G‘day! Partakers Christian podcasts of Bible Teaching, Bible Readings, Worship, Prayer and Church History on Podbean to help enable and encourage you! Come listen and interact.
Episodes
Wednesday Dec 29, 2021
Wednesday Dec 29, 2021
Partakers Christmas Thought
29 December 2021
Jesus 01: What’s in a name?
42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.’ 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. (Luke 4: 42-44)
We continue looking at Christmas and because Jesus is no longer in the manger, we start investigating more about Jesus and why He matters today in the 21st century. Today we look together at what the name “Jesus” means. Come and listen to find out more.
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You can now purchase our book about the story of Christmas by clicking or tapping on this link here which will take you to Amazon!
Tuesday Dec 28, 2021
Tuesday Dec 28, 2021
Partakers Christmas Thought
28 December 2021
The Wise Men and Jesus
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written: 6 ‘“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:1-12)
Today we look together at the Magi, or the Wise Men as they are also known. These men were travelling towards Christmas and probably for quite a long time, for it seems they originated in what we now call Iran but used to call Persia. These Wise Men, or Magi, were belonged to a type of priestly group. They were men who studied the night skies for signs of what was going to happen. They were aware of ancient writings and promises that had been made long before they were born, and looked to see where and when they would be fulfilled. Those who visited Jesus had seen a clear sign that an ancient promise was shortly coming to pass. No wonder, then, that these Wise Men burst into Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, with the question, ‘Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We’ve seen his star. . we’ve come to worship him.’
‘A star will come out of Jacob; a sceptre will rise out of Israel.’ (Numbers 24:17)
In the podcast today we continue looking at Christmas and today we look at the Wise Men and Jesus .Come and listen to find out more about these Wise Men, the benefit of the gifts they gave and possible insights into the life of the adult Jesus.
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You can now purchase our book about the story of Christmas by clicking or tapping on this link here which will take you to Amazon!
Monday Dec 27, 2021
Monday Dec 27, 2021
Partakers Christmas Thought
27 December 2021
The Shepherds and Jesus
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.’
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:8-20)
Today we meet and learn about the Shepherds of the Nativity story. Shepherds were not sophisticated middle-class people. They were down-to-earth, rugged, hard working men, who tended and took care of flocks of sheep, mostly belonging to rich people. Some of them had a special role in looking after the flocks that produced lambs for the Temple sacrifices at Jerusalem. It’s known that some of these were pastured on the fields surrounding Bethlehem, because of it was close to Jerusalem. With that in mind, consider the fact that Jesus was to become ‘The lamb of who takes away the sin of the world!’ (John 1:29) Isn’t that remarkable?
In the podcast today we continue looking at Christmas and today we look at the Shepherds. We particularly look at how God guided them and what they did with what they witnessed. Come and listen to find out more about the Shepherds and Jesus.
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You can now purchase our book about the story of Christmas by clicking or tapping on this link here which will take you to Amazon!
Sunday Dec 26, 2021
Sunday Dec 26, 2021
Partakers Christmas Thought
26 December 2021
Joseph and Jesus
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: his mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’
22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (Matthew 1:18-25)
We meet and learn about Joseph in both Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts of the birth of Jesus. He is the quiet man in the story but also a spiritual person who wished to live his life and make his decisions in accordance with God’s will.
In the podcast today we continue looking at Christmas and today we look at the quiet man of the Christmas story, Joseph. We particularly look at how God guided him and how Joseph showed great fortitude and sensitivity. Come and listen to find out more about Joseph and Jesus.
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You can now purchase our book about the story of Christmas by clicking or tapping on this link here which will take you to Amazon!
Saturday Dec 25, 2021
Saturday Dec 25, 2021
Partakers Christmas Thought
25 December 2021
Jesus
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, ‘This is the one I spoke about when I said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”’) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.(John 1:10-18)
Happy Christmas to you, wherever you are in this world! Today is Christ’s Mass! Christmas is about incarnation. Christmas is that time of the year, when we celebrate the momentous occasion when the Creator of the universe became part of His own creation. Christmas is about God sending ‘his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.’ … ‘The Father has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.’ (1 John 4:9, 14)
In the podcast today we continue looking at Christmas and today we look at Jesus: the reason for the season of Christmas. Come and listen to find out more.
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Friday Dec 24, 2021
Friday Dec 24, 2021
Partakers Christmas Thought
24 December 2021
Mary
Part 6: Learning from the example of Mary
38 ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her.
(Luke 1:38)
In the Podcast today, we seek to discover what we can learn from the example of Mary. What lessons can we learn from this ordinary yet most extraordinary woman who was the mother of Jesus Christ?
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You can now purchase our book about the story of Christmas by clicking or tapping on this link here which will take you to Amazon!
Thursday Dec 23, 2021
Thursday Dec 23, 2021
Partakers Christmas Thought
23 December 2021
Mary
Part 5: Why did Mary have to be a virgin?
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants for ever; his kingdom will never end.’
34 ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’
35 The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
(Luke 1:29-35)
A good question to ask now is in relation to today, is why did Mary have to be a virgin? We know that the God-man, Jesus, as a human does not have a father and that as the Son of God he had no mother. The Holy Spirit, through whom Mary conceived, is not just any spirit, but it is God himself whose act must be understood spiritually and not physically.
In the Podcast today, we seek to answer the question of why Mary needed to be a virgin, in order to be the mother of Jesus Christ.
Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file
You can now purchase our book about the story of Christmas by clicking or tapping on this link here which will take you to Amazon!
Wednesday Dec 22, 2021
Wednesday Dec 22, 2021
Partakers Christmas Thought
22 December 2021
Mary
Part 4: Mary’s Song (v51-56)
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
(Luke 2:51-56)
Mary’s song is a spontaneous song of renewal, revolution and reformation. God is on the march and God is going to do something new! Some scholars believe Mary is looking back on all the stories she has heard about how God has dealt with people in the past. Others think that she is being prophetic and only looking ahead to what God will do. I personally think it is both.
In the Podcast today, we continue looking at Mary’s spontaneous song, that we call the Magnificat! We look at Luke 2:46-50 today. Listen to or download the mp3 to hear more about this most extraordinary yet ordinary woman and the song of worship to, and about, her God.
Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file
You can now purchase our book about the story of Christmas by clicking or tapping on this link here which will take you to Amazon!
Tuesday Dec 21, 2021
Tuesday Dec 21, 2021
Partakers Christmas Thought
21 December 2021
Mary
Part 3: Mary’s Song (v46-50)
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
(Luke 2:46-50)
In response to being greeted by Elizabeth, Mary breaks out in spontaneous song! A song seemingly of renewal, revolution and reformation. Mary proclaims that God is on the march and God is going to do something new! Some scholars believe Mary is looking back on all the stories she has heard about how God has dealt with people in the past. Others think that she is being prophetic and only looking ahead to what God will do. I personally think it is both.
In the Podcast today, we discover that in response to Elizabeth’s greeting, Mary responds in a spontaneous song, that we call the Magnficat! We look at Luke 2:46-50 today and Luke 2:51-56 tomorrow. Listen to or download the mp3 to hear more about this most extraordinary yet ordinary woman and the majestic song of worship to, and about, her God.
Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file
You can now purchase our book about the story of Christmas by clicking or tapping on this link here which will take you to Amazon!
Monday Dec 20, 2021
Monday Dec 20, 2021
Partakers Christmas Thought
20 December 2021
Mary
Part 2: Mary visits Elizabeth
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!”
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
(Luke 2:39-56)
In the Podcast today, we discover that Mary has gone to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. What transpires during this visit? How is Mary greeted? How does Mary respond? Listen to or download the mp3 to hear more about this most extraordinary yet ordinary woman.
Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file