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
Saturday Jun 03, 2023
Saturday Jun 03, 2023
Developing Intimacy With God
3. God Speaks By Inspiration
The actual word ‘inspiration’ is found only once in the New Testament, when Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16 explicitly states, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” or more literally “is God-breathed.” The word ‘inspiration’ is in fact, not a good translation. The original Greek word says that God ‘breathed out’ his Word. Divine inspiration naturally proceeds from divine revelation. We looked at revelation last week.
While through revelation God speaks to humanity, it is by inspiration that God works the pen, ergo ensuring that the message is God breathed and written correctly. This process of inspiration has several theories attached to it. One theory called the content theory, suggests that the author was given the main idea by God, but God allowed the writer to choose his own words.
Another is the natural theory. This is where the Biblical writers were inspired in the same sense Shakespeare was inspired, but that doesn’t agree with the ‘God-breathed’ word.
It is quite apparent that God did not suppress the writers’ personalities. For example, the writing style of John is clearly different from that of Peter or indeed that of Paul. The differences in writing style and in vocabulary of different authors are easily seen.
However, Jesus implied clearly that God chose the very letters of the words when he said that not one stroke of the pen would pass from the law (Matthew 5:17-19). From this we can infer that God inspires all the words of the Bible. God wanted to communicate to ordinary people, therefore he used ordinary people to write and produce the Bible.
In response to temptation by satan, Jesus said that humanity is to live by God-inspired words. (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10) Writers in the Bible, such as Peter, knew their writings were being guided by God (1 Peter 1:10–12; 2 Peter 1:19, 20; 3:15, 16).
Inspiration, is only guaranteed in the original manuscripts which were written in Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic. It is not, however much some people protest, guaranteed in any translation of the Bible.
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Friday Jun 02, 2023
Friday Jun 02, 2023
Developing Intimacy With God
2. God Speaks By Revelation
"Then the LORD replied: ‘Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that whoever reads it may run with it." (Habakkuk 2:2 New International Version)
Last time we looked at the God who speaks and a reason why we should develop our intimacy with Him. He is a God of love and to hear him speak we need to read and understand the Bible. We continue with that today, by looking at the first of 3 words which describe what we mean when we say that God has spoken. The word for today is “revelation”.
The Bible, as God’s written word, is revelation. Revelation is how God has communicated truths to people, who otherwise would not know them. The story of creation in Genesis 1 and 2 is a good example of this. As humanity was not created until the sixth day, it must have been God who revealed the knowledge about what occurred on the first five days to the author of Genesis, or it would not be possible to know what occurred.
We know God spoke to those who wrote the Bible; but how did he speak? Was it in Hebrew? Or Greek? Or some form of angelic language? We do know that God spoke to them in their own language, just as he did to young Samuel in the temple. Samuel at first thought that the voice was that of Eli the priest. (1 Samuel 3:3–9) At other times God spoke through angels, as when the angel Gabriel informed Mary that she would give birth to Jesus. (Luke 1:26–38)
In the part of the Bible we call the Old Testament, God often spoke through the “Angel of the Lord”. Some people believe this to have been Jesus before he came to earth as a human (Joshua 5:13–15; 1 Chronicles 21:16). We call those events, a ‘christophany’ – a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus the Son of God.
Another method of communication used by God, is in dreams and visions. An example of this is in the birth story of Jesus Christ, where the wise men were warned in a dream not to return to King Herod. (Matthew 2:12). God has also communicated from a burning bush (Exodus 3) and from within a cloud (Exodus 34). God has even spoken through a donkey, as the prophet Balaam can testify (Numbers 22).
Without revelation, we could not learn about God. Unless God reveals Himself, we would not know anything about him. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 states, “He (God) has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
We know for certain that this revelation has caused the Bible, the Written Word of God, to reveal Jesus Christ the Living Word of God. WOW!
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Thursday Jun 01, 2023
Thursday Jun 01, 2023
Developing Intimacy With God
1. The God Who Speaks
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” 1 John 4:16
Today we are starting a new series where we will seek to help our relationship with God, to develop our intimacy with Him. We will start with 8 studies about reading and understanding the Bible, where God speaks to us. Then we will go on to prayer, where we speak to God but He also, again, speaks to us.
We start today by looking at the God who speaks and the basis on which we are to develop our relationship with Him through reading the Bible and praying to Him, listening to Him.
Let me know what you think! I won't mind what you say...
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Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
The Lord's Prayer
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever.
Amen.
Luke 11:2-4
‘“Our Father in heaven
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”
Download the mp3 using the link below to hear the rest of this message...
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Saturday Feb 04, 2023
Saturday Feb 04, 2023
Psalm 119
א Aleph
1 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are those who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart –
3 they do no wrong but follow his ways.
4 You have laid down precepts
that are to be fully obeyed.
5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast
in obeying your decrees!
6 Then I would not be put to shame
when I consider all your commands.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart
as I learn your righteous laws.
8 I will obey your decrees;
do not utterly forsake me.
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Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Psalm 43
43:1 Vindicate me, God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation.
Oh, deliver me from deceitful and wicked men.
43:2 For you are the God of my strength.
Why have you rejected me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
43:3 Oh, send out your light and your truth.
Let them lead me.
Let them bring me to your holy hill,
To your tents.
43:4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy.
I will praise you on the harp, God, my God.
43:5 Why are you in despair, my soul?
Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God!
For I shall still praise him: my Savior, my helper, and my God
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Tuesday Jan 31, 2023
Tuesday Jan 31, 2023
Psalm 86
86:1 Hear, Yahweh, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
86:2 Preserve my soul, for I am godly.
You, my God, save your servant who trusts in you.
86:3 Be merciful to me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
86:4 Bring joy to the soul of your servant,
for to you, Lord, do I lift up my soul.
86:5 For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive;
abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on you.
86:6 Hear, Yahweh, my prayer.
Listen to the voice of my petitions.
86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call on you,
for you will answer me.
86:8 There is no one like you among the gods, Lord,
nor any deeds like your deeds.
86:9 All nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord.
They shall glorify your name.
86:10 For you are great, and do wondrous things.
You are God alone.
86:11 Teach me your way, Yahweh.
I will walk in your truth.Make my heart undivided to fear your name.
86:12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with my whole heart.
I will glorify your name forevermore.
86:13 For your loving kindness is great toward me.
You have delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol.
86:14 God, the proud have risen up against me.
A company of violent men have sought after my soul,
and they don’t hold regard for you before them.
86:15 But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God,
slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.
86:16 Turn to me, and have mercy on me!
Give your strength to your servant.
Save the son of your handmaid.
86:17 Show me a sign of your goodness,
that those who hate me may see it,
and be shamed,because you,
Yahweh, have helped me,
and comforted me.
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Thursday Jan 26, 2023
Thursday Jan 26, 2023
Psalm 65
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. A song.
65:1 Praise waits for you, God, in Zion. To you shall vows be performed.
65:2 You who hear prayer, to you all men will come.
65:3 Sins overwhelmed me, but you atoned for our transgressions.
65:4 Blessed is one whom you choose, and cause to come near, that he may live in your courts. We will be filled with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.
65:5 By awesome deeds of righteousness, you answer us, God of our salvation. You who are the hope of all the ends of the earth, of those who are far away on the sea;
65:6 Who by his power forms the mountains, having armed yourself with strength;
65:7 who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.
65:8 They also who dwell in faraway places are afraid at your wonders. You call the morning's dawn and the evening with songs of joy.
65:9 You visit the earth, and water it. You greatly enrich it. The river of God is full of water. You provide them grain, for so you have ordained it.
65:10 You drench its furrows. You level its ridges. You soften it with showers. You bless it with a crop.
65:11 You crown the year with your bounty. Your carts overflow with abundance.
65:12 The wilderness grasslands overflow. The hills are clothed with gladness.
65:13 The pastures are covered with flocks. The valleys also are clothed with grain. They shout for joy! They also sing.
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Monday Jan 23, 2023
Monday Jan 23, 2023
Psalm 91
91:1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
91:2 I will say of Yahweh, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust."
91:3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler,
and from the deadly pestilence.
91:4 He will cover you with his feathers.
Under his wings you will take refuge.
His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.
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91:5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
nor of the arrow that flies by day;
91:6 nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.
91:7 A thousand may fall at your side,
and ten thousand at your right hand;
but it will not come near you.
91:8 You will only look with your eyes,
and see the recompense of the wicked.
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91:9 Because you have made Yahweh your refuge,
and the Most High your dwelling place,
91:10 no evil shall happen to you,
neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
91:11 For he will put his angels in charge of you,
to guard you in all your ways.
91:12 They will bear you up in their hands,
so that you won't dash your foot against a stone.
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91:13 You will tread on the lion and cobra.
You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot.
91:14 "Because he has set his love on me,
therefore I will deliver him.
I will set him on high,
because he has known my name.
91:15 He will call on me, and I will answer him.
I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him, and honor him.
91:16 I will satisfy him with long life,
and show him my salvation."
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Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
PulpTheology Book
"Developing Intimacy With God"
G’day! The book today is "Developing Intimacy With God: A Little Book of 95 Prayers". Inside this little book, there is something for you to learn afresh or be reminded about, regardless of who you are.
Prayer is to be a sign of intimacy with God as it develops our relationship with Him. Prayer I have discovered, is to be an ongoing conversation with God.
Prayer is how we are energized and invigorated as we strengthen our relationship with Him. God is personal and He loves to hear us and talk to us. Prayers are not just the unprompted and spontaneous variety, but also the written form. Jesus Himself would have said scripted prayers as part of 1st century Jewish worship. In this little book, we have some prayers from the Bible as well as from the Church down through history. They are prayers which I have used in my own life - both personally and corporately.
This book is also as a way to celebrate that moment in time, when on 31 October 1517, Martin Luther, started what we know now as the European Reformation, when he nailed his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenberg Castle. Therefore, in this little book, to celebrate that momentous act in Church History, there are 95 prayers – prayers from Moses through to Martin Luther and onto John Stott of our own time. Come, Church! Let's pray together!
Whether you have not started the Christian journey yet, you are just starting your journey as a Christian, or have been a Christian for a while, you can either learn afresh or be reminded about the prayer and your Devotional Life. Come on in!
"Developing Intimacy With God: A Little Book of 95 Prayers" available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle with ISBN: 978-1512136838
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You can purchase this book at Amazon USA on this link:
You can purchase this book at Amazon UK on this link:
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