Daniel 11:36-12:13, 1 John 4:1-21, Psalms 123:1-4, Proverbs 29:2-4
Today is the 4th day of December welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is wonderful to be here with you today as we greet a brand-new week, first time we get to do this in the month of December which means we’re moving into our first full week in the month of December. We’re also in the season of Advent moving our way toward Christmas. And that is probably hard to ignore around the world right now, that we are headed toward Christmas. We talked about Advent last week. This is the second Sunday in the season of Advent. Advent of course, means arrival. And, so, this is a season where we prepare our hearts for the arrival of the Savior, putting ourselves in the position of those were longing and waiting for a Savior to come, while understanding that we find ourselves in the same position. We are longing and waiting for the second Advent for Jesus to return. And, so, this entire season prepares our hearts by allowing us to appreciate the longing that we feel deep inside of us. And, so, this is the second of four, the second Sunday in Advent. Typically, this is the Sunday of peace. And if your church is lighting Advent calendar…candles or you are lighting Advent calendar…I keep wanting to say calendar…candles at your home, then this is like the peace candle, and it represents peace on earth. This declaration, peace on earth, goodwill toward men, the announcement of the Angels at the arrival of the Savior. And, so, that’s where we focus our hearts. Peace on earth on earth as it is in heaven, goodwill to men. The entire human story has changed because of Jesus. And, so, happy second Sunday of Advent. And again, I said it last week, I’ll say it all the way through the season, you may not have grown up observing Advent. I didn’t. Didn’t have any meaning to me other than I had heard of it and thought it was weird because we didn’t do it and everything that we didn’t do was weird. But then I grew up and realized wow some of these traditions of the faith that have been developed over a couple of thousand years are a treasure trove of ways to point our hearts and immerse ourselves in the stories that have changed the world and changed our very lives. Advent is one of them. And, so, whether you observe Advent or not, it’s not in the Bible and it’s up to you if it…if it brings meaning to your life, great. Nevertheless, we’re all over the world and so many of us have observed ads in our entire lives. Many of us have never given it a second thought. No matter who we are, happy second Sunday of Advent. And let’s dive in. We have been working through the book of Daniel, which we will continue to do. We have also been working through first John, which we will continue to do. We will actually conclude the book of Daniel today and then we will conclude the letter, first John, tomorrow. And that’s going to be kind of a trend as we continue our way through the Scriptures and move our way toward the conclusion of the year. We have a lot of territory to cover, a lot of shorter letters and books to cover and so we’re going to be encountering new territory quite a few of the days that we have left but we’ll stay rooted in what we’re doing, and we’ll talk about everything that we’re reading as we go. And what we’re going to do right now is continue forward in the book of Daniel and conclude the book of Daniel today. We’ll read from the New Living Translation this week. Daniel chapter 11 verse 36 through 12 verse 13 today.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for a brand-new shiny sparkly week to move into. We thank You for this season of Advent that we observe that prepares our hearts. And Holy Spirit, come prepare our hearts, whether it’s an Advent thing or not. Prepare our hearts. Let us not move into Christmas and it just be a fiasco where we don’t ever remember what’s going on and what it represents until everything is cleaned up and thrown away and our bellies are so full that we can’t move. May everything we do be a celebration that You came for us. As we learned in first John today, the overwhelming good news, that this is real love, not that we loved You but You loved us, and sent Jesus to take away our sins. May our hearts be prepared for understanding that reality deeper and deeper as we consider that You came under the cover of night as a helpless baby and changed everything forever. There is so much to think about. And, so, Holy Spirit lead us as we contemplate, as we prepare, as we engage with the longing for Your return. We pray this in Your name, the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Hey there Daily Audio Bible family this is John Corrado calling from…I’m calling from my car actually but, you know, normally I’m in Westminster MA and it’s great to be talking with you guys. I just wanted to reach out because I know tonight, it happens to be the 29th of November, I know tonight right now there’s somebody out there in this community…and I know that this could be the morning when you’re hearing this or the afternoon, that there’s somebody out there that’s feeling hopeless, they’re feeling betrayed, they’re feeling lost, they’re feeling alone. And they may be feeling all sorts of other things as well. You're…you’re my family, you’re my brothers and sisters in Christ and I know those are at least a few of the things that you’re experiencing right now. And I just wanted to say something really encouraging for everybody that’s feeling one of those things or experiencing one of those things or more, that your greatest season is about to commence. That you’re just around the corner from spectacular, supernatural, abundant grace and mercy and healing. And all that it’s gonna take from you is a little bit of faith, just a little bit of faith. God is moving in your life right now in a miraculous way. He’s got His hand on you. He’s sent out an army of angels to go before you. He is behind you and beside you, He is all around you. He is in front of you, and He is with you. Family, I want you to know that anything that you’re going through will be God’s victory, it will be your testimony, and you’re going to be…you’re gonna be blown away by all he has in store for you. Just wait. Be still.
Hello DAB family, this is Lorraine from Cheryl, New York, I hope all is well with you. I’d like to speak to Carol from Lincoln NE. She and her granddaughters were sexually abused as children. I am so glad to hear that you are healing. I too was sexually abused by my father as a child. One of the things that helped me was forgiveness. It took me a while but it totally set me free and I am no longer a victim. I tell myself that God is my true Father, and He is perfect in His love period now Brian’s sleep to help has helped me with PTSD. It is so soothing and helps me focus on the Lord instead of myself. Carol, I am praying for your healing and the healing of your granddaughters. May God be with you. I love you. Lorraine from Cheryl, New York.
Father Gower lifting up Carol in Nebraska for the grandchildren that are missing their father because he is in prison because of abuse. And we’re asking that Carol and the grandchildren can find in their hearts through the working of the Holy Spirit forgiveness toward him. We’re asking for a healing for Carol because of her PTSD. And Lord God pour out a healing psychologically over these children so that they don’t have to have any horrible side effects from this abuse later on years to come. Just heal their minds completely from the devil’s work against them that would cause them to hold on to resentment and pain and psychologically that they would be stuck in strongholds Lord. We just ask for your mighty hand to do a miraculous work in this family and bring this son if he hasn’t already come to repentance. Lord bring him to repentance and let him seek Your face. We lift up Joyful Joe because of her struggle with being kind towards her mother with dementia and all the people who are caregivers Father. We ask for You just pour out a special measure of grace for them when they’re being a caregiver in these situations Lord. That they can also find peace. And we’re lifting up one beloved daughter, for a covering for Jasmine who’s struggling with all these family issues dear Lord that Your hand will go forth and bring healing, restoration, forgiveness, and a peace that passes all understanding. And we’re asking…
Good day brother and sister DABbers this is God’s Gal Minnesota and I have a praise report today that I’d like to share. First of all, I look out the window today and there is a blanket, a thick blanket of white snow that covers absolutely everything insight here in Minnesota and it’s just beautiful. And I think of how God covers us with that snow. And I’m grateful for that. So, I praise God for that. And also, I think of how God has brought balance to this DAB community. And here’s an example. I listened to a call in from Valiant Val from Vegas and she was so happy she had listened to the…the project from Brian, the Sleep album and she had gotten good sleep. And she was so happy and funny and joking and calling us out to keep praying and be together in that. And I just laughed and laughed in her jokes, and it was…it was delightful and it taught me to remember or to…to enjoy the good too. So, I thank You Lord for the balance You bring to this community and the good things too, the sunshine, the blanket of snow, the jokes, the poems written, the music saying and songs. And, so, Lord I…I just praise You today and thank You for this community and how You’re working. OK this is God’s Gal Minnesota and I’m signing off with love. Goodbye.