Partakers Christian Podcasts

Bible Reading - Psalm 51

Psalm 51

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

51:1 Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness.
According to the multitude of your tender mercies,
blot out my transgressions.
51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity.
Cleanse me from my sin.
51:3 For I know my transgressions.
My sin is constantly before me.
51:4 Against you, and you only, have I sinned,
and done that which is evil in your sight;
that you may be proved right when you speak,
and justified when you judge.

51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity.
In sin my mother conceived me.
51:6 Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts.
You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
51:7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean.
Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
51:8 Let me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which you have broken may rejoice.

51:9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all of my iniquities.
51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a right spirit within me.
51:11 Don’t throw me from your presence,
and don’t take your holy Spirit from me.

51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation.
Uphold me with a willing spirit.
51:13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways.
Sinners shall be converted to you.
51:14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness,
O God, the God of my salvation.
My tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

51:15 Lord, open my lips.
My mouth shall declare your praise.
51:16 For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it.
You have no pleasure in burnt offering.
51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.
A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
51:18 Do well in your good pleasure to Zion.
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
51:19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness,
in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings.
Then they will offer bulls on your altar.

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Developing Intimacy With God - 3. The God Who Speaks - Inspiration

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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Bible Reading - Psalm 104

Psalm 104

Today we are listening to Psalm 104 which was used during the funeral of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on Saturday 17 April, 2021. Come on in!

¹ Let all that I am praise the Lord.

O Lord my God, how great you are!

You are robed with honor and majesty.

² You are dressed in a robe of light.

You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens;

³ you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds.

You make the clouds your chariot;

you ride upon the wings of the wind.

⁴ The winds are your messengers;

flames of fire are your servants.

⁵ You placed the world on its foundation

so it would never be moved.

⁶ You clothed the earth with floods of water,

water that covered even the mountains.

⁷ At your command, the water fled;

at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away.

⁸ Mountains rose and valleys sank to the levels you decreed.

⁹ Then you set a firm boundary for the seas,

so they would never again cover the earth.

¹⁰ You make springs pour water into the ravines,

so streams gush down from the mountains.

¹¹ They provide water for all the animals,

and the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

¹² The birds nest beside the streams

and sing among the branches of the trees.

¹³ You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home,

and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.

¹⁴ You cause grass to grow for the livestock and plants for people to use.

You allow them to produce food from the earth-

¹⁵ wine to make them glad,

olive oil to soothe their skin,

and bread to give them strength.

¹⁶ The trees of the Lord are well cared for -

the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

¹⁷ There the birds make their nests,

and the storks make their homes in the cypresses.

¹⁸ High in the mountains live the wild goats,

and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes.

¹⁹ You made the moon to mark the seasons,

and the sun knows when to set.

²⁰ You send the darkness, and it becomes night,

when all the forest animals prowl about.

²¹ Then the young lions roar for their prey,

stalking the food provided by God.

²² At dawn they slink back into their dens to rest.

²³ Then people go off to their work,

where they labor until evening.

²⁴ O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!

In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures.

²⁵ Here is the ocean, vast and wide,

teeming with life of every kind,

both large and small.

²⁶ See the ships sailing along, and Leviathan,

which you made to play in the sea.

²⁷ They all depend on you to give them food as they need it.

²⁸ When you supply it, they gather it.

You open your hand to feed them,

and they are richly satisfied.

²⁹ But if you turn away from them, they panic.

When you take away their breath,

they die and turn again to dust.

³⁰ When you give them your breath,

life is created,

and you renew the face of the earth.

³¹ May the glory of the Lord continue forever!

The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!

³² The earth trembles at his glance;

the mountains smoke at his touch.

³³ I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.

I will praise my God to my last breath!

³⁴ May all my thoughts be pleasing to him,

for I rejoice in the Lord.

³⁵ Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth;

let the wicked disappear forever.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!

 

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Developing Intimacy With God - 2. The God Who Speaks - Revelation

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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Bible Reading - Psalm 77

Psalm 77

For the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm by Asaph.

77:1 My cry goes to God! Indeed,

I cry to God for help, and for him to listen to me.

77:2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord.

My hand was stretched out in the night, and didn’t get tired.

My soul refused to be comforted.

77:3 I remember God, and I groan.

I complain, and my spirit is overwhelmed.

Selah.

77:4 You hold my eyelids open. I am so troubled that I can’t speak.

77:5 I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.

77:6 I remember my song in the night.

I consider in my own heart; my spirit diligently inquires:

77:7 “Will the Lord reject us forever?

Will he be favorable no more?

77:8 Has his loving kindness vanished forever?

Does his promise fail for generations?

77:9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?

Has he, in anger, withheld his compassion?” Selah.

77:10 Then I thought, “I will appeal to this:

the years of the right hand of the Most High.” 7

7:11 I will remember Yah’s deeds;

for I will remember your wonders of old.

77:12 I will also meditate on all your work, and consider your doings.

77:13 Your way, God, is in the sanctuary. What god is great like God?

77:14 You are the God who does wonders.

You have made your strength known among the peoples.

77:15 You have redeemed your people with your arm,

the sons of Jacob and Joseph.

Selah.

77:16 The waters saw you, God. The waters saw you, and they writhed.

The depths also convulsed.

77:17 The clouds poured out water. The skies resounded with thunder. Your arrows also flashed around.

77:18 The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind.

The lightnings lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.

77:19 Your way was through the sea; your paths through the great waters.

Your footsteps were not known.

77:20 You led your people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

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Developing Intimacy With God - 1. The God Who Speaks

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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Bible Reading - 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 Thought - Covenant - Exploring Words In Scripture

Words In Scripture Explored – Covenant

Gday and welcome to Words In Scripture Explored! The word for today is Covenant.

Look at your money! On British money are the words "I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of five [ten/twenty/fifty] pounds. In fact you can even take old British banknotes to the Bank and cash them in for modern money! Promises!! That’s what a covenant is – a promise between two parties.

Covenants in the Bible

Covenants were common in all kinds of life, and not just between God and humanity. For instance where a powerful nation had taken over a weaker nation, a covenant was in place to give benefits from the powerful nation to the weaker nation, such as protection as well as sanctions if the weaker nation rebelled.

About God’s Covenants

Each covenant between God and humanity showed God promising to do something and commands for mankind to follow! When an Old Testament covenant ended in failure, it was always due to mankind’s inability to obey God! Such as when Adam & Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thereby breaking the covenant made with God. The Edenic Covenant was therefore terminated and now God needed to make another covenant with Adam (Genesis 3v14-21). In the Old Testament we have six covenants between God and humanity: Edenic, Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, and the Davidic. They all had several things about them:

• God always took the initiative.
• God always gave His solemn promise to fulfil His promise.
• God always waited for a free response from humanity, without coercion or force.

New Covenant

As a Christian Disciple today, you are living under the the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31v31-34)

Four features of this covenant are: God transforming you; God being your God and you being His; God living inside you and leading you; your sins are forgiven and removed

This new covenant is sealed only through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. His blood ensures the truth of this New Covenant. There is no other way for this New Covenant to be sealed except through Jesus’ blood alone. This New Covenant finalizes what the Mosaic Covenant could only point to: the follower of God living in a righteous life conforming to God's holy character.

Whenever you celebrate Communion or the Lord’s Supper, you celebrate this New Covenant between God and yourself, for it symbolizes this New Covenant, which guarantees salvation! So go tell somebody else today about how God will make them new, forgive them, live inside them, and transform them, if only they come to Him in repentance.

Bible Reading - Psalm 114

Psalm 114

As read by Heather aged 8

1 When Israel came out of Egypt,

the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,

2 Judah became God's sanctuary,

Israel his dominion.

3 The sea looked and fled,

the Jordan turned back;

4 the mountains skipped like rams,

the hills like lambs.

5 Why was it, O sea, that you fled,

O Jordan, that you turned back,

6 you mountains, that you skipped like rams,

you hills, like lambs?

7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,

at the presence of the God of Jacob,

8 who turned the rock into a pool,

the hard rock into springs of water.

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Bible Thought - Forgiveness

 

Christian Disciple and Forgiveness

 

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G!day! The Apostle James wrote: 'When all kinds of trials and tribulations crowd into your lives my brethren, do not resent them as intruders but welcome them as friends. Realise that they come to test your faith and produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until your endurance is fully developed and you will find you have become men of mature character, with the right sort of independence. ' James 1:2-4

 

It is often said by psychiatrists that 90% of people with emotional related psychiatric problems would be cured, if only they knew forgiveness. Forgiveness of course is a major part of Christianity, both in the way that God forgives us when we come to Him in penitence and repentance, but also in the way Christian disciples forgive others and themselves! Does that surprise you that people may need to forgive themselves? How does that work?

The two major causes of emotional problems, involve forgiveness.

• Failure to receive forgiveness. Many people try to pay for their sin or to atone somehow for their sin or as AW Tozer out it: "The perpetual penance of regret." Some people even try to punish themselves for they're past sins.
• Failure to give forgiveness. There are always people who hurt us by what they say and do. If forgiveness is not offered, a root of bitterness resentment and anger may spring up in our lives. There are 'significant others' - parents who hurt us, siblings who fail us or tease us, and friends who betray who reject us.

Now you may well be asking yourself, why does God allow these irritations and offences to take place?

 

We need to understand that God's ultimate purpose for allowing irritations and offences to occur in our lives is to give us an opportunity to become more like Jesus Christ His Son (Romans 8;28:29). There are some irritations we can control and we are responsible to see us take sensible steps to do so. There is no point in complaining we are overweight if we are not prepared to diet.

 

There are many sources of irritations and offences we can't control.

 

• People. Personality traits, inconsistencies, rejection etc.
• Environment. Inconveniences, natural elements, pressures.
• Ourselves. Frustrations with our deficiencies, limited abilities, failures, illnesses etc.

God uses these circumstances, experiences and irritations to shape us and mould us like a gem cutter, cutting and polishing a stone to make it valuable. However, whether God requires 'sandpaper' or a 'sledgehammer' sometimes depends on our willingness to be involved in the process. God is concerned not just about what is happening to us, but also what we are learning and how we are responding in His workshop of life.

 

How do we respond to irritations and offences?

a. Wrong Responses (Human way)

• Defend yourself.
• Accuse somebody else and pass the blame.
• Hold anger in instead of dealing with the problem.

b. Right Responses (God's way)

• Be honest with yourself - Am I in the wrong?
• Be willing to admit when you are wrong - Ask forgiveness.
• Be willing to forgive.

Asking for forgiveness can be one of the hardest things we need to do. This is particularly so when we have been betrayed by a friend or someone who has been unfaithful. We need to stop and consider Christ and the enormity of His forgiveness.

 

Failing to co-operate with God's purposes, has two frequent results

• Insensitivity: Ignore, shut off, withdraw and avoid.
• Oversensitivity: Resentment, bitterness, hatred, anger and revenge.

Remember!! Forgiveness deals with our emotional response/s toward an offender. Pardon deals with the consequences of the offence; we may not be in a position to offer pardon. Forgiveness enables us to have the same openness toward the person after they offend us, as before. Lastly, when we forgive the offender, the hurt and the wound will start to diminish. This is helped when we realise Christ understands and can use these experiences for our eternal advantage.

For more to think about please do read for yourself James 2v1-4… Give yourself the following tests, and see how you respond or react to them. Why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so you can pray over any issues together.

Tests to see if there is someone I need to forgive

• Resentment test - Is there anyone you resent?
• Responsibility test - Do you find yourself thinking, "If only they (parents, friends, colleagues, God) had done this, things would have been different!" and therefore blaming others?
• Reminder/reaction test - Do you find yourself reacting against a person because they remind you of someone else?

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