Month: December 2023

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday December 5, 2023 (NIV)

Hosea 1-3

1 (A) I am Hosea son of Beeri. When Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were the kings of Judah, and when Jeroboam son of Jehoash[a] was king of Israel,[b] the Lord spoke this message to me.

Hosea's Family

2 The Lord said, “Hosea, Israel has betrayed me like an unfaithful wife.[c] Marry such a woman and have children by her.” 3 So I married Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and we had a son.

4 (B) Then the Lord said, “Hosea, name your son Jezreel,[d] because I will soon punish the descendants of King Jehu of Israel for the murders he committed in Jezreel Valley.[e] I will destroy his kingdom, 5 and in Jezreel Valley I will break the power of Israel.”

6 Later, Gomer had a daughter, and the Lord said, “Name her Lo-Ruhamah,[f] because I will no longer have mercy and forgive Israel. 7 But I am the Lord God of Judah, and I will have mercy and save Judah by my own power—not by wars and arrows or swords and cavalry.”

8 After Gomer had stopped nursing Lo-Ruhamah, she had another son. 9 Then the Lord said, “Name him Lo-Ammi,[g] because these people are not mine, and I am not their God.”

Hope for Israel

10 (C) Someday it will be impossible to count the people of Israel, because there will be as many of them as there are grains of sand along the seashore. They are now called “Not My People,” but in the future they will be called “Children of the Living God.” 11 Israel and Judah will unite and choose one leader. Then they will take back their land, and this will be a great day for Jezreel.[h] 2 1 So let your brothers be called “My People” and your sisters be called “Shown Mercy.”[i]

The Lord Promises To Punish Israel

2 Accuse! Accuse your mother!
She is no longer my wife,
and now I, the Lord,
am not her husband.
Beg her to give up prostitution
and stop being unfaithful,[j]
3 or I will strip her naked
like the day she was born.
I will make her barren
like a desert,
and she will die of thirst.
4 You children are the result
of her unfaithfulness,
and I'll show you no pity.
5 Your mother was unfaithful.
She was disgraceful and said,
“I'll run after my lovers.
Everything comes from them—
my food and drink,
my linen and wool,
my olive oil and wine.”

6 I, the Lord, will build
a fence of thorns
to block her path.
7 She will run after her lovers,
but not catch them;
she will search,
but not find them.
Then she will say, “I'll return
to my first husband.
Life was better then.”
8 She didn't know that her grain,
wine, and olive oil
were gifts from me,
as were the gold and silver
she used in worshiping Baal.[k]

9 So I'll hold back the harvest
of grain and grapes.
I'll take back
my wool and my linen
that cover her body.
10 Then I'll strip her naked
in the sight of her lovers.[l]
No one can rescue her.

11 I'll stop Israel's celebrations—
no more New Moon Festivals,
Sabbaths, or other feasts.
12 She said, “My lovers gave me
vineyards and fig trees
as payment[m] for sex.”

Now I, the Lord, will ruin
her vineyards and fig trees;
they will become clumps of weeds
eaten by wild animals.

13 I'll punish her for the days
she worshiped Baal
and burned incense to him.
I'll punish her for the times
she forgot about me
and wore jewelry and rings
to attract her lovers.
I, the Lord, have spoken!

The Lord Will Help Israel

14 Israel, I, the Lord,
will lure you into the desert
and speak gently to you.
15 (D) I will return your vineyards,
and then Trouble Valley[n]
will become Hopeful Valley.
You will say “Yes” to me
as you did in your youth,
when leaving Egypt.

16 I promise from that day on, you will call me your husband instead of your master.[o] 17 I will no longer even let you mention the names of those pagan gods that you called “Master.” 18 And I will agree to let you live in peace—you will no longer be attacked by wild animals and birds or by weapons of war. 19 I will accept you as my wife forever, and instead of a bride price[p] I will give you justice, fairness, love, kindness, 20 and faithfulness. Then you will truly know who I am.

21 I will command the sky to send rain on the earth, 22 and it will produce grain, grapes, and olives in Jezreel Valley. 23 (E) I will scatter the seeds and show mercy to Lo-Ruhamah.[q] I will say to Lo-Ammi,[r] “You are my people,” and they will answer, “You are our God.”

God's Love Offers Hope

3 Once again the Lord spoke to me. And this time he said, “Hosea, fall in love with an unfaithful woman[s] who has a lover. Do this to show that I love the people of Israel, even though they worship idols and enjoy the offering cakes made with fruit.”

2 So I paid 15 pieces of silver and about 150 kilograms of grain for such a woman. 3 Then I said, “Now you are mine! You will have to remain faithful to me, though it will be a long time before we sleep together.”

4 It will also be a long time before Israel has a king or before sacrifices are offered at the temple or before there is any way to get guidance from God. 5 But later, Israel will turn back to the Lord their God and to David their king. At that time they will come to the Lord with fear and trembling, and he will be good to them.

Footnotes:

  1. 1.1 Jehoash: The Hebrew text has “Joash,” another spelling of the name.
  2. 1.1 kings of Judah … king of Israel: Uzziah (781–740 b.c.), Jotham (740-736), Ahaz (736–716), Hezekiah (716–687), and Jeroboam II (783–743).
  3. 1.2 unfaithful wife: In some Canaanite religions of Old Testament times, young women were expected to have sex with the worshipers of their god before marriage. Such women were called “temple prostitutes.” Many of the Israelite women did this same thing, and Hosea is told to marry one of them to show that the nation has turned from the Lord to worship idols.
  4. 1.4 Jezreel: In Hebrew “Jezreel” means “God scatters (seed).” Here the name is used as a threat (meaning the Lord will punish Israel by scattering its people), while in verse 11 it is used as a promise (meaning the Lord will bless Israel by giving their nation many people, just as a big harvest comes when many seeds are scattered in a field).
  5. 1.4 murders … Valley: Jehu murdered the wife and relatives of King Ahab (see 2 Kings 9.15—10.14).
  6. 1.6 Lo-Ruhamah: In Hebrew “Lo-Ruhamah” means “No Mercy.”
  7. 1.9 Lo-Ammi: In Hebrew “Lo-Ammi” means “Not My People.”
  8. 1.11 Jezreel: See the note at 1.4.
  9. 2.1 My People … Shown Mercy: In Hebrew “My People” is “Ammi” and “Shown Mercy” is “Ruhamah” (see Lo-Ruhamah in 1.6 and Lo-Ammi in 1.9).
  10. 2.2 prostitution … unfaithful: See the note at 1.2.
  11. 2.8 Baal: A Canaanite god of fertility.
  12. 2.10 I'll strip … lovers: Or “I'll show her lovers how disgusting she is.”
  13. 2.12 fig trees … payment: Hosea uses an unusual word for “fig tree,” which is spelled something like the word for “payment.”
  14. 2.15 Trouble Valley: Or “Achor Valley.” The exact location of the valley is unknown, but in Hebrew “Achor” sounds like “Achan,” who brought trouble on Israel by disobeying the Lord (see Joshua 7.24-26).
  15. 2.16 husband … master: In Hebrew the word “master” is the same as the name of the god Baal. But the Lord promises that his people will have a deep personal relationship with him (like a devoted wife and husband) rather than merely a legal tie (like a wife and her “master”).
  16. 2.19 bride price: It was the custom for the husband to pay his wife's parents a bride price. Instead of money, the Lord will give much better benefits to Israel.
  17. 2.23 Lo-Ruhamah: See the note at 1.6.
  18. 2.23 Lo-Ammi: See the note at 1.9.
  19. 3.1 unfaithful woman: This may refer to Gomer, the woman Hosea married (see 1.3), or it may refer to another woman.

Cross references:

  1. 1.1 a : 2 K 15.1-7; 2 Ch 26.1-23; b 2 K 15.32-38; 2 Ch 27.1-8; c 2 K 16.1-20; 2 Ch 28.1-27; d 2 K 18.1—20.21; 2 Ch 29.1—32.33; e 2 K 14.23-29.
  2. 1.4 : 2 K 10.11.
  3. 1.10 : Ro 9.26.
  4. 2.15 : Js 7.24-26.
  5. 2.23 : Ro 9.25; 1 P 2.10.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.

1 John 5

Victory over the World

5 If we believe Jesus is truly Christ, we are God's children. Everyone who loves the Father will also love his children. 2 If we love and obey God, we know we will love his children. 3 (A) We show our love for God by obeying his commandments, and they are not hard to follow.

4 Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. 5 No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.

Who Jesus Is

6 Water and blood came out from the side of Jesus Christ. It wasn't just water, but water and blood.[a] The Spirit tells about this, because the Spirit is truthful. 7 In fact, there are three who tell about it. 8 They are the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and they all agree.

9 We believe what people tell us. But we can trust what God says even more, and God is the one who has spoken about his Son. 10 If we have faith in God's Son, we have believed what God has said. But if we don't believe what God has said about his Son, it is the same as calling God a liar. 11 (B) God has also said he gave us eternal life and this life comes to us from his Son. 12 And so, if we have God's Son, we have this life. But if we don't have the Son, we don't have this life.

Knowing about Eternal Life

13 All of you have faith in the Son of God, and I have written to let you know you have eternal life. 14 We are certain God will hear our prayers when we ask for what pleases him. 15 And if we know God listens when we pray, we are sure our prayers have already been answered.

16 Suppose you see one of our people commit a sin that isn't a deadly sin. You can pray, and this person will be given eternal life. But the sin must not be one that is deadly. 17 Everything that is wrong is sin, but not all sins are deadly.

18 We are sure God's children do not keep on sinning. God's own Son protects them, and the devil cannot harm them.

19 We are certain we come from God and the rest of the world is under the power of the devil.

20 We know that Jesus Christ the Son of God has come and has shown us the true God. And because of Jesus, we now belong to the true God who gives eternal life.

21 Children, you must stay away from idols.

Footnotes:

  1. 5.6 Water and blood came out from the side of Jesus Christ. It wasn't just water, but water and blood: See John 19.34. It is also possible to translate, “Jesus Christ came by the water of baptism and by the blood of his death! He was not only baptized, but he bled and died.” The purpose of the verse is to tell that Jesus was truly human and that he really died.

Cross references:

  1. 5.3 : Jn 14.15.
  2. 5.11 : Jn 3.36.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.

Psalm 124

(A song by David for worship.)

Thanking the Lord for Victory

1 The Lord was on our side!
Let everyone in Israel say:
2 “The Lord was on our side!
Otherwise, the enemy attack
3 would have killed us all,
because it was furious.
4 We would have been swept away
in a violent flood
5 of high and roaring waves.”

6 Let's praise the Lord!
He protected us from enemies
who were like wild animals,
7 and we escaped like birds
from a hunter's torn net.

8 The Lord made heaven and earth,
and he is the one
who sends us help.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.

Proverbs 29:5-8

5 Flattery is nothing less
than setting a trap.
6 Your sins will catch you,
but everyone who lives right
will sing and celebrate.
7 The wicked don't care
about the rights of the poor,
but good people do.
8 Sneering at others is a spark
that sets a city on fire;
using good sense can put out
the flames of anger.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.

Posted on

12/4/2023 DAB Transcript pt2

And John speaks specifically toward that today in what we read. And I quote, “you are from God, little children, and you have conquered them because the one who is in you, is greater than the one who was in the world.” So, John is telling his readers, like look, there’s lots of swirl. There’s lots of things to think about. There’s lots of ways to become distant and think of the Holy Spirit or Jesus work as esoteric and spiritual. And some of the false teachings are separating us from the reality that the spirit of God lives inside those who believe. And so, the spirit of God is in you and will lead you away from the deception of the world. But John’s not just trying like parse theology and have a theological debate. He’s trying to get the readers, and that’s us friends, to get our minds around what we cannot possibly comprehend. A reality that the spirit of God is within us. Because of Jesus, the human and the divine can be in collaboration like we see Jesus doing. And what would be the evidence that we are walking this path, love. John says it like this, “dear friends let us love one another. Because love is from God. And everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love, does not know God, because God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way, God sent his one and only son into the world, so that we might live through Him. Love consists in this, not that we’d love God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is made complete in us.” That is, that is very powerful. Jesus is the physical human embodiment of God’s love for us. A love we could see in action. He wasn’t an apparition, demonstrating these things. He was God offering Himself in the flesh, coming to be among us, Emmanual. God with us. And when we love one another, we are making that same love visible in the flesh, in our flesh. God dwells within us and loves the world through our flesh, just like Jesus did. John says it like this, “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. In this, love is made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, instead perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So, the one who fears, is not complete in love.” So, the implications are pretty huge. We can’t see God, as John said, but we can see each other. And when we live inside the reality that the spirit of God is in us, we begin to understand that being part of the body of Christ is not just like this nice metaphor. We are physically bringing the love of God to the world, like Jesus did, because Jesus is within us. The same spirit is animating and guiding our lives. And God’s love is made perfect in us, as we live into this, and perfect love casts out all fear. In all of the Bible there are plenty of references to love. We obviously know that, but if there were a case in the Scriptures about why we must live in love, this is it, in First John. When we love, we know that the spirit of God is within us. When we love, we are the physical demonstration of God’s love to the world, the hands and feet. When we love, we are being perfected. When we love, we’re being like Christ. And so, let’s heed and take into our hearts, the council the John gives us today. Let us continue to love one another, because love comes from God.

Prayer:

Father, so often we think that we do love each other, we…we…we love, really well. And that’s because we love people who are easy to love and ignore others often. You’re asking us to be your hands and feet and we watched You in this world touch the broken and be among the people that no one else would hang around. We watched you go to the bottom because the Gospel is for those at the bottom. And we all find ourselves at the bottom. Your love conquers all and we are instructed to live in that love and not just remain in it for our own benefit but understand that we become a conduit of Your love, as we surrender to Your will, in our lives. And love casts out fear. So, Holy Spirit and show us how to love. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com, that’s home base, it is where you find out what’s going on around here. It’s Christmas time around here. Everybody knows that. It’s hard to miss anywhere in the world. So, Christmas time around Daily Audio Bible, around the Global Campfire, consists of a couple of things. We are preparing for our annual Daily Audio Bible Christmas party. And you can participate in that by calling in your Christmas wishes or greetings to the community, your brothers and sisters who have been traveling each and every day through the Scriptures this year. You can do that by hitting the Hotline button in the app or by dialing 877-942-4253. That probably sounds familiar since I say it most every day. That’s the prayer and encouragement line. Right now, it’s also the holiday greeting line, just for a brief amount of time, probably till the end of this week. So, don’t delay. And yeah, the only thing is, it’s the prayer requests and encouragement line. So, don’t like, if you have a prayer request and encouragement, and a holiday greeting, don’t mix them all up. Call in your holiday greeting and then call in your prayer request or encouragement separately. This is the one time that you can do that. So, we can keep things separate and make a really lovely time. I love our Christmas party, virtual as it might be, I love it, I love it, I love it. I every year, it brings tears to my eyes just the journey that we have been…been on and all of the voices. It’s just touch points, all the different stories, so make sure you participate in the… in the Christmas party this year.

The other thing this year for Christmas is that we have released all of the…the different music from the Daily Audio Bible. We pressed those under five different vinyl album packages and they’re just very lovely, very commemorative. Something tangible to hold on from the Global Campfire. And anyone who picks up any number of these, we will send you the Christmas ornament from this year in the package as well. And all of the resources from these projects, from the music here is being sewn into what’s coming next year. Brand-new Daily Audio Bible app, brand-new Global Campfire home, brand-new place to move into and grow into and move forward into. So, thank you, humbly for your partnership there. You can find that in the Daily Audio Bible Shop. You’ll find a Christmas category and you’ll see them there. Thank you, thank you, humbly.

And if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible in these final days of the year 2023, thank you, humbly, humbly, we can’t be a Global Campfire if we’re not in this together, and so thank you. 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 P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And of course, if you have a prayer request or encouragement or holiday greeting you can hit the Hotline button in the app, you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that’s it for today, I’m Brian, I love you and I will be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Hi, this is Susan in Indiana. And I’m calling on behalf of Liza, Philippians 6:4. And I know she called in and asked us to pray for her family so often. So, I wanted to continue to do that. And I hope that others will with me. Dear Father, I pray for my sister warrior Liza’s family. I pray that in the wake of her passing that her family members will be drawn closer to You and come to Christ. Come to know Christ the way that Liza did and that they could all be together again at the end. I love you DAB family. And I pray this in the name of Jesus.

Good morning DAB, this is Romans 12:2, calling for Kristen, aka Christ in Me. You said that you were going through a period of grief, after losing, I believe it was two of your children, your former husband and just several people close to you. And you feel somewhat alone. I just want to encourage you today, knowing that many of us who have lost family members, particularly parents or children, feel your pain. And grief is a period that we must go through. Don’t try to go around it. Go through it. The Lord will be with you. He will hold your hand. I know Christmas season can be a difficult time, particularly when we have memories of the people we love and they’re no longer around. I want to encourage you today and I pray for you, that the Lord would be with you. There’s a Scripture that says, while we do not look at the things which are seen but of things that are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary. But the things which are not seen, are eternal. Let us hold onto that. That we have eternity and we are not living in the temporary. That God will be with you. He said He will never leave us, nor forsake us. Again, He said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you. Be encouraged today. Let us all be encouraged. Lord Father, would You be with everyone today, oh God, particularly during this season, who have lost spouses, children, parents, friends even, who are close to them, Lord. May we be reminded that You will never leave us, nor forsake us. And that we will keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Amen.

Good morning DAB family, this is QD from PA. I’m calling in to pray for Kristen, Christ in Me. Hey sister, I just heard your prayer request for yourself, on November 30th. And it really touched me. I just want to pray Psalm 34:18 over you, right now. That the Lord, is close to the broken hearted and he saves those that are crushed in spirit. Father God, I just pray that You are with Kristen and that she feels Your presence, Lord. That she knows You’re near. That You comfort her, Father God. And show her the love that only You can give, Father God, and the peace that only You can give during this time for her. And to let her know that she is not alone, You are with her, You see her. You gather every tear and that You love her so, so deeply and so perfectly, Father God. And I just pray for your presence that You bring people around her who extend Your love, who are a comfort to her, from You, Father God. And Lord, just fill her with Your peace during this time. And I pray this in the mighty, precious name of Your son, Jesus. Amen.

Hi, this is Crystal of Washington State, formerly of Texas. I was just hearing Kristen, aka Christ in Me. And oh my heart hurt so much when I heard what you had to say and how you feel like you’ve lost your entire family. And my heart just breaks for you. I can’t imagine dealing with that much loss. I will be sure to say a prayer for you. And I just want to encourage you to lean into your Daily Audio Bible family. I mean you, you’ve definitely lost a lot of members. But there are a lot of members here, that hear prayers and want to encourage you to lean into us, as your Christ family. And just please, please don’t lose heart. We’re here for you. God bless.

Posted on

12/4/2023 DAB Transcript

Daniel 11:36-12:13, 1 John 4:1-21, Psalm 123:1-4, Proverbs 29:2-4

Today is the 4th day of December, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian, it's…it’s wonderful, wonderful to be here today. It’s wonderful to have a place to be here around the Global Campfire, as we gather again and take another step forward on our journey through the Scriptures. And our journey leads us, every day, it leads us right to where we left off because we’re reading every chapter, every verse, every book of the Bible and we’re working our way through the book of Daniel now. Today, chapter 11 verse 36, through chapter 12 verse 13 today.

Commentary:

Okay, so, as we’re working our way through this, this first letter of John, we’re seeing that it is powerful. There is so many incredible insights for us. And what we saw today in John’s writing is that people in this early church are being deceived and abandoned their faith in Jesus by following new teachings. And as we talked about earlier, there was a swirl of teachings about who Jesus was, what He meant, what He represented, what His work was. And so, some people follow new teachings, other people just got fed up of waiting, and became antagonistic to the Gospel, even antichrist, as the Scriptures say. And all of this swirl of many different teachings that were beginning to develop in the early church, one in particular claimed that Jesus wasn’t a person, He was, He was a spiritual apparition. He was not a flesh and blood human being. And so, this became a theological debate. What is the nature of Jesus Christ? And the question that was debated was whether or not Jesus was the divine simply made visible, or the divine made flesh. And that teaching that Jesus was a spiritual apparition, would later be called Docetism.

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday December 4, 2023 (NIV)

Daniel 11:36-12:13

36 “The king will do as he pleases, exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every god, even blaspheming the God of gods. He will succeed, but only until the time of wrath is completed. For what has been determined will surely take place. 37 He will have no respect for the gods of his ancestors, or for the god loved by women, or for any other god, for he will boast that he is greater than them all. 38 Instead of these, he will worship the god of fortresses—a god his ancestors never knew—and lavish on him gold, silver, precious stones, and expensive gifts. 39 Claiming this foreign god’s help, he will attack the strongest fortresses. He will honor those who submit to him, appointing them to positions of authority and dividing the land among them as their reward.[a]

40 “Then at the time of the end, the king of the south will attack the king of the north. The king of the north will storm out with chariots, charioteers, and a vast navy. He will invade various lands and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will enter the glorious land of Israel,[b] and many nations will fall, but Moab, Edom, and the best part of Ammon will escape. 42 He will conquer many countries, and even Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control over the gold, silver, and treasures of Egypt, and the Libyans and Ethiopians[c] will be his servants.

44 “But then news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in great anger to destroy and obliterate many. 45 He will stop between the glorious holy mountain and the sea and will pitch his royal tents. But while he is there, his time will suddenly run out, and no one will help him.

The Time of the End

12 “At that time Michael, the archangel[d] who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued. 2 Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace. 3 Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever. 4 But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”

5 Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others standing on opposite banks of the river. 6 One of them asked the man dressed in linen, who was now standing above the river, “How long will it be until these shocking events are over?”

7 The man dressed in linen, who was standing above the river, raised both his hands toward heaven and took a solemn oath by the One who lives forever, saying, “It will go on for a time, times, and half a time. When the shattering of the holy people has finally come to an end, all these things will have happened.”

8 I heard what he said, but I did not understand what he meant. So I asked, “How will all this finally end, my lord?”

9 But he said, “Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is kept secret and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means.

11 “From the time the daily sacrifice is stopped and the sacrilegious object that causes desecration[e] is set up to be worshiped, there will be 1,290 days. 12 And blessed are those who wait and remain until the end of the 1,335 days!

13 “As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.”

Footnotes:

  1. 11:39 Or at a price.
  2. 11:41 Hebrew the glorious land.
  3. 11:43 Hebrew Cushites.
  4. 12:1 Hebrew the great prince.
  5. 12:11 Hebrew the abomination of desolation.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


1 John 4

Discerning False Prophets

4 Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. 2 This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet[a] acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. 3 But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.

4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 5 Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. 6 But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.

Loving One Another

7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other[b] because he loved us first.

20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer,[c] that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.[d]

Footnotes:

  1. 4:2 Greek If a spirit; similarly in 4:3.
  2. 4:19 Greek We love. Other manuscripts read We love God; still others read We love him.
  3. 4:20 Greek hates his brother.
  4. 4:21 Greek The one who loves God must also love his brother.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 123

Psalm 123

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1 I lift my eyes to you,
O God, enthroned in heaven.
2 We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy,
just as servants keep their eyes on their master,
as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.
3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy,
for we have had our fill of contempt.
4 We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud
and the contempt of the arrogant.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 29:2-4

2 When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice.
But when the wicked are in power, they groan.

3 The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,
but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted.

4 A just king gives stability to his nation,
but one who demands bribes destroys it.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday December 3, 2023 (NIV)

Daniel 11:2-35

Kings of the South and North

2 “Now then, I will reveal the truth to you. Three more Persian kings will reign, to be succeeded by a fourth, far richer than the others. He will use his wealth to stir up everyone to fight against the kingdom of Greece.[a]

3 “Then a mighty king will rise to power who will rule with great authority and accomplish everything he sets out to do. 4 But at the height of his power, his kingdom will be broken apart and divided into four parts. It will not be ruled by the king’s descendants, nor will the kingdom hold the authority it once had. For his empire will be uprooted and given to others.

5 “The king of the south will increase in power, but one of his own officials will become more powerful than he and will rule his kingdom with great strength.

6 “Some years later an alliance will be formed between the king of the north and the king of the south. The daughter of the king of the south will be given in marriage to the king of the north to secure the alliance, but she will lose her influence over him, and so will her father. She will be abandoned along with her supporters. 7 But when one of her relatives[b] becomes king of the south, he will raise an army and enter the fortress of the king of the north and defeat him. 8 When he returns to Egypt, he will carry back their idols with him, along with priceless articles of gold and silver. For some years afterward he will leave the king of the north alone.

9 “Later the king of the north will invade the realm of the king of the south but will soon return to his own land. 10 However, the sons of the king of the north will assemble a mighty army that will advance like a flood and carry the battle as far as the enemy’s fortress.

11 “Then, in a rage, the king of the south will rally against the vast forces assembled by the king of the north and will defeat them. 12 After the enemy army is swept away, the king of the south will be filled with pride and will execute many thousands of his enemies. But his success will be short lived.

13 “A few years later the king of the north will return with a fully equipped army far greater than before. 14 At that time there will be a general uprising against the king of the south. Violent men among your own people will join them in fulfillment of this vision, but they will not succeed. 15 Then the king of the north will come and lay siege to a fortified city and capture it. The best troops of the south will not be able to stand in the face of the onslaught.

16 “The king of the north will march onward unopposed; none will be able to stop him. He will pause in the glorious land of Israel,[c] intent on destroying it. 17 He will make plans to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will form an alliance with the king of the south. He will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom from within, but his plan will fail.

18 “After this, he will turn his attention to the coastland and conquer many cities. But a commander from another land will put an end to his insolence and cause him to retreat in shame. 19 He will take refuge in his own fortresses but will stumble and fall and be seen no more.

20 “His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. But after a very brief reign, he will die, though not from anger or in battle.

21 “The next to come to power will be a despicable man who is not in line for royal succession. He will slip in when least expected and take over the kingdom by flattery and intrigue. 22 Before him great armies will be swept away, including a covenant prince. 23 With deceitful promises, he will make various alliances. He will become strong despite having only a handful of followers. 24 Without warning he will enter the richest areas of the land. Then he will distribute among his followers the plunder and wealth of the rich—something his predecessors had never done. He will plot the overthrow of strongholds, but this will last for only a short while.

25 “Then he will stir up his courage and raise a great army against the king of the south. The king of the south will go to battle with a mighty army, but to no avail, for there will be plots against him. 26 His own household will cause his downfall. His army will be swept away, and many will be killed. 27 Seeking nothing but each other’s harm, these kings will plot against each other at the conference table, attempting to deceive each other. But it will make no difference, for the end will come at the appointed time.

28 “The king of the north will then return home with great riches. On the way he will set himself against the people of the holy covenant, doing much damage before continuing his journey.

29 “Then at the appointed time he will once again invade the south, but this time the result will be different. 30 For warships from western coastlands[d] will scare him off, and he will withdraw and return home. But he will vent his anger against the people of the holy covenant and reward those who forsake the covenant.

31 “His army will take over the Temple fortress, pollute the sanctuary, put a stop to the daily sacrifices, and set up the sacrilegious object that causes desecration.[e] 32 He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.

33 “Wise leaders will give instruction to many, but these teachers will die by fire and sword, or they will be jailed and robbed. 34 During these persecutions, little help will arrive, and many who join them will not be sincere. 35 And some of the wise will fall victim to persecution. In this way, they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come.

Footnotes:

  1. 11:2 Hebrew of Javan.
  2. 11:7 Hebrew a branch from her roots.
  3. 11:16 Hebrew the glorious land.
  4. 11:30 Hebrew from Kittim.
  5. 11:31 Hebrew the abomination of desolation.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


1 John 3:7-24

7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life[a] is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers[b] does not belong to God.

Love One Another

11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. 13 So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters,[c] if the world hates you.

14 If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers,[d] it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister[e] is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.

16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister[f] in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.

23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.

Footnotes:

  1. 3:9 Greek because his seed.
  2. 3:10 Greek does not love his brother.
  3. 3:13 Greek brothers.
  4. 3:14 Greek the brothers; similarly in 3:16.
  5. 3:15 Greek hates his brother.
  6. 3:17 Greek sees his brother.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 122

Psalm 122

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David.

1 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 And now here we are,
standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is a well-built city;
its seamless walls cannot be breached.
4 All the tribes of Israel—the Lord’s people—
make their pilgrimage here.
They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord,
as the law requires of Israel.
5 Here stand the thrones where judgment is given,
the thrones of the dynasty of David.

6 Pray for peace in Jerusalem.
May all who love this city prosper.
7 O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls
and prosperity in your palaces.
8 For the sake of my family and friends, I will say,
“May you have peace.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 29:1

29 Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism
will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Posted on

12/2/2023 DAB Transcript pt2

They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us, but they’re going showed that none of them belonged to us. So, we can see that we’re rubbing up against the apocalyptic worldview that we talked about when we were going through Peter’s letters. We can see this eminent need to stay together, to stay true to the message that was taught. But we can also see unmet expectations there. Why he did some of these early believers leave the faith and become antichrist, when it seemed like the end was near. Unmet expectations. Coming to faith, expecting the imminent arrival of Jesus, and that there on the ground floor opportunity in the kingdom of God, but instead what they got was ridicule and persecution and marginalization. They were expecting some kind of timeline that they could understand, and they abandoned the faith when suffering came and endurance became part of the story. Like John said, they were never really a part of us. They left and they were never really with us. And in all of this, the earliest of early church times, many teachings were being developed about Jesus. His message, His ministry, what He represented, what His true nature was, was He a human being, was He a God? Was He both? All of these things were being explored and all kinds of skewed versions of the original teachings. They were everywhere. So, confusion and doubt and conflicting teachings crept into the church full of people who were already marginalized and they’re getting pressed in on. John stepping into all that swirl and saying wait. The deepest, most essential truths of our faith, has not changed at all. John says, who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist, denying the Father and the Son. No one denies the Son, has the Father. Whoever acknowledges the Son, has the Father also. So, John’s not saying hey, don’t ask questions of your faith. Hey, don’t grow in your understanding and grow in your faith in Jesus. It’s the completely the opposite. He was simply reminding them that hey, the truth you heard from the beginning, is still the truth, regardless of all the swirling things that you’re hearing and all the new teachings that you’re hearing. You can ask your questions but the central truth of who Jesus is, isn’t going to change. And then John told us why he’s bringing this all up, and reminded us of what is available and that will always guide us in the ways of truth. And he said, as for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning, remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what He promised us, eternal life. I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things, and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit, just as it has taught you, remain in Him. That is amazing advice. Remain in Him. That is for all of us who believe, especially when we’re going through resetting our expectations. When we’re dealing with doubt. Let’s remember that God doesn’t owe us anything. He doesn’t have to do anything. We owe Him our very existence. Let’s embrace the counsel of John and remain in Him, which means to stay faithful, to be true. Remain true to Him. Stay faithful to Him. Don’t cheat on Him. Stay true to what you were taught from the beginning. And then when we’re faced with doubt, we have this place to return to. Coming back to the place of why we believe what we do, and invite the Holy Spirit to guide us.

Prayer:

And so, Holy Spirit, we invite You into that right now. All the swirling things that lead us into doubt, all of our unmet expectations, not knowing who to believe. Not knowing what is true anymore. You are the only one. And so, we come to You and we open ourselves to You and invite You to first, shine the light of truth in our own lives. We so often just want You to shine the truth out in front of us, so we can see where we’re going, and we could be in control of everything. But shine the light of truth into our lives, first. So that we can see ourselves for who we truly are. We find repentance and righteousness. Then we might be able to see where we’re going. Come, Holy Spirit, show us how to remain in Him. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, that is the website and where you find out what’s going on around here. It’s Christmas time around here. So, couple of things. Our Daily Audio Bible Annual Family Christmas party is coming up. That’s a virtual party. It kind of shows up as a extra episode and it’s, it’s beautiful. It’s lengthy usually, but it’s just all of the voices from all of the community, all around the Global Campfire. Just all getting together to hear each other’s voices and wish each other a Merry Christmas. So, you can participate in that. You can use the Hotline button, it’s in the app. The little red button up at the top, or you can dial 877-942-4253 and call in your holiday greeting. Those things might seem familiar because they’re the prayer request and encouragement line. And that’s what they’re for. And so, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app or you can dial 877-942-4253 as well. Just don’t combine a holiday greeting and a prayer request in the same call. That won’t work. Make them separate and then we can work with them. So, yup, about a week and a half and we’ll close that down and start preparing for our party. So, make sure you don’t wait.

The other thing for Christmas this year is that we’re moving into some new territory in 2024. Brand-new infrastructure, brand-new app. A lot of work. It’s been two years from literally the ground up, building and we will land it sometime next year. We will, it’ll be our new home for the Global Campfire. We pressed up all of the music that is underneath the Daily Audio Bible onto five different vinyl albums. The Sleep album. The Promised Land album. The Heart album, I’m listening to that music from Heart, underneath the music right now. Then there are two holiday titles: Family Christmas, which is a beautifully orchestrated, that’s the kind of record you want to put on when you have a cup of hot cocoa and you got your Christmas lights on and all the other lights off. And you’re just kind of trying to take in the moment, this is for that. And then Christmas Time, by my son Maxwell which released last year. And that is a fantastic project and it’s part of our listening for the Christmas season as well. So, all of those are available. And when you pick up one of these or all of these, we will send you the Christmas ornament for 2023. The Daily Audio Bible 2023 ornament with the word “expand” on it. So, check those out, they’re in the Daily Audio Bible Shop. Look for Christmas, the Christmas Section and you’ll find them there. And thank you, thank you very much for your partnership.

And if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible here at the end of the year, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link on the homepage or if you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner, or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And as always, if ever prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app or you dial 877-942-4253. I’ve said that number a bunch of times. But that’s what you do for the holiday greeting or prayer request or encouragement.

And that’s it for today, I’m Brian, I love you and I will be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Good morning everyone, it’s Susan from Canada, God’s Yellow Flower calling in for Doctor John and his family. Especially his dad. I know how difficult it is. I think sometimes watching people suffer is worse than when they’re gone. I’m sure many will agree with me. So, Lord God, we come before Your Holy throne with Doctor John’s father on our hearts. And we ask that the peace that surpasses all understanding would be his and his families and his loved ones, Lord God. As he waits for You to take him home, Lord, we ask that the passing of his dad would be restful, peaceful and quick. We pray for Your peace to be with the families and that Your hand would touch their hearts and fill them with everything You have to offer, to bring joy in their life. Knowing that his mom and his dad would be together again for eternity with You physically in the midst. Oh Jesus, I can hardly wait for the day, wait for the day. What a glorious day that will be. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Good morning everyone, it’s Susan from Canada, God’s Yellow Flower calling. And I want to pray for Shari and all the other ones that are suffering. I know Adrian has MS and I’m not sure who else. But I just lift you up before the Lord and ask You dear God to give them healing in Your wings, that they may soar with You and just leave their cares and worries behind. We pray over their stamina as they go through this awful disease. I know the feeling of being able to do something one day and not the next because of my deterioration of my eyesight. But I know that physically it’s really hard on you, emotionally and probably spiritually as well. So, I pray Your strength, Lord God, upon each and every one. Not only those with MS but with ALS or any other debilitating disease, and I pray healing in Your wings and strength from Jesus. Amen.

Hello my DAB family, this is Jamie in New Jersey, Standing on the Word of God. I humbly ask you, please pray with me. Dear Father in Heaven, we are praying today for Your comfort in the lives of those who need it the most. You know the circumstances we all face. And You understand our hurts and our need for peace and comfort. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit and to turn their sorrow into joy. Let each person feel Your presence in amazing ways. Help them to be patient with themselves and to cling tightly to Your hand daily. May Your promises fill their hearts with hope for the future and peace in their spirits. When we can’t find words to pray, take over Holy Spirit. Intercede for us. And pray through us as we offer our prayer up for comfort to others. Help us to be instruments of hope to others, as we share the comfort You have already given to us. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you for praying along with me my brothers and sisters. I lift each and every one of you up to our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. May He answer all our prayers. I love you all. Have a good night.

Hey fam, it’s your boy Spark. The 26th, I wanted to call in though. Offer some prayer for some people. Salt and Light, I wanted to let you know that I’ll be praying for your friends daughter, on her healing. That will be continuous. Walking in the Light in Tennessee, always love hearing from you. I’ll be praying for your healing with your body and hope that the Lord reaches out and touches. Jamie in New Jersey man, I don’t get to say it very often but you’re a pillar. You’re a pillar. And thank you for the beautiful thanksgiving prayer. Eyes of a Dove, sorry, I wanted to let you know that I’ll be praying for your healing and keep your husband calm and let God do His thing. Prisoner of Hope, I’ve been thinking about you a lot. I know you’ve had that loss in your family and loss of your father, I believe. And I wanted to let you know that you are being prayed for. And I wanted to say guys, like, I can feel horrible of not getting on here and mentioning but I want to assure you, every prayer that is heard, even though it may not be mentioned, you’re getting prayed for. I had all these, felt like I had so many mothers when I got on here that, Susan, I mean, I could go down the list. God’s Life Speaker, there’s just so many people. And you’re being prayed for. And you’re loved and cared for. Amazing friends. I just tend to call if I have experience with something. Other than that, I leave it up to God. I love ya’ll.

Posted on

12/2/2023 DAB Transcript pt1

Daniel 9:1-11:1, 1 John 2:18-3:6, Psalm 121:1-8, Proverbs 28:27-28

Today is the second day of December, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian, it is great to be here with you. Gotta take off my coat, sorry, I got a little ahead of myself, welcome to the Global Campfire, it’s great to be here with you today, as we take our next step forward in the Scriptures. It’s the 2nd of December and today would’ve been my father’s birthday. So, I think of him today, as we move forward on our journey through the Scriptures. He’s been, he’s been gone for over 20 years now, but I think of him on his birthday, and so, in his honor, we read today Daniel chapter 9 verse 1, through 10 verse 21 today.

Commentary:

Okay, First John is a pretty short letter but it’s pretty power packed, and there are things for us to consider today about our doubts, about our unmet expectations. Think about, think about doubt, think about your spiritual doubt. What is it that kind of pulls us away into questioning and wondering and then doubt. So often we find unmet expectations there. God didn’t do what we asked Him to do, or He’s taking too long to do what we expect. So, we become impatient and then we become discontented and eventually we turn into doubt, and then that opens the door to deception, and then pretty soon our flame is extinguished. And we’ve probably seen this in our lives. Maybe we’ve even done this in our life. Some people just walk away, like this is a big joke. There is no God, He’s not coming through. And if He does come through, He’s not aware of what I’m going through. And so, people slide away or walk away in these situations, and maybe become bitter toward God, become anti-God. And that’s what we’re reading about the First John today. John says, dear children, this is the last hour, and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming. Even now, many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday December 2, 2023 (NIV)

Daniel 9:1-11

Daniel’s Prayer for His People

9 It was the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, the son of Ahasuerus, who became king of the Babylonians.[a] 2 During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years.[b] 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.

4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

“O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. 5 But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. 6 We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority to our kings and princes and ancestors and to all the people of the land.

7 “Lord, you are in the right; but as you see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us, including the people of Judah and Jerusalem and all Israel, scattered near and far, wherever you have driven us because of our disloyalty to you. 8 O Lord, we and our kings, princes, and ancestors are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. 9 But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. 10 We have not obeyed the Lord our God, for we have not followed the instructions he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has disobeyed your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice.

“So now the solemn curses and judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured down on us because of our sin. 12 You have kept your word and done to us and our rulers exactly as you warned. Never has there been such a disaster as happened in Jerusalem. 13 Every curse written against us in the Law of Moses has come true. Yet we have refused to seek mercy from the Lord our God by turning from our sins and recognizing his truth. 14 Therefore, the Lord has brought upon us the disaster he prepared. The Lord our God was right to do all of these things, for we did not obey him.

15 “O Lord our God, you brought lasting honor to your name by rescuing your people from Egypt in a great display of power. But we have sinned and are full of wickedness. 16 In view of all your faithful mercies, Lord, please turn your furious anger away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. All the neighboring nations mock Jerusalem and your people because of our sins and the sins of our ancestors.

17 “O our God, hear your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary.

18 “O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.

19 “O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name.”

Gabriel’s Message about the Anointed One

20 I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the Lord my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain. 21 As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He explained to me, “Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. 23 The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision.

24 “A period of seventy sets of seven[c] has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.[d] 25 Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven[e] will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One[f]—comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses,[g] despite the perilous times.

26 “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven,[h] the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end. 27 The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven,[i] but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds,[j] he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration,[k] until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”

Daniel’s Vision of a Messenger

10 In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia,[l] Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future—times of war and great hardship.

2 When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks. 3 All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.

4 On April 23,[m] as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River, 5 I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. 6 His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people.

7 Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. 8 So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. 9 Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.

10 Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. 11 And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.

12 Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. 13 But for twenty-one days the spirit prince[n] of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels,[o] came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.[p] 14 Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.”

15 While he was speaking to me, I looked down at the ground, unable to say a word. 16 Then the one who looked like a man[q] touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, “I am filled with anguish because of the vision I have seen, my lord, and I am very weak. 17 How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe.”

18 Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning. 19 “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”

As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, “Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me.”

20 He replied, “Do you know why I have come? Soon I must return to fight against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia, and after that the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece[r] will come. 21 Meanwhile, I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one helps me against these spirit princes except Michael, your spirit prince.[s] 11 1 I have been standing beside Michael[t] to support and strengthen him since the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede.)

Footnotes:

  1. 9:1 Or the Chaldeans.
  2. 9:2 See Jer 25:11-12; 29:10.
  3. 9:24a Hebrew seventy sevens.
  4. 9:24b Or the Most Holy One.
  5. 9:25a Hebrew Seven sevens plus sixty-two sevens.
  6. 9:25b Or an anointed one; similarly in 9:26. Hebrew reads a messiah.
  7. 9:25c Or and a moat, or and trenches.
  8. 9:26 Hebrew After sixty-two sevens.
  9. 9:27a Hebrew for one seven.
  10. 9:27b Hebrew And on the wing; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  11. 9:27c Hebrew an abomination of desolation.
  12. 10:1 The third year of Cyrus’s reign was 536 B.c.
  13. 10:4 Hebrew On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This date in the book of Daniel can be cross-checked with dates in surviving Persian records and can be related accurately to our modern calendar. This event occurred on April 23, 536 B.c.
  14. 10:13a Hebrew the prince; also in 10:13c, 20.
  15. 10:13b Hebrew the chief princes.
  16. 10:13c As in one Greek version; Hebrew reads and I was left there with the kings of Persia. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  17. 10:16 As in most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text; one manuscript of the Masoretic Text and one Greek version read Then something that looked like a human hand.
  18. 10:20 Hebrew of Javan.
  19. 10:21 Hebrew against these except Michael, your prince.
  20. 11:1 Hebrew him.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


1 John 2:18-3:6

Warning about Antichrists

18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 19 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.

20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit,[a] and all of you know the truth. 21 So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. 22 And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ.[b] Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist.[c] 23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. 25 And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.

26 I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit,[d] and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit[e] teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

Living as Children of God

28 And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

29 Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.

3 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.

4 Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.

Footnotes:

  1. 2:20 Greek But you have an anointing from the Holy One.
  2. 2:22a Or not the Messiah.
  3. 2:22b Or the antichrist.
  4. 2:27a Greek the anointing from him.
  5. 2:27b Greek the anointing.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 121

Psalm 121

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1 I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!

3 He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.

5 The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.

7 The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 28:27-28

27 Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing,
but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.

28 When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding.
When the wicked meet disaster, the godly flourish.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Posted on

11/30/2023 DAB Transcript

Daniel 7:1-28, 1 John 1:1-10, Psalm 119:153-176, Proverbs 28:23-24

Today is the 30th day of November, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is wonderful to be here with you today, as we gather and take the next step forward again. Here we are at the last day of the 11th month of the year. So, yeah, it's…it’s the busy time of this, of the year, it’s the holiday season. And tomorrow is the first day of the 12th month of the year. So, we are very, very well underway. But we still have quite a ways to go as we continue our journey, all the way to the end. So, we’ve been working our way into and through the book of Daniel, in the Old Testament. That’s where we will continue the journey. And today, we pick up with Daniel chapter 7.

Introduction to the Book of First John.

Okay, so, yesterday, we finished up with Second Peter, which reunites us today now, with a voice that we, that we know, a familiar voice from earlier in the year. And we’ll begin today, the first of three letters that are attributed to the beloved Apostle John. And the irony is that the letter makes no mention of who it’s from, it doesn’t even specify to who it’s addressed. So, we can easily just conclude that this is an anonymous letter, but the church fathers in the mid-second century, like…like 50 years, give or take, after it was written, attributed this letter to John the evangelist. When the New Testament was formally canonized, there was no dispute over this letter. It’s been in recent times that scholars with textual criticism have begun to ask questions about style. Style…style of writing between the Gospel of John and the epistles of John. And that, that’s always been kind of an ongoing thing in biblical scholarship, so that continues on. Maybe part of the reason for not addressing the letter to a specific group of people could have been that it was supposed to be circulated throughout many different churches. It’s possible that the first readers of this letter knew John well enough, knew who he was. He didn’t need to introduce himself. It’s possible that the recipients of the letter weren’t identified to protect them from persecution, like if somebody got caught with it or something like that. First John was probably written from Ephesus and it was probably written very late in John’s life. Scholar’s date this normally between the mid-90s and early 100s A.D. and this letter is pretty much for one reason, to address false teachings. Some of the earlier forms of Gnostic thought had made their way into the conversation. And I guess it’s important to point out that there were a lot of things swirling around about Jesus, who He was, what He represented, what He did. And as the Gospel became more and more fluent in Gentile world, then all kinds of things are kind of being asked and questioned. New thoughts are coming up and so, some of these thoughts were coming into the conversation that John’s writing about. Especially the early Doesetic view that that Jesus was not actually a human being. He was more of an apparition and there was the view of Sorrento’s who taught that the divine Christ united with Jesus, like Jesus became divine when he was baptized, and then the divinity of his nature, departed from Him at His crucifixion. These are some of the things that were being taught then and John had a bit of authority, an authoritative voice against these false teachings, because he’d been with Jesus. He was a part of Jesus inner circle. He watched Jesus do His ministry. He could dispel a falsehood about Jesus. He was an eyewitness. And that’s what he does in this letter. And beyond just denouncing the false teaching, the letter offers contrasts to test the posture of our hearts and we’ll look at that when we get there. It encourages us to look at ourselves, while encouraging us that we need to move forward in the assurance of our salvation. And so, with that, we begin, First John chapter 1.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word, we thank You for this new territory that we move in the epistles of John and we thank You for what we learned today. If we confess our sins, You are faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Thank You for that, we confess our sin, we are daily struggling and without You, we are lost. But You have been faithful to us when we have been unfaithful. You have stayed loyal when we have betrayed You. And so, we come to you, humbly, we ask your forgiveness, knowing that You will forgive us, knowing that You will make us children of the light, as John told us, You are light in Him and You, there is no darkness at all. And if we claim to have fellowship with You and we walk in the darkness, we’re lying. And we don’t live in the truth. But we want to walk in the light as You are in the light. So, forgive us of our sins. Cleanse us of our unrighteousness, we open ourselves to You, knowing that You are the only one that can change us and transform us. Come Holy Spirit, change us from within. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com, that’s home base, it’s the website. That’s where you find out what’s going on around here. It’s Christmas time around here. So, a couple of things, in a couple weeks we’ll have our annual Christmas party. We do this every year and it’s one of the most beautiful, beautiful things that happen in our year. And so, I’m looking forward to that. You can call in your Christmas greetings now. You can use the Hotline button or you can dial 877-942-4253. And those may sound familiar because that’s the prayer and encouragement line. Right now it’s the prayer and encouragement line and Christmas greeting line. You can use it for a Christmas greeting. The only thing is don’t mix a Christmas greeting and a prayer request in the same call, make those separate. This is one of the times you can call twice. Call in your Christmas greeting and if you have a prayer request, make that separate, so that we can keep things separate, as we’re getting everything together. But you can call in your Christmas greetings now for the next week and half, I suppose. So, don’t wait till the last minute, like some of us do. Jump in early so that you’re in there and included and we get to hear you too.

The other thing for Christmas is that we’re moving forward around the Global Campfire here. And next year in 2024, at some point in the year, we will begin rolling out the new Global Campfire, like a 2.0 version of all that we have built over all of the years. We just began a massive rethink a couple years ago with the intention of placing infrastructure in place that we can build upon forever, pretty much. And so, that’s been going really strong and very, very much forward for the last couple of years, and were turning the corner and seeing this coming in for a landing sometime next year. So, this year for Christmas we have taken all of the music from the Daily Audio Bible. So, songs for Sleep, The Promised Land album, Songs of the Heart, Family Christmas and in the Maxwell, my son, Christmas Time which was, which is a favorite from last year. We pressed these on vinyl so that we could have vinyl packaging, which is very tangible and beautiful and commemorative of the Global Campfire and the ethos of the Daily Audio Bible. We pressed those projects up and are releasing them to you and all the of the resources that are harvested from from…from this time, will be sewed into the development of…of what what’s coming next for us. So, you can check those all…all out a dailyaudiobible.com. Just go into the Shop and you’ll find a Christmas Section and you’ll find them there. And the Christmas ornament that we have each year, we have. And if you purchase one of these projects or all of these projects, we will send you the Christmas ornament for 2023 with the word “expand” on it. So, you can check that out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you, humbly. You can do that at dailyaudiobible.com too. There’s a link on the homepage. If you’re using the app, there’s a Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, that’s the little red button up at the top 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.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Hey DAB, this is Kristin, aka Christ in Me. I am calling for prayer for myself. I’m having a really hard time. On the 30th of this month will be the first anniversary of three of my son’s passing and the 5th anniversary of my daughters passing. And yesterday was my kids dads birthday, my first husband. And he’s passed away. And my other son, Shae has passed away, 10 years ago. And I’m realizing that my entire family is gone. And I’m having a hard time today. So, if ya’ll could pray for me, I would really appreciate it. I usually am one that tries to comfort other people with loss but I’m having a hard day today. Lord help me, be with me, comfort me. In Jesus mighty name. Amen.

Shalom Daily Audio Bible, this is Dwayne from Wisconsin. All praise and glory to our wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Today is November 26th. I’m calling in for Eyes of a Dove. You called in and are asking us to pray for you and the medical condition that you have. We are lifting this up to our Lord. We are asking for healing. We are asking for peace. We are asking Lord, that that be Your will. Your will be done. We ask that You will give Eyes of a Dove the courage she needs to walk through this with her family. For she is a light, Lord, in the darkness. We lift her up and we’ll continue to pray for her. Also, calling in for Salt and Light who called in and said a friends daughter fell in the bathtub and unfortunately has been unresponsive. Lord, this is grave situation here. Definitely lifting this young lady up. If it’s Your will that she would be healed, if not, that You would be with her. Walk her through this and be with her mother and her family. That they will have strength to go on and handle this situation. We lift this up in Jesus name. Amen and God bless.

Hi friends, it’s Lisa the Encourager. Today, I wanted to call in and pray for Eyes of a Dove. I just heard your prayer request about seeing an oncologist about something scary on your body. And I just wanna go to the Lord and pray for you. Dear Heavenly Father God, I pray for Eyes of a Dove. She’s so precious to all of us. She’s such a good prayer warrior, God. And is always calling in, praying for all us. And I just bless her and for her goodness to us Lord. And I just pray that You will, now that she is in great need, Lord, of You, coming in and intervening in this health problem that she has, God. We pray that it’s nothing serious and way pray God, that it is just a small little bump in the road and that it can be healed. And that she’ll be able to be cured of this Lord God, and we pray that Your heavenly hand will touch her and give her peace of mind and give her comfort, Lord, in her marriage, in her life. We know that she has a lot going on and she’s a beautiful, beautiful gift from God to all us, Lord. And we just pray healing over her body God. In Jesus precious name I pray. Amen.

Good morning DAB family. I wanted to call in and pray for Billy and Eyes of a Dove. I heard your heart sister. And I heard your fear and your anxiousness. You know, the enemy robs us of so much faith when we do discover new things in our body. There’s probably not a man or a woman here that hasn’t had a lump or a bump or a bruise or something that we had a wait in faith for to get that oncology report, to see that specialist, to see that doctor. And so, we are lifting your heart, we are lifting your faith. You are a strong loved member of this DAB family. And trust me when I tell you the word that is in you shall prevail and stand up strong in you, no matter what it is. I’ve been there and God said to me. One time he says, so what if it is cancer. Am I not the God of cancer? And I had a let all the prayers and all the anointing and all the word just fall by the wayside, until He said that to me. So, I lift you up sister. Jesus hold this family. Hold her and Billy. Hold the entire family together, God. Let the children’s faith grow strong. Let the family surround them with prayers of faith. Trust in You to have the final say, God. God, build her up and give her strength and remind her who You are. That You are the God of miracles. You are the God of cancer. You are the God of breakthrough, God. You are the God of treatment. So, however You show up and show out in her life, God, let her trust You now like she’s never done before. And for any brother and sister going through the same trial right now, may they gain strength in You God. And in Your name and under Your blood right now. Placing every sickness under these, in Your capable, loving, strong hands. In Jesus name. Amen.

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday December 1, 2023 (NIV)

Daniel 8

Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and Goat

8 [a]During the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, I, Daniel, saw another vision, following the one that had already appeared to me. 2 In this vision I was at the fortress of Susa, in the province of Elam, standing beside the Ulai River.[b]

3 As I looked up, I saw a ram with two long horns standing beside the river.[c] One of the horns was longer than the other, even though it had grown later than the other one. 4 The ram butted everything out of his way to the west, to the north, and to the south, and no one could stand against him or help his victims. He did as he pleased and became very great.

5 While I was watching, suddenly a male goat appeared from the west, crossing the land so swiftly that he didn’t even touch the ground. This goat, which had one very large horn between its eyes, 6 headed toward the two-horned ram that I had seen standing beside the river, rushing at him in a rage. 7 The goat charged furiously at the ram and struck him, breaking off both his horns. Now the ram was helpless, and the goat knocked him down and trampled him. No one could rescue the ram from the goat’s power.

8 The goat became very powerful. But at the height of his power, his large horn was broken off. In the large horn’s place grew four prominent horns pointing in the four directions of the earth. 9 Then from one of the prominent horns came a small horn whose power grew very great. It extended toward the south and the east and toward the glorious land of Israel. 10 Its power reached to the heavens, where it attacked the heavenly army, throwing some of the heavenly beings and some of the stars to the ground and trampling them. 11 It even challenged the Commander of heaven’s army by canceling the daily sacrifices offered to him and by destroying his Temple. 12 The army of heaven was restrained from responding to this rebellion. So the daily sacrifice was halted, and truth was overthrown. The horn succeeded in everything it did.[d]

13 Then I heard two holy ones talking to each other. One of them asked, “How long will the events of this vision last? How long will the rebellion that causes desecration stop the daily sacrifices? How long will the Temple and heaven’s army be trampled on?”

14 The other replied, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the Temple will be made right again.”

Gabriel Explains the Vision

15 As I, Daniel, was trying to understand the meaning of this vision, someone who looked like a man stood in front of me. 16 And I heard a human voice calling out from the Ulai River, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of his vision.”

17 As Gabriel approached the place where I was standing, I became so terrified that I fell with my face to the ground. “Son of man,” he said, “you must understand that the events you have seen in your vision relate to the time of the end.”

18 While he was speaking, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. But Gabriel roused me with a touch and helped me to my feet.

19 Then he said, “I am here to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath. What you have seen pertains to the very end of time. 20 The two-horned ram represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy male goat represents the king of Greece,[e] and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king of the Greek Empire. 22 The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four kingdoms, but none as great as the first.

23 “At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people. 25 He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power.

26 “This vision about the 2,300 evenings and mornings[f] is true. But none of these things will happen for a long time, so keep this vision a secret.”

27 Then I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for several days. Afterward I got up and performed my duties for the king, but I was greatly troubled by the vision and could not understand it.

Footnotes:

  1. 8:1 The original text from this point through chapter 12 is in Hebrew. See note at 2:4.
  2. 8:2 Or the Ulai Gate; also in 8:16.
  3. 8:3 Or the gate; also in 8:6.
  4. 8:11-12 The meaning of the Hebrew for these verses is uncertain.
  5. 8:21 Hebrew of Javan.
  6. 8:26 Hebrew about the evenings and mornings; compare 8:14.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


1 John 2:1-17

2 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

A New Commandment

7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. 8 Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.

9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer,[a] that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone who loves a fellow believer[b] is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.

12 I am writing to you who are God’s children
because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.[c]
13 I am writing to you who are mature in the faith[d]
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I am writing to you who are young in the faith
because you have won your battle with the evil one.
14 I have written to you who are God’s children
because you know the Father.
I have written to you who are mature in the faith
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I have written to you who are young in the faith
because you are strong.
God’s word lives in your hearts,
and you have won your battle with the evil one.

Do Not Love This World

15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

Footnotes:

  1. 2:9 Greek hates his brother; also in 2:11.
  2. 2:10 Greek loves his brother.
  3. 2:12 Greek through his name.
  4. 2:13 Or to you fathers; also in 2:14.
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Psalm 120

Psalm 120

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1 I took my troubles to the Lord;
I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.
2 Rescue me, O Lord, from liars
and from all deceitful people.
3 O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you?
How will he increase your punishment?
4 You will be pierced with sharp arrows
and burned with glowing coals.

5 How I suffer in far-off Meshech.
It pains me to live in distant Kedar.
6 I am tired of living
among people who hate peace.
7 I search for peace;
but when I speak of peace, they want war!

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Proverbs 28:25-26

25 Greed causes fighting;
trusting the Lord leads to prosperity.

26 Those who trust their own insight are foolish,
but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.