Ezekiel 35:1-36:.38, James 1:1-18 , Psalms 116:1-19, Proverbs 27:23-27
Today is the 17th day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you today as we kind of move our way toward the back side of the week. And today we will continue our journey through the book of Ezekiel and then when we get to the New Testament, we’ll begin the book of James, and we’ll talk about that when we get there. But first, we’re reading from the common English Bible this week. Ezekiel chapter 35 verse 1 through 36 verse 38.
Alright. So, today we will begin the book of James as we move to our New Testament reading. This is an epistle or letter of James, and there are plenty of things that are very interesting about this book because throughout church history it’s been questioned in a number of ways. And it’s hard to place exactly when the book was written because it’s not exactly known which James authored the book, although there are plenty of traditions around this. There are several candidates; however, the one that seems to bubble to the top of the debate is James, the half-brother of Jesus, who, interestingly, did not believe that Jesus was the son of God during his earthly ministry, but he had a change of opinion when he saw Jesus raised from the dead. This James was a pillar of the early church, leader of the early church, the Jerusalem church. And with him as the author, it would put this book being written in the 40s. And if that is so then it would be one of the earliest New Testament writings. Other interesting facts about the book are that the reformer, Martin Luther, considered this epistle to not be a book found in the canon of the New Testament. His doctrine of Sola Fide or by faith alone seems to be called into question. In the book of James where he says that, faith without works is dead, and seems to support the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic view that grace and faith are what lead to salvation. Either way, I believe that it is in Christ alone that we are saved and perhaps this clarifies the works issue. When Jesus comes into our lives a fundamental shift takes place and that affects everything about us, including our behavior or our works. One thing is for certain, the book of James is a very direct and very bold book written to instruct and correct and even rebuke those who were falling away from their faith, who had allowed questions to cloud their minds under the threat of persecution. And if it had all be summed up, which is never the easiest thing to do, it would be like, live your life by faith and live your faith through what you do. It’s such a poignant message for today that in some ways, the book could’ve been written last week. So, let’s embrace this together. Buckle up. It’s a butt kicker. Let’s embrace the challenge that the book of James brings to our lives. It’s not enough to know what the word of God says. We can’t just know it, we have to live it. And in living it we must answer it’s call to action. And, so, we begin. James chapter 1 verses 1 through 18.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for Your word. And here we are at a time just before things start to amp up and get so very busy, as we move into a season where we’re contemplating and rejoicing in Your arrival. And it’s a time of goodwill and good cheer to be sure. The entire world celebrates Your life and Your coming, but it’s also a very, very intense time. So, here we are, just a beat before all that gets going and want to thank You for all that we’ve been through and all that You have brought us through and all that we have gone through together with You so far this year and all that You have spoken to us from Your word. And we look forward to every day until the end of the year as we move our way to concluding reading the entire Bible. And we commit ourselves to not being overwhelmed by the season of joy but to stick to this rhythm, allowing You to speak into our lives each and every day through Your word. So, come Holy Spirit, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Announcements:
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Just a couple of days from now, day after tomorrow, we’ll be out on the road for the last time this year, bringing the Sneezing Jesus message in Louisiana. And we’ll be in Bossier City, Louisiana, just near Shreveport, at River Valley church. And we’re looking forward to that very much. So, if you are in that area be sure to come say hello. You can get all the details at dailyaudiobible.com in the events section. And we’ll look for that.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There’s a link, it’s on the homepage. And I offer my humble, heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has ever clicked that link. This is how we are here. Thank you profoundly for your partnership. If you prefer the mail, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill, TN 37174.
And, of course, if you have a prayer request or comment, there are numbers that you can call. If you’re in the Americas 877-942-4253 is the number. In the UK and Europe 44-20-3608-8078 and in the Lands down under 61-3-8820-5459 is the number to call.
And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayers and Praise Reports
Hi. My name is Betty and I’ve been listening to the Daily Audio Bible since 2011. Today is November the 14th. My first time calling. I’m calling for my sister. Her name is Maria and she’s going through two procedures this week and we’re just asking you to join us in prayer for complete healing and restoration. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day.
Hello fellow DABbers this is Theo from Ohio. Praise the Lord for He is good. Bless you Brian and Jill for your global ministry now. It is as real and as personal to me as that of Ed and Kathy’s, my pastor and first lady of my church. To Joyful Noise, to Song of Joy, to Salvation is Mine, to Victoria Soldier, to Redeemed in Him, Lisa the Encourager, and Tony the Blind, your prayers, your poems, your professions of faith are awesome. They touch me and me and I know they must touch the entire family. Thank you. To Kristi of Kentucky, Julie of Maryland, Janice of Arizona, and Candice of Oregon, like Sarah, Jenn, Darrell, and Heather, you are on my prayer list too. Miguel, it seems as if your song of joy suggests that you are doing a little bit better. For Sandy of Arkansas, I stand in agreement with Monica of Missouri. Get out of that house. I say that to you as I would talk to my 18-year-old daughter. There is a difference between dating a male and dating a man. Men are providers and protectors and sacrificial. The definition of what a man is supposed to be to a woman is in Ephesians. He’s supposed to love his wife as Christ loved the church. And the first thing about that, he should be on his knees begging you to marry him. That has not come about. So, don’t try to change him, rather just pray for him. May God bless you and keep you in the hollow of his hand.
Hey there Daily Audio Bible family. This is Julie M. in North Louisiana and I’m really excited because Brian is going to be at our church this Sunday morning. So, if you live in the North Louisiana area, I just want to invite you to River Valley church at 10 o’clock Sunday because we are going to have a great time. He was here last year and we had an awesome day with him and his family. So, we can’t wait for this Sunday. Want to give a shout out to Annette A. I heard you say, Annette, that you are going to be here this Sunday from Oklahoma City and I can’t wait to meet you. Would you please find me and hug my neck? I feel like we would be best friends. I feel like I know you because I’ve prayed for you many times. You know, around here, we are kind of DAB-aholics. We listen to the DAB every day. Three years ago, I started listening to the DAB and two years ago I started a small group. So, we all listen together, listen every week, and meet once a week to talk about it. A year ago, one of the couples in our group started a Sneezing Jesus small group and they meet every week and discuss the book. And so, we have two groups here that meet at our church to talk about what God is doing and we love this ministry. We drink our Wind Farm coffee we drink out of our Clean Canteens we have a Global Campfire poster. And that’s because we love what God is doing through this ministry. Brian and Jill, we love you and we appreciate your work, your efforts, and everybody behind the scenes. We love you guys. So, I just wanted to pray for you, Brian. Lord, I just pray God You are anointing on Brian and protection over him as he travels. Lord, I pray, I thank You for the fire that You’ve put in his heart and may we all catch it and be part of this Global Campfire, God, is to spread Your word anywhere in the nation anytime day or night. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Hi family. This is Shannon in Oregon and I am praying right now for Gloria. Gloria, you left a message saying, right now at this time, 10 o'clock on November 14th that you’re starting a hearing for your mom’s guardianship in Nevada. And, so, I am praying, singing over you this morning. And one of the songs I was singing was Victorious by Mandisa. So, I’m singing this over you know. [singing] With You on my side I am victorious. With you on my side I have got nothing to fear. I can walk through this valley with confidence knowing you will deliver me [singing stops]. Yes Lord, we ask for Your deliverance over your sister Gloria right now. Please empower her by Your Holy Spirit to speak the truth and love. And we ask that Your truth and Your love will win out. And that You will make a way for her mom to be able to come home with her if that’s Your will. Let Your will be done right now. On earth as it is in heaven and make a way for her brother to be transformed by Your love and Your power. Lord we love this family. We’re so thankful that we get to be part of the Daily Audio Bible family and lift each other up even though we’ve never met face to face. Our Spirits are already connected because we’re sons and daughters of You, we’re family in You. Thank You Lord. You are so good. I lift up my uncle to You, who has had just such a hard heart toward You and toward anybody who loves You. And I just ask that Holy Spirit would continue to draw…