Month: June 2018

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday June 20, 2018 (NIV)

1 Kings 22

Micaiah Warns Ahab about Disaster

22 For the next three years there was peace between Israel and Syria. 2 During the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit King Ahab of Israel.

3 Ahab asked his officials, “Why haven’t we tried to get Ramoth in Gilead back from the Syrians? It belongs to us.” 4 Then he asked Jehoshaphat, “Would you go to Ramoth with me and attack the Syrians?”

“Just tell me what to do,” Jehoshaphat answered. “My army and horses are at your command. 5 But first, let’s ask the Lord.”

6 Ahab sent for about four hundred prophets and asked, “Should I attack the Syrians at Ramoth?”

“Yes!” the prophets answered. “The Lord will help you defeat them.”

7 But Jehoshaphat said, “Just to make sure, is there another of the Lord’s prophets we can ask?”

8 “We could ask Micaiah son of Imlah,” Ahab said. “But I hate Micaiah. He always has bad news for me.”

“Don’t say that!” Jehoshaphat replied. 9 Then Ahab sent someone to bring Micaiah as soon as possible.

10 All this time, Ahab and Jehoshaphat were dressed in their royal robes and were seated on their thrones at the threshing place near the gate of Samaria. They were listening to the prophets tell them what the Lord had said.

11 Zedekiah son of Chenaanah was one of the prophets. He had made some horns out of iron and shouted, “Ahab, the Lord says you will attack the Syrians like a bull with iron horns and wipe them out!”

12 All the prophets agreed that Ahab should attack the Syrians at Ramoth, and they promised that the Lord would help him defeat them.

13 Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah whispered, “Micaiah, all the prophets have good news for Ahab. Now go and say the same thing.”

14 “I’ll say whatever the living Lord tells me to say,” Micaiah replied.

15 Then Micaiah went to Ahab, and Ahab asked, “Micaiah, should I attack the Syrians at Ramoth?”

“Yes!” Micaiah answered. “The Lord will help you defeat them.”

16 “Micaiah, I’ve told you over and over to tell me the truth!” Ahab shouted. “What does the Lord really say?”

17 He answered, “In a vision[a] I saw Israelite soldiers walking around in the hills like sheep without a shepherd to guide them. The Lord said, ‘This army has no leader. They should go home and not fight.’”

18 Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and said, “I told you he would bring bad news!”

19 Micaiah replied:

Listen to this! I also saw the Lord seated on his throne with every creature in heaven gathered around him. 20 The Lord asked, “Who can trick Ahab and make him go to Ramoth where he will be killed?”

They talked about it for a while, 21 then finally a spirit came forward and said to the Lord, “I can trick Ahab.”

“How?” the Lord asked.

22 “I’ll make Ahab’s prophets lie to him.”

“Good!” the Lord replied. “Now go and do it.”

23 This is exactly what has happened, Ahab. The Lord made all your prophets lie to you, and he knows you will soon be destroyed.

24 Zedekiah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him on the face. Then he asked, “Do you really think the Lord would speak to you and not to me?”

25 Micaiah answered, “You’ll find out on the day you have to hide in the back room of some house.”

26 Ahab shouted, “Arrest Micaiah! Take him to Prince Joash and Governor Amon of Samaria. 27 Tell them to put him in prison and to give him nothing but bread and water until I come back safely.”

28 Micaiah said, “If you do come back, I was wrong about what the Lord wanted me to say.” Then he told the crowd, “Don’t forget what I said!”

Ahab Dies at Ramoth

29 Ahab and Jehoshaphat led their armies to Ramoth in Gilead. 30 Before they went into battle, Ahab said, “Jehoshaphat, I’ll disguise myself, but you wear your royal robe.” Then Ahab disguised himself and went into battle.

31 The king of Syria had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders to attack only Ahab. 32 So when they saw Jehoshaphat in his robe, they thought he was Ahab and started to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat shouted out to them, 33 they realized he wasn’t Ahab, and they left him alone.

34 However, during the fighting a soldier shot an arrow without even aiming, and it hit Ahab where two pieces of his armor joined. He shouted to his chariot driver, “I’ve been hit! Get me out of here!”

35 The fighting lasted all day, with Ahab propped up in his chariot so he could see the Syrian troops. He bled so much that the bottom of the chariot was covered with blood, and by evening he was dead.

36 As the sun was going down, someone in Israel’s army shouted to the others, “Retreat! Go back home!”

37 Ahab’s body was taken to Samaria and buried there. 38 Some workers washed his chariot near a spring in Samaria, and prostitutes washed themselves in his blood.[b] Dogs licked Ahab’s blood off the ground, just as the Lord had warned.

39 Everything else Ahab did while he was king, including the towns he strengthened and the palace he built and furnished with ivory, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. 40 Ahab died, and his son Ahaziah became king.

King Jehoshaphat of Judah

41 Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in Ahab’s fourth year as king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he ruled from Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

43-46 Jehoshaphat obeyed the Lord, just as his father Asa had done, and during his rule he was at peace with the king of Israel.

He got rid of the rest of the prostitutes[c] from the local shrines, but he did not destroy the shrines, and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices.

Everything else Jehoshaphat did while he was king, including his brave deeds and military victories, is written in The History of the Kings of Judah.

47 The country of Edom had no king at the time, so a lower official ruled the land.

48 Jehoshaphat had seagoing ships[d] built to sail to Ophir for gold. But they were wrecked at Ezion-Geber and never sailed. 49 Ahaziah son of Ahab offered to let his sailors go with Jehoshaphat’s sailors, but Jehoshaphat refused.

50 Jehoshaphat died and was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem,[e] and his son Jehoram became king.

King Ahaziah of Israel

51 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat’s rule in Judah, and he ruled two years from Samaria.

52 Ahaziah disobeyed the Lord, just as his father, his mother, and Jeroboam had done. They all led Israel to sin. 53 Ahaziah worshiped Baal and made the Lord God of Israel very angry, just as his father had done.

Footnotes:

  1. 22.17 vision: In ancient times, prophets often told about future events from what they had seen in visions or dreams.
  2. 22.38 prostitutes. . . blood: Or “they cleaned his weapons.”
  3. 22.43-46 prostitutes: See the note at 14.24.
  4. 22.48 seagoing ships: See the note at 10.22.
  5. 22.50 Jerusalem: Hebrew “the city of his ancestor David.”
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Acts 13:16-41

16 Paul got up. He motioned with his hand and said:

People of Israel, and everyone else who worships God, listen! 17 The God of Israel chose our ancestors, and he let our people prosper while they were living in Egypt. Then with his mighty power he led them out, 18 and for about forty years he took care of[a] them in the desert. 19 He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and gave their land to our people. 20 All this happened in about 450 years.

Then God gave our people judges until the time of the prophet Samuel, 21 but the people demanded a king. So for forty years God gave them King Saul, the son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. 22 Later, God removed Saul and let David rule in his place. God said about him, “David the son of Jesse is the kind of person who pleases me most! He does everything I want him to do.”

23 God promised that someone from David’s family would come to save the people of Israel, and that one is Jesus. 24 But before Jesus came, John was telling everyone in Israel to turn back to God and be baptized. 25 Then, when John’s work was almost done, he said, “Who do you people think I am? Do you think I am the Promised One? He will come later, and I am not good enough to untie his sandals.”

26 Now listen, you descendants of Abraham! Pay attention, all of you Gentiles who are here to worship God! Listen to this message about how to be saved, because it is for everyone. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their leaders didn’t realize who Jesus was. And they didn’t understand the words of the prophets that they read each Sabbath. So they condemned Jesus just as the prophets had said.

28-29 They did exactly what the Scriptures said they would. Even though they couldn’t find any reason to put Jesus to death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.

After Jesus had been put to death, he was taken down from the cross[b] and placed in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from death! 31 Then for many days Jesus appeared to his followers who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. Now they are telling our people about him.

32 God made a promise to our ancestors. And we are here to tell you the good news 33 that he has kept this promise to us. It is just as the second Psalm says about Jesus,

“You are my son because today
I have become your Father.”

34 God raised Jesus from death and will never let his body decay. It is just as God said,

“I will make to you
the same holy promise
that I made to David.”

35 And in another psalm it says, “God will never let the body of his Holy One decay.”

36 When David was alive, he obeyed God. Then after he died, he was buried in the family grave, and his body decayed. 37 But God raised Jesus from death, and his body did not decay.

38 My friends, the message is that Jesus can forgive your sins! The Law of Moses could not set you free from all your sins. 39 But everyone who has faith in Jesus is set free. 40 Make sure that what the prophets have said doesn’t happen to you. They said,

41 “Look, you people
who make fun of God!
Be amazed
and disappear.
I will do something today
that you won’t believe,
even if someone
tells you about it!”

Footnotes:

  1. 13.18 took care of: Some manuscripts have “put up with.”
  2. 13.28,29 cross: This translates a Greek word that means “wood,” “pole,” or “tree.”
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Psalm 138

(By David.)

Praise the Lord with All Your Heart

138 With all my heart
I praise you, Lord.
In the presence of angels[a]
I sing your praises.
2 I worship at your holy temple
and praise you for your love
and your faithfulness.
You were true to your word
and made yourself more famous
than ever before.[b]
3 When I asked for your help,
you answered my prayer
and gave me courage.[c]

4 All kings on this earth
have heard your promises, Lord,
and they will praise you.
5 You are so famous
that they will sing
about the things you have done.
6 Though you are above us all,
you care for humble people,
and you keep a close watch
on everyone who is proud.

7 I am surrounded by trouble,
but you protect me
against my angry enemies.
With your own powerful arm
you keep me safe.

8 You, Lord, will always
treat me with kindness.
Your love never fails.
You have made us what we are.
Don’t give up on us now![d]

Footnotes:

  1. 138.1 angels: Or “gods” or “supernatural beings” who worship and serve God in heaven or “rulers” or “leaders.”
  2. 138.2 You were. . . before: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  3. 138.3 and gave me courage: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  4. 138.8 You have. . . now: Or “Please don’t desert your people.”
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 17:17-18

17 A friend is always a friend,
and relatives are born
to share our troubles.
18 It’s stupid to guarantee
someone else’s loan.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

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06/19/2018 DAB Transcript

1 Kings 20:1-21:29, Acts 12:24-13:15, Psalms 137:1-9, Proverbs 17:16

Today is the 19th day of June. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is a pleasure and an honor to be here with you today as we step in out of whatever is going on and just let it go. We’re about to let God speak to us through his Word and let it wash over us and so we center ourselves in that and invite the Holy Spirit. So, we step away from everything and just allow God’s Word to speak. We’re reading from the Contemporary English Version this week. And we’re working our way through the chronicles of the kings. 1 Kings chapters 20 and 21 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So in the book of 1 Kings, we’re following the path of the prophet Elijah. We’re getting to know him. There are other prophets involved at this time and we’re situated in Ahab’s reign. Ahab was the king of the northern kingdom of Israel, the ten northern tribes. And he is in a list of a lot of kings that led people away from God, did everything that inflamed God’s passions against him. And yet God still protected the people from the king Benhadad. But I want us to note we’ve traveled many generations since the apex with King David and then King Solomon’s reign. And so as we’re reading through these kings, like we read of King Ahab and just following the story we can see this is a completely different kind of thing than was happening under King Solomon’s reign and King David’s reign. This is a totally different thing. But because we’re moving rapidly through a number of generations, we’re quickly watching a transformation. I mean, these people, by the time they get invaded and eventually conquered, they don’t really look anything like they once did. So like in the same way that we watched a transformation happen when the people came from slavery in Egypt and how the desert formed them and the entire story that we walked through, we’re kind of watching that in reverse. They’re kind of regressing. They’re going their own way and they will become captives again. I say that simply to locate us in the story and show us where we’ve come from and where we’re going. But we also have to consider this in our own lives. We can come out of complete bondage, find an incredible amount of restoration in our lives, walk with God and move through that. And then slowly, over time, enslave ourselves again. We’re watching the Hebrew people do this, but we can watch ourselves do this. And if we’ll pay attention to it in that context, we have a map. We’re going to continue with this story and we will see where it leads. And then we can understand if we choose the same path, we’re going to end up in the same place.

Prayer:

So, Father, we submit that to You. We know that’s true. We know what You have delivered us from. We know what walking with You feels like. We also know what the drift and falling away is like. And we just never quantify it as bondage, that we are stepping back into slavery when You have made us free. And so we invite You. Come Holy Spirit. Show us the ways that we are wandering back on a path that we should not take. Come Holy Spirit we ask. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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And, as always if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi family. This is I Can See in North Carolina. First time calling. I’ve been listening for about one and a half years. We could use your prayers. My husband and I are leaving on Sunday to take our six-year-old daughter across the country to get some treatment for sensory processing disorder. She has this because she was deprived of oxygen at birth. And, actually, we were worried that she wouldn’t survive. So, she’s doing really well, but it can be really hard to travel because if she gets scared or overwhelmed __ a lot of screaming, thrashing, and crying for, potentially a long time. You can imagine how much people appreciate that on a plane. It just kills me that things are so hard for her sometimes. Please pray for unity and resilience for our marriage, especially since my husband just returned from deployment. Pray for protection as we travel and for God work to heal our daughter. Also, pray for the connection between my daughter and my husband to be strengthened, especially since my husband just returned from deployment. We are so worn out from six years of our precious child having so much trouble with feeling safe and sleeping and lots of other things. Also, from battling the judgment of people who think this is due to poor parenting. Thank you so much for praying.

Hi DAB family this is Joel C. from Oregon. Hey, just wanted to do a shout out to Brian and the DAB family and all the DAB teams. You do a wonderful thing. I’ve been listening for about three years and it’s always learning something new. I request your prayers for my wife as she’s been recently diagnosed and with __. We’re going to a second treatment today and we are just hoping and praying dear Lord that this would be something that would be…give her back some of the joy and normalcy in her life because she’s really struggling right now. So, just if you pray along with me for that, I just really appreciated. Thanks everybody.

Hey what’s up everybody. It’s Miguel from Santa Rosa. By the way if you want to reach me, you can get me at miguelfromsantarosa@gmail.com. Today, I just needed to call in and give a shout out to Steve from New Hampshire and to shut out an Amen to the word that he gave to Jim from New Hampshire about as well. And wow, I was just like, man, there’s no prayer too big or too small for God. And I just think about my own budgeting for my own life. Man, and I just think about how, like, I can’t go to Taco Bell all the time and get these small meals because I’m not going to be able to afford groceries. And hey, I can’t have that many internet streaming services because I’m not going to be able to afford rent. And there’s this budgeting in there because I have limited resources, but man, we worship a God that has unlimited resources, unlimited glory, He is all-powerful and all-knowing and all loving. And it’s just amazing that we can go to Him for anything. So, so we can pray for that, that stubbed toe, and we can pray for our family member that are struggling in their faith and in their health. And what an amazing God that we serve that we worship. So, this may even be an invitation for anybody out there that has something, like, man this just feels like too small of a prayer request to bring to my family. And, can we be the church that comforts? Can we just do that? I just think about it, like, the church is here to comfort those around us. We are the church. We are to cover each other. We are to pray for each other and take each other to our heavenly Father that loves us and will care for us and will be there for us and protect us. Thank God for who He is. Praise God. So, thank you, Steve for that word. And may that resonate with more people here in this community. Amen.

Hey DAB family. This is Byron Florida. I just wanted to give a shout out to God because He is good and He is awesome and He is worthy of our praise and He has provided for us in the Lord Jesus Christ for __ for our sins. He’s taken our filthy rags and washed them in His blood and they’ve come out perfectly clean __ in His righteousness. God gave us His best. He didn’t hold back a single thing. The entire kingdom has been laid open to us and He is worthy of our praise forever and always and in everything that we do. And on top of that, we have our friends, we have our family, we have our churches, we have His word, we have Brian and the Daily Audio Bible community, every day, faithfully putting out the word that we can receive it and we can hear it while we drive, while we walk, what we talk, and while we do stuff and we have a printed all over the place. There are churches that don’t have that where it is illegal and a lot of countries where it is illegal to just go out and worship God. And He is just worth it. He is absolutely worth everything that we have. And so, we can give Him glory, we can give Him praise. We just thank Him for word, how it instructs us. We just thank You for the Holy Spirit, how it indwells in us. We thank you for everlasting forgiveness, how time and time again, no matter how much we’ve messed up, He washes those clothes clean again and dresses us again in His righteousness and He doesn’t even remember His righteousness. I was listening to the Audio Bible today and they were talking about, one of the new Kings that took place after David and they were saying how they didn’t walk in the way that David did, who was righteous and never failed. And I was like, wait a minute, David failed, David made mistakes. And then I realized, oh, God forgave him of that failure. In God’s mind, it was like it didn’t happen, like, David was righteous, even besides his mishaps. And he does the same things for us in Christ Jesus. And he’s just worthy of our glorious praise, even on our worst day physically in our mental muddle days, He’s still worthy…

Hello. My name is Joseph. This is my first post to the prayer wall. I listen to the DAB every night. Thank you, Brian. So, the reason I’m calling because a family member very close to me is experiencing bone cancer. It’s my dog, his name is blue. And he’s helped me through so much through the years. I believe that he’s, you know, a gift from God. So much that he’s helped me through. And I would just like prayer for Blue, for his bone cancer, his right shoulder. And it looks like it’s progressing quickly but I know that we have an all-powerful God who is capable of anything…His infinite power and infinite resources. So, I request, you know, for listeners of the Daily Audio Bible to please, please submit your prayers to him. Thank you.

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday June 19, 2018 (NIV)

1 Kings 20-21

Syria Attacks Israel

20 King Benhadad of Syria[a] called his army together. He was joined by thirty-two other kings with their horses and chariots, and together they marched to Samaria and attacked. 2 Benhadad sent a messenger to tell King Ahab of Israel, 3 “Ahab, give me your silver and gold, your wives,[b] and your strongest sons!”

4 “Your Majesty,” Ahab replied, “everything I have is yours, including me.”

5 Later, Benhadad sent another messenger to say to Ahab, “I already told you to give me your silver and gold, your wives, and your children. 6 But tomorrow at this time, I will send my officials into your city to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will take everything else that you[c] own.”

7 Ahab called a meeting with the leaders of Israel and said, “Benhadad is causing real trouble. He told me to give him my wives and children, as well as my silver and gold. And I agreed.”

8 “Don’t listen to him!” they answered. “You don’t have to do what he says.”

9 So Ahab sent someone to tell Benhadad, “Your Majesty, I’ll give you my silver and gold, and even my wives and children. But I won’t let you have anything else.”

When Benhadad got his answer, 10 he replied, “I’ll completely destroy Samaria! There won’t even be enough of it left for my soldiers to carry back in their hands. If I don’t do it, I pray that the gods will punish me terribly.”

11 Ahab then answered, “Benhadad, don’t brag before the fighting even begins. Wait and see if you live through it.”

12 Meanwhile, Benhadad and the other kings had been drinking in their tents. But when Ahab’s reply came, he ordered his soldiers to prepare to attack Samaria, and they all got ready.

13 At that very moment, a prophet ran up to Ahab and said, “You can see that Benhadad’s army is very strong. But the Lord has promised to help you defeat them today. Then you will know that the Lord is in control.”

14 “Who will fight the battle?” Ahab asked.

The prophet answered, “The young bodyguards who serve the district officials.”

“But who will lead them into battle?” Ahab asked.

“You will!” the prophet replied.

15 So Ahab called together the two hundred thirty-two young soldiers and the seven thousand troops in Israel’s army, and he got them ready to fight the Syrians.

Israel Defeats the Syrians

16-17 At noon, King Ahab and his Israelite army marched out of Samaria, with the young soldiers in front.

King Benhadad of Syria and the thirty-two kings with him were drunk when the scouts he had sent out ran up to his tent, shouting, “We just now saw soldiers marching out of Samaria!”

18 “Take them alive!” Benhadad ordered. “I don’t care if they have come out to fight or to surrender.”

19 The young soldiers led Israel’s troops into battle, 20 and each of them attacked and killed an enemy soldier. The rest of the Syrian army turned and ran, and the Israelites went after them. Benhadad and some others escaped on horses, 21 but Ahab and his soldiers followed them and captured[d] their horses and chariots.

Ahab and Israel’s army crushed the Syrians.

22 Later, the prophet[e] went back and warned Ahab, “Benhadad will attack you again next spring. Build up your troops and make sure you have some good plans.”

Syria Attacks Israel Again

23 Meanwhile, Benhadad’s officials went to him and explained:

Israel’s gods are mountain gods. We fought Israel’s army in the hills, and that’s why they defeated us. But if we fight them on flat land, there’s no way we can lose.

24 Here’s what you should do. First, get rid of those thirty-two kings and put army commanders in their places. 25 Then get more soldiers, horses, and chariots, so your army will be as strong as it was before. We’ll fight Israel’s army on flat land and wipe them out.

Benhadad agreed and did what they suggested.

26 In the spring, Benhadad got his army together, and they marched to the town of Aphek to attack Israel. 27 The Israelites also prepared to fight. They marched out to meet the Syrians, and the two armies camped across from each other. The Syrians covered the whole area, but the Israelites looked like two little flocks of goats.

28 The prophet went to Ahab and said, “The Syrians think the Lord is a god of the hills and not of the valleys. So he has promised to help you defeat their powerful army. Then you will know that the Lord is in control.”

29 For seven days the two armies stayed in their camps, facing each other. Then on the seventh day the fighting broke out, and before sunset the Israelites had killed one hundred thousand Syrian troops. 30 The rest of the Syrian army ran back to Aphek, but the town wall fell and crushed twenty-seven thousand of them.

Benhadad also escaped to Aphek and hid in the back room of a house. 31 His officials said, “Your Majesty, we’ve heard that Israel’s kings keep their agreements. We will wrap sackcloth around our waists, put ropes around our heads, and ask Ahab to let you live.”

32 They dressed in sackcloth and put ropes on their heads, then they went to Ahab and said, “Your servant Benhadad asks you to let him live.”

“Is he still alive?” Ahab asked. “Benhadad is like a brother to me.”

33 Benhadad’s officials were trying to figure out what Ahab was thinking, and when he said “brother,” they quickly replied, “You’re right! You and Benhadad are like brothers.”

“Go get him,” Ahab said.

When Benhadad came out, Ahab had him climb up into his chariot.

34 Benhadad said, “I’ll give back the towns my father took from your father. And you can have shops in Damascus, just as my father had in Samaria.”

Ahab replied, “If you do these things, I’ll let you go free.” Then they signed a peace treaty, and Ahab let Benhadad go.

A Prophet Condemns Ahab

35 About this time the Lord commanded a prophet to say to a friend, “Hit me!” But the friend refused, 36 and the prophet told him, “You disobeyed the Lord, and as soon as you walk away, a lion will kill you.” The friend left, and suddenly a lion killed him.

37 The prophet found someone else and said, “Hit me!” So this man beat him up.

38 The prophet left and put a bandage over his face to disguise himself. Then he went and stood beside the road, waiting for Ahab to pass by.

39 When Ahab went by, the prophet shouted, “Your Majesty, right in the heat of battle, someone brought a prisoner to me and told me to guard him. He said if the prisoner got away, I would either be killed or forced to pay seventy-five pounds of silver. 40 But I got busy doing other things, and the prisoner escaped.”

Ahab answered, “You will be punished just as you have said.”

41 The man quickly tore the bandage off his face, and Ahab saw that he was one of the prophets. 42 The prophet said, “The Lord told you to kill Benhadad, but you let him go. Now you will die in his place, and your people will die in place of his people.”

43 Ahab went back to Samaria, angry and depressed.

Jezebel Has Naboth Killed

21 Naboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel near King Ahab’s palace.

2 One day, Ahab said, “Naboth, your vineyard is near my palace. Give it to me so I can turn it into a vegetable garden. I’ll give you a better vineyard or pay whatever you want for yours.”

3 Naboth answered, “This vineyard has always been in my family. I won’t let you have it.”

4 So Ahab went home, angry and depressed because of what Naboth had told him. He lay on his bed, just staring at the wall and refusing to eat a thing.

5 Jezebel his wife came in and asked, “What’s wrong? Why won’t you eat?”

6 “I asked Naboth to sell me his vineyard or to let me give him a better one,” Ahab replied. “And he told me I couldn’t have it.”

7 “Aren’t you the king of Israel?” Jezebel asked. “Get out of bed and eat something! Don’t worry, I’ll get Naboth’s vineyard for you.”

8-10 Jezebel wrote a letter to each of the leaders of the town where Naboth lived. In the letters she said:

Call everyone together and tell them to go without eating[f] today. When they come together, give Naboth a seat at the front. Have two liars sit across from him and swear that Naboth has cursed God and the king. Then take Naboth outside and stone him to death!

She signed Ahab’s name to the letters and sealed them with his seal. Then she sent them to the town leaders.

11 After receiving her letters, they did exactly what she had asked. 12 They told the people that it was a day to go without eating, and when they all came together, they seated Naboth at the front. 13 The two liars came in and sat across from Naboth. Then they accused him of cursing God and the king, so the people dragged Naboth outside and stoned him to death.

14 The leaders of Jezreel sent a message back to Jezebel that said, “Naboth is dead.”

15 As soon as Jezebel got their message, she told Ahab, “Now you can have the vineyard Naboth refused to sell. He’s dead.” 16 Ahab got up and went to take over the vineyard.

Elijah Condemns Ahab

17 The Lord said to Elijah the prophet, 18 “King Ahab of Israel is in Naboth’s vineyard right now, taking it over. 19 Go tell him that I say, ‘Ahab, you murdered Naboth and took his property. And so, in the very spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, they will lick up your blood.’”

When Elijah found him, 20 Ahab said, “So, my enemy, you found me at last.”

Elijah answered:

Yes, I did! Ahab, you have managed to do everything the Lord hates. 21 Now you will be punished. You and every man and boy in your family will die, whether slave or free. 22 Your whole family will be wiped out, just like the families of King Jeroboam and King Baasha. You’ve made the Lord very angry by sinning and causing the Israelites to sin.

23 And as for Jezebel, dogs will eat her body there in Jezreel. 24 Dogs will also eat the bodies of your relatives who die in town, and vultures will eat the bodies of those who die in the country.

25-29 When Ahab heard this, he tore his clothes and wore sackcloth day and night. He was depressed and refused to eat.

Some time later, the Lord said, “Elijah, do you see how sorry Ahab is for what he did? I won’t punish his family while he is still alive. I’ll wait until his son is king.”

No one was more determined than Ahab to disobey the Lord. And Jezebel encouraged him. Worst of all, he had worshiped idols, just as the Amorites[g] had done before the Lord forced them out of the land and gave it to Israel.

Footnotes:

  1. 20.1 King Benhadad of Syria: This is probably not the same Benhadad mentioned in 15.18-21.
  2. 20.3 wives: Having more than one wife was allowed in those times.
  3. 20.6 you: Hebrew; three ancient translations “they.”
  4. 20.21 captured: One ancient translation; Hebrew “attacked.”
  5. 20.22 the prophet: See verse 13.
  6. 21.8-10 to go without eating: People sometimes came together to worship and to go without eating to show that they were sorry for their sins.
  7. 21.25-29 Amorites: A name sometimes used of the people who lived in Palestine before the Israelites.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Acts 12:24-13:15

24 God’s message kept spreading. 25 And after Barnabas and Saul had done the work they were sent to do, they went back to Jerusalem[a] with John, whose other name was Mark.

Barnabas and Saul Are Chosen and Sent

13 The church at Antioch had several prophets and teachers. They were Barnabas, Simeon, also called Niger, Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen, who was Herod’s[b] close friend, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and going without eating,[c] the Holy Spirit told them, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I have chosen them.” 3 Everyone prayed and went without eating for a while longer. Next, they placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul to show that they had been appointed to do this work. Then everyone sent them on their way.

Barnabas and Saul in Cyprus

4 After Barnabas and Saul had been sent by the Holy Spirit, they went to Seleucia. From there they sailed to the island of Cyprus. 5 They arrived at Salamis and began to preach God’s message in the Jewish meeting places. They also had John[d] as a helper.

6 Barnabas and Saul went all the way to the city of Paphos on the other end of the island, where they met a Jewish man named Bar-Jesus. He practiced witchcraft and was a false prophet. 7 He also worked for Sergius Paulus, who was very smart and was the governor of the island. Sergius Paulus wanted to hear God’s message, and he sent for Barnabas and Saul. 8 But Bar-Jesus, whose other name was Elymas, was against them. He even tried to keep the governor from having faith in the Lord.

9 Then Saul, better known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked straight at Elymas 10 and said, “You son of the devil! You are a liar, a crook, and an enemy of everything that is right. When will you stop speaking against the true ways of the Lord? 11 The Lord is going to punish you by making you completely blind for a while.”

Suddenly the man’s eyes were covered by a dark mist, and he went around trying to get someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the governor saw what had happened, he was amazed at this teaching about the Lord. So he put his faith in the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia

13 Paul and the others left Paphos and sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. But John[e] left them and went back to Jerusalem. 14 The rest of them went on from Perga to Antioch in Pisidia. Then on the Sabbath they went to the Jewish meeting place and sat down.

15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets,[f] the leaders sent someone over to tell Paul and Barnabas, “Friends, if you have anything to say that will help the people, please say it.”

Footnotes:

  1. 12.25 went back to Jerusalem: Some manuscripts have “left Jerusalem,” and others have “went to Antioch.”
  2. 13.1 Herod’s: Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great.
  3. 13.2 going without eating: The Jews often went without eating as a way of showing how much they loved God. This is also called “fasting.”
  4. 13.5,13 John: Whose other name was Mark (see 12.12,25).
  5. 13.5,13 John: Whose other name was Mark (see 12.12,25).
  6. 13.15 the Law and the Prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Psalm 137

A Prayer for Revenge

137 Beside the rivers of Babylon
we thought about Jerusalem,
and we sat down and cried.
2 We hung our small harps
on the willow[a] trees.
3 Our enemies had brought us here
as their prisoners,
and now they wanted us to sing
and entertain them.
They insulted us and shouted,
“Sing about Zion!”

4 Here in a foreign land,
how can we sing
about the Lord?
5 Jerusalem, if I forget you,
let my right hand go limp.
6 Let my tongue stick
to the roof of my mouth,
if I don’t think about you
above all else.

7 Our Lord, punish the Edomites!
Because the day Jerusalem fell,
they shouted,
“Completely destroy the city!
Tear down every building!”

8 Babylon, you are doomed!
I pray the Lord’s blessings
on anyone who punishes you
for what you did to us.
9 May the Lord bless everyone
who beats your children
against the rocks!

Footnotes:

  1. 137.2 willow: Or “poplar.”
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 17:16

16 Why should fools have money
for an education
when they refuse to learn?

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Posted on

06/18/2018 DAB Transcript

1 Kings 19:1-21, Acts 12:1-23, Psalms 136:1-26, Proverbs 17:14-15

Today is the 18th day of June. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is great to be here with youtoday as we move forward by taking the next step in the Scriptures. And we’re in the middle of some dramatic territory in the Bible in 1 Kings. In our Old Testament reading, we’re reading about the prophet Elijah. Of course, in the New Testament we’re reading of the early church and God sending out his Holy Spirit and pouring it out upon Gentiles and everyone having to try to figure out what that means. So, let’s dive in. We’re reading from the Contemporary English Version this week. 1 Kings 19 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, every time we come past this this particular territory in 1 Kings and talk about Elijah, it’s one of those stories that… It’s just hard to blow by because there’s so much there for our own lives. Elijah, obviously a powerful prophet of God. I mean, we just watched this massive showdown with the prophets of Baal, we just watched torrential rain come back to the land. So, Elijah is a very powerful and respected prophet, even though Jezebel, the king’s wife, the queen, worships Baal and has tried to stamp out the worship of God, the God that brought the people into the land. She’s trying to completely eliminate that from the land, from the northern kingdom of Israel. Obviously, the events that happened atop Mount Carmel in front of all of the people, as well as the elimination of the prophets of Baal, that puts a dent in her plan. She is beyond furious. And, so, she sends a note to Elijah, essentially telling him that she’s going to do everything she possibly can and wants God to judge her harshly if she doesn’t succeed to kill Elijah within 24 hours. So, Elijah takes off. And he doesn’t just take off a little bit. That’s the thing about it. What the Bible says is that he leaves the Jezreel Valley and runs all the way to Beersheba. That becomes really crystal clear when we’re traveling around the land because that’s quite a long ways, like several hours in a car. So, if you imagine that you’re going to do it on foot it’s a long ways. He has to leave the north country and go all the way to the southern border of ancient Israel, which is Beersheba, right? From Dan to Beersheba. And then from there, he has to go all the way down into the Sinai Peninsula, down into Egypt to get to Mount Sinai. We are talking hundreds and hundreds of miles on foot, right? So, he doesn’t get this note from Jezebel and then just run across town and get into somebody’s basement and hide out. He is gone. So, it seems like great lengths that he is going to to escape Jezebel, even though he has stood up and confronted the king and even though he has had the showdown with the false prophets of Baal, he’s on the run from Jezebel. And he has one thing burning in his heart, one thing that he wants God to understand. He is the only one. There is no one else. Everyone is against him. No one is listening. So, he does get to Mount Sinai. He’s in a cave, God comes and says, why are you here? And Elijah shares what he needed to share. And then God invites him to come out and meet with him on the mountain, right? And then this famous story. Wind is on the mountain shaking the mountain; God’s not in it. An earthquake shakes the mountain; God’s not in it. Fire is on the mountain; God’s not in it. But then a gentle breeze as this translation we’re reading from this week says. Others say still small voice or the sound of a low whisper. And Elijah goes out to meet with God, who essentially tells him to head back in the direction that he came from. He’s got two new kings to appoint, as well as appointing his successor. Okay, so that’s how the story goes. That’s how the story reads. How do we overlay our lives and find ourselves in this story? It’s pretty easy. We move along in our lives, we feel the Holy Spirit leading us, we feel the power of God going before us and we are doing what we’re supposed to be doing until we get that note, right? Until that nasty thing comes in on social media or we get some other unexpected communication. And it’s like all of that authority and power that we were walking in is drained right down the drain and we’re alone and there is no one else and we’re running. And we run until we’re exhausted and it’s like God comes for us and says, what are you doing here? So, we pour out or hearts and we’re invited into His presence, but we’re expecting all the bombastic stuff but he’s not in that. It’s calm, low whisper. It’s still small voice saying Go back the way you came. You’re not finished. There’s some other things we still gotta do. There’s important work to be done. And all of the sudden we see ourselves right here in this story. So, let’s give that some thought today. What are we on the run about? What are we trying to say? What is God coming to us and saying, what are you doing here about? And are we looking for whirlwinds and fires and earthquakes or are we seeking the low calming whisper of the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our lives?

Prayer:

So Father, as we often do, we invite you into that. Your Word brings up stuff all the time than we then come to you and say we invite you into that, the stuff that that’s bringing up. And invite you to counsel, comfort and direct and lead our paths. And so we invite you into this. Come Holy Spirit. Show us what’s intimidating us, what’s making us want to run and say we’re the only ones, the places that we’re looking for bombastic things when we should be looking for the still small voice. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In Jesus name we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here.  so, like I say most days, be sure to check in, check it out.

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If you wanna partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you. 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, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174.

And, as always if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hey Daily Audio Bible family. This is John, husband of Pastor Gene. I just know you guys love her. And she’s…she and our family…in spite of our serving the Lord…have kind of been under unrelenting attack, circumstances have been happening. And particularly, particularly in Gene’s job. And it’s gotten so bad that for the first time in her life, she’s said I don’t want to do this job anymore. So, I would just ask you all to pray for her, for God to open a door and provide a way out, a way of escape. As it says in First Corinthians 10:13, that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able but will, with temptation, provide a way of escape so that we may stand up under it. So, I just pray for her and ask that you pray for her and our whole family as we seek the Lord and try to serve Him. So, God bless you, thank you, and I know we’ll feel your prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Good morning family this is Erin in Michigan. I’m on my way to work and usually I listen to the Daily Audio prayer, yeah, the Daily Prayer, read by Brian, and I just love it. And it just calms me as I’m driving to school and it’s been a particularly tough year this year. There’s lots and lots of changes, lots of things added to our teacher’s plates, lots of student need, both inside and outside of the classroom. So, that Daily Prayer, just as I was driving to work…it will just calm me and focus me. It would remind me to invite the Holy Spirit into my day and into my students lives. And, so, that has been by routine, on my way to work, that’s what I do. I have about a 12-minute drive. So, today I want to offer my own prayer. Holy Father, Creator of all, I praise You. I praise You for life. I praise You that this is the last day of the school year. I praise You Lord for helping me through this very trying year. I praise You for the amazing people that I get to teach with Lord and I give You…I give You honor for the amazing people You’ve created that I get to teach Lord. Going into their summer, keep them safe. Help them to make good choices. Help them to love themselves as You love them. Help them to love each other. Lord, and I just praise You that I get to do this again next year. And I praise You, most importantly, for this break in between, so that You can…You can rest and bless my soul so that I am ready to do it all again next year. I praise You Jesus. I love You. I thank You, thank You, thank You. And I pray all this in Your name. Amen. Alright family, have a blessed, blessed Friday. And…its the last day of the school year, hallelujah.

Gerd morning Daily Audio family. This is Jay from Tennessee. I’m calling this morning to pray for my brothers and my sisters who are trapped, bound, and held captive by drugs and alcohol. The Bible tells us many different Scriptures that we are not to be slaves to anything, including drugs and alcohol. Let us pray. Heavenly father, in the mighty, precious, holy, powerful name above every name of Jesus Christ, we come before you this morning Lord thanking, praying about our brothers and sisters who are trapped, who are held captive, who are bound up by drugs and alcohol. Lord, we know that through You all things are possible. So, we pray now the mighty name of Jesus Christ that You will open their hearts, their minds, their eyes to a way away from these things. Lord, You know that I was bound myself with drugs and alcohol. I couldn’t escape. For 16 years I drank and drunk my way through life desiring a relationship with you continuing to hope and seek out a way. And Lord, You provided freedom, you provided a way of escape for me. So, I know Lord its possible. So, I pray God that You will continue to provide hope for them, continue to remind them that there is a way out. Just keep praying. Just keep seeking. In the mighty name of Jesus, Christ we pray. Amen. Those of you who are like me, who are stuck on drugs and alcohol, there is a way out. Keep praying. Keep seeking the Lord. I love you.

Hi Daily Audio Bible. This is Dan from Arkansas. I just wanted to say how instrumental Daily Audio Bible has been in changing my life. Two months ago, my marriage was in a bad place. My relationship with my wife and my kids was in a horrible place and it’s due to anger and anxiety. And, so, a friend of mine suggested that me and some guys from work start listening to an app, or, you know, a daily audio bible type thing. And, so, we did. And now there’s five of us at work. And we listen almost every day and we discuss the word as often as possible. And it has absolutely changed my life. I can’t give enough praise to Brian and his team for putting this together and just to God for bringing me to this community. It has been absolutely amazing. I thank you guys. I love all of you. I pray for you daily. And, thank you God. I hope everybody has a great day.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family. Let’s pray. Giver of all, another day is started and we take our place in our great redeemers cross, where healing streams continually flow, where balm is poured into every wound. Lord, we are washed in the all cleansing blood, confident that you see us in Christ. Help us to take up the worries of our minds, to quicken our steps, to speed as if each moment where our last, that our life be joy and our death glory. We thank You for the temporary blessings of this world, the fresh air, the sunlight, the food that renews our strength, the garments that clothe us, the sleep that gives rest, the canopy of stars at night, the summer breeze, the flowing stream, the relationships with family and friends. Our cup runs over. Help us appreciate these daily mercies. Your hand gives blessings. Your power turns away evil. And we bring our tribute of thanks through Your graces, that for warmth of faith, the presence of your Spirit, the strength of your restraining realm. Blessed be our Father, Lord. This, from the Valley of visions. A little updated word. For Ali in Boynton Beach. I just wanted to say, have a blessed day. And I want to lift up the lady with her husband who had retired. Lord, I pray that you give the wife of the doctor that retired a new, refreshed foundation of who she is in Christ and to give her a new perspective on her husband’s struggle to find his identity upon retiring. And that maybe, we all Lift him up, that he finds his identity in You, Your love. In this season of life, we must be prepared for it because it is a season and You are with us through them all. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday June 18, 2018 (NIV)

1 Kings 19

Elijah Runs Away from Ahab and Jezebel

19 Ahab told his wife Jezebel what Elijah had done and that he had killed the prophets. 2 She sent a message to Elijah: “You killed my prophets. Now I’m going to kill you! I pray that the gods will punish me even more severely if I don’t do it by this time tomorrow.”

3 Elijah was afraid when he got her message, and he ran to the town of Beersheba in Judah. He left his servant there, 4 then walked another whole day into the desert. Finally, he came to a large bush and sat down in its shade. He begged the Lord, “I’ve had enough. Just let me die! I’m no better off than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down in the shade and fell asleep.

Suddenly an angel woke him up and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 Elijah looked around, and by his head was a jar of water and some baked bread. He sat up, ate and drank, then lay down and went back to sleep.

7 Soon the Lord’s angel woke him again and said, “Get up and eat, or else you’ll get too tired to travel.” 8 So Elijah sat up and ate and drank.

The food and water made him strong enough to walk forty more days. At last, he reached Mount Sinai,[a] the mountain of God, 9 and he spent the night there in a cave.

The Lord Appears to Elijah

While Elijah was on Mount Sinai, the Lord asked, “Elijah, why are you here?”

10 He answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I’ve always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!”

11 “Go out and stand on the mountain,” the Lord replied. “I want you to see me when I pass by.”

All at once, a strong wind shook the mountain and shattered the rocks. But the Lord was not in the wind. Next, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 Then there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

Finally, there was a gentle breeze,[b] 13 and when Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat. He went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.

The Lord[c] asked, “Elijah, why are you here?”

14 Elijah answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I’ve always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!”

15 The Lord said:

Elijah, you can go back to the desert near Damascus. And when you get there, appoint[d] Hazael to be king of Syria. 16 Then appoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat[e] to take your place as my prophet.

17 Hazael will start killing the people who worship Baal. Jehu will kill those who escape from Hazael, and Elisha will kill those who escape from Jehu.

18 But seven thousand Israelites have refused to worship Baal, and they will live.

Elisha Becomes Elijah’s Assistant

19 Elijah left and found Elisha plowing a field with a pair of oxen. There were eleven other men in front of him, and each one was also plowing with a pair of oxen. Elijah went over and put his own coat on Elisha.[f]

20 Elisha stopped plowing and ran after him. “Let me kiss my parents good-by, then I’ll go with you,” he said.

“You can go,” Elijah said. “But remember what I’ve done for you.”

21 Elisha left and took his oxen with him. He killed them and boiled them over a fire he had made with the wood from his plow. He gave the meat to the people who were with him, and they ate it. Then he left with Elijah and became his assistant.

Footnotes:

  1. 19.8 Sinai: Hebrew “Horeb.”
  2. 19.12 a gentle breeze: Or “a soft whisper” or “hardly a sound.”
  3. 19.13 The Lord: Hebrew “A voice.”
  4. 19.15 appoint: This would have included a ceremony in which olive oil would be poured on his head to show that he was now king.
  5. 19.16 Shaphat: Hebrew “Shaphat from Abel-Meholah.”
  6. 19.19 put. . . Elisha: This was a sign that Elijah wanted Elisha to follow him and become a prophet.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Acts 12:1-23

Herod Causes Trouble for the Church

12 At that time King Herod[a] caused terrible suffering for some members of the church. 2 He ordered soldiers to cut off the head of James, the brother of John. 3 When Herod saw that this pleased the Jewish people, he had Peter arrested during the Festival of Thin Bread. 4 He put Peter in jail and ordered four squads of soldiers to guard him. Herod planned to put him on trial in public after the festival.

5 While Peter was being kept in jail, the church never stopped praying to God for him.

Peter Is Rescued

6 The night before Peter was to be put on trial, he was asleep and bound by two chains. A soldier was guarding him on each side, and two other soldiers were guarding the entrance to the jail. 7 Suddenly an angel from the Lord appeared, and light flashed around in the cell. The angel poked Peter in the side and woke him up. Then he said, “Quick! Get up!”

The chains fell off his hands, 8 and the angel said, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” Peter did what he was told. Then the angel said, “Now put on your coat and follow me.” 9 Peter left with the angel, but he thought everything was only a dream. 10 They went past the two groups of soldiers, and when they came to the iron gate to the city, it opened by itself. They went out and were going along the street, when all at once the angel disappeared.

11 Peter now realized what had happened, and he said, “I am certain that the Lord sent his angel to rescue me from Herod and from everything the Jewish leaders planned to do to me.” 12 Then Peter went to the house of Mary the mother of John whose other name was Mark. Many of the Lord’s followers had come together there and were praying.

13 Peter knocked on the gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she heard Peter’s voice, she was too excited to open the gate. She ran back into the house and said that Peter was standing there.

15 “You are crazy!” everyone told her. But she kept saying that it was Peter. Then they said, “It must be his angel.”[b] 16 But Peter kept on knocking, until finally they opened the gate. They saw him and were completely amazed.

17 Peter motioned for them to keep quiet. Then he told how the Lord had led him out of jail. He also said, “Tell James[c] and the others what has happened.” After that, he left and went somewhere else.

18 The next morning the soldiers who had been on guard were terribly worried and wondered what had happened to Peter. 19 Herod ordered his own soldiers to search for him, but they could not find him. Then he questioned the guards and had them put to death. After this, Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.

Herod Dies

20 Herod and the people of Tyre and Sidon were very angry with each other. But their country got its food supply from the region that he ruled. So a group of them went to see Blastus, who was one of Herod’s high officials. They convinced Blastus that they wanted to make peace between their cities and Herod, 21 and a day was set for them to meet with him.

Herod came dressed in his royal robes. He sat down on his throne and made a speech. 22 The people shouted, “You speak more like a god than a man!” 23 At once an angel from the Lord struck him down because he took the honor that belonged to God. Later, Herod was eaten by worms and died.

Footnotes:

  1. 12.1 Herod: Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great.
  2. 12.15 his angel: Probably meaning “his guardian angel.”
  3. 12.17 James: The brother of the Lord.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Psalm 136

God’s Love Never Fails

136 Praise the Lord! He is good.
God’s love never fails.
2 Praise the God of all gods.
God’s love never fails.
3 Praise the Lord of lords.
God’s love never fails.

4 Only God works great miracles.[a]
God’s love never fails.
5 With wisdom he made the sky.
God’s love never fails.
6 The Lord stretched the earth
over the ocean.
God’s love never fails.
7 He made the bright lights
in the sky.
God’s love never fails.
8 He lets the sun rule each day.
God’s love never fails.
9 He lets the moon and the stars
rule each night.
God’s love never fails.

10 God struck down the first-born
in every Egyptian family.
God’s love never fails.
11 He rescued Israel from Egypt.
God’s love never fails.
12 God used his great strength
and his powerful arm.
God’s love never fails.
13 He split the Red Sea[b] apart.
God’s love never fails.

14 The Lord brought Israel safely
through the sea.
God’s love never fails.
15 He destroyed the Egyptian king
and his army there.
God’s love never fails.
16 The Lord led his people
through the desert.
God’s love never fails.

17 Our God defeated mighty kings.
God’s love never fails.
18 And he killed famous kings.
God’s love never fails.
19 One of them was Sihon,
king of the Amorites.
God’s love never fails.
20 Another was King Og of Bashan.
God’s love never fails.
21 God took away their land.
God’s love never fails.
22 He gave their land to Israel,
the people who serve him.
God’s love never fails.

23 God saw the trouble we were in.
God’s love never fails.
24 He rescued us from our enemies.
God’s love never fails.
25 He gives food to all who live.
God’s love never fails.

26 Praise God in heaven!
God’s love never fails.

Footnotes:

  1. 136.4 great miracles: One Hebrew manuscript and one ancient translation have “miracles.”
  2. 136.13 Red Sea: See the note at 106.7.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 17:14-15

14 The start of an argument
is like a water leak—
so stop it before
real trouble breaks out.
15 The Lord doesn’t like those
who defend the guilty
or condemn the innocent.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Posted on

06/17/2018 DAB Transcript

1 Kings 18:1-46, Acts 11:1-30, Ps 135:1-21, Pr 17:12-13

Today is June 17th. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it is great to be here with you as we cross the threshold into a shiny, sparkly, new week that we get to walk into together and allow God’s word to speak into this week. And this week we will read from the Contemporary English Version. Of course, we will pick up where we left off yesterday. And we’re in the book of first Kings and we’re kind of, survey style, going through the different kings of Judah and Israel, but we’ve slow down for a minute because we’ve met this person and his name is Elijah and he is dealing with the king, Ahab, of Israel, the northern kingdom whose capital is in Samaria. So, we’ll pick up with that story. 1 Kings chapter 18 today.  

Commentary:

Okay. So, we’re in the middle of some pretty dramatic stories in both the Old and the New Testament. And we started them yesterday and we talked about them yesterday. We met Elijah the prophet yesterday and we can kinda see now why he’s such an important prophet and such a famous one. And God is obviously speaking and working very powerfully through him. And as we move further forward in Elijah’s story we’ll learn some things about ourselves through him. But today we read of the great showdown on Mount Carmel, which is actually a real mountain in Israel. And, so, when Elijah asks his servant to go look out over the sea. It’s not too far, like, he could look out toward the sea. There’s a monastery that sits on the top of Mount Carmel now to commemorate this very story.

In the book of Acts, we talked about Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit, Gentiles beginning to follow Jesus and God beginning to pour Himself out on Gentiles, which was somewhat confusing to the Jewish believers in Jesus because their social structure did not have them intermingling whatsoever with Gentiles. So, when the story begins to get back to Jerusalem ahead of Peter, that he had gone into a Gentile home and stayed there, he was a little bit on the hot seat until he was able to share the story. And it was then the people began to understand that God was pouring His Spirit out. In other words, God was making this choice. No matter how it flew in the face of their constructs, their traditions, their rituals, and their culture, God was pouring out His Holy Spirit on Gentile people. So, at some point in time you have to go, like, yeah, this doesn’t seem to measure up to what I thought that I knew but I’m not the one that gets to pour out the Holy Spirit. And if God pours out His Holy Spirit on someone that I didn’t think He should have or that I didn’t think He would have, who am I? Which is basically Peter’s posture. But it at least invites us to consider the same thing because we have our own constructs and our own rituals and, you know, the different flavors of the faith. And, so, we can look at somebody who, maybe, doesn’t think the same way that we do about something and yet the Holy Spirit is present in their lives. And we have to say, like, this really reframes what I think I know, but I’m not the one issuing the Holy Spirit. So, who am I? We are a essentially reading about the first issue that’s going to be a big issue in the early church, and one that needs to get worked out. And we close our reading from the book of Acts with the gospel spreading around, spreading outside of Jerusalem, and this guy, Saul being sent for. And we already know, he’s the apostle Paul and we’re about to start to follow his story in the book of Acts, but we will be talking a lot about Paul because will be spending the generous portion of the rest of our year working through his letters in the New Testament. So we’ll have…we’ll have plenty of time for that.  

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for this shiny new week. We thank You that Your word will be a part of this shiny new week and it will inform and guide us by the power of this same Holy Spirit that we’re reading about in the book of Acts. And, so, we invite Your Holy Spirit to lead and direct and guide our every step to lead us on the narrow path that leads to life, to lead us into all truth, and to bring about the fruit of the Spirit in our life’s. We ask these things because we can’t do them. We can’t do them on our own. We have to collaborate with You. We do this by opening ourselves to You fully, surrendering ourselves to You fully. Come, Holy Spirit we pray. In Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here. So, be sure to check it out.  

Check out the resources that are available in the Shop, like the Promised Land films that I mention from time to time because we encounter a place that we filmed, like Mount Carmel, where the showdown with Baal worshipers, Baal’s profits, and the prophet Elijah took place. We filmed all that and you can see it for yourself in the Promised Land films. So, swing in and check that out as a resource in the Shop.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that it dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link. It’s on the homepage. Thank you for your partnership. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi. My name is Don. I just need prayer. My wife and I are going through marriage counseling and we’re…it’s been revealed that there are traumatic things that’s happened in both of our pasts that are playing in our marriage today and coming forward and just praying that God would help us process through the healing, both my wife and I, and that’s pretty much it. Thank you. God, bless. Bye-bye.

Hi. This is Ruthie from Aurora Colorado. And thank you everybody for your prayers. I like to have a special prayer request for my daughter, Katya. She’s in jail and she has her court date on Friday the 15th. Please pray that she would find Jesus when she’s in jail and that His love would free her, that she would accept that freedom. And I pray for my friend Hank who’s just diagnosed with prostate cancer. I pray that he would be healed and that he and his wife and his son, his wife Sherry and his sons David and Seth would have the Lord’s peace and comfort. And thank you everybody for your prayers and for the gift of being brothers and sisters. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Father God, thank You so much for Ramadan this year. Thank You Lord, so much for everything You have been whistling to Muslim hearts. Thank You Lord for all of those seeds planted. We pray Lord that You’d water them as we move forward and that they would flower into faith in You, to a knowledge of Your son, and the acknowledgment of who He is and of what You’ve done, that they might to become our brothers and sisters. Father God, thank You for bread or the Arabic word for bread, I think also means life or similar to life. Lord, as citizens in communities hold bread very high regard, may they come to know the true brad of life, that they would be able to come and eat at Your table and know exactly what that bread represents and acknowledge that sacrifice that Jesus made on their behalf for their sins, and that they are loved, and that they are forgiven. Lord, thank You for our brothers and sisters working in Muslim communities. I pray Lord that You would be giving them wisdom and insight into You. Mend them culture, give them symbols so they can better understand the language, all those local things, the local things and ways that we have of saying things, that they can better communicate the gospel. In Jesus’ holy and precious name. Amen. __ Michaela from Gloucester in the UK. All right. Have a good day. And have the most blessed and __ week. Bye.

All is well. Father thank You for Your mercy today. I am grateful for my extraordinary DAB family. All is well Cherry Chase. Father, You are our creator. You made us in Your image. You are the most high God. Thank You father for Your blessings that rain down from the windows of heaven that chase us down and overtake us. We receive them today. All is well Cherry Chase. Father, we are the family of God. We are who’s who we are, children of the most high God. We are blessed indeed. All is well Cherry Chase. I am Daniel. I am whose I am. I am a child of the most high God. I am blessed indeed. Father, thank You for Your faith today. All is well Cherry Chase. You are an extraordinary child of the most high God, a masterpiece made in His image. We thank God for you exactly where He has You this moment, standing tall with your head held high and your shoulders back, knowing that you are the apple of his eye, held in the palm of his hand, where nothing in your path is bigger than the most high God. We’re in deep my sister. All is well. My sister in Christ, Cherry Chase, believe and praise Him for exactly where He has You right now, this moment, and every moment you ask Him to be in with You. You thank Him. I thank Him. We thank Him as one body in Christ, the bread of life, the living room God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hi. My name is Brick and I live in Arizona at this moment. Thankfully, through my wife Cheryl I’ve been having a great pleasure of listening to the children of God lift their voices up in unison and for one another. As I’ve listened to the children of God some time now, it is laid heavy on my heart that I would encourage every single child of God to be of good cheer, that His yoke is easy. Regardless of the things which we’re going through, keep in mind we’re never alone. It is truly our Lord God who is in control and wants to take things, our burdens, from us. Please, allow the Holy Spirit to speak with you. Have an open mind, a willing Spirit, and a tender heart, and ears that hear. Allow God to do His will in His time, not in man’s. That is what a father does. Please, I beg of you, let God take your burdens. Truly release them to Him. He’s there waiting for you. In the true and living Christ Jesus’ holy name. This is my sincere wish for every child of God. A wonderful day. Bye-bye.

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday June 17, 2018 (NIV)

1 Kings 18

Elijah Proves He Is the Lord’s Prophet

18 1-2 For three years no rain fell in Samaria, and there was almost nothing to eat anywhere. The Lord said to Elijah, “Go and meet with King Ahab. I will soon make it rain.” So Elijah went to see Ahab.

3-4 At that time Obadiah was in charge of Ahab’s palace, but he faithfully worshiped the Lord. In fact, when Jezebel was trying to kill the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah hid one hundred of them in two caves and gave them food and water.

Ahab sent for Obadiah 5 and said, “We have to find something for our horses and mules to eat. If we don’t, we will have to kill them. Let’s look around every creek and spring in the country for some grass. 6 You go one way, and I’ll go the other.” Then they left in separate directions.

7 As Obadiah was walking along, he met Elijah. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down, and asked, “Elijah, is it really you?”

8 “Yes. Go tell Ahab I’m here.”

9 Obadiah replied:

King Ahab would kill me if I told him that. And I haven’t even done anything wrong. 10 I swear to you in the name of the living Lord your God that the king has looked everywhere for you. He sent people to look in every country, and when they couldn’t find you, he made the leader of each country swear that you were not in that country. 11 Do you really want me to tell him you’re here?

12 What if the Lord’s Spirit takes you away as soon as I leave? When Ahab comes to get you, he won’t find you. Then he will surely kill me.

I have worshiped the Lord since I was a boy. 13 I even hid one hundred of the Lord’s prophets in caves when Jezebel was trying to kill them. I also gave them food and water. 14 Do you really want me to tell Ahab you’re here? He will kill me!

15 Elijah said, “I’m a servant of the living Lord All-Powerful, and I swear in his name that I will meet with Ahab today.”

16 Obadiah left and told Ahab where to find Elijah.

Ahab went to meet Elijah, 17 and when he saw him, Ahab shouted, “There you are, the biggest troublemaker in Israel!”

18 Elijah answered:

You’re the troublemaker—not me! You and your family have disobeyed the Lord’s commands by worshiping Baal.

19 Call together everyone from Israel and have them meet me on Mount Carmel. Be sure to bring along the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.

20 Ahab got everyone together, then they went to meet Elijah on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you try to have things both ways? If the Lord is God, worship him! But if Baal is God, worship him!”

The people did not say a word.

22 Then Elijah continued:

I am the Lord’s only prophet, but Baal has four hundred fifty prophets.

23 Bring us two bulls. Baal’s prophets can take one of them, kill it, and cut it into pieces. Then they can put the meat on the wood without lighting the fire. I will do the same thing with the other bull, and I won’t light a fire under it either.

24 The prophets of Baal will pray to their god, and I will pray to the Lord. The one who answers by starting the fire is God.

“That’s a good idea,” everyone agreed.

25 Elijah said to Baal’s prophets, “There are more of you, so you go first. Pick out a bull and get it ready, but don’t light the fire. Then pray to your god.”

26 They chose their bull, then they got it ready and prayed to Baal all morning, asking him to start the fire. They danced around the altar and shouted, “Answer us, Baal!” But there was no answer.

27 At noon, Elijah began making fun of them. “Pray louder!” he said. “Baal must be a god. Maybe he’s day-dreaming or using the toilet or traveling somewhere. Or maybe he’s asleep, and you have to wake him up.”

28 The prophets kept shouting louder and louder, and they cut themselves with swords and knives until they were bleeding. This was the way they worshiped, 29 and they kept it up all afternoon. But there was no answer of any kind.

30 Elijah told everyone to gather around him while he repaired the Lord’s altar. 31-32 Then he used twelve stones to build an altar in honor of the Lord. Each stone stood for one of the tribes of Israel, which was the name the Lord had given to their ancestor Jacob. Elijah dug a ditch around the altar, large enough to hold about thirteen quarts. 33 He placed the wood on the altar, then they cut the bull into pieces and laid the meat on the wood.

He told the people, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it over the meat and the wood.” After they did this, 34 he told them to do it two more times. They did exactly as he said 35 until finally, the water ran down the altar and filled the ditch.

36 When it was time for the evening sacrifice, Elijah prayed:

Our Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Now, prove that you are the God of this nation,[a] and that I, your servant, have done this at your command. 37 Please answer me, so these people will know that you are the Lord God, and that you will turn their hearts back to you.[b]

38 The Lord immediately sent fire, and it burned up the sacrifice, the wood, and the stones. It scorched the ground everywhere around the altar and dried up every drop of water in the ditch. 39 When the crowd saw what had happened, they all bowed down and shouted, “The Lord is God! The Lord is God!”

40 Just then, Elijah said, “Grab the prophets of Baal! Don’t let any of them get away.”

So the people captured the prophets and took them to Kishon River, where Elijah killed every one of them.

It Starts To Rain

41 Elijah told Ahab, “Get something to eat and drink. I hear a heavy rain coming.”

42 Ahab left, but Elijah climbed back to the top of Mount Carmel. Then he stooped down with his face almost to the ground 43 and said to his servant, “Look toward the sea.”

The servant left. And when he came back, he said, “I looked, but I didn’t see anything.” Elijah told him to look seven more times.

44 After the seventh time the servant replied, “I see a small cloud coming this way. But it’s no bigger than a fist.”

Elijah told him, “Tell Ahab to get his chariot ready and start home now. Otherwise, the rain will stop him.”

45-46 A few minutes later, it got very cloudy and windy, and rain started pouring down. So Elijah wrapped his coat around himself, and the Lord gave him strength to run all the way to Jezreel. Ahab followed him.

Footnotes:

  1. 18.36 this nation: Hebrew “Israel.”
  2. 18.37 will turn. . . to you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Acts 11

Peter Reports to the Church in Jerusalem

11 The apostles and the followers in Judea heard that Gentiles had accepted God’s message. 2 So when Peter came to Jerusalem, some of the Jewish followers started arguing with him. They wanted Gentile followers to be circumcised, and 3 they said, “You stayed in the homes of Gentiles, and you even ate with them!”

4 Then Peter told them exactly what had happened:

5 I was in the town of Joppa and was praying when I fell sound asleep and had a vision. I saw heaven open, and something like a huge sheet held by its four corners came down to me. 6 When I looked in it, I saw animals, wild beasts, snakes, and birds. 7 I heard a voice saying to me, “Peter, get up! Kill these and eat them.”

8 But I said, “Lord, I can’t do that! I’ve never taken a bite of anything that is unclean and not fit to eat.”[a]

9 The voice from heaven spoke to me again, “When God says that something can be used for food, don’t say it isn’t fit to eat.” 10 This happened three times before it was all taken back into heaven.

11 Suddenly three men from Caesarea stood in front of the house where I was staying. 12 The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry. Then six of the Lord’s followers went with me to the home of a man 13 who told us that an angel had appeared to him. The angel had ordered him to send to Joppa for someone named Simon Peter. 14 Then Peter would tell him how he and everyone in his house could be saved.

15 After I started speaking, the Holy Spirit was given to them, just as the Spirit had been given to us at the beginning. 16 I remembered that the Lord had said, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 17 God gave those Gentiles the same gift that he gave us when we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So how could I have gone against God?

18 When they heard Peter say this, they stopped arguing and started praising God. They said, “God has now let Gentiles turn to him, and he has given life to them!”

The Church in Antioch

19 Some of the Lord’s followers had been scattered because of the terrible trouble that started when Stephen was killed. They went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they told the message only to the Jews.

20 Some of the followers from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch and started telling Gentiles[b] the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s power was with them, and many people turned to the Lord and put their faith in him. 22 News of what was happening reached the church in Jerusalem. Then they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

23 When Barnabas got there and saw what God had been kind enough to do for them, he was very glad. So he begged them to remain faithful to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 Barnabas was a good man of great faith, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Many more people turned to the Lord.

25 Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 He found Saul and brought him to Antioch, where they met with the church for a whole year and taught many of its people. There in Antioch the Lord’s followers were first called Christians.

27 During this time some prophets from Jerusalem came to Antioch. 28 One of them was Agabus. Then with the help of the Spirit, he told that there would be a terrible famine everywhere in the world. And it happened when Claudius was Emperor.[c] 29 The followers in Antioch decided to send whatever help they could to the followers in Judea. 30 So they had Barnabas and Saul take their gifts to the church leaders in Jerusalem.

Footnotes:

  1. 11.8 unclean and not fit to eat: See the note at 10.14.
  2. 11.20 Gentiles: This translates a Greek word that may mean “people who speak Greek” or “people who live as Greeks do.” Here the word seems to mean “people who are not Jews.” Some manuscripts have “Greeks,” which also seems to mean “people who are not Jews.”
  3. 11.28 when Claudius was Emperor: A.D. 41-54.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Psalm 135

In Praise of the Lord’s Kindness

135 Shout praises to the Lord!
You are his servants,
so praise his name.
2 All who serve in the temple
of the Lord our God,
3 come and shout praises.
Praise the name of the Lord!
He is kind and good.
4 He chose the family of Jacob
and the people of Israel
for his very own.

5 The Lord is much greater
than any other god.
6 He does as he chooses
in heaven and on earth
and deep in the sea.
7 The Lord makes the clouds rise
from far across the earth,
and he makes lightning
to go with the rain.
Then from his secret place
he sends out the wind.

8 The Lord killed the first-born
of people and animals
in the land of Egypt.
9 God used miracles and wonders
to fight the king of Egypt
and all of his officials.
10 He destroyed many nations
and killed powerful kings,
11 including King Sihon
of the Amorites
and King Og of Bashan.
He conquered every kingdom
in the land of Canaan
12 and gave their property
to his people Israel.

13 The name of the Lord
will be remembered forever,
and he will be famous
for all time to come.
14 The Lord will bring justice
and show mercy
to all
who serve him.

15 Idols of silver and gold
are made
and worshiped
in other nations.
16 They have a mouth and eyes,
but they can’t speak or see.
17 They are completely deaf,
and they can’t breathe.
18 Everyone who makes idols
and all who trust them
will end up as helpless
as their idols.

19 Everyone in Israel,
come praise the Lord!
All the family of Aaron
20 and all the tribe of Levi,[a]
come praise the Lord!
All of his worshipers,
come praise the Lord.
21 Praise the Lord from Zion!
He lives here in Jerusalem.
Shout praises to the Lord!

Footnotes:

  1. 135.19,20 Aaron. . . Levi: Aaron was from the tribe of Levi, and all priests were from his family. The temple helpers, singers, and musicians were also from the tribe of Levi.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 17:12-13

12 A bear robbed of her cubs
is far less dangerous
than a stubborn fool.
13 You will always have trouble
if you are mean to those
who are good to you.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

Posted on

06/16/2018 DAB Transcript

1 Kings 14:1-15:24, Acts 10:1-23, Ps 133:1-3, Pr 17:7-8

Today is the 16th day of June. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. And it is a pleasure, like every day, to be here with you, an honor to be able to read the Scriptures around this global campfire that is our community. And where I envision most every day that roaring fire and us just sitting around, kind of coming in out of the dark, warming ourselves, being together. Cause in a very real way that’s what’s happening. We’re never listening to the Daily Audio Bible alone and someone’s always sitting at the campfire. So, it’s a pleasure and an honor to take the next step forward with you today as we close down another one of our weeks together. We’ve been reading from the Good News translation this week and we’ll continue to do that today. 1 Kings 15:25-17:24 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the book of 1 Kings, we are rapidly moving generation to generation, following two sets of kings, kings in the north in Israel and kings in the south in Judah. And so, yeah, it gets confusing. And then a prophet will come into the mix and so we can kind of anchor ourselves in the relationship that the prophet might have with one of the kings. So, we sort of see that happen in today’s reading as we meet a name that it’s unlikely that you’ve never heard before. Elijah. The prophet Elijah. A great prophet of Israel who is prophesying in the North. Okay, so he’s with the ten Northern Tribes of Israel. And he’s telling the new king, Ahab, that it’s not going to rain for a while. And, so, we will watch that story unfold. But we should note that of Ahab the Scriptures tell us that there was no one worse than him. No one had sinned more against the Lord than him. And the capitol city of the north has now become Samaria. Ahab has built a temple in Samaria to the god Baal. The ruins of that temple still exist in the ancient ruins of Samaria. And they can still be seen today. This is not particularly an easy place to get to right now. Not a place to take tour buses and stuff like that to, but we have definitely gone there and filmed there. And I’ve seen the ruins myself and we’ve filmed them. They’re found in the Promised Land films. So, there is archeology that remains until today from this time that we’re reading about today.

Then we get to the New Testament, the book of Acts. And we kind of started a story that I said has pretty significant repercussions for the early church. And it does. So, Cornelius is a gentile, Peter’s a Jew, there were visions, there was a sending for Peter, Peter has come. And it’s interesting because Peter comes into Cornelius’ house and so he’s like, here I am. You sent for me. What do you want? And Cornelius is kind of like, Well, an angel told me to send for you, so what do you have to say? Quite an interesting way to make an acquaintance for sure. Peter shares the story of Jesus with a house full of gentile people in Joppa. The Holy Spirit falls upon these gentile people clearly. And this forces Peter and the early church that he was associated with to grapple with the fact that God was pouring out his Holy Spirit upon gentiles and they could see it, even though this was a complete reframe of what they thought they knew. They thought what Jesus had done was all in the context of Jewish people. Now they began to understand that the work of Christ was opening up the way of restoration and intimacy and relationship with God to everyone in the world. Now, most of us can be incredibly grateful for that fact because most of us would be considered gentile. And for the most part this isn’t an issue. This isn’t something we’re thinking about every day. But I cannot stress to you the importance of this issue in the early church. This was essentially the first church problem. It was a sincere and significant struggle. And it would take more than an hour to try to tell the whole story, so we’ll tell the story as we continue to move through the Bible, especially as we get into the writings of the apostle Paul, which are kind of next up on deck. But I will give you the implications right now because the implications brought about great tribulation and persecution for the early Christians later on. So, in the time that we are reading about in the book of Acts, the entire land was a part of the Roman empire. So, where this is all taking place in the modern-day area of Israel and the ancient area of Israel, this was the far eastern border of the Roman empire. It was their province of Syria. And these Jewish people who had ancient roots in this area, they were permitted by the Roman government to continue to have their worship of the god that they had always worshipped. That’s not so unusual. The Romans had a pantheon of gods. Everybody could worship whatever gods that they wanted to worship. But they were sort of like the state gods. The kind of worship that would give your allegiance to the empire, that would bind people together as one group of people. The Jewish people wouldn’t do that. They would only worship the God of Israel, which is a little ironic based on the kings that we’re reading through and how they worshipped all kinds of gods and were not faithful to the Lord their God. But anyway, the Jewish people would not worship these Roman gods. They would only worship the one true God. And they kind of had an exception. This was sort of tolerated, permitted. It marginalized them. This was Roman territory and it was being built up as part of the Roman Empire, but the Jewish people separated themselves and so they were marginalized by default and then they were suppressed, oppressed but they got to worship their god without having to worship any of the Roman gods to show their allegiance to Rome. This kind of explains some of the context in Jesus life, like why are the Sanhedrin, why are the Sadducees and the Pharisees plotting to kill Jesus and all this stuff? Why is the High Priest saying it’s better for one man to die for the whole nation than the whole nation to be destroyed? It’s because of this kind of context. They have this tenuous kind of thing going on where they are being oppressed and suppressed but they are given religious freedom to worship only the one true God. So not very many Romans wanted to convert to Judaism. It did happen. They were God- fearers and Cornelius in the book of Acts is one of these people. He wasn’t a Jew, but he was God-fearing. The implications of the Holy Spirit coming into gentile lives and this opening up to the entire world was going to force a separation that would bring about persecution because up until this point, up until God began to work among the gentiles giving his Holy Spirit, people who followed Jesus were just largely looked at as kind of a weird sect of Judaism following a very specific rabbi into certain specific behaviors and they had some mystical feelings about who this rabbi might have been and revering rabbis goes back into antiquity. This wasn’t particularly a new concept. And not everybody knew about Jesus’ life. So, these people who were following The Way, the way of Jesus, never really assumed that they weren’t going to be Jewish anymore. This was the entire context for their lives and Jesus was a Jewish person and lived within that context. So, it was just sort of like a branch of Judaism and it would have found its protection and religious freedom because of the Jewish people. For the Holy Spirit to come into the gentile lives, and for the church, the early church, to acknowledge, this is not just a Jewish thing, this is a whole world thing, would have immediate set the Jews against them and they would have no longer protected them with their religious freedoms and so then they would have been required, like every other Roman, to have allegiance to the roman gods. And over time that played out and brought great persecution, but that’s some context. We have a lot of ground to cover because we look at the book of Acts and we go, that was the Golden age, man. The Holy Spirit was falling everywhere, people were coming to Jesus by the thousands. It was an amazing, amazing time with no problems and everyone was in harmony and unity. And that’s just not how it went though, and we will see how that all plays out and how particularly relevant it is to our lives today as we continue forward over the coming months and getting into the writings of the Apostle Paul. So, I think that’s a pretty good way to end our week.

Prayer:

Father, thank You. Thank You for another week in Your Word and thank You for all that You have brought us through all these stories. Sometimes it feels like they’re coming at us so quickly that we can’t keep up and sometimes they are piercing our heart, they are exposing so much inside of us that we need to submit to You and it’s a beautiful thing the way Your Holy Spirit does move around the world through Your Word. And, so, we’re thanking You for allowing us to be a part of that story. We ask that You plant the words that we’ve heard from the Scriptures this week into our lives, rooting us in You, guiding and directing our steps in the ways that we should go. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here. So, be sure to check it out.  

Check out the resources that are available in the Daily Audio Bible shop. Things like the Promised Land films which will allow you to see so many of the places that we experience as we go through the Scriptures, including Samaria that we talked about today. So, check that out.

If you partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link on the homepage. Thank you for your partnership profoundly as we move deeper into the summer months. There is a link on the homepage. If you are using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the give button on the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is P.O Box 1996, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174.

And, as always if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi there Daily Audio Bible family. This is Alaska mom. And I don’t call very often but I just heard some really sad news. I live in a very small town in Alaska and there was a single car accident sometime last night but it was not even found until tonight. A mother and three children in the car. The mom and the middle child did not make it. The youngest who was about 6 or 7 and the oldest who is about 12 or 13 are being Medevac’d out of town with severe hypothermia and I don’t know what else, but if you could just keep the family in prayer and keep our whole town because this will…this will affect our whole town. It’s…it’s very heartbreaking. Please pray. Thank you.

Hey everybody. It’s Margo from Australia. I just couldn’t resist ringing again today because I just finished hearing today’s reading on the 12th of June and the proverb that Brian read at the end where he said, gold and silver are tested by fire and a person’s heart is tested by the Lord. I love that proverb and it reminded me of one of my all-time favorite verses in the Bible, which is in Job of all places. And most of you will know the story of Job and the suffering that he endured. And there’s a verse in Job 23:10 and its Job speaking. And he says of the Lord, when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold. And that has always been one of my favorite verses. I have a couple my bathroom mirror. When the Lord has tested me, I will come forth as gold. And I’ve always found that so encouraging. When we are going through times of suffering and hardship, remember that at the end we want to come forth as gold. And, so, no matter what’s happening in your…in your life continue to praise the Lord, continue to bless His name, continue to trust in Him and have faith in Him and say to yourself, when He has tested me I will come forth as gold.

Hi DAB family. This is Diane from Indiana. I’m calling to reach out to Jeanette who called to say her husband, Vince, has Parkinson’s disease and is soon to have DBS surgery. I too have Parkinson’s disease and have gone through this same surgery. I know exactly what he’s going through and how precise this surgery has to be. Please let Vince know that I’m praying for him every day while he goes through this process for physical healing and for God to be glorified through it all. Jeanette, please call back and let us know how Vince is doing. Thank you DAB family for your prayers for Vince.

Hi DABbers. My name is Lynn. I’m calling from British Colombia, Canada. I have a prayer request. I recently had a birthday and I relapsed into alcoholism around my birthday. I have something important to do today and I am worried that I might mess up something rather important because of the physical state that I allowed my body to get into with…with the birthday bender. However, a praise report, because I flagged…May…or…March for this year and just re-listened to, ‘be still and know that I am God’, and just listening to that along with Brian’s prayer has given me such hope for today. Thank you. God bless you all.

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday June 16, 2018 (NIV)

1 Kings 15:25-17:24

King Nadab of Israel

25 In the second year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, King Jeroboam's son Nadab became king of Israel, and he ruled for two years. 26 Like his father before him, he sinned against the Lord and led Israel into sin.

27 Baasha son of Ahijah, of the tribe of Issachar, plotted against Nadab and killed him as Nadab and his army were besieging the city of Gibbethon in Philistia. 28 This happened during the third year of the reign of King Asa of Judah. And so Baasha succeeded Nadab as king of Israel. 29 (A)At once he began killing all the members of Jeroboam's family. In accordance with what the Lord had said through his servant, the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh, all of Jeroboam's family were killed; not one survived. 30 This happened because Jeroboam aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by the sins that he committed and that he caused Israel to commit.

31 Everything else that Nadab did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel. 32 King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel were constantly at war with each other as long as they were in power.

King Baasha of Israel

33 In the third year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel, and he ruled in Tirzah for twenty-four years. 34 Like King Jeroboam before him, he sinned against the Lord and led Israel into sin.

16 The Lord spoke to the prophet Jehu son of Hanani and gave him this message for Baasha: 2 “You were a nobody, but I made you the leader of my people Israel. And now you have sinned like Jeroboam and have led my people into sin. Their sins have aroused my anger, 3 and so I will do away with you and your family, just as I did with Jeroboam. 4 Any members of your family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and any who die in the open country will be eaten by vultures.”

5 Everything else that Baasha did and all his brave deeds are recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel. 6 Baasha died and was buried in Tirzah, and his son Elah succeeded him as king.

7 That message from the Lord against Baasha and his family was given by the prophet Jehu because of the sins that Baasha committed against the Lord. He aroused the Lord's anger not only because of the evil he did, just as King Jeroboam had done before him, but also because he killed all of Jeroboam's family.

King Elah of Israel

8 In the twenty-sixth year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he ruled in Tirzah for two years. 9 Zimri, one of his officers who was in charge of half of the king's chariots, plotted against him. One day in Tirzah, Elah was getting drunk in the home of Arza, who was in charge of the palace. 10 Zimri entered the house, assassinated Elah, and succeeded him as king. This happened in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of King Asa of Judah.

11 As soon as Zimri became king he killed off all the members of Baasha's family. Every male relative and friend was put to death. 12 And so, in accordance with what the Lord had said against Baasha through the prophet Jehu, Zimri killed all the family of Baasha. 13 Because of their idolatry and because they led Israel into sin, Baasha and his son Elah had aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel. 14 Everything else that Elah did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel.

King Zimri of Israel

15 In the twenty-seventh year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, Zimri ruled in Tirzah over Israel for seven days. The Israelite troops were besieging the city of Gibbethon in Philistia, 16 and when they heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and assassinated him, then and there they all proclaimed their commander Omri king of Israel. 17 Omri and his troops left Gibbethon and went and besieged Tirzah. 18 When Zimri saw that the city had fallen, he went into the palace's inner fortress, set the palace on fire, and died in the flames. 19 This happened because of his sins against the Lord. Like his predecessor Jeroboam, he displeased the Lord by his own sins and by leading Israel into sin. 20 Everything else that Zimri did, including the account of his conspiracy, is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel.

King Omri of Israel

21 The people of Israel were divided: some of them wanted to make Tibni son of Ginath king, and the others were in favor of Omri. 22 In the end, those in favor of Omri won out; Tibni died and Omri became king. 23 So in the thirty-first year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he ruled for twelve years. The first six years he ruled in Tirzah, 24 and then he bought the hill of Samaria for six thousand pieces of silver from a man named Shemer. Omri fortified the hill, built a town there, and named it Samaria, after Shemer, the former owner of the hill.

25 Omri sinned against the Lord more than any of his predecessors. 26 Like Jeroboam before him, he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by his sins and by leading the people into sin and idolatry. 27 Everything else that Omri did and all his accomplishments are recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel. 28 Omri died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Ahab succeeded him as king.

King Ahab of Israel

29 In the thirty-eighth year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he ruled in Samaria for twenty-two years. 30 He sinned against the Lord more than any of his predecessors. 31 It was not enough for him to sin like King Jeroboam; he went further and married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon, and worshiped Baal. 32 He built a temple to Baal in Samaria, made an altar for him, and put it in the temple. 33 He also put up an image of the goddess Asherah. He did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel before him. 34 (B)During his reign Hiel from Bethel rebuilt Jericho. As the Lord had foretold through Joshua son of Nun, Hiel lost his oldest son Abiram when he laid the foundation of Jericho, and his youngest son Segub when he built the gates.

Elijah and the Drought

17 (C)A prophet named Elijah, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to King Ahab, “In the name of the Lord, the living God of Israel, whom I serve, I tell you that there will be no dew or rain for the next two or three years until I say so.”

2 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 3 “Leave this place and go east and hide yourself near Cherith Brook, east of the Jordan. 4 The brook will supply you with water to drink, and I have commanded ravens to bring you food there.”

5 Elijah obeyed the Lord's command, and went and stayed by Cherith Brook. 6 He drank water from the brook, and ravens brought him bread and meat every morning and every evening. 7 After a while the brook dried up because of the lack of rain.

Elijah and the Widow in Zarephath

8 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 9 (D)“Now go to the town of Zarephath, near Sidon, and stay there. I have commanded a widow who lives there to feed you.” 10 So Elijah went to Zarephath, and as he came to the town gate, he saw a widow gathering firewood. “Please bring me a drink of water,” he said to her. 11 And as she was going to get it, he called out, “And please bring me some bread, too.”

12 She answered, “By the living Lord your God I swear that I don't have any bread. All I have is a handful of flour in a bowl and a bit of olive oil in a jar. I came here to gather some firewood to take back home and prepare what little I have for my son and me. That will be our last meal, and then we will starve to death.”

13 “Don't worry,” Elijah said to her. “Go on and prepare your meal. But first make a small loaf from what you have and bring it to me, and then prepare the rest for you and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The bowl will not run out of flour or the jar run out of oil before the day that I, the Lord, send rain.’”

15 The widow went and did as Elijah had told her, and all of them had enough food for many days. 16 As the Lord had promised through Elijah, the bowl did not run out of flour nor did the jar run out of oil.

17 Some time later the widow's son got sick; he got worse and worse, and finally he died. 18 She said to Elijah, “Man of God, why did you do this to me? Did you come here to remind God of my sins and so cause my son's death?”

19 “Give the boy to me,” Elijah said. He took the boy from her arms, carried him upstairs to the room where he was staying, and laid him on the bed. 20 Then he prayed aloud, “O Lord my God, why have you done such a terrible thing to this widow? She has been kind enough to take care of me, and now you kill her son!” 21 (E)Then Elijah stretched himself out on the boy three times and prayed, “O Lord my God, restore this child to life!” 22 The Lord answered Elijah's prayer; the child started breathing again and revived.

23 Elijah took the boy back downstairs to his mother and said to her, “Look, your son is alive!”

24 She answered, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the Lord really speaks through you!”

Cross references:

  1. 1 Kings 15:29 : 1Kgs 14:10
  2. 1 Kings 16:34 : Josh 6:26
  3. 1 Kings 17:1 : Jas 5:17
  4. 1 Kings 17:9 : Luke 4:25; Luke 4:26
  5. 1 Kings 17:21 : 2Kgs 4:34; 2Kgs 4:35
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Acts 10:24-48

24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea, where Cornelius was waiting for him, together with relatives and close friends that he had invited. 25 As Peter was about to go in, Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and bowed down before him. 26 But Peter made him rise. “Stand up,” he said, “I myself am only a man.” 27 Peter kept on talking to Cornelius as he went into the house, where he found many people gathered. 28 He said to them, “You yourselves know very well that a Jew is not allowed by his religion to visit or associate with Gentiles. But God has shown me that I must not consider any person ritually unclean or defiled. 29 And so when you sent for me, I came without any objection. I ask you, then, why did you send for me?”

30 Cornelius said, “It was about this time three days ago that I was praying[a] in my house at three o'clock in the afternoon. Suddenly a man dressed in shining clothes stood in front of me 31 and said: ‘Cornelius! God has heard your prayer and has taken notice of your works of charity. 32 Send someone to Joppa for a man whose full name is Simon Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner of leather, who lives by the sea.’ 33 And so I sent for you at once, and you have been good enough to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God, waiting to hear anything that the Lord has instructed you to say.”

Peter's Speech

34 (A)Peter began to speak: “I now realize that it is true that God treats everyone on the same basis. 35 Those who fear him and do what is right are acceptable to him, no matter what race they belong to. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, proclaiming the Good News of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know of the great event that took place throughout the land of Israel, beginning in Galilee after John preached his message of baptism. 38 You know about Jesus of Nazareth and how God poured out on him the Holy Spirit and power. He went everywhere, doing good and healing all who were under the power of the Devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses of everything that he did in the land of Israel and in Jerusalem. Then they put him to death by nailing him to a cross. 40 But God raised him from death three days later and caused him to appear, 41 not to everyone, but only to the witnesses that God had already chosen, that is, to us who ate and drank with him after he rose from death. 42 And he commanded us to preach the gospel to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God has appointed judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets spoke about him, saying that all who believe in him will have their sins forgiven through the power of his name.”

The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit

44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came down on all those who were listening to his message. 45 The Jewish believers who had come from Joppa with Peter were amazed that God had poured out his gift of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speaking in strange tongues and praising God's greatness. Peter spoke up: 47 “These people have received the Holy Spirit, just as we also did. Can anyone, then, stop them from being baptized with water?” 48 So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay with them for a few days.

Footnotes:

  1. Acts 10:30 praying; some manuscripts have fasting and praying.

Cross references:

  1. Acts 10:34 : Deut 10:17
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Psalm 134

A Call to Praise God

134 Come, praise the Lord,
all his servants,
all who serve in his Temple at night.
2 Raise your hands in prayer in the Temple,
and praise the Lord!

3 May the Lord, who made heaven and earth,
bless you from Zion!

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 17:9-11

9 If you want people to like you, forgive them when they wrong you. Remembering wrongs can break up a friendship.

10 An intelligent person learns more from one rebuke than a fool learns from being beaten a hundred times.

11 Death will come like a cruel messenger to wicked people who are always stirring up trouble.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Posted on

06/15/2018 DAB Transcript

1 Kings 14:1-15:24, Acts 10:1-23, Psalms 133:1-3, Proverbs 17:7-8

Today is the 15th day of June. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. Welcome to the middle of the month. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you today as we wind down another work week and take the next step forward in the Scriptures. We’re reading from the Good News translation this week. First Kings chapter 14 verse one through 15, verse 24 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, when we began 1 Kings, we began and traveled the story of Solomon, which was laid out before us in detail just as we had in the books of Samuel, following Saul’s life and then the intertwining of David’s life and then following David’s life and then we followed Solomon’s life. Now that Solomon has died, the united monarchy of Israel has divided into two separate nations, right? The northern tribes of Israel and the southern of Judah. So, the books of Kings now represent themselves as the books of Kings. Like, we don’t have all of the detail for every single one of the kings like we did for Saul and David and Solomon. So, we kind of get a synopsis of generation after generation after generation in both of these two countries. And, so, it’s easy enough to get lost. But what’s not easy to miss is that generations are going by and they’re moving in the wrong direction. So, we see now, clearly, that after Solomon’s reign things began to slip downward just as Solomon kind of fell away and turned away from God at the end of his life, that began to slide downward that continues. And we will certainly have the breath of fresh air when a new king comes to the throne who fears God and turns the people back to God, but we’ll see that that is a that is the exception and not the rule, which leads that Israel in the North and Judah in the south on a perilous journey. And we will continue to follow that story.

In the book of acts something incredibly pivotal happens today. So, with the story of Cornelius, the Roman military leader in Joppa, which is near modern-day Tel Aviv, he has a vision and he’s told to send for Peter. Simon Peter was up in Caesarea. So, that would be up the coast to the north. Meanwhile, Peter has this vision of a sheet coming down from heaven with animals that he was not supposed to eat under Mosaic law but he was being told to eat them. So, what we have brewing here is a fundamental shift in the way that the church is going to go. And now that we have arrived here we need talk about it so we understand what we’re heading into. Cornelius, the Roman, is a Gentile. Jewish religious people did not interact with Gentiles in any kind of personal way for lots of reasons that we’ll get to over time. So, Cornelius sends for Peter who has a vision that essentially sets aside for him the dietary requirements of the Mosaic law. One of the reasons that the Jews and the Gentiles, only one of many reasons that the Jews and Gentiles, were not associating with each other was over this, over what they ate. The Gentiles eight unclean things. And here’s Peter being told to do that. So, Peter doesn’t know exactly what to do. And these men who were sent to get him show up. And we’ll have to follow that story tomorrow. But what is happening here is something very, very pivotal in the trajectory of how the early church will go. And we will see that unfold and talk about it more tomorrow.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word, another day to allow it to wash into our minds and cleanse us, another day for it to be planted in our hearts, yielding fruit of the spirit, another day to be counseled and comforted by it. And we invite Your Holy Spirit to do just that. Come Holy Spirit, lead us into all truth we ask. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, it’s home base, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here. So, be sure to check in, check it out.

Visit the Prayer Wall. Be sure to pray for your brothers and sisters. Maybe you have some things that you want prayed over. Such a good place to connect.

Check out the resources that are available in the Daily Audio Bible shop that are that are there to accompany you as you take this journey through the Scriptures this year.

I also mentioned yesterday that the Daily Audio Bible Family Reunion for this year that takes place over Labor Day weekend this year is sold out. So, that’s exciting but I know there’s a lot you that still want to come. So, I mean, we stepped into this not knowing that anyone would come. And we thought, well, maybe, maybe a hundred people would want to come. And we started looking around through the rolling hills of Tennessee, you know, like, what can we do and we figured out a scenario that would allow several hundred of us to be together and thought, you know, it’s a family reunion. It’s kind of outdoorsy, kind of campy thing. That’s a pretty big family reunion. We should be good and we will be good, but it’s full. So, we have a waitlist now. You can go to dailyaudiobible.com to the Initiatives section where the Family Reunion section is and get on the waitlist. and over the next couple weeks we’ll be exploring how we could accommodate more. I mean, we can accommodate lots, but not if it rains. I mean, after all, you’re coming to the Daily Audio Bible Family Reunion and not the DAB mud Fest 2018. I don’t think that will happen. It’s a beautiful time of year here, but we want to make sure we have shelter. So, you can get on the waitlist and we’ll be working through every conceivable scenario and see how may we can all bring together. And we’ll go from there. And, like I said yesterday, thank you for your prayers.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible in the mission that we share together to bring the spoken word of God read fresh every day to whoever will listen to it wherever they may be on this planet or in life and to continue to build community around that rhythm so that we actually know we’re not alone. If that is life-giving to you, then thank you for your partnership. There’s, of course, a link on the homepage of dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family. This is Lee from New Jersey. Today is June 11th. It is Monday. On my way to work. Mobile headquarters. And, so, today is day 33 of prayer against anger. And today is actually a confession of prayer because yesterday, yes, I gave into anger. My wife, my daughter, man, they’re killing each other. Man, so, getting involved in that, trying to separate them from their arguments and then both of them getting at me, forget it. I just lost it. But none in a way like the past, nothing like that. Nothing crazy. But it’s true. I gave into anger. So, today is time for confession. Father God, we love You. I am here, one of Your children, confessing to You and in front of my brothers and sisters Lord that I have given into anger Lord. Among other sins that I have given into Lord, anger is the one that I’m focused on. And anger is the most destructive, at least in my life. I have given into anger Lord, where I have sinned against my daughter and I have sinned against my wife Lord. And I have sinned against You. God, I ask You for to give me oh Lord, which I thank You for forgiving me for You’ve always forgiven me Lord. Help me to continue to learn and to continue to grow and not allow the enemy to step in and try to make me feel more ashamed than I should Lord. You give us enough shame Lord that we can acknowledge what we did that was wrong, so we can see what we did that was wrong Lord and not repeat it. Thank You, Father for giving that wisdom to us Lord, that godly wisdom Lord, to know to give us just the amount of everything that we need - the good, the bad, the pain - and of course everything else that comes with all of the blessings and all of your wisdom Lord. We ask this in Jesus name.

Hi. This is Melody from Canada. And I’ve been impacted lately by death. In the last few weeks three of my friend’s relatives have died, two from cancer, another one from a sudden-death. And, of course, there’s the celebrity __ . And I’ve been in the place before of wanting to commit suicide and it’s a very dark place to be. And I really feel for those who are in that situation and wanting to do that and not having the ability to reach out. So, I pray life over them and over all the nations represented in this community. Jesus said, I am the light of the world and he who follows me will not live in darkness but will have the light of life – John 8:12. And, I just pray that Jesus, the light of the world, will shine His light on us all for the joy of life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Thank you so much, Daily Audio Bible listeners for this opportunity to share our prayer requests and that you would join me in praying for my husband Benjamin who’s going through a lot of transitions and downsizing at his work. And today he’s just having a really tough day, feeling very discontented even though we feel very blessed and thankful for the life that the Lord’s given us. But he reached out asking for prayer and was kind of being snarky today and yesterday as well and I was kinda angry with him. So, just him reaching out in prayer today really softened my heart towards him and changed my attitude and perspective. So, I just lift him up to the Lord and just ask that would pray with me that the Lord will give him His perspective and remind him of all the things to be thankful for and that we’re blessed by and to run from the enemy and hedge of protection around him. So, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Hi neighbors. It’s Lisa the Encourager. I wanted to call in and especially pray for the dear woman that called in on June the 7th on the community…no I’m sorry…it wasn’t the community prayer…it was just on June 7th. And I, I was actually walking, listening to it, when I came home this evening I looked for it again  to see what day it was on because it just really stuck on my heart. And she basically has been…has been a long-time listener and she’s in trouble with her marriage. Her husband recently retired and she retired and he’s a physician or was a physician and is very controlling and now she’s started to drink. So, and it’s damaging to her, damaging to her heart and her soul and her spirit is just broken. And I am just so moved by her call my sweetheart. And I just want to know I am going to pray with you and for you and I just want everybody that’s listening right now to hold hands with me and pray for this dear woman that has been a Daily Audio Bible listener for a long time. And let’s all just pray together. So, I’m reaching out my hand right now on the right-hand side and my left-hand side is for you, sweetheart, because I’m holding your hand right now because I want you to know that I’m here for you and I am praying with you. And I’m praying for your husband too, that God will soften his heart for you. And dear God, I pray for this dear sweet woman that had the courage to call in…been a long-time listener God and now she’s turned herself over to destruction in alcohol Lord and relying upon that because she’s so hurt inside God. And I know You feel her pain. And if we all join hands together tonight and pray for this dear woman, God. We call upon your name to…