers! We are reading together through the Gospel of Mark together, to get a broad view of the life of Jesus during his time here on earth. Today we are looking at Chapter 14. Come on in!
Right Mouse click or tap here to save Chapter 14 as an audio mp3 file
** We are reading from the World English Bible translation, which used to be the American Standard Version. It is in the Public Domain and therefore copyright free. Come inside to hear and see! The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. That means that you may freely copy it in any form, including electronic and print formats. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
The Gospel of Mark - Mark 13
G’day and welcome to Partakers! We are reading together through the Gospel of Mark together, to get a broad view of the life of Jesus during his time here on earth. Today we are looking at Chapter 13. Come on in!
Right Mouse click or tap here to save Chapter 13 as an audio mp3 file
** We are reading from the World English Bible translation, which used to be the American Standard Version. It is in the Public Domain and therefore copyright free. Come inside to hear and see! The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. That means that you may freely copy it in any form, including electronic and print formats. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.