G‘day! 🌟 Welcome to Partakers Christian Podcasts! Tune in for Bible Teaching, Bible Readings, Worship, Prayer, and Church History. Our mission on Podbean is to enable and encourage you on your faith journey. Come listen, interact, and be inspired!
Episodes
Sunday Dec 03, 2023
Sunday Dec 03, 2023
Psalm 7
concerning the words of Cush, the Benjamite.
7:1 Yahweh, my God,
I take refuge in you.
Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me,
7:2 lest they tear apart my soul like a lion,
ripping it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
7:3 Yahweh, my God, if I have done this,
if there is iniquity in my hands,
7:4 if I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me
(yes, if I have delivered him who without cause was my adversary),
7:5 let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it;
yes, let him tread my life down to the earth,
and lay my glory in the dust.
Selah.
7:6 Arise, Yahweh, in your anger.
Lift up yourself against the rage of my adversaries.
Awake for me. You have commanded judgement.
7:7 Let the congregation of the peoples surround you.
Rule over them on high.
7:8 Yahweh administers judgement to the peoples.
Judge me, Yahweh, according to my righteousness,
and to my integrity that is in me.
7:9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
but establish the righteous;
their minds and hearts are searched by the righteous God.
7:10 My shield is with God,
who saves the upright in heart.
7:11 God is a righteous judge,
yes, a God who has indignation every day.
7:12 If a man doesn’t relent,
he will sharpen his sword;
he has bent and strung his bow.
7:13 He has also prepared for himself the instruments of death.
He makes ready his flaming arrows.
7:14 Behold, he travails with iniquity.
Yes, he has conceived mischief,
and brought forth falsehood.
7:15 He has dug a hole,
and has fallen into the pit which he made.
7:16 The trouble he causes shall return to his own head.
His violence shall come down on the crown of his own head.
7:17 I will give thanks to Yahweh according to his righteousness,
and will sing praise to the name of Yahweh Most High.
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Sunday Dec 03, 2023
Sunday Dec 03, 2023
Messiah's Leadership
10:1 Ask of Yahweh rain in the spring time, Yahweh who makes storm clouds, and he gives rain showers to everyone for the plants in the field. 10:2 For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams. They comfort in vain. Therefore they go their way like sheep. They are oppressed, because there is no shepherd. 10:3 My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats; For Yahweh of Armies has visited his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as his majestic horse in the battle. 10:4 From him will come forth the cornerstone, from him the nail, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together. 10:5 They shall be as mighty men, treading down muddy streets in the battle; and they shall fight, because Yahweh is with them; and the riders on horses will be confounded. (Zechariah 10:1-5)
During the time of Zechariah, the Temple was being rebuilt. The Temple was central to Jewish worship. But who would help give advice and solve the multitude of problems they were facing? Who cared about them? Well, Zechariah speaks into their situation with wise words. He has already likened the nation of Israel as being like sheep, and that God is their shepherd (Zechariah 9:16) "Yahweh their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they are like the jewels of a crown, lifted on high over his land. ". Throughout Chapter 10, it is repeated again and again, that God will care for and bless them. But in order to receive the blessing and care, the nation of Israelites must seek, turn and follow.
Seek God
If the people need advice and help in times of trouble and need, the first place they should look, is to the Lord their God. They must seek and ask of Him! (10:1)! God can provide all things! He can control the weather, but these people need to stop being so independent, self-sufficient and start to rely on God and His infinite wisdom and resources.
Turn to God
In 10:2, Zechariah reminds the people of Israel, that following idols and false gods is foolishness. These idols are self-seeking, liars and deceivers. Israel needed to turn back to the One True Almighty God! Instead of following the glory of the Almighty God, they were turning to idols for worship, advice and listening to superstitious nonsense. And of course idols and false gods are mute! They cannot speak or give advice because they are not Gods at all!! The sin of idolatry particularly broke the second commandment! The people were to turn away from false gods and return to worship the One True Almighty God. They were also to listen to the true prophets of God instead of the false prophets who deceived by speaking words they wanted to hear.
Follow Me
These sheep, the nation of Israel were to follow God. Instead of wandering around aimlessly, they were to follow and obey God Almighty. The Jewish leaders and teachers were supposed to be leading the nation in worship of Almighty God, but were not doing so. Hence God in 10:3 being enraged at those who were in positions of trust who were deceivers, liars and only looking out for their own interests. Ezekiel 34 expounds this out in much further detail!
So who were the people of Israel to follow? They were to follow the coming Messiah. Not only was the Messiah a King, Prophet Servant and Disciple but He would also be a Shepherd: the Good Shepherd! From the lowliest tribe of Judah, will come this Good Shepherd "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2)
Messiah Cares
This Good Shepherd will be utterly reliable, responsible, faithful and being the sure foundation that the people of Israel need, particularly in a time of crisis. In 10:4 God will send this Good Shepherd to also be a cornerstone, nail or tent peg, battle bow and a source of all ruling authority. Cornerstone: all ancient buildings needed a chief cornerstone to ensure a sure foundation so that the building could not fall down easily. It held two walls together. The imagery fits in well with the building of the Temple. If you want to continue worshipping God, then you must get the foundations right.
The chief cornerstone of the building holds the building together. Not only that, it gives the building shape, strength and all other stones are adjusted by it. Nail: Another translation is that of tent-peg. Just as the chief cornerstone holds the building together, so does a tent-peg ensure that the tent stays fastened down during storms! This Good Shepherd would ensure that everything is held together if they stick to Him. Battle-bow: Probably referring back to 9:13, Zechariah now likens this Shepherd Messiah to a battle-bow! This Good Shepherd will fight to keep the wolves from harming His sheep. He will battle for them. This Good Shepherd will be brave, courageous and strong as he leads his people to victory!
How is Jesus this Messiah?
Jesus said in Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened." In other words, ask of God your heavenly Father and your needs will be supplied! That was how Jesus lived and obeyed, by being in constant communication with God the Father. That is how he could live a life of utter obedience to God, because He always asked, sought and knocked.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, hence Him saying in John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." Again in John 10:14-17 "I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I'm known by my own; even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd. Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again."
Jesus is the Good Shepherd only through the sacrifice he must make for His sheep. Here Jesus is looking ahead to the sacrifice He makes on the Cross. His love for all of humanity compels Him to make the ultimate sacrifice. Just as all shepherds will endanger themselves for the safety of their sheep, so too will Jesus endure the pain and suffering of the Cross, so that people can be led into safety of God's kingdom. It is in this role of the Good Shepherd, that Jesus exhibits true leadership, which is self-less and sacrificial. Ezekiel 34:11 tells of God searching out for his sheep among all nations, and this is fulfilled through Jesus.
Through His perfect, obedient and voluntary sacrifice on the Cross, not only will salvation be available to the Jews but also to those of other nations. And Jesus is willing to fight for His people! He gives spiritual armour for all those who follow Him to wear. Christians are in a spiritual battle reminds Paul in Ephesians 6, and as the Good Shepherd, Jesus will fight and battle for us through His indwelling Holy Spirit! For as the Bible says in 1 John 4:4 "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world."
Jesus Christ is, as Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 2:8, the Cornerstone of faith - referring back to Isaiah 8:14. Jesus Christ is the dependable, sure foundation that all faith is to be ground upon. All Christians are living stones, but should be living on the dependability of Jesus Christ the chief cornerstone alone! It is only Him, who can give direction, assurance and be relied upon. It is Him that calls all people everywhere to seek for, turn to and follow obediently. Jesus Christ, Servant King, Servant Prophet, Servant Disciple, Servant Shepherd. Follow Him as the great leader He is and victory is assured! Whatever you are struggling with today, turn it over to God and ask for His help! He has promised to help! Remember that the battle belongs to the Lord! Amen! Just as Jesus said to Peter in John 21:19 "Follow Me!", so Jesus calls all those willing to follow Him, to follow Him for life. Follow and be led by Him and Him alone, regardless of what and where that might be.
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Saturday Dec 02, 2023
Saturday Dec 02, 2023
Psalm 136
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
7 who made the great lights-
8 the sun to govern the day,
9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
11 and brought Israel out from among them
12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
13 to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,
15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
16 to him who led his people through the desert,
17 who struck down great kings,
18 and killed mighty kings-
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
20 and Og king of Bashan-
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
22 an inheritance to his servant Israel;
23 to the One who remembered us in our low estate
24 and freed us from our enemies,
25 and who gives food to every creature.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
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Friday Dec 01, 2023
Friday Dec 01, 2023
Psalm 115
Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness!
Why let the nations say, "Where is their God?"
Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes.
Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.
They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see.
They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell.
They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound.
And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.
O Israel, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield.
O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield.
All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield.
The Lord remembers us and will bless us.
He will bless the people of Israel and bless the priests, the descendants of Aaron.
He will bless those who fear the Lord, both great and lowly.
May the Lord richly bless both you and your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The heavens belong to the Lord, but he has given the earth to all humanity.
The dead cannot sing praises to the Lord, for they have gone into the silence of the grave.
But we can praise the Lord both now and forever!
Praise the Lord!
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Thursday Nov 30, 2023
Thursday Nov 30, 2023
Psalm 74
A maskil of Asaph.
1 Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe of your inheritance, whom you redeemed- Mount Zion, where you dwelt.
3 Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.
4 Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs.
5 They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees.
6 They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets.
7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.
8 They said in their hearts, "We will crush them completely!" They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.
9 We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.
10 How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!
12 But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth.
13 It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert.
15 It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon.
17 It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.
18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, O LORD, how foolish people have reviled your name.
19 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.
20 Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually
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Wednesday Nov 29, 2023
Wednesday Nov 29, 2023
Psalm 139
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away.
3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.
5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!
~
7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the deepest hell, you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night-
12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.
~
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
18 I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!
~
19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers!
20 They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name.
21 O Lord, shouldn't I hate those who hate you? Shouldn't I despise those who oppose you?
22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
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Tuesday Nov 28, 2023
Tuesday Nov 28, 2023
Psalm 148
(As read by Exploratrice)
148:1 Praise Yah! Praise Yahweh from the heavens! Praise him in the heights!
148:2 Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all his army!
148:3 Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you shining stars!
148:4 Praise him, you heavens of heavens, You waters that are above the heavens.
148:5 Let them praise the name of Yahweh, For he commanded, and they were created.
148:6 He has also established them forever and ever. He has made a decree which will not pass away.
148:7 Praise Yahweh from the earth, you great sea creatures, and all depths!
148:8 Lightning and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind, fulfilling his word;
148:9 mountains and all hills; fruit trees and all cedars;
148:10 wild animals and all livestock; small creatures and flying birds;
148:11 kings of the earth and all peoples; princes and all judges of the earth; 148:12 both young men and maidens; old men and children:
148:13 let them praise the name of Yahweh, for his name alone is exalted. His glory is above the earth and the heavens.
148:14 He has lifted up the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near to him. Praise Yah!
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Sunday Nov 26, 2023
Sunday Nov 26, 2023
Psalm 146
1 Praise the Lord!
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.
3 Don't put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there.
4 When they breathe their last,
they return to the earth,
and all their plans die with them.
5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.
6 He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.
He keeps every promise forever.
7 He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry.
The Lord frees the prisoners.
8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.
The Lord loves the godly.
9 The Lord protects the foreigners among us.
He cares for the orphans and widows,
but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.
10 The Lord will reign forever.
He will be your God, O Jerusalem,
throughout the generations.
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Saturday Nov 25, 2023
Saturday Nov 25, 2023
Psalm 85
~~~~~
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah.
~~~~~
85:1 Yahweh, you have been favorable to your land.
You have restored the fortunes of Jacob.
85:2 You have forgiven the iniquity of your people.
You have covered all their sin.
~~~~~
Selah.
~~~~~
85:3 You have taken away all your wrath.
You have turned from the fierceness of your anger.
85:4 Turn us, God of our salvation,
and cause your indignation toward us to cease.
85:5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you draw out your anger to all generations?
85:6 Won’t you revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
85:7 Show us your loving kindness, Yahweh.
Grant us your salvation.
85:8 I will hear what God, Yahweh, will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, his saints;
but let them not turn again to folly.
85:9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
that glory may dwell in our land.
85:10 Mercy and truth meet together.
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
85:11 Truth springs out of the earth.
Righteousness has looked down from heaven.
85:12 Yes, Yahweh will give that which is good.
Our land will yield its increase.
85:13 Righteousness goes before him,
And prepares the way for his steps.
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Friday Nov 24, 2023
Friday Nov 24, 2023
Psalm 24
1 The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.
The world and all its people belong to him.
2 For he laid the earth's foundation on the seas
and built it on the ocean depths.
3 Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,
who do not worship idols
and never tell lies.
5 They will receive the Lord's blessing
and have a right relationship with God their savior.
6 Such people may seek you
and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob.
Interlude
7 Open up, ancient gates!
Open up, ancient doors,
and let the King of glory enter.
8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty;
the Lord, invincible in battle.
9 Open up, ancient gates!
Open up, ancient doors,
and let the King of glory enter.
10 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord of Heaven's Armies - he is the King of glory.
Interlude