Partakers Christian Podcasts

Resurrection Tap or click here to save this Podcast as a MP3. Resurrection means rising or raising up.  It certainly means more than coming back to life as some people think.  Jesus raised three people from the dead, but that was more a resuscitation than a resurrection - those three people would die again! So lets start by looking at Jesus' resurrection. Jesus' Resurrection The resurrection of Jesus Christ provides the central theme for the sermons and teaching in the early church (Acts 1v22; Acts 4v33, Acts 17v18).  But what significance is there in Jesus' resurrection? Jesus' resurrection proves and vindicates all of His teaching.  It certifies His claims to be the suffering Servant, just as it attests to His being fully God and the last Judge of all mankind (Isaiah 53v10-12; Acts 2v36; Acts 3v13-15; Romans 1v4). God's approval of Jesus obedient service and the fulfilment of all the Old Testament promises is declared through the resurrection.  The result of which, is forgiveness of

Holiness I wonder what the biggest fence, wall or barrier is that you have either seen or that you know about! Perhaps one of the biggest walls in the world is the Great Wall of China. It is seen from space and is over 4000 miles long, about 25 feet high and up to 30 feet thick! It is huge and enormous!! It was built to keep out invaders – for that is what walls and barriers do: Keep out enemies! Holy Barrier However big the Great Wall of China is, there is one barrier that is even bigger! I wonder if you know what it is!! The biggest barrier to exist is the one, which separates God from all His creation. This barrier is holiness, for God is a holy God. Ezekiel 1v27-28 gives us a vivid picture of the holiness of God and is seen in the fire, light, radiance, full of glory and majesty. What is holiness? Holiness is what separates God from all His creation. For God alone is holy and full of glory. Exodus 15v2 “Who is like you, O God, glorious in holiness!” Or Isaiah 60v25 “To whom w

  Words In Scripture Explored – Salvation Salvation! What is it? Salvation means a rescue or having been saved!  As humans, from the time we are born, we inherit a sinful nature and are alienated from God.  But God has seen fit to offer a way back into relationship with Him, so that we may no longer be alienated from Him!  This offer of relationship is a result of Jesus, who was both fully God and fully man, dying on the cross. Who decides who is saved? The question “Who decides the saved?” has been asked for centuries!! There are two extremist views – one view says, “God has decided who is saved and nothing can be done about it.” The other view says that God will grant salvation to all. But we need to see these two views in the balance of Scripture. Firstly God does choose individuals to fulfil His purposes (Romans 9) and He chooses those who are, or will be, saved (John 15v16). These chosen ones are called the elect. However, it is also His will th

Repentance I wonder what you think the word, “Repentance” means.   The dictionary defines repentance as Feel pain, or regret for something done or not done; · Change your mind, or conduct, because of regret; · Having sorrow or regret over an action or inaction. And this is of course partly true!  But for the Christian, Repentance means more than these! Repentance is a voluntary change in mind, in which the person turns from a life of sin to living a life of righteousness.  “Repent!”  Cried the Roman officer to his soldiers!  In other words, turn around now! The importance of repentance was central to the teaching of Jesus (Matthew 4v17; Mark 1v15); John the Baptist (Matthew 3v1-2); The Apostles (Acts 2v38; 20v21); Commanded by God (Acts 17v30); God’s will that all people repent (2 Peter 3v9; 1 Timothy 2v4) Repentance is done in three spheres: a) Mind (Intellect) - recognition of personal sinfulness and guilt before God (Psalm 51v3; Ro

Propitiation   When I talk to people I often hear things like, God is love, so I don’t have to worry about my own lifestyle or my morals, because God is love.  When I die, He will accept me as I am providing I have tried your best.  And of course that is partly true!  God is indeed a God of love.  But we must also remember that towards sin and sinful behaviour, He has great fury, anger and wrath (Psalm 7v11; Jeremiah 21v5). Nothing we say or do can appease His hatred of sin and sinful lifestyles.  Nothing we can do is able to appease God’s anger, because His anger toward sin is unquenchable.  Unquenchable that is, except for one thing. Tap or click here to save/download this question as a MP3 file This word, propitiation, basically means the turning aside of God's anger by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  All God's anger and judgment of sin falls on Jesus Christ, instead of us.  But in order to accept it for yourself, you need to approach God to

Sacrifice   Tap or click here to download this audio file as an mp3   In the Old Testament, the people of Israel were to make sacrificial offerings to God, in order to worship and have fellowship with Him. For without sacrifice, nobody could enter God’s presence! But what does all this have to do with us in the 21st century. In the book of Leviticus, God commanded that the cleansing of a defiled house required sprinkling with a mixture of blood and ‘living’ water, the bird having been slain over the water (Leviticus 14v51). Elsewhere we read of the ‘water of cleansing’ (Numbers 19), which is also called ‘living water’. This was water that had been sprinkled with the ashes of a young cow, and was kept aside for purification by sprinkling those who had touched a dead body. In both cases, this water had been cleansed by the shedding of blood and sacrifice. The cleansing was to be through the blood of sacrifice, applied through the sprinkled water. For there i

Prayer For A Broken Country by Sue Goodall Dear Lord, Let others see in me: An ounce of love; A millilitre of kindness; A drop of hope; The tiniest flame of Something different. ~ Dear Lord, Help me to be: A reservoir of love; A resource of kindness; A ray of hope; The tiniest reveal of Something enviable. ~ Dear Lord, Let others meeting me: Be open to see; Open to hear; And open to ask All that they need to know To meet you themselves. Amen Tap or click here to save this as a mp3 file About Sue Goodall I was born in 1963 in Enfield and love writing, painting and singing. (Singing Grade V and clarinet grade VIII). Not to mention photography. I am a mum of one teen daughter and have two rescue cats. The three of them are very much loved and central to my life, as is my faith... I became a Christian when I was eighteen. It's been a rollercoaster ride but without Him, well.... I LOVE the written word and find poetry can say - in my own, private opinion - so much more in such a few words. It can paint a metaphori

WISE - Disciple Tap or click to save/download this Podcast as a MP3 file The concept of a Disciple was not new in the time of Jesus Christ. Christian Discipleship as evidenced in the New Testament has three primary sources. Old Testament Old Testament prophets such as Samuel (1 Samuel 19vv20-24), Elijah (2 Kings 4v1), and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36v32) all had disciples. These disciples saw the prophets as their master and this thinking was throughout the society of Israel. Take for example Isaiah, who refers to the people around him as disciples, where the relationship is primarily educational (Isaiah 8v16). The disciples referred to here were not only followers of Isaiah, but also of God. The relationship was based on a reciprocal support in order to reveal what the Lord was saying to Israel. Greek culture Classic Greek literature refers to disciples in three senses: learner (general), adherent (technical) and institutional (restricted). For those who were in the adherent context, they followed rules set by the

Forgiveness Tap or click here to download this MP3 What is forgiveness? True forgiveness is not just saying sorry!! Forgiveness is to include penitence and also a desire never to do that same thing again. Forgiveness of course is a major part of Christianity, both in the way that God forgives when approached in penitence and repentance, but also in the way Christians forgive others and themselves! In both giving and receiving forgiveness, consider Jesus Christ and the enormity of His forgiveness. Paul writes in Colossians 3v12-14 that forgiveness is part of being in God’s family of Christians! If God forgave you for all that you have done wrong, then you also should forgive others, regardless of how difficult that might be to do. Nobody said it would always be easy though! Forgiveness enables you to have the same openness toward the person after they offend you, as you did before the event – if not more! When you truly forgive the person who has wronged you, any hurt you have will diminish. Receiv

Serving As Christian Disciples, we are called to a life of serving God and other people. You are not alone, but part of a larger body where each member is called to perform a serving function. By serving others as a Christian Disciple, it shows unity and solidarity to those outside of the church who frequently accuse the church of infighting and “devouring one another”. Serving The Christian life is to be dynamic and active. The word “servant” is key in Scripture and is used at least 500 times in its various forms. When a Christian Disciple serves, God’s honour is released, and shows Jesus Christ’s beauty and glory, to those being served and to those watching. That is to be your motive for service. Serving is never to be about what you and I can get out of it. When that is the motive, God is not glorified. God’s glory and the total supremacy of Jesus over all things, is to be the goal in the life of all Christian Disciples. Spiritual Growth Comes From Serving If yo

Peace Tap or click here to save/download this question as a MP3 file The world we live in, wants peace! The world is unified around the concept of peace! However, the peace the world wants requires the manipulation of circumstances. God's peace, however, comes regardless of circumstances. Definition of Peace: 'Shalom' was the Hebrew word used in the Old Testament. It means a wholeness of well-being & mind; the total absence of conflict and turmoil evidenced by an untroubled mind and a heart that does not fear! It is total harmony with God, man, circumstances & self. That is true peace! History of Peace The end of peace was when Adam sinned and fellowship was broken with God and between humans. 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). Jesus is referred to as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9v6). As a Christian Disciples, you have peace with God through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection! There are three scopes of pe

Partake - Words in Scripture Explored - Remember The ability to remember is a wonderful gift of God to all people! Memories can bring about the full gamut of emotions -sadness, bitterness, anger, joy, ecstasy and love! I wonder what your ability to remember is like! Perhaps you are like me, and your memory sometimes fails. Sometimes I will think I have remembered something, but it turns out to be a false memory of an event that never occurred. Or other times I will forget to remember something, and then miss out on something important! So I have learnt to write things down, in order to remember! As a Christian, sin still tries to entangle us, but remembering certain things will help the Christian to live a righteous Christian life. One of the reasons why we still sin after becoming Christians is because we forget who we are! By remembering who you are as a Christian, not only will you behave as a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ, but you will have the assurance, only a living and dynamic relationship brings

Truth Truth! What is truth? Today we hear consistently that there are no absolute truths anymore! We hear all the time that for twenty first century people "What is true for me may not be true to you! What is true for you may not be true for me?" So what is truth? Facts may be either true or false - an intellectual truth. An example would be that Moses existed as a person. That is a true fact. Or it could used to define a characteristic of a reliable person, such as Joseph's brothers in Genesis 42:16. These are also used to describe God as a true God, rather than the pagan gods belonging to the nations around Israel. Truth or being true, is described as a characteristic of Yahweh, the God of Israel. God is consistently true and therefore trustworthy in all His ways. God's loving care is trustworthy and seen in His dealings with Israel. In the New Testament, Christianity is seen as Truth (Galatians 2:5; Ephesians 1:13)! Indeed Jesus said that He was the only truth, the only life and the only way to God. Jesus

God’s Whisperings n Roars The Bible As A Basis Of Faith Words are our prime means of communication. We think in words, reason in words, talk in words, joke in words, write in words and speak in words. We listen to words as they are spoken. We read words written. There are about 7000 different languages in use globally, as well as untold dead languages. Humans have always communicated to each other in some way with the use of words. It is part of being God’s creation! It is also part of how we are like God, for God is a communicator! Indeed, Jesus being the Word of God, is very how the apostle John starts off his gospel. As for myself, God has whispered His roaring love for me and that I am His beloved and adopted child. The Bible tells me so. The Bible! Bible readings are from: Leviticus 20:22-26; Psalm 119:105-112; James 1:22-27; 2 Peter 1:16-21 Listen to the audio to discover more about the Bible and how and why it is a basis for our Christian faith! This is the whole Church service including songs, Bible

Words In Scripture Explored - Judgment There is certainty of judgment - He will judge the whole world with justice (Acts 17v31). Who is the Judge? Almighty God is the judge of all the earth (Hebrews 12v23). God the Father has given all judgment to the Son, Jesus Christ (John 5v22-27)! All of humanity is destined to die once and after that to face judgment (Hebrews 9v27). But what kind of judgment, and for which kind of people? Judgment of unbelievers For all those who do not profess Jesus Christ as Lord and God in this earthly life, judgment will come to them. They will appear before the great white throne of Judgment (Revelation 20v11-15) to give an account for their sin and wickedness. Because they have no righteousness of their own to pay for their life of sin and wickedness, they will be cast into the lake of fire with satan and his angels (Revelation 20v15; Matthew 25v41). This punishment is eternal (Matthew 25v46). Judgment of Christians There will also be a judgment for all those who profess Jesus Chr

Partake WISE - Shepherd Right mouse click to save this Podcast as a MP3. What is a Shepherd A shepherd is somebody who leads, teaches and cares for people. Are not all Christians commanded to lead people back to God and also help others along the way? That is the role of a shepherd. Of course the prime example of a Shepherd is that of Jesus Christ - the Great Shepherd. How God and Jesus are Shepherds In Psalm 23, we see that God is our shepherd. The quality, characteristics and activities of God Himself, are those of a shepherd. Jesus Christ said in John 10v10, that He gives His life that all those who follow Him, will have it more abundantly. Jesus as the Great Shepherd came to earth in order to bring sheep back into the fold; that is to bring people back into a full relationship with God. Jesus here in John 10, is looking ahead to His death on the cross as a means of facilitating the way for people to come back into a living relationship with God. The focus in Hebrews 13v20-21 is on the Good Shepherd, Jesu

Stewardship Stewardship is defined as the exercise of responsible care over possessions or gifts entrusted to them by God! The New Testament word "steward" derives from the Greek word - oikonomos. This word meant somebody who was the manager of a household and also supervised all the resources of his master. Hebrews 3:1-6 describes the concept of stewardship. All those who would call themselves followers of Jesus, are called to be stewards and live a life of stewardship! You are God's chosen steward, if you call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ. A house in Scripture, in its context, denotes a family (1 Timothy 3v15; 1 Peter 2v5; 1 Peter 4v10-17). Every Christian Disciple is a member of the house of Jesus Christ. The concept of stewardship derives from this: Jesus Christ is the head of the house, and all those who follow Him, live in the house and are stewards (Ephesians 4v7-16). Two prime qualifications for stewardship are faithfulness & wisdom. What are Christian Disciples stewards over? In the Parab

Baptism Jesus came and told His Disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make Disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new Disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Baptism is commanded for all who believe in Jesus (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38) and it naturally followed after conversion (Acts 2:37; Acts 10:47; Acts 16:33). But what does it mean? What is baptism? Christian Disciples are baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3), and into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is to show a total identification with Jesus Christ, whereby Christian Disciples are baptized into His body (1 Corinthians 12:13) and His death (Romans 6:1-6). Our old inherent sinful natures are seen as buried with Christ and we are raised to live a new life with a new nature! Baptism is also a public test

The Art of Tickling - How? [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TshnK4kJcPk] Right mouse click to save/download this audio Podcast as a MP3 file G'day! Welcome to Partakers and we are on day 2 of the series "The Art of Tickling" addressing the question of "How can traditional churches and those with older congregations use new media without excluding people?" Use the talents of people! I think that everybody has some measure of talent that can be used, including those who would ordinarily be dismissed from having any input into Christian worship and thinking, such as the elderly and those we earlier identified as being from the excluded group! We have to use people's talents, knowledge and wisdom, whatever it maybe, and whoever they maybe, and put them online using New Media! We combine those talents, knowledge and wisdom with the methods of New Media: Websites, Blogs, Mobile Applications, Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Video and Audio. We have to also ensure these people are safe! Don't di

The Art of Tickling - What, why and who? [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le2i0NobMms] Right mouse click to save/download this audio Podcast as a MP3 file G'day! Welcome! We are starting a new brief series based on a session I did at the 2011 Christians in New Media Awards and Conference. This session addressed the question of "How can traditional churches and those with older congregations use new media without excluding people?" What is New Media? Now you may well be asking what is this New Media or Social Media as it is also known. It is Websites, Blogs, Mobile Applications, Video, Audio and Social Networks such as Facebook and Twitter! At the conference, we were given the opportunities to investigate how to do those 8 things, to a greater degree of skill! This series, based on that session is about putting that knowledge into practise! To use New Media is to Tickle! Now instead of using our question each time I want to address, I have summed it up into one word - Tickle!  Here is what Tickle sta