Partakers Christian Podcasts

Sermon Romans 12 - Love in Practise Paul is speaking a letter to the Church in Rome, those he calls “God's beloved”. He has not yet been to Rome and is currently in the great Greek city of Corinth, and it is about AD57-58. A man we know as Tertius is acting as his scribe and writing down what Paul is saying. Tertius would later go onto be a Bishop in Iconium. So far in this letter, Romans 1 to 11, Paul has been drawing a word picture of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel which demonstrates that God gets his hands dirty. The Gospel which tells us that God has done all He could do, in order that humanity could be saved, be in a living and dynamic relationship with Him, if they choose to be so. Paul then goes on to investigate in depth about this Gospel, the nation of Israel and the Gentiles. That is where we are up to with the passage before us, Romans 12. Now, just as Romans 1-11 shows us that God got his hands dirty, in the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, so must all those who c

The Practice Of The Presence Of God: The Best Rule Of A Holy Life (being Conversations and Letters of Brother Lawrence) G’day! Welcome to Partakers! Today we start a Sunday series, where we are reading from a book by Brother Lawrence “The Practice of the Presence of God”… This book is available for you to freely download at various websites! Brother Lawrence was alive in the 1600s and this book of his details about how a person can benefit from the steady and soothing connection with God and to God. We have much to learn in the 21st century from this 17th century brother in Christ and that is what we hope each of us will gain from these conversations and letters recorded for us. Brother Lawrence gives open advice and we will see his passion for spiritual concerns as he went about his work in the monastery - in the kitchens and as a cobbler. In these recordings, we see how he rejoices in the mundane duties, his persistent prayer life and was well known for his kindness, sympathy and willingness to hel

Psalm 85~~ For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. ~~~~ 85:1 Yahweh, you have been favorable to your land. You have restored the fortunes of Jacob. 85:2 You have forgiven the iniquity of your people. You have covered all their sin. ~~~~~ Selah. ~~~~~ 85:3 You have taken away all your wrath. You have turned from the fierceness of your anger. 85:4 Turn us, God of our salvation, and cause your indignation toward us to cease. 85:5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you draw out your anger to all generations? 85:6 Won’t you revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? 85:7 Show us your loving kindness, Yahweh. Grant us your salvation. 85:8 I will hear what God, Yahweh, will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, his saints; but let them not turn again to folly. 85:9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. 85:10 Mercy and truth meet together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 85:11 Truth springs out of the earth. Rig

Words and the Christian Right mouse click or tap here to save/download this as a MP3 file Jesus speaking:"34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.’" (Matthew 12:34-37) Words Alive! Given all thats gone on since Friday here in the UK and the use of one person's words, it is self evident that our words matter! Words matter for the Christian as those words are of the utmost importance as the building blocks of communication. Whether by thought, written or spoken. One of the greatest sins of the twenty first century, that all Christian Disciples need to be wary of, is the use of words.  The power of th

Sex and Moral Purity The world is mad for sex! It sells magazines, DVD’s and clothes. It is one of the gods of our age! Not only that but we only have to glimpse quickly at recent history to find Christian leaders who have fallen due to the sin of sexual immorality. In the podcast today we explore questions such as: How are we as Christian disciples to face these issues of moral purity and sex? What does God say about sex? What does a correct and considered attitude for the Christian disciple to have regarding sex? What is the difference between love and lust? How can sexual desire be controlled? Right mouse click or tap here to save/download this Psalm as a MP3 file

Wednesday Wisdom Proverbs 19 G’day! Welcome to Partakers and to Wednesday Wisdom, where we are listening to what the Bible has to say through the Wisdom literature of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. Come on in! Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file 1 Better is the poor that walks in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. 2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hastes with his feet sins. 3 The foolishness of man perverts his way: and his heart frets against the Lord. 4 Wealth makes many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour. 5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaks lies shall not escape. 6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that gives gifts. 7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursues them with words, yet they are wanting to him. 8 He that gets wisdom loves his own soul: he tha

Psalm 137 (as read by Jenny)   137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion. 137:2 On the willows in its midst, we hung up our harps. 137:3 For there, those who led us captive asked us for songs. Those who tormented us demanded songs of joy: "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" 137:4 How can we sing Yahweh's song in a foreign land? 137:5 If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill. 137:6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don't remember you; if I don't prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy. 137:7 Remember, Yahweh, against the children of Edom, the day of Jerusalem; who said, "Raze it! Raze it even to its foundation!" 137:8 Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, he will be happy who rewards you, as you have served us. 137:9 Happy shall he be, who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock. Right mouse click or tap here to save/download this Psalm as a MP3 file

When Jesus returns back as King Revelation 21-22 Introduction We maybe about 2 months away from Christmas but as you know, at Christmas, we celebrate Jesus Christ coming to earth as a human. Christmas is a time where the Church and our community celebrate Jesus Christ's first coming as a baby.  The community like to think of Jesus as a baby, because a baby can be controlled. Somewhat.  Though that is coming from the perspective of somebody who has never had children!!!  Society in general, is comfortable with leaving Jesus as a baby.  However, Jesus is not a baby now, He is King and what a King.  He is coming again, not as a baby this time, but as King and judge.  Both ideas are affirmed by Jeremiah and John. Christ's reign Prepared Place! Purity (v.1-4) Pearly gates (v.21) Conclusion Be encouraged, heaven is for you if you are trusting and obeying Jesus and have Him as Lord of your life!  Remember.  Whatever your attitude and how you judge Jesus now, is how He will judge you when He returns!  Are you follow

Has your love gone cold? Revelation 1:12-16 - I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. That figure is the risen and ascended Jesus Christ! The one we Christians down through history have proclaimed as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He was the greatest gift of all, freely given, in order to save the world! Salvation, as a gift of grace, imparted to all those who would accept Jesus Christ as saviour! And one group of people had taken Him up on that offer,  a c

John meets the Ascended Jesus  I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in m

Atonement 5 Conclusion: Atonement is At-One-Ment? Today we continue our series of 5 podcasts concerning that big Bible Word, Atonement. We seek to explore what conclusions we can make concerning Jesus Christian, Atonement and people today. We will look at 6 blessings and consequences because of the atonement and our acceptance of it: Atonement sealing; Atonement peace; Atonement reconciliation; Atonement salvation; Atonement gathering and Atonement life to come. Come and listen to find out more! Right mouse click or tap here to download as a mp3 file  

Teachings of Seraphim   Part 20. Acquiring the Holy Spirit   (From the Saint's Conversation with Motovilov) The true goal of our Christian life consists of acquiring God’s Holy Spirit. Fasting and vigil, prayer, mercy, and every other good deed performed for Christ — are means for acquiring the Holy Spirit of God. Only deeds performed for Christ give us the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Some say that the foolish virgins lacking enough oil in their lamps is meant to be understood as a lack of good deeds (see Mt. 25:1-12). Such an understanding is not completely correct. How could there have been a lack of good deeds when they, though foolish, are still called virgins? For virginity is the highest virtue, as a state equal to the angels, and could by itself serve in place of all other virtues. I, the wretched, think that they did not have enough of the grace of the All-Holy Spirit of God. These virgins, because of their spiritual injudiciousness, supposed in performing good deeds that it is only necessary t

Atonement 4 Atonement and Jesus Christ Today we continue our series of 5 podcasts concerning that big Bible Word, Atonement, and continue to link to Jesus Christ. As we sum up the atonement for sin because of Jesus, let’s look very briefly at just four words in our quest to explain and explore atonement. Remember, that the Church has been discussing this for the last 2000 years and will probably continue discussing it, trying to work it out until the Lord Jesus comes again. We shall look at amazing expiation, satisfying propitiation, precious redemption and sufficient substitution. These 4 words can be summed up by the phrase Atonement love. Atonement love is good news! When was the last time that you, as a Christian, told somebody else of this love Right mouse click or tap here to download as a mp3 file

Teachings of Seraphim   Part 19. The Light of Christ In order to accept and perceive the light of Christ in one’s heart, it is necessary to divert oneself from the external as much as possible. First, by cleansing the soul with penitence and good deeds with true faith in the Crucified; then, by closing the physical eyes, it is necessary to immerse the mind in the heart and appeal to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ continually. Then, by measure of our zealousness and fervour of spirit for the Beloved (Lk. 3:22), a person with the calling of this name finds delight, which arouses a thirst toward greater enlightenment. When a person internally contemplates the eternal light, his mind becomes clean and free of any sensory notions. Then, by being completely immersed in the contemplation of uncreated beauty, he forgets everything sensory, does not want to see even himself, but desires to hide in the heart of the earth, if only not to be deprived of this true good God. Click or Tap here to listen to or save

Atonement 3 Atonement Today (Romans 3:21-26; Hebrews 10:1-10) Today we continue our series of 5 podcasts concerning that big Bible Word, Atonement. 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished 26 – he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26) Here we see in Romans, that salvation is for all who believe, regardless o

Teachings of Seraphim   Part 18. The Active and the Contemplative Life   A person consists of a soul and body, and therefore his life’s path should consist of both physical and spiritual activities — of deeds and contemplation. The path of an active life consists of fasting, abstinence, vigilance, kneeling, prayer and other physical feats, composing the strait and sorrowful path which, by the word of God, leads to eternal life (Mt. 7:14). The contemplative life consists in the mind aspiring to the Lord God, in awareness of the heart, focused prayer and in the contemplation of spiritual matters through such exercises. Anyone desiring to lead a spiritual way of life must begin with the active life, and only later set about the contemplative, for without an active life it is impossible to lead a contemplative one. An active life serves to purify us of sinful passions and raises us to the level of functioning perfection; at the same time it clears the way to a contemplative life. For only those cleansed

Atonement 2 What was the Day of Atonement all about? Today we continue our series of 5 podcasts concerning that big Bible Word, Atonement, seeking to answer the question ”What was the Day of Atonement all about?”. Leviticus 16:1-10 starts by referring back to Leviticus 10, with the story of Abihu and Nadab, Aaron’s sons. Through their death, the Lord God states the fundamental principles for priests – only these priests could mediate for the nation before Him and they had to be spiritually and ceremonially clean, and as we have seen, do things obediently and properly. Worship of God was, and is, to be on God’s terms and His terms alone. Could that describe our worship today – worship of God on His terms alone and not with our own self-defined terms and conditions, personally and corporately? In this podcast we discover briefly together at the sacrificial offerings, why a sacrifice was necessary, the significance of blood, the role of Aaron and the work of the scapegoat.   Right mouse click or tap here to down

  Teachings of Seraphim  Part 17. Sorrow   When the evil spirit of sorrow seizes the soul, then, by filling it with bitterness and unpleasantness, it does not allow it to pray with necessary diligence; it disrupts the attention necessary for reading spiritual writings, deprives it of humility and good nature in the treatment of others and breeds aversion to any discussion. For the sorrowful soul, by becoming as if insane and frenzied, can neither accept kind advice calmly, nor answer posed questions meekly. It runs from people as if from the perpetrators of its embarrassment, not understanding that the reason for its illness — is within it. Sorrow is the worm of the heart, gnawing at the mother that bore it. He who has conquered passions has also defeated sorrow. But one overcome by passions will not avoid the shackles of sorrow. As an ill person can be identified by the color of his face, so is one overcome by passions distinguished by sorrow. It is impossible for one who loves the world not to feel s

Atonement 1 Introduction and Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:1-10) Today we start a series of 5 podcasts concerning that big Bible Word, Atonement. We shall endeavour to look together at what, why, how, when, who and so what of that word, atonement. Other religions, such as Islam, and the cults of Mormonism and Jehovah Witnesses, have their own understanding, so it is a word not just used by Christians. Atonement is to clean, cleanse, cover over, make amends, pacify, satiate, satisfy, to substitute and to bring about reconcilement. Amazing Atonement. Atonement can also be pronounced as at-one-ment, because atonement brings together as one, and it is also the state of ‘being at one’. In the podcast today we look at the question: "Why is there a need for atonement in relation to God and humanity?" We then go on to start to look at the Day of Atonement as described to us in Leviticus 16:1-10. Come and listen!   Right mouse click or tap here to download as a mp3 file

Teachings of Seraphim  Part 16. Excessive Care about Worldly Matters   Excessive care about worldly matters is characteristic of an unbelieving and fainthearted person, and woe to us, if, in taking care of ourselves, we do not use as our foundation our faith in God, who cares for us! If we do not attribute visible blessings to Him, which we use in this life, then how can we expect those blessings from Him which are promised in the future? We will not be of such little faith. By the words of our Saviour, it is better first to seek the Kingdom of God, for the rest shall be added unto us (see Mt. 6:33). Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file