Partakers Christian Podcasts

Romans 12 - Living Life - Part 03

Romans 12: Living Life

Study 03: Worship and service

Romans 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Here in this first verse of chapter 12, of that magnificent letter of Romans in the New Testament section of the Bible. As they are now Christians, their old life and old bodies have gone! That is what the letter writer Paul has been leading up to and saying. Paul, that great Apostle of the early church, now starts to elucidate about living life for God and for God alone. As Christians they have a new life and new bodies! Paul exhorts these followers of Jesus to worship Him with their whole bodies – not just their minds or their hearts! This is the new transformed person as living sacrifices in response to God’s mercy, justice, grace and love! Jesus sacrificially died for the person, so the person must also sacrifice their old ways of life – thoughts, desires, attitudes and actions – and proceed to live a whole life which is pleasing to God – pleasing in their thoughts, desires, attitudes and actions…

Why? Because that is part of whole life worship of Jesus, the Son of God. Because the whole body of the individual Christian is, in the point of view of God, been declared holy through the death of the Son Jesus Christ on the cross.

As Christians, we are to worship with our whole bodies and minds. As Christians we have been marked and sealed with the Holy Spirit who lives within the Christian –helping, counselling, consoling, comforting and empowering. It is not just worship, but also to be our service of God. Jesus, the Son of God, was the servant of humanity. It is our responsive worship to therefore be of service to God in all things that we do, as we go about our daily lives – work, rest and play.

If you are struggling in some area of life, encumbered with a perpetual sin, then confess to God that sin, ask Him to cleanse you afresh and to fill you with His Spirit. Keep on being filling with His Spirit. Not just on Sundays but every day of the week and in all areas of your life! By being filled with the Spirit, I mean be controlled by the Spirit and let Him guide your thoughts and actions. If the church and Christians were to do that, this world would be changed!! How can we do that? Well, that commences in v2 and tomorrow!

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Psalm On Demand - Psalm 122

Psalm 122

122:1 I was glad when they said to me, "Let's go to Yahweh's house!"

122:2 Our feet are standing within your gates, Jerusalem;

122:3 Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is compact together;

122:4 where the tribes go up, even Yah's tribes, according to an ordinance for Israel, to give thanks to the name of Yahweh.

122:5 For there are set thrones for judgment, the thrones of David's house.

122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Those who love you will prosper.

122:7 Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.

122:8 For my brothers' and companions' sakes, I will now say, "Peace be within you."

122:9 For the sake of the house of Yahweh our God, I will seek your good.

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Romans 12 - Living Life - Part 02

Romans 12: Living Life

Study 02: Keys to Romans

As we saw yesterday, in this letter to the Romans, Paul explores some large ideas such as guild, faith, assurance, propitiation, redemptions, sin, security and sanctification! This is in evidence in the key verses to this great epistle!

Some Key verses to this letter of Romans are:

• Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek. For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.”
  
• Romans 3:23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;
  
• Romans 8:38-39 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  

However, as well as these large themes, it also contains some very practical advice about living as a follower of Jesus Christ. As we will see, if you are saved, that is that you have put your faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, you also have to put that faith into practise! How you live your life, is to be a reflection of the God that you follow! That is what this series is about: practically living and loving as Christians, followers of God… And that is what we will investigate for the next month in Romans 12! We start in our next podcast. Thank you.

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Psalm on Demand - Psalm 61

Psalm 61

Hear my cry, God.

Listen to my prayer.

From the end of the earth,

I will call to you, when my heart is overwhelmed.

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For you have been a refuge for me, a strong tower from the enemy.

I will dwell in your tent forever.

I will take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

 

Selah.

For you, God, have heard my vows.

You have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

You will prolong the king's life;

his years shall be for generations.

He shall be enthroned in God's presence forever.

Appoint your loving kindness and truth,

that they may preserve him.

So I will sing praise to your name forever, that I may fulfill my vows daily.

 

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Romans 12 - Living Life - Part 01

Romans 12: Living Life

Study 01: Introduction

Welcome to our series “Living Life” as we investigate chapter 12 of that amazing book of the Bible, Romans!

"In chapter 12, St. Paul teaches the true liturgy and makes all Christians priests, so that they may offer, not money or cattle, as priests do in the Law, but their own bodies, by putting their desires to death. Next he describes the outward conduct of Christians whose lives are governed by the Spirit; he tells how they teach, preach, rule, serve, give, suffer, love, live and act toward friend, foe and everyone. These are the works that a Christian does, for, as I have said, faith is not idle." Martin Luther in his book “Preface to the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans.”

Paul is writing to a group or groups of Christians in Rome in about 45-50AD! Just a few years after Jesus Christ ascended back to God. In this letter the Apostle Paul presents God's plan of salvation, which is in Jesus Christ, and the effect this has upon all mankind. This gospel plan sees God's righteousness extended to all of humanity.

How so? This Gospel plan, urges Paul, is based entirely on the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. It is received by faith in Him, rather than the good works of a human. This letter of Paul’s investigates ideas such as guilt, faith, assurance, security and sanctification.

We continue that idea of key themes in our next podcast before continuing into this amazing passage of Scripture!! Will you join me?

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Psalm On Demand - Psalm 31

Psalm 31

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

¹ O Lord, I have come to you for protection;
don't let me be disgraced.
Save me, for you do what is right.
² Turn your ear to listen to me;rescue me quickly.
Be my rock of protection,a fortress where I will be safe.
³ You are my rock and my fortress.
For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger.
⁴ Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me,
for I find protection in you alone.

⁵ I entrust my spirit into your hand.
Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.
⁶ I hate those who worship worthless idols.
I trust in the Lord.
⁷ I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love,
for you have seen my troubles,and you care about the anguish of my soul.
⁸ You have not handed me over to my enemies
but have set me in a safe place.

⁹ Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress.
Tears blur my eyes.My body and soul are withering away.
¹⁰ I am dying from grief;my years are shortened by sadness.
Sin has drained my strength;I am wasting away from within.
¹¹ I am scorned by all my enemiesand despised by my neighbors-even my friends are afraid to come near me.
When they see me on the street,they run the other way.
¹² I am ignored as if I were dead,as if I were a broken pot.

¹³ I have heard the many rumors about me,and I am surrounded by terror.
My enemies conspire against me,plotting to take my life.
¹⁴ But I am trusting you, O Lord,saying, "You are my God!"
¹⁵ My future is in your hands.
Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.
¹⁶ Let your favor shine on your servant.
In your unfailing love, rescue me.

¹⁷ Don't let me be disgraced, O Lord,for I call out to you for help.
Let the wicked be disgraced;let them lie silent in the grave.
¹⁸ Silence their lying lips-those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the godly.
¹⁹ How great is the goodnessyou have stored up for those who fear you.
You lavish it on those who come to you for protection,
blessing them before the watching world.
²⁰ You hide them in the shelter of your presence,
safe from those who conspire against them.
You shelter them in your presence,far from accusing tongues.

²¹ Praise the Lord,for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love.
He kept me safe when my city was under attack.
²² In panic I cried out,"I am cut off from the Lord!"
But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.
²³ Love the Lord, all you godly ones!
For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him,
but he harshly punishes the arrogant.
²⁴ So be strong and courageous,
all you who put your hope in the Lord!

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Psalm On Demand - Psalm 30

Psalm 30

(as read by Adam Skirton)

Pastor of Poulner Baptist Chapel)

A Psalm. A Song for the Dedication of the Temple. By David.

30:1 I will extol you, Yahweh, for you have raised me up,
and have not made my foes to rejoice over me.
30:2 Yahweh my God, I cried to you, and you have healed me.
30:3 Yahweh, you have brought up my soul from Sheol. Y
ou have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
30:4 Sing praise to Yahweh, you saints of his.
Give thanks to his holy name.
30:5 For his anger is but for a moment.
His favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
30:6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”

30:7 You, Yahweh, when you favored me, made my mountain stand strong;
but when you hid your face, I was troubled.
30:8 I cried to you, Yahweh.
To Yahweh I made supplication:
30:9 “What profit is there in my destruction, if I go down to the pit?
Shall the dust praise you?
Shall it declare your truth?
30:10 Hear, Yahweh, and have mercy on me.
Yahweh, be my helper.”
30:11 You have turned my mourning into dancing for me.
You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness,
30:12 To the end that my heart may sing praise to you, and not be silent.
Yahweh my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

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Bible WOW Word - Born Again

Born Again!

 

Come hear the explanation of today's WOW Word "Born Again"! It confused an ancient and educated Jewish leader, Nicodemus! It continues to confuse some people even today! Perhaps you? 

 

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’ Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’ ‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” (John 3:3-7)

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Psalm On Demand - Psalm 129

Psalm 129

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

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From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me.
Let all Israel repeat this:
From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me,
but they have never defeated me.
My back is covered with cuts, as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.
But the Lord is good; he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly.
May all who hate Jerusalem be turned back in shameful defeat.
May they be as useless as grass on a rooftop,
turning yellow when only half grown,
ignored by the harvester, despised by the binder.
And may those who pass by refuse to give them this blessing:
"The Lord bless you; we bless you in the Lord's name."

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Consequences 07 - Jesus The God-Man Who Suffered

Consequence 07

Jesus - The God-Man Who Suffered

In this brief series called Consequences, we are looking together at 7 consequences of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Today we continue to look a bit deeper into that God-man, Jesus Christ and in particular His relevancy today in regards to suffering.~

Ever since the first time humanity sinned against God, there has been death and suffering. Suffering was not part of God’s original creation and only came in after this event. God had a plan to alleviate this. As part of this plan, throughout his ministry Jesus said that he would suffer, die and be raised back to life again. Jesus went about alleviating the suffering of people – whether from physical, mental or spiritual suffering. Quite possibly the biggest question we ask ourselves, or is asked of us by others, concerns the problem of suffering.

I will start out by saying I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that I have suffered and still suffer today. I have died twice and been resuscitated twice. I also know that it was humanity’s sin which was and is the creator of all kinds of suffering, not God, as critics of the church maintain. I also know that Jesus the Son of God suffered. Indeed Jesus the Son of God died. Therefore God Himself knows what it is like to suffer. We know that God is personal and we know that as Jesus was both fully God and fully human, that God has suffered. God who is without sin became sin, when Jesus the Son of God died on the cross.

Through the life of Jesus Christ and His cross and resurrection, we see that the Almighty and Eternal God entered the time and space of His creation, even though He Himself is outside of time and space. God intimately knows what suffering is like, because of the suffering Jesus endured. Sufferings such as when he wept at the death of Lazarus his friend.

Suffering such as before He was arrested, Jesus suffered such anxiety that he perspired blood (Luke 22:44). On his way to crucifixion, Jesus was beaten and whipped so badly that He was disfigured and malformed, God suffered. When He was nailed to the cross, God suffered. When on the cross, and endured the insults hurled at him – God suffered. Jesus died on the cross, and for the first time in eternity, Jesus the Son of God was separated from God the Father.

WOW! That is suffering. That is why we have a hope. The God who calls us into relationship with Himself knows intimately what suffering is like. He endured all kinds of suffering just like us. That is why we know God is a personal God. An implacable statue is not personal and cannot have sympathy with us in our sufferings, but the living God can – because the living God died!

But Jesus’ death on the cross was not the end! Three days later Jesus was resurrected in the power of the Father! Jesus death and resurrection show that sin, suffering and death have been conquered! When the Holy Spirit comes and lives within, one of His main roles is as the great Comforter who provides comfort and consolation during the times when we suffer. I don’t know how you are suffering today. I do know that I suffer every day in some way. I have died twice in the past and been resuscitated. You may be suffering in someway and I wish I could take it from you, but I am unable to. And this may sound glib, but I know that because God suffered when He died on the cross, God is with you and knows intimately what suffering is like. But there is one thing I do know and hold onto.

This Jesus is coming back again, this time as the Almighty King of Glory! One glorious day every kind of suffering will be banished for those of us who love Him.

Revelation 21:4: “God will wipe away our tears. There will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying and no more pain, for former things have passed away.”

What a glorious day it will be for those of us who love Him now. God Himself, with our face in His hands, wiping away our tears… When our King returns, there will be no more terrorism, missiles, guns, wars or bombs. No more will man’s inhumanity to man be allowed. No more torture, rapes, muggings or robberies. No more poverty or famine. No more religion, idols or icons. No more gossip, fornication, adultery, lying or debauchery. No more cowardice. No more pain. No more death. No more suffering. No more sin. Jesus wiping the tears of sorrow and joy from our eyes as He takes our head in his hands… WOW!

Have you asked this Jesus to be your Saviour and King yet? Jesus – the God-man who conquered sin, suffering and death who died and was raised to new life again by God. When you allow Jesus to be your Saviour and rely on him for your salvation, you become spiritually alive! Until then, you are spiritually dead. But you can have spiritual life! Come and follow this personal and personable God who knows what suffering is about. What are you waiting for? Again, I ask, who do you say the Jesus is? you have a choice to make. Deny Jesus know and he will deny you. Accept Jesus now and He will accept you. It is not too late! Today can be the day of your salvation and new life!

~

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