Hosea 4:1-5:15, 2 John 1:1-13, Psalms 125:1-5, Proverbs 29:9-11
Today is the 6th sixth day of the December welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it is fantastic to be here with you today as we gather around the Global Campfire and move forward together one step at a time, day by day. So, we began the book of Hosea yesterday and we will certainly be continuing our journey through Hosea today and for the next couple of days. And then when we get to the New Testament, we will be reading a letter in its entirety, a whole book of the Bible today called second John. And we’ll talk about that when we get there. But let’s dive into Hosea first. Today Hosea chapters 4 and 5.
Commentary:
Okay. So, that brings us to the New Testament like we said at the beginning. And we have an entire book, actually a letter named second John to read today, and this letter was probably written shortly after first John, the one that we concluded yesterday and probably written to the same people even though first John doesn’t say who it’s written to specifically. But it’s probably written to the same people. The letters are very similar. It’s actually the similarities that has biblical scholars arguing that John is the authentic author of all of these letters. And since it’s believed that John spent the latter part of his life pastoring and leading the church in Ephesus, actually leading the church as in Asia, that Ephesus is probably where second John was written just like first John. And this letter that we’re about to read, second, John is short. It’s 13 verses long. The first three verses will be words of greeting, and then then there’ll be three more verses that will remind us of the overwhelming importance of loving each other. And then after that three more verses comments speak against false teaching and specifically Docetism. The first letter of John that we just concluded yesterday also spoke against this false teaching, Docetism, being an early Gnostic teaching that essentially said Jesus wasn’t an actual human being, He was a celestial being, but He wasn’t like a true flesh and blood human being and so His sufferings were not human sufferings. And, so, John devotes three verses to speaking against Docetism again and then to verses after that give instruction that aren’t a part of the first letter. These verses taught the church how to behave toward traveling teachers who came in and wanted hospitality but what they were teaching was false and they were introducing false teachings into the church. So, in those two verses John essentially says don’t encourage them, don’t offer hospitality to them, they’re false teachers. And then two more verses conclude the letter. And it will be easy for us to go, man, there are short, short letters anyway and they all blur together and they’re talking about the same things. But if we’ll at least kind of take a step back and understand at bare minimum months have passed here. And, so, John wrote first John as a letter and sent it out and it landed and began to do its work, and then so several months later another shorter letter, more of a note is penned to reinforce the things that have been said and to clarify, then we can see it probably for what it is, an additional encouragement. And it’s not like we don’t need additional encouragements and our lives. We can be told something that’s true, and we can totally buy into the truth but then living it out, that’s where the work is. And, so, affirmations and encouragements along the way, even if they’re the same affirmations and encouragements are really helpful in bolstering us, which is likely what we have going on here in second John. And, so, let’s dive in and read the entire letter of second John.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for Your word and we thank You that each and every day we get to spend time in it and that we get to spend time among each other and that we get to move forward in life together. And we thank You that You lead and guide us each in our own stories wherever we may be on this planet. We are so deeply grateful. And we are reminded once again in what we read from second John, that we are to love one another, And, so, we ask Holy Spirit that You help us do that. Help us to remember that this is how we will be known as Your disciples, by our love for one another. May this become something that is always before us and that we think of before we act in haste in an inappropriate and unloving way. We also thank You for all of the new territory that we get to experience in…in rather quick fashion. And Holy Spirit come and help us to stay locked into what we are reading. Even as the year gets more busy and we are covering more territory more rapidly in the Scriptures that we have it any other point in the year, we trust You. We trust that You will lead us to hear and understand the things that You have for us, the things that we need to know, the things that will lead us forward. And, so, Holy Spirit, we open ourselves to You asking for Your leadership , Your comfort, Your direction, Your guidance, and even Your discipline. Lead us into all truth, we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
Announcements:
dailyaudiobible.com is home base and that is where you can find out what’s going on around here. The Daily Audio Bible app does that as well. And you get that from the app store that works with your phone or tablet. So, check that out.
It’s Christmas time around here. We know that it’s Christmas time all over the world. So, there are a few Christmas things going on around the Global Campfire. First of all, we are preparing for our annual family Christmas party around the Global Campfire. And, so, you are invited to call in your holiday greetings to the community here. And you can do that by pressing the little Hotline button in the app or dialing 877-942-4253. That will sound familiar, because that’s the prayer and encouragement line. This time a year for about a week in the year we open it up and it becomes our Christmas line as well, And, so, just…just don’t call in a prayer request and a holiday greeting inside the same call. There’ll be no place for it to go. This is the rare time where if you have a prayer request and encouragement certainly call that in. It’s always available. But if you’re calling in a holiday greeting, call that in separately so we can keep them separate. And we’ll do that for the next couple of days and then we’ll close that window down and start putting it all together for us. So that’s one Christmas thing that’s going on. Number two, the Daily Audio Bible by the Christmas Box for 2022, the family Christmas Box we do annually is available now and you can find it at dailyaudiobible.com or in the app by going to the Shop and in the Shop you will find a Christmas category and the Christmas Box is there in the Christmas category. So, check that out. And then thirdly, there is Christmas music for the season from the community here, a couple of different Christmas projects that you can purchase or stream wherever it is that you do those things. Whatever service you may use to listen to your music. So, one album is called Family Christmas and you can find that by looking up my name Brian Hardin. And the other one is Christmas Time, and we released that last year and that is by Maxwell Hardin. And these are classic in the community here. And, so, be aware of that and allow that to be a part of the backdrop for your season.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible as we approach this season and the end of the year, thank you humbly, and with all gratitude. We are in this together and if we weren’t, we wouldn’t be in this at all. And, so, thank you profoundly for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.
And of course, if you have a prayer request or encouragement or holiday greeting right now you can hit the Hotline button in the app or you can dial 877-942-4253.
And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Hello, it’s Joyfully Joe and it is December 1st, and it is my first-year anniversary of listening to the DAB of listening to Brian and well, Jill, and China sometimes, and Ezekiel sometimes and all of my beautiful family and my community all of you guys and I’m hoping that you’ll rejoice with me because it is my first year. I…I made it through one whole year of listening to my one-year Bible which before I just read it but it wasn’t as fun and heartbreaking and lovely as hearing Brian and all of you with all of your prayers and prayer requests. It’s been a glorious year of praying for you guys and being prayed for and I just…I just want to say thank you for that and I pray that you’ll rejoice with me. This year what I got…I just about God’s word, I praise Him for His glorious word. It enlightens my mind with wisdom and knowledge and understanding. It is my comfort and by friend and when I don’t have it close at hand the Holy Spirit brings the scriptures to my heart and mind, and I love that. It teaches me, it corrects me. It’s life to me, like breathing or eating or drinking. I can’t go a day without it, and I can’t go a day without you guys. Hallelujah.
I was just gonna share with Brian like what a cool…what a cool way that’s app kinda touches at different times. I was thinking today, and I remember the first year I listened through…all the way through I was just heartbroken and torn up that I wasn’t gonna hear anymore of Jesus. And then it felt like the year after it was Paul and then Peter on the year after and…and this being the 4th in a weird way the wildest part of the book, and it’s probably where I’m at in life, I’m 36, and in a weird way first John and…and all of the later books have tapped into something in my brain that’s made me sit there going, be careful to call yourself a man of God and I’m not good at memorizing verses but this…this year around I’m repetitively hearing to be careful to say that you’re a man of God. And it got me to thinking. It’s had me thinking this year, you know, like am I…I say I’m a man of God but I’m falling short at certain times. And I know we all fall short but what a weird thing to just click through just repetitively in my head, be careful to say you’re a man of God and not act like one. I think it’s weird for all young men. But I just wanted to say thank you. I thought I’d share that brother.
Good morning Daily Audio Bible. Thank you, Brian for bringing up your father. I’m blessed he shares the same birthday as your dad. I lost my dad a couple years ago. By the way, this is Jennifer from Michigan. I don’t know if I mentioned that. I truly miss my dad, but I know he’s in a great place. I love my dad. He was one of my best friends and the Lord has given me comfort in knowing I can seek Him and find joy in Him. I don’t need the world to bring me peace. I praise God. I ask a blessing of the Lord to all my DAB family. I love you guys and I wish you the best day ever in the mighty name of Jesus. [singing starts] I will bless the Lord all my soul. With all that is within me with all that is within me bless His holy name. [singing stops]. Have a great day Dabbers.
Good morning DAB I am the dad of People on the Waters. He is a freshman in college and struggling with his relationship with God he’s finally getting hard to hold himself accountable to do the work that it takes to stay in college. He’s leaving his family behind which has been a huge support system for him and he’s just putting a ton of pressure on himself. If I could ask for prayers to help settle him in and let him realize that he does not have to have his complete life figured out at this time. I pray that he continues to work on his relationship with God and use the tools and foundation that has been put in place for him. He’s a great kid, going to be an awesome leader and could just use some prayers. Please and thank you.
Hi, DAB family this is Helen from Durham NC and I just had to touch this microphone button to just say thank you Brian for your teaching today on unmet expectations. It was just powerfully powerful to me this morning in my own personal life, life of people really close to me. Wow. I had to keep on backing up because enemy of my soul kept diverting my attention but I kept backing up and listening again and thank you, thank you for the good word you spoke today. And I also wanna just say, Sparky I really wanna say thank you for being so transparent about your own life and how God has moved in your life. Thank you so much for that and all of you folks at DAB who are like that, transparent, open in sharing what God is doing in your lives. Thank you. Bye.