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
Monday Jun 08, 2020
Monday Jun 08, 2020
Think Spot - 8 June 2020
G'day and welcome to Partakers! Welcome also to Monday and our Think Spot together! I wonder what your last week was like! I know for me it was full of trial and yet with a deep-seated trust that God was in control, despite the events and discouragements I was undergoing! So, whether it was a week for you to forget or a week for you to remember, we now enter a new week! Last week we thought about trusting God in all circumstances! One of the natural outcomes of trusting God is joy - often an unspeakable joy that bubbles within you! A joy resulting from overcoming all that life throws at you, and overcoming those hurdles! It involves taking a daily commitment to follow Jesus Christ and not just a one off. It takes commitment, not comfort, to throw off hindrances and barriers. True joy results from being willing to allow the Holy Spirit to work in you, transforming you into the image of Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God the Father.
All of these things being done daily in your life lead to what I am convinced is the key to the reality of a successful Christian life - that key being joy. As you grow closer to Jesus, living in peace, trust and obedience, then your spiritual life will be your natural life and your natural life be your spiritual life! Your joy will abound and shine a light giving people a reason to ask "Where do you get all your joyous hope from?". You will then be able to· share Jesus as your source of joy. A joy that is anticipatory, expectant and true! Joy comes from putting Jesus first, others next and then yourself! Go practise it this week! ~~ You can show this joy by singing, laughing, smiling, shouting praises to God, lifting hands in worship', and crying, but that is only the external part of joy. True joy also incorporates an internal joy. Real joy is when you can believe in: the mountain top when you are in your deepest valley. Abundant joy is being surrounded by darkness and still believing in 'the light'. Anticipatory joy is when amidst total confusion you still believe God has a plan of love for you. It was this type of joy that Jesus had, when in the garden praying, the night before he was betrayed, when full of mixed emotions and anguish he said "Not my will, but yours, Father!"
As sons and daughters of God, we have many reasons to be full of joy. Yet how often we forget! Here are some reasons for joy!
- Psalm 51:8 & 12 - Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me-now let me rejoice. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
- Jeremiah 15:16 - When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven's Armies.
- Luke 15:8-10 "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbours and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents."
- 1 Peter 1:8-9 - You love Jesus Christ even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.
Do you desire to be' overflowing with joy today and this week? Go into this week with a joy that is anticipating and expectant! Do you need to hand over to Jesus a particular area of your life' where Jesus does not fully reign and have control? I pray that the Father will reveal more of Himself to you, as you daily seek His face, overcoming all hindrances to living a successful and joyful-Christian life. May the Holy Spirit who lives within you, if you are a Christian, continue to transform you into the image of the Son Jesus Christ, and all to the praise and glory of God the Father. Amen.
Right mouse click here to download as a MP3 audio file
Click on the appropriate link below to subscribe,
share or download our iPhone App!
Thursday Apr 30, 2020
Thursday Apr 30, 2020
PulpTheology Book
Glimpses Into Ezekiel
The book we are exploring this week, is "Glimpses Into Ezekiel"
The nation of Israel was to be God’s representative to the pagan nations and to the world. But, the nation of Israel had disobeyed God and now God’s name was a laughing stock amongst those nations. So now, God was going to act!
Imagine you are a 25 year old and being trained for the family business. Then one day, suddenly your enemies invade your city and take you away to a foreign land. That is what happened to Ezekiel, when the Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar in 597BC, took 3000 Jews away to Babylon. This was the first mass deportation of Jews outside of their land. Why had God allowed this to happen, for His people to be taken in exile?
In this book of Ezekiel, we see God communicate to the nation of Israel, through the prophet Ezekiel, using all manner of symbols and visions. What did they mean? What do they tell us about God? What kind of God is this?
Come inside this little book and get just a glimpse of this fascinating piece of Old Testament writing and discuss what relevancy and meaning it possibly has for us today in the 21st century.
"Glimpses Into Ezekiel" available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle with ISBN: 978-1516803002
Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file
~
You can purchase this book at Amazon USA on this link:
You can purchase this book at Amazon UK on this link:
Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
Monday Mar 02, 2020
Monday Mar 02, 2020
Think Spot – 2 March 2020
You suffer fools gladly, seeing you yourselves are wise. For you suffer, if a person bring you into bondage, if a person devours you, if a person takes of you, if a person exalts them self, if a person slaps you on the face. 2 Corinthians 11:19-20.
Paul delivers a masterly stroke when with the same words he praises and rebukes the Corinthians. His commendation of their patience is in reality reproof. He means to say: I have preached the gospel to you at my own expense and jeopardy. By my labour you have attained to its blessing. You have done nothing for me in return, and I have been no tax upon you. Now, upon my departure, others come and captivate you, and seek honour and profit from my labour. They boast as though the accomplishments were all theirs.
Of these you become the disciples and pupils. Their preaching you accept, while mine becomes odious. My case is that of the bee which labours to gather honey and then come the idle drones and earthworms and consume the sweet which they have not gathered. You can suffer these false prophets though they be fools and teach you foolishness. In this you display wisdom and patience. But you do not suffer me, who taught you true wisdom. You can permit them to make servants of you, to be your lords and to order you to do their bidding. But I, who have made myself your servant, served you without profit to myself, that you might be lords with Christ, must now be ignored and all my labours lost. You suffer yourselves to be devoured; for you abundantly bestow your property upon them. But I have never enjoyed aught of yours. All my service has been without recompense, that you might become rich in Christ.
You suffer the false teachers to take from you beyond your consent, to exalt themselves above you, to esteem themselves better than you and me, and to exercise their arrogance over you. But you deal not so with me, who have sacrificed my own substance, and have taken from others, that I might bring the gospel to you. They reproach you publicly, smite you in the face, put you to shame and abuse you with insolent words. But my patience with you, my parental tenderness, is remembered no more.
(An excerpt taken from "Devotional Readings From Luther's Works For Every Day Of The Year" By Rev. John Sander, L.H.D.) in the Public Domain.
Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file
~
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!
Saturday Feb 29, 2020
Saturday Feb 29, 2020
Saturday Story
People meeting Jesus
The story of John
We continue apace into the twentieth century and hear the story of a friend of mine. His name is John and he is from Hampshire in the United Kingdom! Come on in, and listen to his story about his own Christian journey and the relevancy of Jesus Christ to his life.
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!
Friday Feb 28, 2020
Friday Feb 28, 2020
Partakers Friday Prayers!
28th February 2020
We pray together and when Christians pray together, from different nations, different churches and different denominations - that reveals Church unity! Come! Let us pray together!
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please You
does in fact please You.
And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this
You will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore I will trust You always
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear,
for You are ever with me,
and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Amen
From Thoughts In Solitude by Thomas Merton
Right Mouse click to save this as an audio mp3 file
~ Click on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!Thursday Feb 27, 2020
Thursday Feb 27, 2020
PulpTheology Book
"Glimpses into the Gospels: Books of Good News"
Glimpses into the Gospels: Books of Good News
Glimpses into the Gospels of the New Testament - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The man we know as Jesus Christ, is the one whom Christian claim came in love. Jesus came into the world as their Saviour, to guide people into the Kingdom of God. In this little book of the Glimpses series, together we delve into some of the words of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
In doing so, we investigate what they meant when he spoke them and what significance they have for people today. People who are seeking to live out a life worthy of being called disciples of Jesus Christ. Christians being used by Jesus Christ to change the world one person at a time for the glory of God! Is that you? Come inside to find out more!
Come on in! “Glimpses into the Gospels: Books of Good News”. Available on Amazon and PulpTheology.
"Glimpses Into The Gospels: Books Of Good News" available on Amazon in paperback with ISBN: 978-1533147516
You can purchase this book at Amazon USA on this link:
You can purchase this book at Amazon UK on this link:
Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file
Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
Monday Feb 24, 2020
Monday Feb 24, 2020
Think Spot – 24 February 2020
Behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. Matthew 15:22-23.
Christ like a hunter exercises and chases faith in his followers in order that it may become strong and firm. When the woman follows him upon hearing of his fame and cries with assured confidence that he would according to his reputation deal mercifully with her, Christ certainly acts as he would let her faith and good confidence be in vain and turn his good reputation into a lie, so that she might have thought: Is this the gracious, friendly man? Are these the good works that I have heard spoken about him? It cannot be true. He might at least speak a word and tell me that he will have nothing to do with me.
Behold, this is a hard rebuff, when God appears so earnest and angry and so utterly conceals his grace, as those know so well, who feel and experience it in their hearts. But what does the poor woman do? She turns her eyes from all this unfriendly treatment of Christ; all this does not lead her astray, neither does she take it to heart, but she continues firmly to cling in tier confidence to the good news she had heard and embraced concerning him, and does not give up.
We must also do the same and learn firmly to cling to the Word, even though God with all his creatures appears otherwise than his Word teaches. But how painful it is to nature and reason that this woman should strip herself of self and forsake all that she experienced, and cling to God's bare Word, until she experienced the contrary. May God help us in time of need and of death to possess like courage and faith!
This gospel is to us a true example of firm and perfect faith. For this woman endures and overcomes in three great and hard fought battles, and teaches us in a beautiful manner the true way and virtue of faith, namely, that it is a hearty trust in the grace and goodness of God as experienced and revealed through his Word. Without doubt the good news which she had heard about Christ that he was a pious man and cheerfully helped everybody, made her run after him. Such good news about God is a true gospel and a word of grace, out of which sprang the faith of this woman.
(An excerpt taken from "Devotional Readings From Luther's Works For Every Day Of The Year" By Rev. John Sander, L.H.D.) in the Public Domain.
Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file
~
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!
Saturday Feb 22, 2020
Saturday Feb 22, 2020
Saturday Story
People meeting Jesus
The story of Milly from the USA...
We continue apace into the twentieth century and hear the story of Milly... She is from Mississippi in the USA... So come and listen to her story about her Christian journey and the relevancy of Jesus Christ to her life today...
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!
Friday Feb 21, 2020
Friday Feb 21, 2020
Partakers Friday Prayers!
21st February 2021
We pray together and when Christians pray together, from different nations, different churches and different denominations - that reveals Church unity! Come! Let us pray together!
Almighty God,
Today we desire to worship You and want to live for you alone.
May Your strength steer us,
Your power uphold us,
Your wisdom guide us,
Your eyes control our vision,
Your ear govern our hearing,
Your word counsel our speech & thought,
Your hand protect us,
Your pathway be before us,
Your shield be our shelter.
May Your angels guard us from ambush of devils,
from vice's allurements and traps of the flesh,
from all who wish ill,
whether distant or close,
alone or in hosts.
Today we put on a terrible strength,
invoking the Trinity,
confessing the Three,
with faith in the One who is our Maker:
Father, Son and Spirit.
Amen
Right Mouse click to save this as an audio mp3 file
~ Click on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
Thursday Feb 20, 2020
Thursday Feb 20, 2020
PulpTheology Book
"Glimpses into Song Of Songs: A Book of Relationship"
Glimpses into Song Of Songs: A Book Of Relationship
Ahhh the Song of Songs, which you may know by its other name, the Song of Solomon. The Jewish people call it the “Greatest Song of All Songs”. Martin Luther described it as “the noblest of all songs”. Yet it is rarely read or preached from today. When was the last time you read this fascinating book in its entirety or heard a sermon based on it? Some people, even today, are aghast at some of the very frank and provocative language which it conveys.
However, this should not stop us in the 21st century from reading it, studying it and learning from it. It is after in the Bible, it is in the Canon of Scripture, and is therefore part of what we claim to be God’s Written Word. After all, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, would have read the book during Passover – as would His Disciples and the early Church. Come on inside and let us explore together just a glimpse of what is a compelling and fascinating piece of literature. You may just surprise yourself as part of your walk with God. This book is part of the series 'Glimpses Into...'
Come on in! “Glimpses into Song Of Songs: A Book of Relationship”. Available on Amazon and PulpTheology.
"Psalms: A Book Of Life" available on Amazon in paperback with ISBN: 9978-1507841686
~
You can purchase this book at Amazon USA on this link
You can purchase this book at Amazon UK on this link
Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file
Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!