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Episodes
Monday Jan 22, 2018
Monday Jan 22, 2018
Think Spot 22 January 2018
That doesn't give us as Christians a mandate to sit around not doing what we can for peace, because we are commanded to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), our God is a God of peace (1 Thessalonians 5:23), and the Kingdom of God is about peace in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). Peace is to be our business!
In a world full of conflicts, such as conflicts between nations, conflicts between neighbours, conflicts even within families and conflicts within and between churches, Christians are to be peacemakers!With that in mind, here are some thoughts on what the Bible has to say on peace, to help you this week be a peacemaker:
1. Peace with God
- Justified by faith (Romans 5:1-2)
- Christ is our peace between God and man and between men (Ephesians 2:13-18)
2. Peace with others
- Live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:17-20)
- Do everything possible which leads to peace and mutual encouragement (Romans 14:13-19)
- Be a peacemaker - a sign of real wisdom producing a harvest of righteousness (Matthew 5:9, James 3:17-18)
3. Peace within/circumstances
- Peace is a gift of God (John 14:27, 2 Thessalonians3:16)
- Worldly peace requires manipulation of circumstances, God's peace comes regardless of circumstances
- We have peace in troubled times - an untroubled, unfearful heart and mind (John 16:33)
Father, I pray that this week we will do all we can to be peacemakers and make a difference in world in conflict. I ask this through the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit who lives inside all those who have peace with you. Amen
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Saturday Jan 20, 2018
Saturday Jan 20, 2018
Part 128 - Revelation 2:11
8 To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
The church in Smyrna had its problems and was soon going to get more and greater ones! We don’t know how John knew enough to say this unless it was a prophecy. More serious persecution was coming their way. It wasn’t a rich church, as people normally counted richness, but they were rich in the way they lived their lives, particularly their spiritual lives. Jesus, through John, is promising them that he will be with them whatever may happen to them so they should be high in confidence, in courage and faithfulness. Then he makes a promise to them that is hard to understand: “you will not be hurt at all by the second death”. There are two problems here: what is the second death and why should they be at all concerned about it anyway.
Second death is a phrase that only appears in Revelation at 20:6 and 14, and 21:8. The first of these says that those who share the first resurrection (with Jesus) have nothing to fear from it, the other two are both about ‘the lake of fire’. This seems to be about the place of everlasting torment often mentioned in the New Testament, particularly by Jesus in places like the parable of the sheep and he goats where he says ‘depart from me, you who are cursed into the eternal fire’ (Matthew 25:41) and this is ‘eternal punishment’ (Matthew 25:46). These statements seem very much at odds with the other things Jesus said.
There are places in the world where such language would be deemed right and proper by the followers of other faiths in relation to the ‘infidels’ but for those of us in the Western world it strikes a strange note. It may simply be a different way of expressing things where only analogies can be used but it still seems very strange.
The best way round the problem is probably the word picture drawn by C. S. Lewis in his children’s book The Last Battle (one of his children’s books about Narnia but they are full of deeply spiritual insights!). At the end of the book and the world all the characters, human, animal and mythical, are forced to look into the eyes of Aslan, the lion, who is the image of Christ. ‘When some looked the expression of their faces changed terribly - it was fear and hatred …. And all who looked at Aslan in that way swerved to his left and disappeared into his huge black shadow …. The watching children never saw them again. I don’t know what became of them. But the others looked in at the face of Aslan and loved him though some of them were very frightened at the same time. And all these came in at the door, in on Aslan’s right. …’.
‘I don’t know what became of them’ is a very wise comment we should take for ourselves.
The faithful people of Smyrna did not have to worry about such things for they would not ‘be hurt at all by the second death’. The same goes for all those who are faithful in these days!
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Friday Jan 19, 2018
Friday Jan 19, 2018
Partakers Friday Prayers
19 February 2018
for the Persecuted Church Worldwide
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!
God of all comfort, for those who are tortured both in body and mind, give them the grace to endure and to see their suffering as part of following in Christ’s footsteps. Merciful God, for those asked to pay the ultimate price; who are martyred because of their love for you, may they truly know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. Amen
Father God, for those who are widowed and orphaned may they know the comfort that comes from your promised presence even when they walk through the valley. May they be strengthened by your Spirit, enabling them to rejoice with the psalmist as they proclaim that the LORD will not abandon them in death. Amen
Heavenly Father, we ask that you would make us ever mindful of our brothers and sisters around the world who need us to stand with them as they suffer in your name. Teach us what it means to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony; we pray that we would not love our lives so much as to shrink from death.
We ask these things O Father, through the name of Your Son, Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us.
Amen
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Monday Jan 15, 2018
Monday Jan 15, 2018
Think Spot 15 January 2018
We start this new week with a challenge! Each of us can make a difference in this world. Are you aware of that? Let's see what we can do together!
One of the most well-known bible verses is when Jesus says “Love your neighbour as yourself.” But did you know he is actually quoting from Leviticus 19:18b "love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord." What does that mean for us today?
As Christians we are to live right lives - to be holy. That is a fundamental about being a Christian. It means being practical and loving others - not just in words but in action. Not just saying I love you but showing that you do. It means sometimes doing things we don't want to do. Or not doing things we want to do. It means putting others first and ourselves last. It means not showing favouritism – to the rich or the poor, to the beautiful and the not so beautiful.
Loving others as yourself, does not mean loving yourself less. It means loving others more. It means holding the interests of others higher than your own. It means honouring others above yourself.
How are you doing at loving others - all others? Are you loving others generously & selflessly? Or are you saying you love them, but only on your own terms or only in words and not in action. Loving them selfishly by putting your own needs first and others after yourself.
Here is a challenge for you. Go into this new week determined to love others – all others – without favouritism. Each of us has ways in which we feel the love of others. We all have our own needs & wants. Ask somebody else today that what it is that you could do for them that would make them feel that they are loved and valued. You may well be surprised that it is something very simple and you would never have found out what it was unless you had asked.
As we continue into this new year of 2018, let's be committed to showing practical love to all we meet - one person at a time. Imagine the difference that could make to the world! WOW!
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Saturday Jan 13, 2018
Saturday Jan 13, 2018
Part 127 - Revelation 2:7
As with all the other seven cities the ‘gem’ is in the promise that ends the letter following the words ‘to the one who is victorious’. To put those promises in context we need to read the rest of the letter in each case so it is printed first.
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
These seven letters to churches in what is now west Turkey are not full of gems. They tend rather to analyse the specific churches and that implies finding faults. Only two, Smyrna and Philadelphia, escape without words of condemnation.
However each church receives words of encouragement towards the end of their letter following the words “To the one who is victorious, I will give …”, or some minor variation on it, and these we will consider gems, particularly as it is quite clear that the gifts are available for all people of all times who qualify in the same way as the folk for whom they were first designed.
What did being victorious mean in real everyday terms for people in churches under increasingly hostile attention from the authorities? It means having succeeded in moving forward along the narrow and difficult path that leads onwards towards the final great day.
The first and largest city in this journey of the imagination is Ephesus. The congregation in the church here are strongly criticised. They have done many good things but in doing so have failed to live up to the standards they originally set for themselves. It is not hard to form a story suggesting what might have happened:
By the time John wrote this the church in Ephesus had been going for probably at least 30 years. They had started off with a great flash of enthusiasm imitating Jesus as much as they could in all their relationships with their neighbours. But – guessing a bit - probably some legalistically minded guys had got hold of the reins of control and, with the best of intentions, set out to bring system to what was going on in so many small, diverse and apparently chaotic ways. They wrote down what should happen, made sure it did and generally brought order to a confused situation. Unfortunately in doing so they had succeeded in killing off that first flush of enthusiasm and leading of the Holy Spirit - they had never really begun to understand the Holy Spirit and how he works. That sort of scenario fits rather well the very brief comment about what was going on. Is it a familiar picture?
What is shocking is the depth of the punishment the church was to receive. Although it survived for a long time it eventually disappeared, as Jesus said it would.
On the other hand for those who survived the problems, sorted them out and returned to the attitudes of love that had motivated them at first, all would be well. The tree of life first appears in Genesis 2: 9 and in Genesis 3: 22 is described as the way to live for ever. It reappears in Revelation 22: 2 and 29 where it is clearly implied that it is the way to eternal life, which we may think of not only as a life that will go on for ever but one of the greatest possible quality to be lived on this earth here and now.
And the implication is that this is available for us!
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Friday Jan 12, 2018
Friday Jan 12, 2018
Friday Prayers
12 January 2018
Order of Service!
Opening prayer
New Year Prayer
Confession
Thanksgiving Prayers
Prayers for jobseekers and workers
Prayers for those grieving
Time for your own prayers/petitions!
Closing prayer
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Wednesday Jan 10, 2018
Wednesday Jan 10, 2018
Part 7 -
New Birth, Hell, Life after death, Salvation
We come now to our final session regarding Jehovah Witnesses, and we will be comparing and contrasting their beliefs with what The Bible teaches in regards to Life after death, New Birth and Salvation. We have covered a lot of ground in the first six lessons but now we come to the finale.
- Is there life after death?
- Is there a hell?
- Is there really a heaven?
- How many go to heaven?
- Is it only 144000 as Jehovah witnesses teach that will enter heaven?
- Does every person need to be born again to have everlasting life?
Yes a lot of questions so what are the answers. We shall listen to the Jehovah Witnesses and also see what The Bible says about these important matters.
1. New Birth
John 3:3; "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" Jehovah witnesses say "It is only Christ and his 144000 body members who are born again, that is spirit-begotten with the hope of heaven! Revelation chapter 14 does speak of 144 000 around the throne in heaven (future picture) and Jehovah Witnesses say they alone are the born again believers and all are Jehovah Witnesses of a special kind. They are those who have lived ultra clean lives and have never strayed. They alone are born again. They earn salvation through their being pure and undefiled. They qualify for heaven but all other Jehovah Witnesses will inherit the new earth because they belong to the Jehovah Witness Movement and are active in door to door visitation.
This teaching directly conflicts with what the Bible teaches. "There is none righteous no not one, for all have sinned and fall short of God's glory. Romans 3:23" The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life." SALVATION IS A GIFT FOR ANY AND ALL WHO WILL COME TO GOD THROUGH REPENTANCE AND FAITH. THEY WILL BE SAVED AND ENJOY ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD IN HEAVEN.
There is absolutely no distinction in the Bible between born again believers and non born again believers. Note this. "All who believe are born again unto a lively hope." 1 Peter1: Even more importantly we read in Romans 8:9; ""If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ he does not belong to Him."
So what is the essential thing in salvation? 1 John 5:1; "Whoever BELIEVES that Jesus is the Christ is BORN OF GOD." Born again can be translated "Born from above" or "Born of God" It is something of an inward nature that changes a person completely from an unbeliever to a lover of Jesus Christ who is Saviour Lord and King. He or she becomes a brand new person.
How big is Heaven? Only big enough for 144,000! How many believers will enter heaven? In Revelation 7:1-6 there is reference to 144,000 all Jews. If you take the figure 144,000 literally then you have to take the twelve tribes mentioned there each comprising of 12,000 Jews. Then look further (Revelation 7:9ff) and you will notice there are such a great number of others (Gentiles?) who come from every nation on the face of this earth. All are found worshipping the Lamb of God, who is Jesus Christ. He saved them, He delivered them and He brought them safe home to Heaven to enjoy Him for eternity. John 3:3; "Unless a man is born again he cannot either see or enter into the kingdom of God." That is BORN SPIRITUALLY BY THE POWER OF THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. This great event takes place in every person who believes. You cannot tell a person they will be safe in the coming Kingdom by becoming a Jehovah Witness and being a dedicated door to door worker.
2. Hell.
They say . "It is unscriptural, unreasonable contrary to God's love, repugnant to justice" ('Let God be true' page 9) At death Jehovah Witnesses teach that a person goes into non-existence and will be annihilated if they are not a Jehovah Witness.
What does the Bible say about Hell? Jesus Himself taught the doctrine of hell. (Mark 9:42-49;) Note verse 43 "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off, it is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go to Hell where the fire never goes out." Twice more Jesus uses the word 'Gehenna' for hell. Helll is a place that goes on for ever. To refuse Jesus Christ as your Saviour when you have opportunity to receive Him into your heart and life is the worst sin of all. (Matthew 25:46;) speaks of eternal; punishment and eternal life in the same context. Eternal punishment lasts as long as eternal life. Note Jesus words concerning unbelievers ad hypocrites "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous (declared righteous through Jesus perfect life and sacrifice) into eternal life."
3. Life After Death
May I encourage you to look up in your Bible the following references to see what God has to say about life after death. (Luke 20: 37,38:) "He is not God of the dead but of the living" Also in (Luke 16) in the parable of The rich man and Lazarus there is further proof of life after death, even of conscious agony while Lazarus is enjoying the comforts of Heaven. Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration long after they had departed this world.(Luke 9:30) Paul speaks of dying as gain in Philippians 1:21-24;
4. Salvation
Christ's death is the only ground of our salvation."Now He (Jesus) has appeared to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself..Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people. (Hebrews 9:26;) "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised for our justification. Salvation cannot be earned as a reward! "He saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy." (Titus 3:5; Romans 6:23; 2 Timothy 1:9)! Salvation is by faith alone and only by the grace of God! "He who believes has eternal life. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith alone apart from the works of the law." (John 3:16; John 6:37; John 20:21; Romans 3:28;)
My purpose throughout these studies is only to declare what God says about these important and urgent matters. Many have been heading in the wrong direction and needed to change direction. That is what repentance is all about. A changing of ones mind affecting a change in direction. (Matthew 11:28-30;)
May God have spoken through His spoken Word, the gospel is a life changing event and if you are open to listen to God and follow Him , not a person or an organisation but simply come to the Scriptures and have God speak to you directly from His Holy Word. His living active Word. May God take the scales from eyes and impart spiritual life to you the listener and reader and impart the work of His Holy Spirit in you and as a result may you know refreshing times from the Presence of the Lord beginning in your life today. May the living Jesus Christ become a living reality to you from now on.
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** Disclaimer: The author of this article, Jim Allis, is a guest podcaster and Partakers may or may not agree with his opinions and writings, either in their entirety or part thereof.
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Monday Jan 01, 2018
Monday Jan 01, 2018
Happy New Year!
As we celebrate the New Year, let us now say a series of short prayers to God, dedicating each day of 2018 to Him!
- A prayer for the New Year
- Confession of sins
- Prayer of Thanksgiving
- Prayer for those who are lonely and grieving
- Prayer for those looking for paid employment
- General prayer Prayer from the book of Jude
Come on in, listen/download to the audio and let's pray together!
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Monday Dec 25, 2017
Monday Dec 25, 2017
Christmas People
5. Jesus
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him.
11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, ‘This is the one I spoke about when I said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”’)
16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
(John 1:1-18)
Happy Christmas Day! Today we have arrived and, hopefully, are giving some thought to the spiritual meaning of this celebration. This is Christ’s Mass. It’s about God sending ‘his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.’ Those words are found in 1 John 4:9, and are closely followed in verse 14 by these words, ‘The Father has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.’ As was hinted in the last talk, about the visit of the Magi, Christmas is about incarnation. Listen to or download the mp3 to hear more about this most extraordinary man we know as Jesus Christ - no longer a baby...
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Sunday Dec 24, 2017
Sunday Dec 24, 2017
Christmas People
4. Wise Men / Magi
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
5 ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written:
6 ‘“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
(Matthew 2:1-12)
These men were travelling towards Christmas and probably for quite a long time, for it seems they originated in what we now call Iran but used to call Persia. These Wise Men, or as they are also known as Magi, were sort of priestly group - not kings, as is usually supposed in traditional Christmas presentations. They were men who studied the night skies for signs of what was going to happen. We would label them astrologers today, however they were much more than that. Listen to or download the mp3 to hear more about these mysterious visitors from the East!…
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