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A Strategy to Cope in time of COVID19 (Hebrews 3)
I wonder how you have changed over the years. It is almost 40 years now since I first became a Christian and started following Jesus Christ. I haven't fallen away from Him in that time, but I have known some people who have. A question as we start: "How can we, as 21st century Christians, keep from falling away?" Particularly at this time when we have a global pandemic due to the Corona Virus. The answer I believe, is what I would call it the COPE strategy: Consider, Persevere and Encourage.
1. Keep Considering! (Hebrews 3:1-6)
- Moses was cool
- In Comes Jesus
- How is Jesus better than Moses?
- What about us?
2. Keep Persevering! (Hebrews 3:7-12, 15-19)
3. Keep Encouraging! (Hebrews 3:12-14)
Conclusion
If you would call yourself a Christian and you are unsure where you are, then please do look back and remember what Jesus has done for you. Consider Him as you look back to your first profession of faith in Him. Consider that just as He died, you died in the waters of baptism. Consider that just as He rose to physical life, you rose from the waters of baptism and will also rise again when you physically die. Consider that just as Jesus will be glorified, so too will you be glorified before the Father - if you hold out until the end. Be assured of who you are - you are a child of the living God - hold out to the end. He has a firm grip on you, so maintain your grip on Him! Remember who you are! The way to cope with the rigours of 21st century life as a Christian believer is to keep considering, keep persevering and keep encouraging - all in the power of the Holy Spirit who lives with you and seals you as God's child.
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Partakers Christmas Thought
19 December 2021
Mary
Part 1: An Angelic Visitor
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’
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.
36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.’
38 ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her.
(Luke 1:26-38)
There is much to be said about this time of year we call Christmas. Worldwide there are about 250 babies born every minute. Yet, the birth we celebrate at Christmas, is like no other birth of a human. That birth of the man Jesus Christ, 2000 years ago, caused the world to change. The birth of Jesus Christ causes more of the world today to pause amidst the busy-ness of life, take a breath amidst the noise of daily life and celebrate in many different ways and fashions.
As we continue to look at the event in the Christian calendar of Christmas, over the next few podcasts, we will look at one of the very central figures, Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary, although a teenager at the time, was given the great privilege and awesome responsibility of carrying and giving birth to God’s Son, the Messiah.
In the Podcast today, in the lead up to Christmas, we start a series of Podcasts looking at Mary, the mother of Jesus. Listen to or download the mp3 to hear more about this most extraordinary yet ordinary woman.
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Partakers Bible Thought
4 August 2021
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” (John 10:25-30)
4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:4-6)
As a Christian, you are called to persevere! Did you know that? Perseverance is the continuous operation of the Holy Spirit in the believer, by which the work of divine grace that is begun in the heart is continued and brought to completion.
The New Testament has a lot to say about perseverance and the Christian! How can Christians persevere despite all that life throws at them? Why should Christians persevere and for what reason? What does perseverance mean for the Christian and their life of following Jesus Christ?
Come and discover more about the Christian persevering by listening to the podcast!
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You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site!
Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
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A Strategy to Cope With Covid19 Pandemic
It is almost 40 years now since I first became a Christian and started following Jesus Christ. I haven't fallen away from Him in that time, but I have known some people who have. How can we, as 21st century Christians, keep from falling away from Jesus Christ, particularly at this time when we have a global pandemic due to COVID19. The answer I believe, is what I would call the COPE strategy: Consider, Persevere and Encourage.
1. Keep Considering! (Hebrews 3:1-6)
2. Keep Persevering! (Hebrews 3:7-12, 15-19)
3. Keep Encouraging! (Hebrews 3:12-14)
Conclusion
If you would call yourself a Christian and you are unsure where you are, then please do look back and remember what Jesus has done for you. Consider Him as you look back to your first profession of faith in Him. Consider that just as He died, you died in the waters of baptism. Consider that just as He rose to physical life, you rose from the waters of baptism and will also rise again when you physically die. Consider that just as Jesus will be glorified, so too will you be glorified before the Father - if you hold out until the end.
Be assured of who you are - you are a child of the living God - hold out to the end. He has a firm grip on you, so maintain your grip on Him! Remember who you are! The way to cope with the rigours of 21st century life as a Christian believer is to keep considering, keep persevering and keep encouraging others.
Download and listen to the mp3 to discover more as we explore together how as 21st century Christians, we can keep from falling away from our faith. Particularly at this time when we have a global pandemic due to the Corona Virus. Come and listen as we discover more about Considering, Persevering and Encouraging!!
You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site!
Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
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Partakers Bible Thought
24 July 2021
15 ‘If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you for ever – 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:15-17)
12 ‘I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.’ (John 16:12-15)
God the Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the Trinity, as we saw together in the Podcast yesterday. As such we do not refer to the Spirit as “it” or “that”, but rather Him! Wherever the Holy Spirit is, the Father and Son are also present because they are one (John 14:18-23). However, in some Christians circles, He is almost the forgotten person of the Trinity as well, alas!
Come and explore what the Bible has to say about the Holy Spirit and in particular the ministry that the Holy Spirit has in His relationship with the Christian. What does it mean to be “filled with the Spirit?” How is He the “Comforter”? in what way is the Holy Spirit assured proof that you, as a Christian, are God’s child? What is the best evidence for the work of the Holy Spirit in your life? These and other questions we seek to answer! So come on it! Let’s discover together more about the relationship between God the Holy Spirit and the Christian by listening to the podcast!
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You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site!
Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
