Ezekiel 44:1-45:12, 1 Peter 1:1-12, Psalms 119:17-32, Proverbs 28:8-10
Today is the 22nd day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It’s great to be here with you as we continue forward in our journey to the Scriptures this year and continue day by day through the weeks that we have remaining as we make this push into the final stretch of the year. So, today we’ll be going back into the book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament and then we get to the New Testament we will be beginning a new letter known as first Peter and we’ll talk about that when we get there, but first we’re reading from the New Living Translation this week. Ezekiel chapter 44 verse 1 through 45 verse 12.
Introduction to the first letter of Peter:
Okay. So…so we concluded the letter from James yesterday, which brings us to the letter known as first Peter. And, so, this is kind of homecoming in a way because we’re being reunited with Peter whose kind of an old friend because we traveled through the Gospels in the book of Acts alongside of him. And, so, we’ve gotten a little bit of a glimpse into his personality and character and we’ve certainly seen that he’s a passionate person, but now we’ll hear that passion distilled down into written form as we go into first Peter. So, Simon or Simeon was actually Peter’s given name, but by the time he had become a part of the inner circle of Jesus, Jesus had given him the name Cephas, which in Aramaic means rock. And, so, when we translate the Aramaic into Greek then that same word is Petros. And, so, Petros, Peter we can see of the origins of the English biblical name for Peter because Petros’s in Greek is rock, which takes me back to my childhood because I used to love this band named Petra, right? And rock. They were a rock band singing songs about the rock of their salvation. So, this is how we get from Simon or Simeon to…to Peter. And Peter’s story obviously as we know it from the Gospels is one of redemption and complete transformation. I mean the Peter in the book of Acts is a very different Peter than the Peter in the Gospels after the coming of the Holy Spirit. So, we see this transformation and it’s a pretty big one because we remember that when we remember Peter’s lowest moment when he is standing outside the quarters of Caiaphas as Jesus is being insulted and ridiculed and he’s denying that he even knows who Jesus is. So, we follow Peter from there all the way to the upper room where tongues of fire fell at the coming of the Holy Spirit. Peter was empowered after that with a boldness and an anointing that we still feel the reverberations of. So, in this letter that we’re about to read Peter writes that his location is Babylon. And, so, there’s plenty of scholarly conjecture about that but the general consensus here is that he’s probably referring to Rome. And, so, with this in mind, then the letters been generally dated from the early to mid-60s A.D. And Peter says he’s writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. And these were five different provinces in the Roman Empire that are all now located within modern-day Turkey. And, so, he addresses us to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners, because as this letters passed around to those people that would’ve been well understood in the Jewish culture, those living as foreigners or the Diaspora, those who had been scattered all over the world over long periods of time in different exiles and most recently those who were fleeing persecution because of…because of their faith in Jesus. Now James, the letter we finished yesterday, as I said from the outset is a bit of a butt kicker because it’s very, very confrontational in a very kind and true way where the truth is being told and you know it’s the truth. So, we can get out of Peter…or out of James ago…whew…that kicked my butt and now I need to catch my breath. But Peter, we got to know him a little bit and he packs a punch of his own. So…we’re…we’re sort of lining up for round two of the unfiltered truth being spoken into our lives in a way that is very practical. But again, just like James, Peter’s not trying to condemn anybody or make anybody feel bad. Like these people are already suffering, they’re already learning to endure. So, he’s not trying to shame them. He’s actually trying to encourage them, bolster them, lift them up because their faith in Jesus is actually causing suffering in their lives. And, so, Peter’s reminding them that there is a hope, a glorious for those who endure. And, so, off we go. We’re at the straight talk portion of the New Testament as we move through…well…through James and Peter and John and Jude. So, let’s continue our journey. First Peter chapter 1 verses 1 through 12.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for another step forward, another day in Your word. And as You bring us into the ending of another of our weeks together, we look forward to the fact that…well…in a couple days we’ll be entering the last week of this 11th month and then we’ll be entering into the 12th month of the year. So, You’ve certainly brought us far and yet there is still a distance to go. So, as we enter into these letters of Peter, we invite Your Holy Spirit to speak clear and true to us. Each of us has a story to tell and each of us is living inside that story. And, so, all the circumstances of our lives are varied and various and wrapped all over the world and within different cultural contexts. And yet Your word is true and when it speaks to us, it speaks to “us”. It speaks to “us” where we are. It confronts “us” where we are and we can just say, “yeah that’s for somebody else” when You are…when You’re pricking our heart. And, so, we open ourselves to You completely as we continue this journey forward. We invite You to come Holy Spirit. May we become more and more aware of Your eternal presence within us. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Announcements:
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I have been mentioning the Prayer Wall this week because it’s just been heavy on my heart. We just have these resources available to us all the time where we can reach out. And this season that we’re moving into…I mean it brings us to the place where we need to reach…I mean we can be full of festive joy and also in the depths of despair at the same time or one minute later. Like, it’s just such an erratic time. And we just get sucked into it. And, so, the Prayer Wall is a resource that’s just…no matter what’s going on…it’s there and you can access it through the app and you can access it through the website and it’s there and it’s just a way to know you’re not alone as we continue to move through and navigate the rest of the year. So, check that out. It’s in the Community section at dailyaudiobible.com or you can access it using the Daily Audio Bible app by pressing the Drawer icon in the upper left-hand corner.
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And that is it for today. I am Brian I love you and I will be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
This prayer is for Biola. This is Victorious Vanessa from Maryland. Biola I heard your request and I stand in agreement with you for marriage. So, Father we know that as we delight ourselves in You, You give us the desires of our heart. We also have this confidence that anything that we ask You, according to Your word You hear us. And since we know that You hear us, You grant us Your petitions…our petitions. Your daughter Biola is ready for a covenant relationship in marriage and I ask You Father to present her Your best candidate, not just a man of God but an Ephesians 5 man that will love her like Christ loves the church, a man that would wash her in the word daily. Allow their hearts to be knitted together. Anyone that would cause her to fall Father, remove them. Anyone that she would cause to fall, remove them. May they meet each other’s needs 100% physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially. We thank You God in advance in Jesus’ name for Your best candidate for Your daughter Biola. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Hi this is Joanne from Happy Valley responding to running desperately to Jesus call which I just heard. __ I’m 78. In four months, I’ll be 79. I’ve been struggling with…like you have been in my life. I try to be nice but there’s a…like an old spark of anger that’ inside me all the time, maybe jealousy. Wvery time I try to be nice but sometimes I just can’t; however yesterday morning I had yet another epiphany from God about why I am the way I am, and He’s given me hope that we can work this out. He will never…He will give up on you. He will never leave your side no matter how old you are, no matter what you’ve said or done. He will not give up on you. He loves you like crazy and He will always. Just relax and ask Him. And thank goodness for this community because it is by hope He will guide you. Bless you dear. You are gonna be fine. I love you. Bye.
God bless you DABbers this is Norma from the Bronx I am just responding to Desperately Running to Jesus, my sister who was asking if…if it’s okay for her to feel having those feelings. And I just like I was relating to her. And I’m relating to her because first of all I’m 57 and I’m also going through similar situations as far as myself responding in a certain way like aggressive. And God has been showing me that, you know, at our age after so much giving and working hard and being mistreated and unappreciated, a lot of these…these feelings from frustration are…are kind of well up. And I hope that this helps. And what He’s showing me is, you know, to just keep releasing it to Him every time you feel frustrated, every time you feel disappointed, unappreciated. And I just keep asking Him to just fill me up with so much compassion and so much mercy and to help me to see things from the other person’s point of view, to understand them. And that helped me to speak with more grace and more mercy towards people. Remember, it’s never too late because Abraham, God dealt with him until he was way past 100 years old. So, it’s never too late…
Hi family this is Erin from Michigan let’s pray. Dear God, here I sit in my warm home with my happy life and my friends and my family around me and I just really couldn’t think of how things could get better. It’s not perfect by any means but Lord God I give you the praise God for my wonderful life. And then my dear sister Karla calls today. It’s Tuesday, November 19th and she said her heart is broken Lord God and I just…I pray for Karla. I ask You to lift her up, I ask You to show her today in a very real and positive way that someone is praying for her Lord God and that even in the midst of her heartbreak and her wanting to give up and her…her Hoping that she can trust You because she’s been let down so many times Lord God. I lift Karla up, I lift her up, I ask You to help her today in a very…very supernatural and special way so there can be no question that You are there with her today Lord God. I pray Your peace, Your perseverance, Your protection and Your prosperity over dear Karla Lord. Help her to know that we love her. Help her to not believe the words in her, You know, that are coming to her that…that says she can’t trust You and that she’ll never be free of the heartbreak she’s feeling right now. We pray all of these things in the powerful and precious name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Karla, I heard you today. I love you and I’m gonna keep praying. Thank you for calling in. Your heart will be healed. I’m speaking that truth over you. All right. Take care.
[singing begins] One step forward and two steps back, cross our fingers don’t step on a crack we may feel what’s coming or be under attack but we are in Christ so there is no lack. If God is for us no one can stand against. Don’t let the enemy keep you on the fence. Jesus’s His word the sword and defense so raise your mighty I am and rest. I will declare the Almighty has rescued me. In him I am righteous secure and free. My spirit will bow down to my God alone. I stand in faith in Jesus my cornerstone. I will stand in faith. This too shall pass. God’s word and the love they fail not. God’s word is what will last. I will not fear. I have strength in him. I am strong and courageous in Jesus my king. I will rejoice and sing. I will rejoice and sing. [singing ends]
Hey, DABbers this is Slave of Jesus in North Carolina. All right Holy Spirit let’s roll. __ from Florida, amen to all the prayers for healing dealing with cracked ribs and his heart problems. Amen to all the future homes we’re building and that we get the utilities we need. Amen to prayers for David Watkins cancer treatment. Blind Tony always love your poems. Amen to your prayers for Alfaio from Delaware. DABber Drew from California, amen to all your prayers about your worries and good luck on your job issues. Jason, we pray for Jason Lord. We pray for Jason knowing that God definitely gives an “S” about him and the enemy that’s coming against his brain will be destroyed in Jesus’ name Amen. I have been listening to the DAB for, I think it’s been eight years, and I’d never heard or understood, even though I’ve heard it every time with Brian, about James. This is so cool about this “without faith…works…without works faith is dead.” And I’ve never understood that because you can’t earn your way into heaven. It’s grace. But what a great explanation this year. I don’t know if I’d missed that or whatever. So, I wrote in my journal here about…”it shows…our actions shows what’s really in our hearts.” So, I’m in my DAB journal and I wrote this, I said, “James is all about faith without works is dead. It does not mean we can earn our way into heaven. It means that our actions shows what’s really, we in our heart. For example, if we have faith, true faith, that God is willing to provide for us, we’ll be willing to give away more of our resources to others that need more of it. And it could be said about fear. I’ve heard that faith means there’s an absence of fear. So, if you have anxiety, you know, you really gotta start to question your faith at how much faith you got.” And, so that’s a good indicator that you gotta get closer to God. But get back, read James and listen to Brian’s commentary on the 17th of November. It’s awesome. Love you all. Have a great day.