G‘day! 🌟 Welcome to Partakers Christian Podcasts! Tune in for Bible Teaching, Bible Readings, Worship, Prayer, and Church History. Our mission on Podbean is to enable and encourage you on your faith journey. Come listen, interact, and be inspired!
Episodes
Monday Feb 22, 2016
Monday Feb 22, 2016
Think Spot - 22 February 2016
I have discovered that as the mind is renewed and transformed, what the mind learns is put into practice, and life is being transformed. Life transformation is a great hope. This hope is an unending hope, which will enable us to endure to the end and run the race of life with God.
Learning about what you believe and why, is important is so that you will be able to discern true teaching from the false teaching of heretics and those who want to lead you astray from the truth. Experiences and miracles are important, but to base Christian life upon them, and not on solid biblical doctrine, produces a rollercoaster effect and not the constant reliance on the indwelling Holy Spirit for direction, guidance and trust. As a starting point check out my own books at http://www.pulptheology.co.uk and on Amazon sites, which will help your thinking.
Right mouse click here to download as a MP3 audio 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 20, 2016
Saturday Feb 20, 2016
Part 21: John 5:19
The Royal Apprentice
These 2 verses have been described as the only parable in John’s Gospel. Jesus describes himself as an apprentice.
I well remember going to get something done to the tyres of my car in Lahore, Pakistan. All the preparatory work for the difficult task requiring the strong hand of a grown man were carried out by a lad, about 12 years old, clearly working at the instruction of the man who was his father. It was no formal apprenticeship but he was clearly learning the trade and would eventually follow his father and take over from him the little business they had under the trees at the side of the road. Here is Jesus describing himself as working under the direction of his Father, except that there is no question here of his hands being weaker than the Father’s or of him having to grow up and take over their joint enterprise.
The most basic and important point this episode is making concerns Jesus. He is on a level with the Creator God. He is God’s equal, his co-worker. Yet Jesus was a man walking this earth. This is his answer to the perpetual question: who is Jesus, what was, and is, Jesus. He is the Son of God; he is his working apprentice here on earth.
But there is another point that speaks directly to us: if we seek to follow Jesus we must be his apprentices. And where does that idea sit alongside the more common one of discipleship? Apprenticeship is about doing, practical work experience; discipleship is about education, sitting at the feet of a teacher and learning, gaining knowledge. Which are we to be? One of them or both of them? I think the right answer is both, but we will probably, according to our personality and preferences, tend towards one more than the other. Although one writer rightly says “if theology (the study of God and his word) does not stretch our minds it probably wont stretch our lives.”
This is where an element of self-knowledge is important. What sort of person are you? Are you good at being a disciple, at sitting at the feet of Scripture, studying, learning, growing in grace and knowledge? Or are you more of the activist type – keen to get out there and do things: help people, evangelize people, work in the church etc. if you can see which sort of person you are (friends are a great help here) go for it – make sure you maximize your gifting.
But at the same time be careful not to neglect your weaker aspect. If you are a disciple type, make sure you also do things; work as an apprentice of the greatest tradesman of all times, don’t be one who learns just to hold their knowledge close to their chest. If you are an apprentice type, make sure you also learn the ways of the kingdom; don’t neglect the books, particularly the Bible, so that you do not become merely a do-gooder with most of your activity having only the most tenuous connection with your Christian profession.
Be balanced – walk straight – walk the right way – carry a good burden.
Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file
~You can now purchase our Partakers books including Roger's latest - Finding the Way in AD100!
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 19, 2016
Friday Feb 19, 2016
Partakers Friday Prayers!
19th February 2016
We pray together and when Christians pray together, including across the internet and from different times, different nations, different churches and different denominations - that reveals Church unity!
Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.
Amen
(A prayer of Sir Francis Drake)
Right mouse click to save this as a MP3 file.
You can now purchase our books!
Please do click here to visit our Amazon site!
Click on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
Thursday Feb 18, 2016
Thursday Feb 18, 2016
God in the midst of pain - Love Never Fails
Lynn McKenzie knows what it's like to face the many heartbreaking challenges life can throw our way. She knows, too, that there is One who wants to comfort and strengthen us. As you read Lynn's book, you, too, will discover that Love Never Fails You...
Stephanie Nickel, freelance writer and editor "Suffering in life is common to many people, creating heartbreak and despair. It is my desire that "Love Never Fails You..." will bring encouragement and hope to those who are hurting with life's trials and/or grief.
Lynn McKenzie loves to sing a capella (without music) and is a first-time book author with the creation of "Love Never Fails You..." She enjoys writing a daily blog entry in Life with Lynnie. Lynn works as a realtor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She has had a varied employment history and has done volunteer work in an effort to help others, including teaching English as a Second Language (ESL).
Lynn is a survivor of many life experiences, including divorce, injury, health concerns, family problems and issues, grief and more. During her lifetime, she has learned how to overcome and who to turn to in times of need, and is looking forward to supporting others as an inspirational speaker.
Her book "Love Never Fails" is available on Amazon!
If you have found this helpful, please do let us know how it has helped your own journey of faith. You can do this by leaving a comment below! Thank you.
Right mouse click here to download as a MP3 audio 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!
Monday Feb 15, 2016
Monday Feb 15, 2016
Think Spot - 15 February 2016
But please don't assume you know how to show your love and care for them. Ask them how you can show your love and care for them in practise... We are also to love the whole person and to take care of the whole person. We are to care for their whole well-being: their spiritual, physical, emotional, social and mental well-being.
Quite often, we neglect one of those areas. The whole person matters to God. He cares for the whole person. Therefore so must we. How will you refine your love of other people now that you are aware? Go and love. Love others - all others - an every facet of the other person - spiritual, physical, emotional, social and mental well-being...
Right mouse click here to download as a MP3 audio 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 13, 2016
Saturday Feb 13, 2016
Part 20: John 5:pb
Law or Mercy
Jewish thinking of those days had come down to three main points to identify Judaism and – as they thought – the people of God: circumcision of males, obedience to the food laws, and strict keeping of the Sabbath as a day of rest. Both most of the food laws and the details of Sabbath keeping were defined by the religious authorities. So this was very much their territory and they reacted strongly to what Jesus had done; “the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”
Jesus had two clear purposes in what he did. The first was a general one: he wanted to remind them that, in the words of Micah: “what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” It is easy to miss the full meaning of those words. They say that the way to worship and serve the Lord is to treat our fellow human beings well. That is not what other religions say. They want us to carry out specific rituals directed towards their view of god. According to them we are to live certain ways, dress certain ways, pray in a prescribed format the correct number of times a day and so on. And the Jews had fallen into that trap; and many of them remain in it to this day.
Jesus says “no, that is not the way to worship and serve God the Father”, loud and clear. What really matters are relationships and we express our relationships with the Lord God very largely by our relationships with other people. That idea goes right back a long way. Of the ten commandments only the first four are concerned with us and God, the remaining six are about how we relate to other people.
Jesus’ second purpose is to announce loudly and clearly to his time and culture that he is different. He makes the rules; he has made the rules, though they did not recognize that, so he is above and beyond the often rather silly rules that they have constructed out of the Bible ( the Old Testament). He is God, walking this earth in disguise as it were. He is going to set up a new people of God in a new Kingdom, his Kingdom. That is going to cause a lot of problems in Jerusalem, particularly, and bring him to the Cross on which he would die as the one and only Son of God and true, faithful Israelite.
We will explore something of the implications of this second point – who Jesus was, and is, in following studies. The first point: the importance of relationships, all relationships, with God and other people, is there for us all to think about, take on board, and struggle with all our days.
Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file
~You can now purchase our Partakers books including Roger's latest - Finding the Way in AD100!
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 12, 2016
Friday Feb 12, 2016
Partakers Friday Prayers!
12th February 2016
We pray together and when Christians pray together, including across the internet and from different times, different nations, different churches and different denominations - that reveals Church unity!
Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.
Amen
(A prayer of Sir Francis Drake)
Right mouse click to save this as a MP3 file.
You can now purchase our books!
Please do click here to visit our Amazon site!
Click on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!
Monday Feb 08, 2016
Monday Feb 08, 2016
Think Spot - 8 February 2016
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
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 06, 2016
Saturday Feb 06, 2016
Part 19: John 5:6
A curious question
Jesus asked the invalid man lying by the well “Do you want to get well?” which seems a very odd question. Wouldn’t anyone want to get well? One possible explanation is that this man is a sort of professional beggar; similar to those you can see in some cities to this day. They rely on the charity of passers-by to put enough money in their begging bowl each day to keep them going.
This man must have had somebody to put him there each morning and take him home at night, feed him and keep him reasonably tidy and respectable. He might even have belonged to a family of beggars; some of who even go to the lengths of deliberately crippling their young children to give them the necessary problems to justify their begging in later life. If Jesus heals him he will lose the source of his livelihood and need to do something to earn his living, upsetting the whole pattern of his life that has gone on for 38 years. Would he even be able to walk any distance? His muscles will be almost non-existent after all those years with minimal use. It is a serious step he is contemplating taking. If this is indeed the case it would also explain why Jesus, meeting him later, says, “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The word for ‘sinning’ here is not the word for serious moral failure but one that can mean no more than miss the mark or be mistaken, which would fit in with the idea that Jesus thinks he is simply living a poor life which could be much better.
What about us? Does Jesus ever have to ask us if we want to get well? Or are we quite happy living a life at a much lower level that we are capable of? We are ‘born again’, OK, but perhaps talk of commitment makes us cringe away. Jesus said to a man, “Follow me.” But he got some poor answers; the last of which was “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
If we have set out to follow Jesus we must be prepared to follow him wherever he may lead us. There will be no question of ‘do you want to get well.’ We are committed - so we follow him. We are not told about how difficult this man found walking was; did he have a problem with his balance; did his legs feel like jelly under him; did he fall over after a very few steps; what did he say to the people, probably his family, who had supported him and expected a financial return from their work, when he got home that night and had to explain that they would not get any more money from his begging?
Following Jesus is not simply a way of getting an easy ride through life; it may well mean tough things to do, apparently insurmountable obstacles in front of us, a need to keep going, to persevere come what may; to follow his call wherever it may take us.
Keep at it. In the long term it is worth it; and even if it wasn’t he is the Lord of all and it is worth doing for his sake alone. These days we are often encouraged too much to ‘follow Jesus’ purely for the sake of the benefits it will bring us. Yes, it does bring us benefits but if he is, and was, the Creator of the world ought we not to be prepared to follow him for his sake – because of who he is - not because of anything for ourselves. Think about it!
Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file
~You can now purchase our Partakers books including Roger's latest - Finding the Way in AD100!
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 05, 2016
Friday Feb 05, 2016
Partakers Friday Prayers!
5th February 2016
We pray together and when Christians pray together, including across the internet and from different times, different nations, different churches and different denominations - that reveals Church unity!
O eternal Father of lights
from whom all good and perfect gifts come,
you who from whom we receive
the spiritual light and all good and perfect gifts,
and for the sake of Jesus Christ,
your beloved child,
master of heaven and earth,
who glorifies your will
and before whom all of us will one day appear to be judged,
and in whose name we must be saved,
for there is only one grace,
that of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and none other.
May the name of Christ be praised, now and forever.
Amen.
(A prayer of Mennon Simons)
Right mouse click to save this as a MP3 file.
You can now purchase our books!
Please do click here to visit our Amazon site!
Click on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!