Partakers Christian Podcasts

Bible Thought – Revelation 1:12-20 - John meets the Ascended Jesus

John meets the Ascended Jesus

 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.  Revelation 1:12-20! 

 

Jesus has made an appearance to his close friend and disciple, John! Jesus is now the resurrected and ascended King of Kings and Lord of Lords! In Revelation 2 and 3, this Jesus sends messages to seven groups of people who have taken Him up on that offer of salvation!: the first century churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Here Jesus tells the churches to keep doing, stop doing and be blessed! But first, lets look at Jesus, Himself!

Jesus description

Jesus holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. Jesus who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again! Jesus, who has the sharp, double-edged sword, is the Son of God and whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. Jesus Christ, who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars! Jesus Christ, who is holy and true and holds the key of David. Jesus Christ, who opens what no one can shut and shuts what no one else can open. Jesus Christ, who is the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.

Keep doing!

To these 7 churches, of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Jesus praises them individually and separately! They are to continue doing such things as working hard for the Gospel, remaining faithful, not tolerating evil, not being seduced by false teachers, for persevering and enduring hardship and not growing weary. Jesus praises them for being faithful through suffering, poverty and persecution for His sake. Jesus praises them for remaining true to Him and for not renouncing their faith! Jesus, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, being ever gracious to His followers.

Stop doing

But He also rebukes them and commands that they stop doing certain things! They are to stop listening to various false teachers and prophets, being swayed by their clever and seductive words and actions. He rebukes because they have forgotten that they are to love Jesus above all and they have forsaken him. In his rebuke, Jesus commands that they repent, that is to ask Him for forgiveness and be willing to turn away from the false teachers, false prophets and false way of living.

Be blessed!

To all those who persevere, overcome and are victorious, Jesus will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. To all those who overcome and are victorious, they wont be hurt by the second death. To all those who overcome and are victorious, Jesus will give the victor’s crown! Those who overcome and are victorious, will be given authority over the nations! To those who overcome and are victorious, they will be in the temple of God, never to leave it! Jesus will do the most extraordinary thing, of writing on them the name of God, the city of God and His new name! To those who overcome and are victorious, their name will be in the book of life, and Jesus will acknowledge them before God the Father and his angels. Then finally, for those who overcome and are victorious, they will sit with their Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, on His throne, just as He was victorious and sat down with His Father on his throne. That’s you and me if we hold out to the end!

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

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Saturday Testimony - Life

Saturday Story

People meeting Jesus 

The story of Life from the Faroe Islands...

Today we hear the story of a friend of mine. Her name is Life and she is from the Faroe Islands. Let's look together at how and why she started her Christian journey and the relevancy of Jesus Christ to her life! Come and listen to her story of faith...

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Atonement 5 – Atonement is At-One-Ment

Atonement 5

Conclusion: Atonement is At-One-Ment?

Today we continue our series of 5 podcasts concerning that big Bible Word, Atonement. We seek to explore what conclusions we can make concerning Jesus Christian, Atonement and people today.

We will look at 6 blessings and consequences because of the atonement and our acceptance of it: Atonement sealing; Atonement peace; Atonement reconciliation; Atonement salvation; Atonement gathering and Atonement life to come.

Come and listen to find out more!

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Atonement 4 – Atonement and Jesus Christ

Atonement 4

Atonement and Jesus Christ

Today we continue our series of 5 podcasts concerning that big Bible Word, Atonement, and continue to link to Jesus Christ.

As we sum up the atonement for sin because of Jesus, let’s look very briefly at just four words in our quest to explain and explore atonement. Remember, that the Church has been discussing this for the last 2000 years and will probably continue discussing it, trying to work it out until the Lord Jesus comes again.

We shall look at amazing expiation, satisfying propitiation, precious redemption and sufficient substitution. These 4 words can be summed up by the phrase Atonement love.

Atonement love is good news! When was the last time that you, as a Christian, told somebody else of this love

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Atonement 3 – Atonement Today (Romans 3:21-26; Hebrews 10:1-10)

Atonement 3

Atonement Today (Romans 3:21-26; Hebrews 10:1-10)

Today we continue our series of 5 podcasts concerning that big Bible Word, Atonement.

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished 26 – he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26)

Here we see in Romans, that salvation is for all who believe, regardless of who they are and regardless of social status and stature. Salvation is through faith alone by grace alone to any person of any age or nation, who put their trust in God alone through Jesus Christ alone. Jesus Christ alone and through His atoning sacrifice on the cross. Declared righteous before God the Father, because of atonement through God the Son, Jesus Christ and Him alone.

In the podcast today we look at questions such as: what does Atonement mean for us today? What does Atonement have to do with salvation?

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Atonement 2 – What was the Day of Atonement?

Atonement 2

What was the Day of Atonement all about?

Today we continue our series of 5 podcasts concerning that big Bible Word, Atonement, seeking to answer the question ”What was the Day of Atonement all about?”.

Leviticus 16:1-10 starts by referring back to Leviticus 10, with the story of Abihu and Nadab, Aaron’s sons. Through their death, the Lord God states the fundamental principles for priests – only these priests could mediate for the nation before Him and they had to be spiritually and ceremonially clean, and as we have seen, do things obediently and properly. Worship of God was, and is, to be on God’s terms and His terms alone.

Could that describe our worship today – worship of God on His terms alone and not with our own self-defined terms and conditions, personally and corporately?

In this podcast we discover briefly together at the sacrificial offerings, why a sacrifice was necessary, the significance of blood, the role of Aaron and the work of the scapegoat.

 

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Atonement 1 - Introduction and Day of Atonement

Atonement 1

Introduction and Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:1-10)

Today we start a series of 5 podcasts concerning that big Bible Word, Atonement. We shall endeavour to look together at what, why, how, when, who and so what of that word, atonement. Other religions, such as Islam, and the cults of Mormonism and Jehovah Witnesses, have their own understanding, so it is a word not just used by Christians.

Atonement is to clean, cleanse, cover over, make amends, pacify, satiate, satisfy, to substitute and to bring about reconcilement. Amazing Atonement. Atonement can also be pronounced as at-one-ment, because atonement brings together as one, and it is also the state of ‘being at one’.

In the podcast today we look at the question: "Why is there a need for atonement in relation to God and humanity?" We then go on to start to look at the Day of Atonement as described to us in Leviticus 16:1-10. Come and listen!

 

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God Loves You

 

God Loves You

God loves you. Let me say that again. God loves you. Isn’t that amazing? God loves you. It doesn’t matter what you have done, what you haven’t done – God loves you. God loves you irrespective of your gender, your sexuality, your marital status or none, your age, your culture, your background, who ever you are, what ever you have done. It remains a fact. God loves you. He is beckoning you to love Him in return. He wants you to be in relationship with Him. Nothing you can do will make Him love you more than He already does. Perhaps the most famous sentence in the whole world is this:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave is one and only Son, so that who ever believed in Him would have everlasting life.”  John 3:16.

You can choose to have that life right now and accept God’s love for you. God won’t force you to love Him in return, because if He forced you, that wouldn’t be love. God’s love is compelling but it is not coercion. Once you accept His love and enter into a loving relationship with Him, be prepared to be transformed into a much better person. I look back over the 43 years since I started my relationship with Him, and I am so glad I am transformed from that time and that in the future I will be transformed even more.  I can’t promise in what areas He will want to transform you, but He is reliable and will help you. He will come and live inside you. God loves you. I can’t promise that there won’t be hard times for you, but God will be with you through what ever it is you go through – each second of each minute of each hour of each day. God is seeking you out to return His love. Will you not do that now before it is too late?

 

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Investigating Jesus - Part 45

Investigating Jesus Part 45

Jesus meets people today

As we have seen in recent studies in this series, Jesus is still living, He is alive and he meets with people today. I have met with Jesus and I am one of many who have encountered the risen and ascended Jesus Christ. I continue to meet with Jesus each day and in all circumstances of life. How does he do this? Jesus walks with us, where ever we go and particularly in the darkest periods of our life. Just as he did with the two people on the road to Emmaus, he walks with those who claim to follow Him (Mark 16:12-13, Luke 24:13-32).

Jesus speaks whenever the Bible is faithfully preached and read from, just as He opened the eyes of those on the Emmaus road when He explained the Scriptures (Luke 24:27). Jesus meets us in the Communion or Lord’s Supper, with the bread and wine, which symbolise His flesh and blood as an act of remembrance of what He did for humanity.

But that is not the end, because Jesus has promised that He is coming again. Not as a baby next time, but as an all conquering Son of God in judgment to gather those who follow Him. Are you ready?

How can you become a Christian today, right now? If you want to turn to God right now, there is no need for delay. God is ready and willing to take you as his own right now. You only have to ask him to forgive you and to give you help on the journey ahead which he will do by giving you the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is a nurturing and personal partnership between God and yourself.
The act of deciding to change course in mid-life, is what is called conversion. You may also know it as being born again or deciding to be a Christian. When you place your faith in Jesus, becoming utterly dependent upon him, you turn to God. That means that you have changed your intentions in the way you are going to live in future.

However, once you have made that decision, you leave behind your spiritual isolation and rebellion against him. As you live each day, becoming more involved with Jesus day by day, you will discover you are changing. You will find yourself doing things that please Jesus and developing your relationship with him. Until you enter a personal relationship with God, accepting his gift of salvation for yourself, sin (all that which alienates you from God), controls your rebellion against him. This sin is seen in your attitudes and your activities. God asks you to accept his management and guidance of your life. When you do that, God’s point of view and his strength become your point of view and your source of strength. You turn your mind, will and heart to him for all you do.
If you want to become a Christian and start a new life of adventure following Jesus Christ, you need to open the gift of grace for yourself in order to receive it.
There are three simple steps to take:

• Admit that you have done wrong against God and his ways and turn away from those attitudes.
• Believe and trust in Jesus as your Saviour from the consequences of the anger of God towards you and your tendency to sin. Call on him, receive, trust, obey and worship him, recognizing him for who he is and what he has done.
• Accept the Holy Spirit of God into your life as the major motivating force for what you do. Once sin has been confessed, Jesus is believed in and trusted as Saviour then God the Holy Spirit has entered your life, then you are a Christian.

All these things happen together instantly as you turn to God, being ready to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus! That is a WOW moment in your life. Welcome to the family of God. God has chosen you; Jesus has paid for you and has put his mark within you through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:1-13). Once you have made that decision, you leave behind your rebellion against him. As you live each day, becoming more involved with Jesus day by day, you will find yourself changing. You stop doing things which separated you from him and find yourself doing things that develop your relationship with him. How do you develop this relationship? Until you enter that relationship, sin, or that which alienates you from God, controls your rebellion against him in your attitudes and your activities. You develop this relationship by allowing God to take control of your life, as he asks you to accept his management and guidance of your life. God’s point of view and his strength will become your point of view and your source of strength. You turn your mind, will and heart to him for all you do.

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Investigating Jesus - Part 44

Investigating Jesus Part 44

Jesus' Ascension

1 In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. 3 During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”
7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10 As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” Acts 1:1-11 (New Living Translation)

Jesus’ resurrection was the catalyst for the mission of the early church, beginning with the disciples and throughout history. Indeed, the growth and spread of the church, is evidence of the historical fact of Jesus’ physical resurrection from the dead. Having been raised from the dead, Jesus’ mission to earth is coming to an end. Shortly he will be returning to the right hand of the Father, just as he had told his disciples a few times before he went to the cross.

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, 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.

Jesus 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. Even after Jesus had vanished into the clouds, the disciples still gathered around looking into the sky for Him to return. What were they thinking? Could they not believe what they had just witnessed first-hand? Did they mis-hear what it was that Jesus had said quite clearly/ It was as if they still hadn’t learnt obedience to Jesus’ commands. What happened next?

Well two angels appeared and came to them, saying:
11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!’” (Acts 1:11)

The disciples then returned to Jerusalem and waited, just as they were told to do. They didn’t have to wait long, 10 days. We, of course, some 2000 years later, are the product of their obedience to Jesus. Praise God! We have one remaining podcast in this series, where we look at Jesus still meeting people to day.

 

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