The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday December 4, 2020 (NIV)

³⁶ “Then the king will do whatever he wants.^(A) He will exalt and magnify himself above every god,^(B) and he will say outrageous things against the God of gods.^(C) He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed,^(D) because what has been decreed will be accomplished. ³⁷ He will not show regard for the gods^[a] of his ancestors, the god desired by women, or for any other god,^(E) because he will magnify himself above all. ³⁸ Instead, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his ancestors did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches. ³⁹ He will deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. He will greatly honor those who acknowledge him,^[b] making them rulers over many and distributing land as a reward.

⁴⁰ “At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm against him^(F) with chariots, horsemen, and many ships. He will invade countries and sweep through them like a flood.^{(G) 41} He will also invade the beautiful land,^(H) and many will fall. But these will escape from his power: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people^[c] of the Ammonites.^{(I) 42} He will extend his power against the countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape. ⁴³ He will get control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt. The Libyans and Cushites will also be in submission.^{[d](J) 44} But reports from the east^(K) and the north will terrify him, and he will go out with great fury to annihilate and completely destroy many. ⁴⁵ He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and^[e] the beautiful holy mountain,^(L) but he will meet his end with no one to help him.

⁴ “But you, Daniel, keep these words secret^(X) and seal the book^(Y) until the time of the end.^(Z) Many will roam about,^(AA) and knowledge will increase.”^[f]

⁵ Then I, Daniel, looked, and two others were standing there, one on this bank of the river and one on the other. ⁶ One of them said to the man dressed in linen,^(AB) who was above the water of the river,^(AC) “How long until the end^(AD) of these wondrous things?” ⁷ Then I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the water of the river. He raised both his hands^[g](AE) toward heaven and swore by him who lives eternally^(AF) that it would be for a time, times, and half a time.^(AG) When the power of the holy people is shattered, all these things will be completed.

⁸ I heard but did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?” ^(AH)

⁹ He said, “Go on your way, Daniel, for the words are secret^(AI) and sealed until the time of the end.^{(AJ) 10} Many will be purified,^(AK) cleansed, and refined,^(AL) but the wicked will act wickedly;^(AM) none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.^{(AN) 11} From the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation^(AO) is set up,^(AP) there will be 1,290 days. ¹² Happy is the one who waits^(AQ) for and reaches 1,335 days. ¹³ But as for you, go on your way to the end;^[h] you will rest, and then you will rise^[i] to receive^(AR) your allotted inheritance at the end of the days.”

The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error

4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits^(A) to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

² This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh^(B) is from God,^{(C) 3} but every spirit that does not confess Jesus^[a] is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,^(D) which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world.

⁴ You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you^(E) is greater than the one who is in the world.^{(F) 5} They are from the world.^(G) Therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us;^(H) anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.^(I)

Knowing God through Love

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God^(J) and knows God. ⁸ The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ God’s love was revealed among us^[b] in this way: God sent^(K) his one and only Son^(L) into the world so that we might live^(M) through him. ¹⁰ Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us^(N) and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice^[c](O) for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.^{(P) 12} No one has ever seen God.^(Q) If we love one another, God remains in^[d] us and his love is made complete in us. ¹³ This is how we know that we remain in him^(R) and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.^{(S) 14} And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son^(T) as the world’s Savior. ¹⁵ Whoever confesses^(U) that Jesus is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in God. ¹⁶ And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. ¹⁷ In this, love is made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment,^(V) because as he is, so also are we in this world.^{(W) 18} There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear,^(X) because fear involves punishment.^[e] So the one who fears is not complete in love.^{(Y) 19} We love^[f] because he first loved us.^{(Z) 20} If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister,^(AA) he is a liar.^(AB) For the person who does not love his brother or sister^(AC) whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.^{[g] 21} And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.

Psalm 123

Looking for God’s Favor

A song of ascents.