Partakers Christian Podcasts

Friday Prayers

15th June 2012

1. Opening prayer

Father,

as we commence,

let our hearts and minds be right before you.

May your everlasting mercy, grace and love

be shown in hearing these petitions!

Praise to God the Father sing,

praise to God the Son, our king,

praise to God the Spirit be

now and through eternity.

Amen!

2. Prayers for those in challenging situations

Father, we lift before you,

all those facing challenging situations:

such as loneliness, confinement at home,

geographical isolation, lack of employment,

health issues, and financial pressures.

O Father, please meet their needs in what

ever challenging situation is being faced,

and we put ourselves in your hands

to help meet those needs where we can.We ask these things,

our Father God,

in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ,

and in the power of the Holy Spirit

who lives inside us!Amen!

3. Time to offer your own petitions and prayers to God

4. Benediction

O Father!

May it be that your love would take over our lives!

That we would follow you faithfully and

giving you alone, praise in all circumstances

that we face together!

Amen!

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Thursday Ponderings

14th June 2012

Love is not rude!

Love is not rude. I really struggle to think of times when I’m rude to people or am even tempted to be so. Then it dawned on me , even if I am rude inside my head it is unloving. And I recalled a time sitting outside a cafe in Trowbridge last summer, sitting there people watching. I noticed a couple dressed not in the same way I would dress, and to my shame after watching them for a bit, I wrote them off as losers. They were sat outside a cafe opposite. Then a severely disabled person walked by and stopped to speak to them, the person stopped and chatted for ages and I felt ashamed, I knew that I had judged these people on their outside appearance and not on what was in their hearts. They were clearly very compassionate and kind and Jesus would have loved how they were spending their time.

So check out your thought life – how many times do you judge people in an unloving way and think things which might be considered rude. Our thought lives are so important, it is easy to dismiss them because no one else can see what we are thinking and a thought can come and go in a flash. But thoughts reveal what our heart is like. Jesus said “Do not worry.” Worry is something that happens in our thought life and robs us of our peace, it shows a lack of trust in a good God to work everything for the good of those of us who love HIM. Unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment tend to occur in our thoughts and certainly it is in our thoughts where they take hold and take root. I don’t need to tell you what damage it does to replay a hurt or offence over and over in our minds.

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Friday Prayers

8th June 2012

Introduction

Opening prayer

Father,

as we commence,

let our hearts and minds be right before you.

May your everlasting mercy, grace and love

be shown in hearing these petitions!

Praise to God the Father sing,

praise to God the Son, our king,

praise to God the Spirit be

now and through eternity.

Amen!

Confession

Time to offer your praises to God

Prayers for churches worldwide

Prayers for those in challenging situations

Time to offer your own petitions and prayers to God

Lord's Prayer

Benediction

O Father! May it be that your love would take over our lives! That we would follow you faithfully! Giving you alone praise In all circumstances! Amen!

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Thursday Ponderings

7th June 2012

Be Loving!

Love does not boast, it is not proud. I have linked these two together because I think they are related but also because I do not know many Christians that have a problem with boasting or pride. Culturally it is not acceptable to boast, if asked if I can cook and if I was born in Germany, I could say yes I'm an excellent cook! But being English, I could be the winner of Masterchef and I would have to reply "Well I'm not a bad cook", or something similar! I pray constantly that if I ever get good at preaching that I will not become proud of that. I know I've got a long way to go but I believe God has called me into a teaching and preaching ministry so I'm kind of assuming that I will be good sometime in the future, but I want to give God the glory and not become arrogant. It's much more difficult to become arrogant when you serve behind the scenes as I have done for the first 40 years of my life. If God uses you to raise people from the dead or heal people miraculously, there is a much greater danger that you might forget that it is God doing the work . As people we do look up to the folk whom God uses, we put them on pedestals and we want them to pray for us rather than another member of the congregation. It is the same God who works through us all! If God is using us it is because He chooses to, it is His power that heals, it is His power that casts out evil spirits and it is His power that raises people from the dead.- In my experience, God tends not to use people who are not listening to Him, so if He has told you to forgive someone or love someone that has hurt you and you are saying No - don't want to, won't do that- He is unlikely to choose you to raise people from the dead - until you are back walking in obedience. If you have a powerful job, if you earn a high salary, if you are particularly beautiful, handsome or intelligent - BE CAREFUL. Make sure you don't consider those in humble jobs, those who are less attractive in the worlds' eyes, those who earn next to nothing as less valuable, make sure you treat them as an equal - make sure you invite them round to dinner and to your yacht in the Bahamas.

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Think Spot

4th June 2012

G'day and welcome to Partakers ThinkSpot on Monday, the 4^th of June 2012. Play the audio and see how Jim and Joy are challenging you to live your faith out this week!

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The missing jewel of worship

Recently in the UK as well as in many others in numerous countries, we settled down to watch a programme entitled 'Britain has talent'. One performance and its affect upon millions of people will stay in our memories for a very long time. When these two shy young teenagers came on stage, sniggers of laughter rippled through the audience as well as some wry smiles among the judges. "Things cannot get any worse" one of the judges muttered under his breath. Little did any of us know what was about to happen within seconds of those thoughts. The song entitled "The Prayer" has been sung many times by a variety of famous performers but this night's performance was incredible right from the start. When asked if they thought they could win Jonathan aged 17 and Charlotte aged16 offered a quiet hope so with a shrug of their shoulders. However, as the first five notes were sung the whole audience were on their feet clapping and shouting with hands lifted high above their heads as they enjoyed the beautiful outstanding voices of these two young performers. Loud as the applause was when they began singing the volume increased as the pure notes continued, the high notes so clear and warming all of our hearts. Tears were flowing in the audience unashamedly and when they concluded the judges and all stood to their feet applauding continually. The four judges, the whole audience and many millions who viewed it on TV were overawed as indeed my wife Joy and I were. "A future star for sure" Simon Cowell said and the other judges were in total agreement. Amanda Holden one of the other panel judges said "What a privilege it has been to be here to night to hear you." On Youtube afterwards nearly 2,000,000 have already seen the replay and this is only four days after the performance as I bring these words to you. As I pondered this momentous occasion and its effects I thought "What are we doing?" as we clapped and cried and longed to hear more. Is this not a form of worship? I considered. Are we so thrilled with what we have seen and heard? They were brilliant, they deserved our praise. So then, do we feel the same on a Sunday in Church as we come to worship God? Are we caught up with the occasion as we stand to worship? God is invisible but we know He is present in our gatherings, isn't He? Someone has described worship as 'to feel the wonder of God in our hearts." Do we do that? I am not necessarily thinking of the singing time but the prayers and the preaching also. Do we come away saying it was a Wow!! Meeting as we caught a glimpse of the beauty of the Lord and His magnificence? Were we compelled to say to others afterwards "Wasn't that fantastic" I can't wait to come back again tonight to sing, to worship my wonderful Lord and to hear more about Him I cannot get enough of Him." Only today I heard of a church in London, a church that has grown phenomenally over the past few years and huge crowds of people, especially young people are arriving 30 minutes before services to make sure they get a seat. And I am referring to a church in Great Britain. This church has 800 children in Sunday School. Packed to the doors morning and evening for the services. What is the Wow Factor? Why aren't all our churches like that where people just cannot wait to get into their seats in church? Yes I hear it from individuals here and there who talk like that. But why some and not all? I shared this thought with a man who is a director of a mission. He said from his knowledge of many churches in Great Britain it all comes down to one thing. A deep love for God. In Revelation 2-3 we find churches are rebuked by our Lord for "luke warmness". Of "leaving their first love" In the book of Joel in the Old Testament this was the deep concern of the prophet Joel as He said "You are a religious people but your heart is not in it, return to God that He may bless you" Should this not be the cry from each one of our hearts from the worship leaders down to all worshippers. Do we really love God deeply for are there not many reasons why we should do so? "Unto God be the glory great things He has done". The Theatre audience, I think, fell in love with Jonathan and Charlotte on Saturday I am convinced of that. They were so humble and putting their souls and hearts into their audition, the quality of the singing was unbelievable and they are so young!! Coming back to our churches are we getting so used to the method of worshipping God in our churches that even if He withdrew His Holy Spirit we would not notice. Could that really happen? As I read Isaiah from chapters 60-64 on revival surely the cry from our hearts should be the same as the evangelist Prophet "Lord rend the heavens and come down and enflame our hearts to love you more and worship you seeing your greatness and responding with passion. Let me know what you think? I am sure I am not alone with my concern for all the churches.

Joys Prayer

Dear Loving Heavenly Father Have we simply come to church to sing hymns and listen to the sermon in a mechanical fashion? Have we held on to passions of our own that have taken first place instead of Sunday worship? We still attend with our feet but our hearts are not in what we are doing. Maybe whatever our involvement is in church is we have only done our duty without feeling the wonder of God in our hearts and desiring to express it. Lord forgive us and give us a heart for worship and a desire for a fresh commitment to You with all our hearts In Jesus name Amen

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Durrington 04082012 Part 5

Durrington 8 April 2012

Service - Part 5

How are we to respond to this Jesus, His cross and his resurrection?

Dave G Roberts

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30gIGAAktgk]

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1. We have a God who is not immune to suffering

The Christian God - the awesome and Almighty God, who was outside of time and space, entered time and space, to intimately know what suffering and death was, because of the suffering and death endured by Jesus on the Cross. Jesus, the innocent King who suffered and died, is the reason why we who call ourselves Christian, have a hope. Because the God we serve, personally knows suffering and has endured suffering just as we do.

2. We are to reflect this love

As Christians, we are to show a love, which is sacrificial. We all know John 3:16 " For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.", probably off by heart most of! Our active response to that love of God can be found in 1 John 3:16, which states: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

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Durrington 08042012 Part 4

Durrington 8 April 2012

Service - Part 4

Jesus – Risen as the firstborn from dead!

Dave G Roberts

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tOYVK00KMc]

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We start not in the Gospels, but from the writings of the Apostle Paul in

1. The Facts about the Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:1-8: Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you-unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also. That was the Apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthian church about the Jesus having been raised from the dead - physically!  All four Gospels, Matthew, Mark Luke and John, tell us that Jesus was crucified, died and was buried in a tomb. What do these four Gospels say about the Jesus' resurrection or rising from the dead? Let us first look at the sequence of events over the period of time after Jesus death till He ascended.  Now remember, the Gospels are documents which have recorded historical events.

a. The tomb is empty:

• Two Marys watch the burial: (Matthew27:61, Mark 15:47, Luke23:54-55)
• Roman soldiers guard the tomb and place an official Roman seal upon it: (Matthew 27:62-66)
• Women prepare burial spices then rest: (Luke 23:56)
• An angel rolls the stone away: (Matthew 28:2-4)
• Women arrive at dawn with spices: (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1-4, Luke 24:1-3, John 20:1)
• Angels appear to women: (Matthew 28:5-7, Mark 16:5-7, Luke 24:4-8)
• Women dart back to tell disciples: (Matthew 28:8, Mark 16:8, Luke 24:9-11, John 20:2)
• Peter and John investigate the empty tomb: (Luke 24:12, John 20:3-9)
• Peter and John go home: (Luke 24:12, John 20:10)
• Mary Magdalene weeps by the tomb: (John 20:11)
• Mary sees two angels: (John 20:12-13)

b. Jesus' appearances

• Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene: (Mark 16:9, John 20:14-17)
• Jesus appears to the other women: (Matthew 28:9-10)
• Women report to the disciples: (Mark 16:10-11, John 20:18)
• Guards testify to the priests: (Matthew 28:11-15)
• Jesus meets two people on the Emmaus Road: (Mark 16:12-13, Luke 24:13-32)
• Jesus appears to Simon Peter: (1 Corinthians 15:5, Luke 24:34)
• 2 report to disciples in Jerusalem: (Luke 24:33-35)
• Jesus appears to the Disciples less Thomas: (Luke 24:36-43, John 20:19-24)
• Disciples report to Thomas: (John 20:25)
• Jesus appears to the Disciples and Thomas: (Mark 16:14, John 20:26-29)
• Jesus appears to seven people: (John 21:1-14)
• Jesus questions Peter 3 times: (John 21:15-23)
• Jesus appears to 500 people: (1 Corinthians 15:6)
• Jesus appears to James: (1 Corinthians 15:7)

2. The Significance of the Resurrection

Part 5 tomorrow

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Durrington 08042012 Part 3

Durrington 8 April 2012

Service - Part 3

Why is Jesus on the cross?

Dave G Roberts

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhtCJtSA2YI]

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1 Corinthians 1:18-31 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not- to nullify the things that are, so that no-one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.

a. The Problem!

b. The Solution!

c. The Cross is God's Glory!

d. The Cross and humanity

Part 4 tomorrow

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Durrington 08042012 Part 2

Durrington 8 April 2012

Service - Part 2

Jesus on the Cross

Dave G Roberts

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-fPwjLw8aM]

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Mark 15

33 At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.

34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?- which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, Listen, he's calling Elijah.

36 One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down, he said.

37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, Surely this man was the Son of God!

40 Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.

41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

Part 3 tomorrow

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Durrington 08042012 Part 1

Durrington 8 April 2012

Service - Part 1

Dave G Roberts

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj94GLiNLDs]

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Revelation 21:1-7

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new! Then he said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.

He said to me: It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

Part 2 tomorrow

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