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Episodes
Friday Aug 04, 2017
Friday Aug 04, 2017
Friday Prayers
4 August 2017
A prayer of John Wycliffe
A prayer for faith and courage
2 Corinthians 12:10 - That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
O loving Christ, draw me, weak as I am, to your side,
for if you do not draw me, I can never follow you.
Give me a brave spirit,
so that it may always stand ready and strong.
And when my flesh is weak,
let your grace go before me,
come beside me,
and follow after me,
for without you, I can do nothing —
least of all suffer pain or death.
Grant me a fearless heart,
a true faith,
a firm hope,
and a perfect love,
so that for your sake
I may lay down my life with patience and joy.
Amen
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Monday Jul 31, 2017
Monday Jul 31, 2017
Think Spot - 31July 2017
G'day! Welcome to Partakers and the start of new week!.
Jesus is Unique
Did you know there are a group of forgotten people within the Church? A group of people, who are Christian, yet in the vast majority of cases, are generally forgotten about, marginalised and often patronised. These people want to be involved in Church, attend a Church worship service and use their gifts and talents within the Church, to the glory of God - and yet often, as I said, at best forgotten about and at worst, patronised.
I am talking about those people who are Christians, but are stuck in their home for most of the time due to debilitating illness for example. You may be one of these yourself or you will know somebody who is.
They are people, yet often are pretty much dehumanised and depersonalised. I wonder how the Church you lead or attend, helps them to play a part in the life of the Church? How does the Church give them an interactive worship service, if indeed, they do at all?
This is a growing issue for the Church as a whole. God accepts them as His children, wants them to worship Him with others, has given them gifts and talents to be used for His glory and the building up of His Kingdom. Yet, as I have said, these Christians, these people, are at best forgotten about.
If you are one of these Christians, or you know of somebody who is, then please do all you can to help them use their talents and to also take an interactive worship service to them in their own home! It can be done, because I have done it myself. Pray to God to expand your imagination and see how you can help others this way on this issue! Contact me here and I will help if I can or please do visit ICanTGoToChurch.com
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Saturday Jul 29, 2017
Saturday Jul 29, 2017
Part 107 - 1 John 2:15-17
The World
John said, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (2:15-17). He was addressing the society of his day. When he spoke of ‘the world’ he was referring to the human world in which he lived, as did the people over whom he had pastoral care. We would usually call that ‘our society’. Our problem in understanding what he said is, of course, that we do not live in the same society as he did. The facets of our society that people say that we may fall in love with, and should not, are: sex, money and power. Quite how those relate to John’s three facets I do not know but that does not matter because what matters to us is our society and not theirs. John has pointed us very strongly to a principle – of loving something in our world more than we do the Lord our God.
A further problem for me writing this is that you, my listeners and readers, live all round the world in many different societies. That means your situation will differ according to where you are although human nature is such that there will be many common factors wherever you are. Western society all round the world is changing rapidly and that is a further source of problem for us. Most other societies are being dragged along behind the Western developments, not least because of the Internet.
We need to be careful. It is not the case that what our parents thought and did was Christian and the oncoming culture pervading our society is not, or less so, though it often looks that way to us. We have been said to be living in a post-Christian society. That certainly looks to be true but it will still be far from as anti-Christian as the society John’s people were living in. Whatever I say here the most important thing is that we, all of us, have to work out what is God honouring in our day and generation. If we then manage, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to take that as the commands of the Lord and to follow them we shall be doing all that it is possible to do and we shall be displaying our love for the Lord. If we do not think these things out or if, having done so, we fail to follow the lines our conscience has mapped out for us we will have fallen short of the standards the Lord expects of us.
John talks about ‘the lust of the flesh’. That is referring to our sexual drive. That we all have to a greater or lesser extent. There is nothing wrong with the drive. The errors, the sins, may arise from the ways we use it. Attempts have been made to suppress it in some societies but the usual outcome is a great deal of hypocrisy with society leaders making claims about how good their society is when a great deal of the sexual behaviour has just been driven underground. The practice in some societies of delaying marriage until the man is well established is not at all helpful.
Even more than with sexuality there is difficulty over money. We all need to earn a living for our family and ourselves. That must be done. Only a very small percentage of any population can depend on the charitable giving of others for its sustenance. The critical thing is the question of ‘love’. We need sufficient money to keep us going. We do not need a vast surplus even if that will let us do many exciting and desirable things. We need a house. We do not need an enormous mansion or a second house for our holidays. We need to be good stewards of what we have and that need not include the gathering a superabundance of possessions.
Power is not so obviously sort by everybody, though it is curious how those who have no real power outside their household may act in ways that ensure they are the ones with power within the household.
There are so many ways we can demonstrate our love for some aspect of the world. And the real trouble is that, as John says, if we do so we are showing traits that do not come from the Father.
Many Christians used to think the solution was to withdraw from the world into a monastery, or a nunnery or some small Christian group. That is not the teaching of the New Testament. Living in the world may be tough, but it is what we are to do. Jesus, in John 17, says ‘we are still in the world’, ‘we are not of the world’, ‘we have been sent into the world’ and he prays that ‘we may be protected from the evil one’.
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Friday Jul 28, 2017
Friday Jul 28, 2017
Friday Prayers
28 July 2017
A prayer of John Wycliffe
A prayer for the presence of Jesus
Luke 24:29 - But they urged him strongly, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them.
My Lord, from here on never leave me,
but stay and dwell with me;
for your presence is my only comfort and consolation,
just as your absence is my only sorrow.
O Holy Spirit, come into my heart,
and draw me so near to God,
that the things of the world may be as nothing to me.
Inflame my heart with your love,
and there let it burn without ceasing.
Come, I pray, for you are my true joy,
my only desire,
and my sweetest love.
Amen.
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Monday Jul 24, 2017
Monday Jul 24, 2017
Think Spot - 24 July 2017
G'day! Welcome to Partakers and the start of new week!.
Romans 1:1-5
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God- the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake.
Jesus is Unique
The man of history who we know as Jesus Christ is unique - totally and completely unique! Never before and never to be repeated again - ever! Jesus Christ is the standout person from all of history! He is embedded resolutely in human history. In all of human history, Jesus Christ is incomparable!
Yet in human form, we read that during his earthly ministry he had no physical beauty that would draw people naturally to himself. We read that Jesus' body on the cross was disfigured and tortured beyond that of human likeness. His perfect life, His salvation work on the cross and His subsequent rising from the dead, is what makes Jesus Christ unique - a once and for all lifetime Messiah or Saviour for the entire world!
This great God of creation, stepping into His creation as a human, with the purpose of reconciling the world back to Himself! WOW!! Jesus' uniqueness meaning I can have an active and dynamic relationship with God. As you go into this week may your relationship with God be active and dynamic! Go and thank Jesus Christ for his uniqueness which allows this to occur.
Prayer
Father, we thank you for Jesus Christ your Son! We thank you that because of Him, we can enter into a dynamic and active relationship with you! We ask this prayer and give you praise, through your Son and in the power of the Holy Spirit who lives inside all those who are following! Amen!
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Saturday Jul 22, 2017
Saturday Jul 22, 2017
Part 106 - 1 John 2:12-14
Who was left out?
Now for something completely different! John was writing for his age and generation so his 6 reasons for writing are all directed to males. I am sure that had he been writing in the 21st century instead of the 1st he would have directed some of his comments to females as well. Otherwise more than half his listeners and readers would have switched off! All we can do is try to help him out. I have done so by writing 6 paragraphs that he might have written in our day and generation – so different in many ways from his and even the one that the older ones amongst us grew up in.
This time, therefore, you have more to do than just read what I have written. Your tasks are these:
1. Do you agree?
2. Which would you accept into a modern scripture?
3. Can you think of any better ones that you think should be included?
Here are my efforts:
I am writing to you, mothers and grandmothers, because you are the basic foundations of your families and play such a huge role in its success or failure.
I am writing to you older women, because you tend to be the prayer warriors who support your local churches most.
I am writing to you single women, because on you falls the greatest pressure of our rapidly changing cultures, particularly in relation to sexual behaviour, the development of relationships and the new family structures that are emerging.
I am writing to you single women, because you have such an important role in society in relating to children and the ill as teachers and nurses and in your personal skills in the workplace.
I am writing to you school girls, because you have such a difficult time resisting the onward and downward march of modern cultures
I am writing to you school girls, because you have to decide what of the wisdom of the ages you should keep in the face of so many developments in sexual behaviour, celebrity based culture and communication technology.
Well? What do you make of it? Where else is there a great need to write to women and girls? Where else are the main difficulties they face in life, perhaps different ones from those us guys have to cope with?
Think, pray and learn.
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Friday Jul 21, 2017
Friday Jul 21, 2017
Friday Prayers
21 July 2017
A prayer of John Wycliffe
A prayer for grace
James 3:17 - But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
Lord, give me grace to hold righteousness in all things,
that I may lead a clean and blessed life, and wisely flee evil.
Help me to understand the treacherous deceit of the devil,
so that I may not be fooled by any of his lies.
Make me mild, peaceable, considerate, and self-controlled,
so that I may act sincerely for the good of others.
And make me steadfast and strong.
Finally, Lord, let me be quiet in words,
so that I may not speak foolishly, but only what is appropriate.
Amen
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Monday Jul 17, 2017
Monday Jul 17, 2017
Think Spot 17 July 2017
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 go into this new year of 2017, 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 Jul 15, 2017
Saturday Jul 15, 2017
Gems in the Letter of 1 John
Part 105 - 1 John 2:12-14
Why John Wrote...
These are rather strange verses both in the format they are in and their content. John says ‘I am writing to you’ 3 times to children, fathers and young men; then he goes on to say ‘I write’ or ‘I wrote’ 3 times to the same 3 groups of people. (We will consider the people he does not write to next time!) To pick 2 examples: he says to the third group in each case: ‘I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one’ and ‘I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.’ Fine, but it is hard to see why he should say what he did to each of those groups and not one of the others. The young men are physically strong but are they spiritually strong? And the same sort of questions can be raised against each of the other statements.
Two things follow from that observation. First we should not be at all concerned about what was said to each specific group but take it that all the statements are addressed to all the groups. Secondly, and directly following from that comment is the observation that John considered all the church to be involved in what he was saying and requiring. This is not what most modern churches do. We split things up. Children go to Sunday School. Young people go to their separate meetings, possibly not even attending the main fellowship meetings very often. We have Ladies Fellowships etc. Of course we have to live as a fellowship in our culture and not in theirs and the two cultures will be radically different wherever you may be in the world listening to or reading this. A significant part of leading a church or any sort of fellowship has to be working out, with the guidance of the Spirit, what is best and most effective in a particular situation. Not all answers will be the same. There is plenty of room in the world for us all, reflecting as we do many different attitudes to worship and service. There should be straightforward main line churches emphasising Biblical teaching as well as charismatic churches leaning much more heavily on experience in every place. Things go wrong when churches split apart for social and inter personal reasons rather than any genuine desire to cater for different people and different personalities.
The clear teaching of this passage is that all sorts and branches of the followers of Jesus are to have a common source of authority. It is variously described in these few verses as ‘him who is from the beginning’, ‘the Father’ and ‘the word of God’. No one of the parts of John’s threefold division is given any priority in these authority statements. All, from the infant part of the Sunday School to the senior elders meetings has any other authority basis.
What about the place where you worship? Has due concern been given to where the source of authority comes from? Or is it the case in practice, if not in principle, that the real source of authority comes from one charismatic (in the non-religious meaning of that word) personality? That is all too often the way it is and it is ultimately disastrous for the long-term continuing life of the fellowship.
Have you given proper thought to what happens in your place? Have you taken any steps to ensure that the place has a proper basis?
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Friday Jul 14, 2017
Friday Jul 14, 2017
Partakers Friday Prayers
14 July 2017
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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