The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday November 26, 2018 (NIV)

Daniel 2:24-3:30

Daniel Interprets the Dream

24 Daniel went back to Arioch, the official in charge of executing the wise men. Daniel said, “Don’t kill those men! Take me to the king, and I will explain the meaning of his dream.”

25 Arioch rushed Daniel to the king and announced, “Your Majesty, I have found out that one of the men brought here from Judah can explain your dream.”

26 The king asked Daniel,[a] “Can you tell me my dream and what it means?”

27 Daniel answered:

Your Majesty, not even the smartest person in all the world can do what you are demanding. 28-29 But the God who rules from heaven can explain mysteries. And while you were sleeping, he showed you what will happen in the future. 30 However, you must realize that these mysteries weren’t explained to me because I am smarter than everyone else. Instead, it was done so that you would understand what you have seen.

31 Your Majesty, what you saw standing in front of you was a huge and terrifying statue, shining brightly. 32 Its head was made of gold, its chest and arms were silver, and from its waist down to its knees, it was bronze. 33 From there to its ankles it was iron, and its feet were a mixture of iron and clay.

34 As you watched, a stone was cut from a mountain—but not by human hands. The stone struck the feet, completely shattering the iron and clay. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed and blown away without a trace, like husks of wheat at threshing time. But the stone became a tremendous mountain that covered the entire earth.

36 That was the dream, and now I’ll tell you what it means. 37 Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings, and God has highly honored you with power 38 over all humans, animals, and birds. You are the head of gold. 39 After you are gone, another kingdom will rule, but it won’t be as strong. Then it will be followed by a kingdom of bronze that will rule the whole world. 40 Next, a kingdom of iron will come to power, crushing and shattering everything.[b]

41-42 This fourth kingdom will be divided—it will be both strong and brittle, just as you saw that the feet and toes were a mixture of iron and clay. 43 This kingdom will be the result of a marriage between kingdoms, but it will crumble, just as iron and clay don’t stick together.

44-45 During the time of those kings, the God who rules from heaven will set up an eternal kingdom that will never fall. It will be like the stone that was cut from the mountain, but not by human hands—the stone that crushed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. Your Majesty, in your dream the great God has told you what is going to happen, and you can trust this interpretation.

Daniel Is Promoted

46 King Nebuchadnezzar bowed low to the ground and worshiped Daniel. Then he gave orders for incense to be burned and a sacrifice of grain to be offered in honor of Daniel. 47 The king said, “Now I know that your God is above all other gods and kings, because he gave you the power to explain this mystery.” 48 The king then presented Daniel with a lot of gifts; he promoted him to governor of Babylon Province and put him in charge of the other wise men. 49 At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to high positions in Babylon Province, and he let Daniel stay on as a palace official.

King Nebuchadnezzar’s Gold Statue

King Nebuchadnezzar ordered a gold statue to be built ninety feet high and nine feet wide. He had it set up in Dura Valley near the city of Babylon, and he commanded his governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, and his other officials to come from everywhere in his kingdom to the dedication of the statue. So all of them came and stood in front of it.

Then an official stood up and announced:

People of every nation and race, now listen to the king’s command! Trumpets, flutes, harps, and all other kinds of musical instruments will soon start playing. When you hear the music, you must bow down and worship the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Anyone who refuses will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace.

As soon as the people heard the music, they bowed down and worshiped the gold statue that the king had set up.

Some Babylonians used this as a chance to accuse the Jews to King Nebuchadnezzar. They said, “Your Majesty, we hope you live forever! 10 You commanded everyone to bow down and worship the gold statue when the music played. 11 And you said that anyone who did not bow down and worship it would be thrown into a flaming furnace. 12 Sir, you appointed three men to high positions in Babylon Province, but they have disobeyed you. Those Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refuse to worship your gods and the statue you have set up.”

13 King Nebuchadnezzar was furious. So he sent for the three young men and said, 14 “I hear that you refuse to worship my gods and the gold statue I have set up. 15 Now I am going to give you one more chance. If you bow down and worship the statue when you hear the music, everything will be all right. But if you don’t, you will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace. No god can save you from me.”

16 The three men replied, “Your Majesty, we don’t need to defend ourselves. 17 The God we worship can save us from you and your flaming furnace. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we still won’t worship your gods and the gold statue you have set up.”

19 Nebuchadnezzar’s face twisted with anger at the three men. And he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. 20 Next, he commanded some of his strongest soldiers to tie up the men and throw them into the flaming furnace. 21-23 The king wanted it done at that very moment. So the soldiers tied up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and threw them into the flaming furnace with all of their clothes still on, including their turbans. The fire was so hot that flames leaped out and killed the soldiers.

24 Suddenly the king jumped up and shouted, “Weren’t only three men tied up and thrown into the fire?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the people answered.

25 “But I see four men walking around in the fire,” the king replied. “None of them is tied up or harmed, and the fourth one looks like a god.”[c]

26 Nebuchadnezzar went closer to the flaming furnace and said to the three young men, “You servants of the Most High God, come out at once!”

They came out, 27 and the king’s high officials, governors, and advisors all crowded around them. The men were not burned, their hair wasn’t scorched, and their clothes didn’t even smell like smoke. 28 King Nebuchadnezzar said:

Praise their God for sending an angel to rescue his servants! They trusted their God and refused to obey my commands. Yes, they chose to die rather than to worship or serve any god except their own. 29 And I won’t allow people of any nation or race to say anything against their God. Anyone who does will be chopped up and their houses will be torn down, because no other god has such great power to save.

30 After this happened, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in Babylon Province.

Footnotes:

  1. 2.26 Daniel: Aramaic “Daniel whose name was Belteshazzar” (see 1.7).
  2. 2.40 crushing. . . everything: Three ancient translations; Aramaic adds “and like iron crushing.”
  3. 3.25 a god: Aramaic, “a son of the gods.”

1 Peter 4:7-5:14

Everything will soon come to an end. So be serious and be sensible enough to pray.

Most important of all, you must sincerely love each other, because love wipes away many sins.

Welcome people into your home and don’t grumble about it.

10 Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. 11 If you have the gift of speaking, preach God’s message. If you have the gift of helping others, do it with the strength that God supplies. Everything should be done in a way that will bring honor to God because of Jesus Christ, who is glorious and powerful forever. Amen.

Suffering for Being a Christian

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised or shocked that you are going through testing that is like walking through fire. 13 Be glad for the chance to suffer as Christ suffered. It will prepare you for even greater happiness when he makes his glorious return.

14 Count it a blessing when you suffer for being a Christian. This shows that God’s glorious Spirit is with you. 15 But you deserve to suffer if you are a murderer, a thief, a crook, or a busybody. 16 Don’t be ashamed to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God that you belong to him. 17 God has already begun judging his own people. And if his judgment begins with us, imagine how terrible it will be for those who refuse to obey his message. The Scriptures say,

18 “If good people barely escape,
what will happen to sinners
and to others
who don’t respect God?”

19 If you suffer for obeying God, you must have complete faith in your faithful Creator and keep on doing right.

Helping Christian Leaders

Church leaders,[a] I am writing to encourage you. I too am a leader, as well as a witness to Christ’s suffering, and I will share in his glory when it is shown to us.

Just as shepherds watch over their sheep, you must watch over everyone God has placed in your care. Do it willingly in order to please God, and not simply because you think you must. Let it be something you want to do, instead of something you do merely to make money. Don’t be bossy to those people who are in your care, but set an example for them. Then when Christ the Chief Shepherd returns, you will be given a crown that will never lose its glory.

All of you young people should obey your elders. In fact, everyone should be humble toward everyone else. The Scriptures say,

“God opposes proud people,
but he helps everyone
who is humble.”

Be humble in the presence of God’s mighty power, and he will honor you when the time comes. God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.

Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith. You know that all over the world the Lord’s followers are suffering just as you are. 10 But God shows undeserved kindness to everyone. That’s why he appointed Christ Jesus to choose you to share in his eternal glory. You will suffer for a while, but God will make you complete, steady, strong, and firm. 11 God will be in control forever! Amen.

Final Greetings

12 Silvanus helped me write this short letter, and I consider him a faithful follower of the Lord. I wanted to encourage you and tell you how kind God really is, so that you will keep on having faith in him.

13 Greetings from the Lord’s followers in Babylon.[b] They are God’s chosen ones.

Mark, who is like a son to me, sends his greetings too.

14 Give each other a warm greeting. I pray that God will give peace to everyone who belongs to Christ.[c]

Footnotes:

  1. 5.1 Church leaders: Or “Elders” or “Presbyters” or “Priests.”
  2. 5.13 Babylon: This may be a secret name for the city of Rome.
  3. 5.14 Christ: Some manuscripts add “Amen.”

Psalm 119:81-96

81 I long for you to rescue me!
Your word is my only hope.
82 I am worn out from waiting
for you to keep your word.
When will you have mercy?
83 My life is wasting away
like a dried-up wineskin,[a]
but I have not forgotten
your teachings.
84 I am your servant!
How long must I suffer?
When will you punish
those troublemakers?
85 Those proud people reject
your teachings,
and they dig pits
for me to fall in.
86 Your laws can be trusted!
Protect me from cruel liars.
87 They have almost killed me,
but I have been faithful
to your teachings.
88 Show that you love me
and let me live,
so that I may obey all
of your commands.

89 Our Lord, you are eternal!
Your word will last as long
as the heavens.[b]
90 You remain faithful
in every generation,
and the earth you created
will keep standing firm.
91 All things are your servants,
and the laws you made
are still in effect today.
92 If I had not found happiness
in obeying your Law,
I would have died in misery.
93 I won’t ever forget
your teachings,
because you give me new life
by following them.
94 I belong to you,
and I have respected your laws,
so keep me safe.
95 Brutal enemies are waiting
to ambush and destroy me,
but I obey your rules.
96 Nothing is completely perfect,
except your teachings.

Footnotes:

  1. 119.83 a dried-up wineskin: The Hebrew text has “a wineskin in the smoke.” In ancient times bags were made from animal skins to hold wine, but when the bags dried up they cracked and could no longer be used.
  2. 119.89 Our. . . heavens: Or “Our Lord, your word is eternal. It will last as long as the heavens.”

Proverbs 28:15-16

15 A ruler who mistreats the poor
is like a roaring lion
or a bear hunting for food.
16 A heartless leader is a fool,
but anyone who refuses
to get rich by cheating others
will live a long time.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday November 26, 2018 (NIV)

Daniel 2:24-3:30

Daniel Interprets the Dream

24 Daniel went back to Arioch, the official in charge of executing the wise men. Daniel said, “Don’t kill those men! Take me to the king, and I will explain the meaning of his dream.”

25 Arioch rushed Daniel to the king and announced, “Your Majesty, I have found out that one of the men brought here from Judah can explain your dream.”

26 The king asked Daniel,[a] “Can you tell me my dream and what it means?”

27 Daniel answered:

Your Majesty, not even the smartest person in all the world can do what you are demanding. 28-29 But the God who rules from heaven can explain mysteries. And while you were sleeping, he showed you what will happen in the future. 30 However, you must realize that these mysteries weren’t explained to me because I am smarter than everyone else. Instead, it was done so that you would understand what you have seen.

31 Your Majesty, what you saw standing in front of you was a huge and terrifying statue, shining brightly. 32 Its head was made of gold, its chest and arms were silver, and from its waist down to its knees, it was bronze. 33 From there to its ankles it was iron, and its feet were a mixture of iron and clay.

34 As you watched, a stone was cut from a mountain—but not by human hands. The stone struck the feet, completely shattering the iron and clay. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed and blown away without a trace, like husks of wheat at threshing time. But the stone became a tremendous mountain that covered the entire earth.

36 That was the dream, and now I’ll tell you what it means. 37 Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings, and God has highly honored you with power 38 over all humans, animals, and birds. You are the head of gold. 39 After you are gone, another kingdom will rule, but it won’t be as strong. Then it will be followed by a kingdom of bronze that will rule the whole world. 40 Next, a kingdom of iron will come to power, crushing and shattering everything.[b]

41-42 This fourth kingdom will be divided—it will be both strong and brittle, just as you saw that the feet and toes were a mixture of iron and clay. 43 This kingdom will be the result of a marriage between kingdoms, but it will crumble, just as iron and clay don’t stick together.

44-45 During the time of those kings, the God who rules from heaven will set up an eternal kingdom that will never fall. It will be like the stone that was cut from the mountain, but not by human hands—the stone that crushed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. Your Majesty, in your dream the great God has told you what is going to happen, and you can trust this interpretation.

Daniel Is Promoted

46 King Nebuchadnezzar bowed low to the ground and worshiped Daniel. Then he gave orders for incense to be burned and a sacrifice of grain to be offered in honor of Daniel. 47 The king said, “Now I know that your God is above all other gods and kings, because he gave you the power to explain this mystery.” 48 The king then presented Daniel with a lot of gifts; he promoted him to governor of Babylon Province and put him in charge of the other wise men. 49 At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to high positions in Babylon Province, and he let Daniel stay on as a palace official.

King Nebuchadnezzar’s Gold Statue

King Nebuchadnezzar ordered a gold statue to be built ninety feet high and nine feet wide. He had it set up in Dura Valley near the city of Babylon, and he commanded his governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, and his other officials to come from everywhere in his kingdom to the dedication of the statue. So all of them came and stood in front of it.

Then an official stood up and announced:

People of every nation and race, now listen to the king’s command! Trumpets, flutes, harps, and all other kinds of musical instruments will soon start playing. When you hear the music, you must bow down and worship the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Anyone who refuses will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace.

As soon as the people heard the music, they bowed down and worshiped the gold statue that the king had set up.

Some Babylonians used this as a chance to accuse the Jews to King Nebuchadnezzar. They said, “Your Majesty, we hope you live forever! 10 You commanded everyone to bow down and worship the gold statue when the music played. 11 And you said that anyone who did not bow down and worship it would be thrown into a flaming furnace. 12 Sir, you appointed three men to high positions in Babylon Province, but they have disobeyed you. Those Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refuse to worship your gods and the statue you have set up.”

13 King Nebuchadnezzar was furious. So he sent for the three young men and said, 14 “I hear that you refuse to worship my gods and the gold statue I have set up. 15 Now I am going to give you one more chance. If you bow down and worship the statue when you hear the music, everything will be all right. But if you don’t, you will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace. No god can save you from me.”

16 The three men replied, “Your Majesty, we don’t need to defend ourselves. 17 The God we worship can save us from you and your flaming furnace. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we still won’t worship your gods and the gold statue you have set up.”

19 Nebuchadnezzar’s face twisted with anger at the three men. And he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. 20 Next, he commanded some of his strongest soldiers to tie up the men and throw them into the flaming furnace. 21-23 The king wanted it done at that very moment. So the soldiers tied up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and threw them into the flaming furnace with all of their clothes still on, including their turbans. The fire was so hot that flames leaped out and killed the soldiers.

24 Suddenly the king jumped up and shouted, “Weren’t only three men tied up and thrown into the fire?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the people answered.

25 “But I see four men walking around in the fire,” the king replied. “None of them is tied up or harmed, and the fourth one looks like a god.”[c]

26 Nebuchadnezzar went closer to the flaming furnace and said to the three young men, “You servants of the Most High God, come out at once!”

They came out, 27 and the king’s high officials, governors, and advisors all crowded around them. The men were not burned, their hair wasn’t scorched, and their clothes didn’t even smell like smoke. 28 King Nebuchadnezzar said:

Praise their God for sending an angel to rescue his servants! They trusted their God and refused to obey my commands. Yes, they chose to die rather than to worship or serve any god except their own. 29 And I won’t allow people of any nation or race to say anything against their God. Anyone who does will be chopped up and their houses will be torn down, because no other god has such great power to save.

30 After this happened, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in Babylon Province.

Footnotes:

  1. 2.26 Daniel: Aramaic “Daniel whose name was Belteshazzar” (see 1.7).
  2. 2.40 crushing. . . everything: Three ancient translations; Aramaic adds “and like iron crushing.”
  3. 3.25 a god: Aramaic, “a son of the gods.”

1 Peter 4:7-5:14

Everything will soon come to an end. So be serious and be sensible enough to pray.

Most important of all, you must sincerely love each other, because love wipes away many sins.

Welcome people into your home and don’t grumble about it.

10 Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. 11 If you have the gift of speaking, preach God’s message. If you have the gift of helping others, do it with the strength that God supplies. Everything should be done in a way that will bring honor to God because of Jesus Christ, who is glorious and powerful forever. Amen.

Suffering for Being a Christian

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised or shocked that you are going through testing that is like walking through fire. 13 Be glad for the chance to suffer as Christ suffered. It will prepare you for even greater happiness when he makes his glorious return.

14 Count it a blessing when you suffer for being a Christian. This shows that God’s glorious Spirit is with you. 15 But you deserve to suffer if you are a murderer, a thief, a crook, or a busybody. 16 Don’t be ashamed to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God that you belong to him. 17 God has already begun judging his own people. And if his judgment begins with us, imagine how terrible it will be for those who refuse to obey his message. The Scriptures say,

18 “If good people barely escape,
what will happen to sinners
and to others
who don’t respect God?”

19 If you suffer for obeying God, you must have complete faith in your faithful Creator and keep on doing right.

Helping Christian Leaders

Church leaders,[a] I am writing to encourage you. I too am a leader, as well as a witness to Christ’s suffering, and I will share in his glory when it is shown to us.

Just as shepherds watch over their sheep, you must watch over everyone God has placed in your care. Do it willingly in order to please God, and not simply because you think you must. Let it be something you want to do, instead of something you do merely to make money. Don’t be bossy to those people who are in your care, but set an example for them. Then when Christ the Chief Shepherd returns, you will be given a crown that will never lose its glory.

All of you young people should obey your elders. In fact, everyone should be humble toward everyone else. The Scriptures say,

“God opposes proud people,
but he helps everyone
who is humble.”

Be humble in the presence of God’s mighty power, and he will honor you when the time comes. God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.

Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith. You know that all over the world the Lord’s followers are suffering just as you are. 10 But God shows undeserved kindness to everyone. That’s why he appointed Christ Jesus to choose you to share in his eternal glory. You will suffer for a while, but God will make you complete, steady, strong, and firm. 11 God will be in control forever! Amen.

Final Greetings

12 Silvanus helped me write this short letter, and I consider him a faithful follower of the Lord. I wanted to encourage you and tell you how kind God really is, so that you will keep on having faith in him.

13 Greetings from the Lord’s followers in Babylon.[b] They are God’s chosen ones.

Mark, who is like a son to me, sends his greetings too.

14 Give each other a warm greeting. I pray that God will give peace to everyone who belongs to Christ.[c]

Footnotes:

  1. 5.1 Church leaders: Or “Elders” or “Presbyters” or “Priests.”
  2. 5.13 Babylon: This may be a secret name for the city of Rome.
  3. 5.14 Christ: Some manuscripts add “Amen.”

Psalm 119:81-96

81 I long for you to rescue me!
Your word is my only hope.
82 I am worn out from waiting
for you to keep your word.
When will you have mercy?
83 My life is wasting away
like a dried-up wineskin,[a]
but I have not forgotten
your teachings.
84 I am your servant!
How long must I suffer?
When will you punish
those troublemakers?
85 Those proud people reject
your teachings,
and they dig pits
for me to fall in.
86 Your laws can be trusted!
Protect me from cruel liars.
87 They have almost killed me,
but I have been faithful
to your teachings.
88 Show that you love me
and let me live,
so that I may obey all
of your commands.

89 Our Lord, you are eternal!
Your word will last as long
as the heavens.[b]
90 You remain faithful
in every generation,
and the earth you created
will keep standing firm.
91 All things are your servants,
and the laws you made
are still in effect today.
92 If I had not found happiness
in obeying your Law,
I would have died in misery.
93 I won’t ever forget
your teachings,
because you give me new life
by following them.
94 I belong to you,
and I have respected your laws,
so keep me safe.
95 Brutal enemies are waiting
to ambush and destroy me,
but I obey your rules.
96 Nothing is completely perfect,
except your teachings.

Footnotes:

  1. 119.83 a dried-up wineskin: The Hebrew text has “a wineskin in the smoke.” In ancient times bags were made from animal skins to hold wine, but when the bags dried up they cracked and could no longer be used.
  2. 119.89 Our. . . heavens: Or “Our Lord, your word is eternal. It will last as long as the heavens.”

Proverbs 28:15-16

15 A ruler who mistreats the poor
is like a roaring lion
or a bear hunting for food.
16 A heartless leader is a fool,
but anyone who refuses
to get rich by cheating others
will live a long time.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday November 26, 2018 (NIV)

Daniel 2:24-3:30

Daniel Interprets the Dream

24 Daniel went back to Arioch, the official in charge of executing the wise men. Daniel said, “Don’t kill those men! Take me to the king, and I will explain the meaning of his dream.”

25 Arioch rushed Daniel to the king and announced, “Your Majesty, I have found out that one of the men brought here from Judah can explain your dream.”

26 The king asked Daniel,[a] “Can you tell me my dream and what it means?”

27 Daniel answered:

Your Majesty, not even the smartest person in all the world can do what you are demanding. 28-29 But the God who rules from heaven can explain mysteries. And while you were sleeping, he showed you what will happen in the future. 30 However, you must realize that these mysteries weren’t explained to me because I am smarter than everyone else. Instead, it was done so that you would understand what you have seen.

31 Your Majesty, what you saw standing in front of you was a huge and terrifying statue, shining brightly. 32 Its head was made of gold, its chest and arms were silver, and from its waist down to its knees, it was bronze. 33 From there to its ankles it was iron, and its feet were a mixture of iron and clay.

34 As you watched, a stone was cut from a mountain—but not by human hands. The stone struck the feet, completely shattering the iron and clay. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed and blown away without a trace, like husks of wheat at threshing time. But the stone became a tremendous mountain that covered the entire earth.

36 That was the dream, and now I’ll tell you what it means. 37 Your Majesty, you are the greatest of kings, and God has highly honored you with power 38 over all humans, animals, and birds. You are the head of gold. 39 After you are gone, another kingdom will rule, but it won’t be as strong. Then it will be followed by a kingdom of bronze that will rule the whole world. 40 Next, a kingdom of iron will come to power, crushing and shattering everything.[b]

41-42 This fourth kingdom will be divided—it will be both strong and brittle, just as you saw that the feet and toes were a mixture of iron and clay. 43 This kingdom will be the result of a marriage between kingdoms, but it will crumble, just as iron and clay don’t stick together.

44-45 During the time of those kings, the God who rules from heaven will set up an eternal kingdom that will never fall. It will be like the stone that was cut from the mountain, but not by human hands—the stone that crushed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. Your Majesty, in your dream the great God has told you what is going to happen, and you can trust this interpretation.

Daniel Is Promoted

46 King Nebuchadnezzar bowed low to the ground and worshiped Daniel. Then he gave orders for incense to be burned and a sacrifice of grain to be offered in honor of Daniel. 47 The king said, “Now I know that your God is above all other gods and kings, because he gave you the power to explain this mystery.” 48 The king then presented Daniel with a lot of gifts; he promoted him to governor of Babylon Province and put him in charge of the other wise men. 49 At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to high positions in Babylon Province, and he let Daniel stay on as a palace official.

King Nebuchadnezzar’s Gold Statue

King Nebuchadnezzar ordered a gold statue to be built ninety feet high and nine feet wide. He had it set up in Dura Valley near the city of Babylon, and he commanded his governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, and his other officials to come from everywhere in his kingdom to the dedication of the statue. So all of them came and stood in front of it.

Then an official stood up and announced:

People of every nation and race, now listen to the king’s command! Trumpets, flutes, harps, and all other kinds of musical instruments will soon start playing. When you hear the music, you must bow down and worship the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Anyone who refuses will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace.

As soon as the people heard the music, they bowed down and worshiped the gold statue that the king had set up.

Some Babylonians used this as a chance to accuse the Jews to King Nebuchadnezzar. They said, “Your Majesty, we hope you live forever! 10 You commanded everyone to bow down and worship the gold statue when the music played. 11 And you said that anyone who did not bow down and worship it would be thrown into a flaming furnace. 12 Sir, you appointed three men to high positions in Babylon Province, but they have disobeyed you. Those Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refuse to worship your gods and the statue you have set up.”

13 King Nebuchadnezzar was furious. So he sent for the three young men and said, 14 “I hear that you refuse to worship my gods and the gold statue I have set up. 15 Now I am going to give you one more chance. If you bow down and worship the statue when you hear the music, everything will be all right. But if you don’t, you will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace. No god can save you from me.”

16 The three men replied, “Your Majesty, we don’t need to defend ourselves. 17 The God we worship can save us from you and your flaming furnace. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we still won’t worship your gods and the gold statue you have set up.”

19 Nebuchadnezzar’s face twisted with anger at the three men. And he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. 20 Next, he commanded some of his strongest soldiers to tie up the men and throw them into the flaming furnace. 21-23 The king wanted it done at that very moment. So the soldiers tied up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and threw them into the flaming furnace with all of their clothes still on, including their turbans. The fire was so hot that flames leaped out and killed the soldiers.

24 Suddenly the king jumped up and shouted, “Weren’t only three men tied up and thrown into the fire?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the people answered.

25 “But I see four men walking around in the fire,” the king replied. “None of them is tied up or harmed, and the fourth one looks like a god.”[c]

26 Nebuchadnezzar went closer to the flaming furnace and said to the three young men, “You servants of the Most High God, come out at once!”

They came out, 27 and the king’s high officials, governors, and advisors all crowded around them. The men were not burned, their hair wasn’t scorched, and their clothes didn’t even smell like smoke. 28 King Nebuchadnezzar said:

Praise their God for sending an angel to rescue his servants! They trusted their God and refused to obey my commands. Yes, they chose to die rather than to worship or serve any god except their own. 29 And I won’t allow people of any nation or race to say anything against their God. Anyone who does will be chopped up and their houses will be torn down, because no other god has such great power to save.

30 After this happened, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in Babylon Province.

Footnotes:

  1. 2.26 Daniel: Aramaic “Daniel whose name was Belteshazzar” (see 1.7).
  2. 2.40 crushing. . . everything: Three ancient translations; Aramaic adds “and like iron crushing.”
  3. 3.25 a god: Aramaic, “a son of the gods.”

1 Peter 4:7-5:14

Everything will soon come to an end. So be serious and be sensible enough to pray.

Most important of all, you must sincerely love each other, because love wipes away many sins.

Welcome people into your home and don’t grumble about it.

10 Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. 11 If you have the gift of speaking, preach God’s message. If you have the gift of helping others, do it with the strength that God supplies. Everything should be done in a way that will bring honor to God because of Jesus Christ, who is glorious and powerful forever. Amen.

Suffering for Being a Christian

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised or shocked that you are going through testing that is like walking through fire. 13 Be glad for the chance to suffer as Christ suffered. It will prepare you for even greater happiness when he makes his glorious return.

14 Count it a blessing when you suffer for being a Christian. This shows that God’s glorious Spirit is with you. 15 But you deserve to suffer if you are a murderer, a thief, a crook, or a busybody. 16 Don’t be ashamed to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God that you belong to him. 17 God has already begun judging his own people. And if his judgment begins with us, imagine how terrible it will be for those who refuse to obey his message. The Scriptures say,

18 “If good people barely escape,
what will happen to sinners
and to others
who don’t respect God?”

19 If you suffer for obeying God, you must have complete faith in your faithful Creator and keep on doing right.

Helping Christian Leaders

Church leaders,[a] I am writing to encourage you. I too am a leader, as well as a witness to Christ’s suffering, and I will share in his glory when it is shown to us.

Just as shepherds watch over their sheep, you must watch over everyone God has placed in your care. Do it willingly in order to please God, and not simply because you think you must. Let it be something you want to do, instead of something you do merely to make money. Don’t be bossy to those people who are in your care, but set an example for them. Then when Christ the Chief Shepherd returns, you will be given a crown that will never lose its glory.

All of you young people should obey your elders. In fact, everyone should be humble toward everyone else. The Scriptures say,

“God opposes proud people,
but he helps everyone
who is humble.”

Be humble in the presence of God’s mighty power, and he will honor you when the time comes. God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.

Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith. You know that all over the world the Lord’s followers are suffering just as you are. 10 But God shows undeserved kindness to everyone. That’s why he appointed Christ Jesus to choose you to share in his eternal glory. You will suffer for a while, but God will make you complete, steady, strong, and firm. 11 God will be in control forever! Amen.

Final Greetings

12 Silvanus helped me write this short letter, and I consider him a faithful follower of the Lord. I wanted to encourage you and tell you how kind God really is, so that you will keep on having faith in him.

13 Greetings from the Lord’s followers in Babylon.[b] They are God’s chosen ones.

Mark, who is like a son to me, sends his greetings too.

14 Give each other a warm greeting. I pray that God will give peace to everyone who belongs to Christ.[c]

Footnotes:

  1. 5.1 Church leaders: Or “Elders” or “Presbyters” or “Priests.”
  2. 5.13 Babylon: This may be a secret name for the city of Rome.
  3. 5.14 Christ: Some manuscripts add “Amen.”

Psalm 119:81-96

81 I long for you to rescue me!
Your word is my only hope.
82 I am worn out from waiting
for you to keep your word.
When will you have mercy?
83 My life is wasting away
like a dried-up wineskin,[a]
but I have not forgotten
your teachings.
84 I am your servant!
How long must I suffer?
When will you punish
those troublemakers?
85 Those proud people reject
your teachings,
and they dig pits
for me to fall in.
86 Your laws can be trusted!
Protect me from cruel liars.
87 They have almost killed me,
but I have been faithful
to your teachings.
88 Show that you love me
and let me live,
so that I may obey all
of your commands.

89 Our Lord, you are eternal!
Your word will last as long
as the heavens.[b]
90 You remain faithful
in every generation,
and the earth you created
will keep standing firm.
91 All things are your servants,
and the laws you made
are still in effect today.
92 If I had not found happiness
in obeying your Law,
I would have died in misery.
93 I won’t ever forget
your teachings,
because you give me new life
by following them.
94 I belong to you,
and I have respected your laws,
so keep me safe.
95 Brutal enemies are waiting
to ambush and destroy me,
but I obey your rules.
96 Nothing is completely perfect,
except your teachings.

Footnotes:

  1. 119.83 a dried-up wineskin: The Hebrew text has “a wineskin in the smoke.” In ancient times bags were made from animal skins to hold wine, but when the bags dried up they cracked and could no longer be used.
  2. 119.89 Our. . . heavens: Or “Our Lord, your word is eternal. It will last as long as the heavens.”

Proverbs 28:15-16

15 A ruler who mistreats the poor
is like a roaring lion
or a bear hunting for food.
16 A heartless leader is a fool,
but anyone who refuses
to get rich by cheating others
will live a long time.

11/25/2018 DAB Transcript

Daniel 1:1-2:23, 1 Peter 3:8-4:6, Psalms 119:65-80, Proverbs 28:14

Today is the 25th day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you as we turn the knob and walk through into a fresh, sparkly, shiny, new week. And we’re at the one month mark, one month from today will be Christmas day. And that being the reality, this is the last week of November. Before we end this week we will be in the final month of the year. So, let’s take the next step forward. And the next step forward actually leads us into a brand-new book, we concluded the book of Ezekiel yesterday. And, so, now…well…we’re going to enter into one of the most interesting books in the Old Testament, the book of Daniel.

Introduction to the book of Daniel:

Daniel is a prized book for it’s historical account, but it’s not just the book of history, it’s a book of prophecy and it’s prized for its sweeping prophetic visions. In fact, Daniel’s visions have been consulted over millennia in the studies of the end times. But in his life, Daniel was a contemporary of Ezekiel, right, the book and we spent a lot of time in cause it’s a lengthy book and concluded yesterday. So, Daniel and Ezekiel were contemporaries writing in the same time period. And Daniel was taken into exile when Jerusalem fell to Babylon, which was in 597 BC. So, we have a pretty good understanding of how difficult that season, that time of exile, that time of conquest when Jerusalem fell was from other stories that we’ve heard in the Bible. So, we know that the circumstances weren’t the best for Daniel and all those who had been exiled from Jerusalem. But, kind of like Joseph, through the struggle Daniel was favored by God. He was gifted. And he was a smart young man who rose to become an influential advisor and authority in the Babylonian kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar and then beyond. So, here’s the interesting thing. Even though Daniel was in exile and he was most certainly the Hebrew and he was a prophet, he wasn’t a prophet for or against Israel. Like, the visions that we’ll encounter when we go through the book of Daniel are not particularly Jewish, which gives Daniel unique voice. But before we get to those visions there’s some stories that we’ll have to cover. And, so, during the first half of our time in Daniel we’ll read the story of Daniel’s life. And as we’re doing that we going to encounter some of the richest stories in the Bible. Some of the most popular stories in the Bible, like the story of Shadrach Meshack and Abednego were thrown into a fiery furnace or the story of Daniel himself being thrown into the lion’s den. But then as we move more into the back half of the book the focus will shift to Daniel’s prophetic visions of four great world empires. And like some of the other prophetic utterances in the Bible, the imagery from Daniel is almost cinematic and highly symbolic. And this is the portion of the book that has been and continues to be scrutinized by those who are scholars of the end times, eschatological scholars. So, if that’s your thing or, if that’s your discipline of study, or you’re just curious, then the book of Daniel is certain to be a centerpiece of that study. But whether or not the end times is your passion, Daniel’s portrayal of God’s sovereignty over all the kingdoms of man is powerfully revealed. And, as I said at the beginning, you know, before we’re out of this week. we’re gonna be in the final month of the year. And, so, Daniel’s gonna carry us into the final month of the year. And let’s jst settle in and enjoy the rhythm, one day forward, step-by-step. And we’ll enjoy the rich heritage of God’s faithfulness and this striking prophetic imagery that’s found here in the 27th  book of the Old Testament, the book of Daniel. And, so, we begin. We’ll read from the Contemporary English Version this week. Daniel, chapter 1 verse 1 through 2 verse 23 today.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for a brand-new, shiny, sparkly week. And we thank You that it’s all out in front of us. And although we may have many things and appointments and obligations that are scheduled for this coming week, we haven’t lived into it yet, and we choose at the outset, at this threshold that we will walk with You in all of our ways. And we invite Your Holy Spirit to not only plant the word of God in our lives and hearts so that it provides the guidance that we need for the days ahead but we also invite Your Holy Spirit, we want intimacy with You God. We want to walk with You in fellowship, in friendship, in every meal, in every decision, in every conversation, in every activity. Come, Holy Spirit. Help us this week to end this month well and strong as we seek to move into the final month of the year, strong and focused on all that You have to speak to us in the remaining days. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the mighty name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, its where you find out what’s going on around here.

And it’s Christmas time around here. The Daily Audio Bible family Christmas Box for 2018 is now available and now shipping while supplies last. So, be sure to check that out in the Daily Audio Bible shop. The Daily Audio Bible Christmas cards are all available…in fact all of our resources for the season are available in the Christmas section in the Daily Audio Bible shop. So, be sure to stop by and check that out.

I want to remind those of you who are international, who are outside of the United States what I’ve been saying. This Wednesday, this coming Wednesday is the cut off for international shipping. That’s the safe date that we think that we can still get things to arrive for Christmas. Of course, you can certainly order as long as you want, as long as we have them, and we’ll ship them, but if you’re hoping for the Christmas Box arrive in time for Christmas then, if you’re outside the United States, it needs to be ordered by Wednesday. If you’re inside the United States we got a couple weeks, although, I don’t think they’ll be around a couple weeks, but we’ll see. So, you can find all that in the Daily Audio Bible shop at dailyaudiobible.com in Christmas section and you can get all of that from the Daily Audio Bible app as well.

If you want to partner the Daily Audio Bible here as we begin to approach the end of the year then I thank you profoundly. I thank you with all of my heart. There is a link on the homepage at 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 you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi everybody, it’s Lisa the Encourager, I mean neighbors. How y’all doing? I’ve really missed you but I really have been right here by your side. I’ve been listening and praying and crying and loving on each and every one of you from the distance. But I wanted to call tonight after getting encouragement from Mary saying that I was missed and just telling me that, you know, she was just really encouraging me tpo call back again. And I definitely wanted too. I love each and every one of you. So, tonight I just wanted to call and encourage those and pray for the DAB family who have lost loved ones this year, especially as we approach the holidays, and especially for Asia. And I just want all of us that have, including myself, I lost my father-in-law this year, my husband’s dad, Jerry Starling, and I just want us to find a greater purpose and loving on the ones who are still with us and just help us to push through and show our loved ones you know what we are still capable of while we’re on this earth and while we hear and just shower them with our love. And let’s just do all we can to please our Savior and remember that we are never alone when God is right by our side. So, I’m going to pray for each and every one of you lost of what one is here. Dear God, I pray for my Daily Audio Bible family and friends and neighbors. And I just pray for each one of them that lost a loved one this year and they have that deep sorrow and pit and emptiness inside of them. God, I just pray that you would help them push through and just try to work on a loved ones that are here and their friends and just do everything in their power Lord God to use what they have, what You have given them…

Hello, this is Anne from Charlotte North Carolina. I just wanted to say how thankful I am up for Daily Audio Bible. I’m winding up my 10th year listening. It’s hard to believe it’s gone by so quickly. And I’m so thankful to Brian and his family that he didn’t decide after one year to quit. And I just pray that God leads Brian and his family to continue this for a long time because I know my life is dependent on the daily listening to the word and the community that helps me not to feel alone every day. And listening for 10 years I am always hearing things I’ve never heard before. And when Brian was introducing the book of James as the half-brother of Jesus, I thought, I wonder if people that knew James would say, boy you look like your brother. I never thought of that before, but these were real people just like us, sinners in need of the Savior and the power of his blood in their lives and in ours. And I’m thankful that we have the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from sin, to give us newness of life every day. That’s our hope in this life and the next. So, thank you Daily Audio Bible, just for being there. I love you all. God, bless.

Hi, this is Diane calling from northern Minnesota. This is my second call in 10 years of listening to the DAB. I’m asking for prayer. Monday the 26th, I’m having surgery. They liken it to a shark bite. They’ll be removing a chunk of my thigh and lymph nodes because the melanoma and I’m scared. I’ve worked in health care for 44 years and only see the bad things, the worst. You never get to see the good because they don’t come back to us. So, please pray that it has not spread to the lymphatic system. I covet your prayers. God bless you family.

Hi Daily Audio Bible family, this is your sister Julie in Southern California. I haven’t called for quite some time but I have been praying for you and praying with you. And I just envision all of us right now sitting, right now, in front of the global campfire with Brian and holding our hands…holding each other’s hands sitting around the campfire…and just being thankful and grateful for each other and I just want you all know how grateful and thankful I am for all of you. This Daily Audio Bible has saved my life. It’s helped save my life. I’ve come out seven years ago…it’s been almost 8 years now…from an affair. And it was my doing. And my husband has since then…we have been restored. It’s just so amazing…there’s no way…I was suicidal and everything just because of my shame and guilt. But you guys helped me get through it just by listening to you. I never contested to all of you but I am now and I just want to thank you. That is a miracle. And this Thanksgiving I am grateful for Daily Audio Bible, each and every one of you and there’s too many of your name that have impacted my life in such a valuable way. Brian, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, and I love you. And I love your family. And for all of you, may the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord lift up His face and shine on you. May He lift up his countenance on all of you and give you all His peace. Happy Thanksgiving family.

11/25/2018 DAB Transcript

Daniel 1:1-2:23, 1 Peter 3:8-4:6, Psalms 119:65-80, Proverbs 28:14

Today is the 25th day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you as we turn the knob and walk through into a fresh, sparkly, shiny, new week. And we’re at the one month mark, one month from today will be Christmas day. And that being the reality, this is the last week of November. Before we end this week we will be in the final month of the year. So, let’s take the next step forward. And the next step forward actually leads us into a brand-new book, we concluded the book of Ezekiel yesterday. And, so, now…well…we’re going to enter into one of the most interesting books in the Old Testament, the book of Daniel.

Introduction to the book of Daniel:

Daniel is a prized book for it’s historical account, but it’s not just the book of history, it’s a book of prophecy and it’s prized for its sweeping prophetic visions. In fact, Daniel’s visions have been consulted over millennia in the studies of the end times. But in his life, Daniel was a contemporary of Ezekiel, right, the book and we spent a lot of time in cause it’s a lengthy book and concluded yesterday. So, Daniel and Ezekiel were contemporaries writing in the same time period. And Daniel was taken into exile when Jerusalem fell to Babylon, which was in 597 BC. So, we have a pretty good understanding of how difficult that season, that time of exile, that time of conquest when Jerusalem fell was from other stories that we’ve heard in the Bible. So, we know that the circumstances weren’t the best for Daniel and all those who had been exiled from Jerusalem. But, kind of like Joseph, through the struggle Daniel was favored by God. He was gifted. And he was a smart young man who rose to become an influential advisor and authority in the Babylonian kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar and then beyond. So, here’s the interesting thing. Even though Daniel was in exile and he was most certainly the Hebrew and he was a prophet, he wasn’t a prophet for or against Israel. Like, the visions that we’ll encounter when we go through the book of Daniel are not particularly Jewish, which gives Daniel unique voice. But before we get to those visions there’s some stories that we’ll have to cover. And, so, during the first half of our time in Daniel we’ll read the story of Daniel’s life. And as we’re doing that we going to encounter some of the richest stories in the Bible. Some of the most popular stories in the Bible, like the story of Shadrach Meshack and Abednego were thrown into a fiery furnace or the story of Daniel himself being thrown into the lion’s den. But then as we move more into the back half of the book the focus will shift to Daniel’s prophetic visions of four great world empires. And like some of the other prophetic utterances in the Bible, the imagery from Daniel is almost cinematic and highly symbolic. And this is the portion of the book that has been and continues to be scrutinized by those who are scholars of the end times, eschatological scholars. So, if that’s your thing or, if that’s your discipline of study, or you’re just curious, then the book of Daniel is certain to be a centerpiece of that study. But whether or not the end times is your passion, Daniel’s portrayal of God’s sovereignty over all the kingdoms of man is powerfully revealed. And, as I said at the beginning, you know, before we’re out of this week. we’re gonna be in the final month of the year. And, so, Daniel’s gonna carry us into the final month of the year. And let’s jst settle in and enjoy the rhythm, one day forward, step-by-step. And we’ll enjoy the rich heritage of God’s faithfulness and this striking prophetic imagery that’s found here in the 27th  book of the Old Testament, the book of Daniel. And, so, we begin. We’ll read from the Contemporary English Version this week. Daniel, chapter 1 verse 1 through 2 verse 23 today.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for a brand-new, shiny, sparkly week. And we thank You that it’s all out in front of us. And although we may have many things and appointments and obligations that are scheduled for this coming week, we haven’t lived into it yet, and we choose at the outset, at this threshold that we will walk with You in all of our ways. And we invite Your Holy Spirit to not only plant the word of God in our lives and hearts so that it provides the guidance that we need for the days ahead but we also invite Your Holy Spirit, we want intimacy with You God. We want to walk with You in fellowship, in friendship, in every meal, in every decision, in every conversation, in every activity. Come, Holy Spirit. Help us this week to end this month well and strong as we seek to move into the final month of the year, strong and focused on all that You have to speak to us in the remaining days. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the mighty name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, its where you find out what’s going on around here.

And it’s Christmas time around here. The Daily Audio Bible family Christmas Box for 2018 is now available and now shipping while supplies last. So, be sure to check that out in the Daily Audio Bible shop. The Daily Audio Bible Christmas cards are all available…in fact all of our resources for the season are available in the Christmas section in the Daily Audio Bible shop. So, be sure to stop by and check that out.

I want to remind those of you who are international, who are outside of the United States what I’ve been saying. This Wednesday, this coming Wednesday is the cut off for international shipping. That’s the safe date that we think that we can still get things to arrive for Christmas. Of course, you can certainly order as long as you want, as long as we have them, and we’ll ship them, but if you’re hoping for the Christmas Box arrive in time for Christmas then, if you’re outside the United States, it needs to be ordered by Wednesday. If you’re inside the United States we got a couple weeks, although, I don’t think they’ll be around a couple weeks, but we’ll see. So, you can find all that in the Daily Audio Bible shop at dailyaudiobible.com in Christmas section and you can get all of that from the Daily Audio Bible app as well.

If you want to partner the Daily Audio Bible here as we begin to approach the end of the year then I thank you profoundly. I thank you with all of my heart. There is a link on the homepage at 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 you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi everybody, it’s Lisa the Encourager, I mean neighbors. How y’all doing? I’ve really missed you but I really have been right here by your side. I’ve been listening and praying and crying and loving on each and every one of you from the distance. But I wanted to call tonight after getting encouragement from Mary saying that I was missed and just telling me that, you know, she was just really encouraging me tpo call back again. And I definitely wanted too. I love each and every one of you. So, tonight I just wanted to call and encourage those and pray for the DAB family who have lost loved ones this year, especially as we approach the holidays, and especially for Asia. And I just want all of us that have, including myself, I lost my father-in-law this year, my husband’s dad, Jerry Starling, and I just want us to find a greater purpose and loving on the ones who are still with us and just help us to push through and show our loved ones you know what we are still capable of while we’re on this earth and while we hear and just shower them with our love. And let’s just do all we can to please our Savior and remember that we are never alone when God is right by our side. So, I’m going to pray for each and every one of you lost of what one is here. Dear God, I pray for my Daily Audio Bible family and friends and neighbors. And I just pray for each one of them that lost a loved one this year and they have that deep sorrow and pit and emptiness inside of them. God, I just pray that you would help them push through and just try to work on a loved ones that are here and their friends and just do everything in their power Lord God to use what they have, what You have given them…

Hello, this is Anne from Charlotte North Carolina. I just wanted to say how thankful I am up for Daily Audio Bible. I’m winding up my 10th year listening. It’s hard to believe it’s gone by so quickly. And I’m so thankful to Brian and his family that he didn’t decide after one year to quit. And I just pray that God leads Brian and his family to continue this for a long time because I know my life is dependent on the daily listening to the word and the community that helps me not to feel alone every day. And listening for 10 years I am always hearing things I’ve never heard before. And when Brian was introducing the book of James as the half-brother of Jesus, I thought, I wonder if people that knew James would say, boy you look like your brother. I never thought of that before, but these were real people just like us, sinners in need of the Savior and the power of his blood in their lives and in ours. And I’m thankful that we have the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from sin, to give us newness of life every day. That’s our hope in this life and the next. So, thank you Daily Audio Bible, just for being there. I love you all. God, bless.

Hi, this is Diane calling from northern Minnesota. This is my second call in 10 years of listening to the DAB. I’m asking for prayer. Monday the 26th, I’m having surgery. They liken it to a shark bite. They’ll be removing a chunk of my thigh and lymph nodes because the melanoma and I’m scared. I’ve worked in health care for 44 years and only see the bad things, the worst. You never get to see the good because they don’t come back to us. So, please pray that it has not spread to the lymphatic system. I covet your prayers. God bless you family.

Hi Daily Audio Bible family, this is your sister Julie in Southern California. I haven’t called for quite some time but I have been praying for you and praying with you. And I just envision all of us right now sitting, right now, in front of the global campfire with Brian and holding our hands…holding each other’s hands sitting around the campfire…and just being thankful and grateful for each other and I just want you all know how grateful and thankful I am for all of you. This Daily Audio Bible has saved my life. It’s helped save my life. I’ve come out seven years ago…it’s been almost 8 years now…from an affair. And it was my doing. And my husband has since then…we have been restored. It’s just so amazing…there’s no way…I was suicidal and everything just because of my shame and guilt. But you guys helped me get through it just by listening to you. I never contested to all of you but I am now and I just want to thank you. That is a miracle. And this Thanksgiving I am grateful for Daily Audio Bible, each and every one of you and there’s too many of your name that have impacted my life in such a valuable way. Brian, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, and I love you. And I love your family. And for all of you, may the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord lift up His face and shine on you. May He lift up his countenance on all of you and give you all His peace. Happy Thanksgiving family.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday November 25, 2018 (NIV)

Daniel 1:1-2:23

Daniel and His Friends

In the third year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah,[a] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia attacked Jerusalem. The Lord let Nebuchadnezzar capture Jehoiakim and take away some of the things used in God’s temple. And when the king returned to Babylonia,[b] he put these things in the temple of his own god.

One day the king ordered Ashpenaz, his highest palace official, to choose some young men from the royal family of Judah and from other leading Jewish families. The king said, “They must be healthy, handsome, smart, wise, educated, and fit to serve in the royal palace. Teach them how to speak and write our language and give them the same food and wine that I am served. Train them for three years, and then they can become court officials.”

Four of the young Jews chosen were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, all from the tribe of Judah. But the king’s chief official gave them Babylonian names: Daniel became Belteshazzar, Hananiah became Shadrach, Mishael became Meshach, and Azariah became Abednego.

Daniel made up his mind to eat and drink only what God had approved for his people to eat. And he asked the king’s chief official for permission not to eat the food and wine served in the royal palace. God had made the official friendly and kind to Daniel. 10 But the man still told him, “The king has decided what you must eat and drink. And I am afraid he will kill me, if you eat something else and end up looking worse than the other young men.”

11 The king’s official had put a guard in charge of Daniel and his three friends. So Daniel said to the guard, 12 “For the next ten days, let us have only vegetables and water at mealtime. 13 When the ten days are up, compare how we look with the other young men, and decide what to do with us.” 14 The guard agreed to do what Daniel had asked.

15 Ten days later, Daniel and his friends looked healthier and better than the young men who had been served food from the royal palace. 16 After this, the guard let them eat vegetables instead of the rich food and wine.

17 God made the four young men smart and wise. They read a lot of books and became well educated. Daniel could also tell the meaning of dreams and visions.

18 At the end of the three-year period set by King Nebuchadnezzar, his chief palace official brought all the young men to him. 19 The king interviewed them and discovered that none of the others were as outstanding as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they were given positions in the royal court. 20 From then on, whenever the king asked for advice, he found their wisdom was ten times better than that of any of his other advisors and magicians. 21 Daniel served there until the first year of King Cyrus.[c]

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

During the second year that Nebuchadnezzar was king, he had such horrible nightmares that he could not sleep. So he called in his counselors, advisors, magicians, and wise men, and said, “I am disturbed by a dream that I don’t understand, and I want you to explain it.”

They answered in Aramaic,[d] “Your Majesty, we hope you live forever! We are your servants. Please tell us your dream, and we will explain what it means.”

But the king replied, “No! I have made up my mind. If you don’t tell me both the dream and its meaning, you will be chopped to pieces and your houses will be torn down. However, if you do tell me both the dream and its meaning, you will be greatly rewarded and highly honored. Now tell me the dream and explain what it means.”

“Your Majesty,” they said, “if you will only tell us your dream, we will interpret it for you.”

The king replied, “You’re just stalling for time, because you know what’s going to happen if you don’t come up with the answer. You’ve decided to make up a bunch of lies, hoping I might change my mind. Now tell me the dream, and that will prove that you can interpret it.”

10 His advisors explained, “Your Majesty, you are demanding the impossible! No king, not even the most famous and powerful, has ever ordered his advisors, magicians, or wise men to do such a thing. 11 It can’t be done, except by the gods, and they don’t live here on earth.”

12-13 This made the king so angry that he gave orders for every wise man in Babylonia to be put to death, including Daniel and his three friends.

God Tells Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream to Daniel

14 Arioch was the king’s official in charge of putting the wise men to death. He was on his way to have it done, when Daniel very wisely went to him 15 and asked, “Why did the king give such cruel[e] orders?” After Arioch explained what had happened, 16 Daniel rushed off and said to the king, “If you will just give me some time, I’ll explain your dream.”

17 Daniel returned home and told his three friends. 18 Then he said, “Pray that the God who rules from heaven will be merciful and explain this mystery, so that we and the others won’t be put to death.” 19 In a vision one night, Daniel was shown the dream and its meaning. Then he praised the God who rules from heaven:

20 “Our God, your name
will be praised
forever and forever.
You are all-powerful,
and you know everything.
21 You control human events—
you give rulers their power
and take it away,
and you are the source
of wisdom and knowledge.

22 “You explain deep mysteries,
because even the dark
is light to you.
23 You are the God
who was worshiped
by my ancestors.
Now I thank you and praise you
for making me wise
and telling me the king’s dream,
together with its meaning.”

Footnotes:

  1. 1.1 Jehoiakim. . . king of Judah: Ruled 609-598 B.C.
  2. 1.2 Babylonia: The Hebrew text has “Shinar,” another name for Babylonia.
  3. 1.21 first year of King Cyrus: 539 B.C.
  4. 2.4 Aramaic: Chapter 2.4—7.28 is written in Aramaic, a language closely related to Hebrew.
  5. 2.15 cruel: Or “urgent.”

1 Peter 3:8-4:6

Suffering for Doing Right

Finally, all of you should agree and have concern and love for each other. You should also be kind and humble. Don’t be hateful and insult people just because they are hateful and insult you. Instead, treat everyone with kindness. You are God’s chosen ones, and he will bless you. The Scriptures say,

10 “Do you really love life?
Do you want to be happy?
Then stop saying cruel things
and quit telling lies.
11 Give up your evil ways
and do right,
as you find and follow
the road that leads
to peace.
12 The Lord watches over
everyone who obeys him,
and he listens
to their prayers.
But he opposes everyone
who does evil.”

13 Can anyone really harm you for being eager to do good deeds? 14 Even if you have to suffer for doing good things, God will bless you. So stop being afraid and don’t worry about what people might do. 15 Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life.

Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope. 16 Give a kind and respectful answer and keep your conscience clear. This way you will make people ashamed for saying bad things about your good conduct as a follower of Christ. 17 You are better off to obey God and suffer for doing right than to suffer for doing wrong.

18 Christ died once for our sins.
An innocent person died
for those who are guilty.
Christ did this
to bring you to God,
when his body
was put to death
and his spirit
was made alive.

19 Christ then preached to the spirits that were being kept in prison. 20 They had disobeyed God while Noah was building the boat, but God had been patient with them. Eight people went into that boat and were brought safely through the flood.

21 Those flood waters were like baptism that now saves you. But baptism is more than just washing your body. It means turning to God with a clear conscience, because Jesus Christ was raised from death. 22 Christ is now in heaven, where he sits at the right side[a] of God. All angels, authorities, and powers are under his control.

Being Faithful to God

Christ suffered here on earth. Now you must be ready to suffer as he did, because suffering shows that you have stopped sinning. It means you have turned from your own desires and want to obey God for the rest of your life. You have already lived long enough like people who don’t know God. You were immoral and followed your evil desires. You went around drinking and partying and carrying on. In fact, you even worshiped disgusting idols. Now your former friends wonder why you have stopped running around with them, and they curse you for it. But they will have to answer to God, who judges the living and the dead. The good news has even been preached to the dead,[b] so that after they have been judged for what they have done in this life, their spirits will live with God.

Footnotes:

  1. 3.22 right side: The place of honor and power.
  2. 4.6 the dead: Either people who died after becoming followers of Christ or the people of Noah’s day (see 3.19).

Psalm 119:65-80

65 I am your servant, Lord,
and you have kept your promise
to treat me with kindness.
66 Give me wisdom and good sense.
I trust your commands.
67 Once you corrected me
for not obeying you,
but now I obey.
68 You are kindhearted,
and you do good things,
so teach me your laws.
69 My reputation is being ruined
by conceited liars,
but with all my heart
I follow your teachings.
70 Those liars have no sense,
but I find happiness
in your Law.
71 When you corrected me,
it did me good
because it taught me
to study your laws.
72 I would rather obey you
than to have a thousand pieces
of silver and gold.

73 You created me
and put me together.
Make me wise enough to learn
what you have commanded.
74 Your worshipers will see me,
and they will be glad
that I trust your word.
75 Your decisions are correct,
and you were right
to punish me.
76 I serve you, Lord.
Comfort me with your love,
just as you have promised.
77 I love to obey your Law!
Have mercy and let me live.
78 Put down those proud people
who hurt me with their lies,
because I have chosen
to study your teachings.
79 Let your worshipers come to me,
so they will learn
to obey your rules.
80 Let me truly respect your laws,
so I won’t be ashamed.

Proverbs 28:14

14 The Lord blesses everyone
who is afraid to do evil,
but if you are cruel,
you will end up in trouble.

11/23/2018 DAB Transcript

Ezekiel 47:1-48:35, 1 Peter 2:11-3:7, Psalms 119:49-64, Proverbs 28:12-13

Today is the 24th day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is an honor and a pleasure to be here with you today as we close down another one of our weeks. And this week went fast…this week went fast, and it seems like the weeks only get faster as we get toward the end of the year. And man, we’re getting there. One month from today’s Christmas Eve. So, that’s how close we’re getting. But no matter how fast the days get we have rhythm and we step out of all the things that are pulling us in so many directions and just allow the word of God to wash over us and today is no different. We’re reading from the Good News Translation this week. Ezekiel chapter 47 verse 1 through 48 verse 35 today.

Prayer:

We thank You Father for another week in Your word. And, once again, we kind of reach this line in time and we look back and can declare Your faithfulness. You have been faithful, and we worship You. And Father, as I we put another week into our past and allow it to become a part of our history, we also look forward with anticipation to all that the new week will bring and all that the season holds for us. Holy Spirit come, allow us to immerse ourselves and deeply meditate upon what this season represents because You’re coming, Jesus, changed humanity and we are changed because of it, but all too often we find ourselves dabbling and meshing ourselves and trapping ourselves in things that You have freed us from. We have walked back into slavery when we have been set free. And, so, we spend this time contemplating what it means to be set free because You came for us. So, come Holy Spirit. We release another week into our past and we walk with You into a bright future. Come, Holy Spirit we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, its where you find out what’s going on around here.

And the Daily Audio Bible Family Christmas Box is what’s going on around here right now and it is available. It’s chock-full of things that you’re gonna want to keep and full of things that you’ll also want to give away as gifts. So, be sure to check it out at dailyaudiobible.com in the Shop, in the Christmas section, and you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com or you can also do it from the Daily Audio Bible app and see all the goodies that we have the Christmas Box for this year. They will sell out. I say this every year and they do. So, don’t delay, especially if you are international. If you are outside the United States, yeah, especially don’t delay. The 28th of this month, which is middle of next week will be the cutoff date for international. I mean, you can order all the way until they’re gone, but we feel like if we don’t get these orders in by the 28th, those that are going outside of the United States, they may not arrive in time for Christmas. So, just be aware of that. If you are within the domestic United States then, yeah, we have some time…a little bit more time on that. So, do indeed check them out.

And one of the things in the Daily Audio Bible Christmas box this year is a pack of 20 of our 2018 Christmas cards. If you are Christmas card sender, then check them out. You get those separate, There the only thing from the Christmas Box that you can get separate. You can order as many of those as you want separately. And it’s a good deal. I mean, five bucks for 20 cards and envelopes and there beautiful. They have the word for the year this year, “Hope” on the front of them. And you can see them at dailyaudiobible.com. But check those out. Invite your friends and your family. Invite those who could use a journey like this next year, to take the journey with you as we gear up and go through the whole thing again. This is the best time of year to invite those that are in your life who you see are kind of floundering and could use the stability of a rhythm and a community and the Scriptures in their life every day. This is a great time. So, the Christmas cards are available, and all this can be checked out at dailyaudiobiblebible.com.

If you are partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that it dailyaudiobible.com as well. There is a link on the homepage…couldn’t thank you enough. We’re in this together. So, 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 you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Beautiful family, this is pastor Gene from Bradenton Florida. I always say, “my beautiful family” and I always say that “I love you” and I just want to tell you guys I really mean it. I don’t know where I would be without you guys. This has been the best…one of the best adventures of my life, going on five years and I’m so grateful. Actually, this is my fifth anniversary and I’m grateful. I’m grateful to Brian, I’m grateful to Jill, their family, I’m grateful to each one of you. Thank you so much for having me. Please join me in prayer. Lord Jesus, thank you for your love and your kindness. Father, we lift up our brother Rafael from Delaware and we ask for your blessing upon him, strengthen him, fill him with you joy and the reassurance that you are with him. We pray for our sisters, __ from California. Father, we glorify you and we rejoice on the progress, but we pray for a permanent change of every member of her beautiful family, of change that it’s rooted on a __ with Christ by every member of my sister’s family. That is my prayer father. Father, I pray for our sister Janet __. Her husband survived cancer but due to his cancer he cannot find a job. I pray in the name of Jesus that my brother will not release that information because it’s illegal if anybody’s taking that into consideration. Defending a position to get it is against the law. So, in the name of Jesus I pray that you will change that and that you will open doors for my brother. Father, I pray for our sister Christina. Her daughter Grace has a lot of emotional issues. I pray that you will deliver __. I pray that you will show her your love and your kindness. I pray that you will give my sister Christina strategies to strengthen her relationship with her. And father I pray, we pray, for our sister Alex and her husband who are going to infertility treatment. They feel like there on the end of the road and this is where you can show up and do a mighty work. We believe you and we believe in pray in Jesus’ name. I love you family. Pastor Gene from Bradenton Florida. Bye.

Hi, this is Kate the nurse from Seattle. I just got a message from my granddaughter. I’m gonna call her Ash, she’s 22. We live in Washington state and I think she’s in Arizona, but I don’t know. She’s been gone for half a year, three quarters of the year. She is addicted to heroin and wrote this poem that was frank, and frankly, for an old lady, shocking and horrific about how she feels about heroin and the need for it above all else. And I know that she has given her heart to Jesus at one point and I know she was in rehab and left early in Spokane for a while and was doing very well. And I’m just…please pray for her…please pray for her to choose the Lord first and for her safety, for her health because I’m not sure how much she’s healthy and for a good place to live. Thank you so much family. Again, Ashland, please pray for her heroin addiction. Thank you.

Hi, this is Diane from Pennsylvania and I’d like to make a prayer request for my girlfriend Anita who is starting chemotherapy today. And she had a big surgery about three weeks ago that was 8 ½ hours

and she does have stage IV cancer. And I’m just praying for successful chemotherapy and very minimal side effects. Also, I wanted to update you that my granddaughter Elizabeth is making steady progress and she has been able to be taken out of a very abusive situation…family situation. And, so, I’m so thankful for your prayers. And I also wanted to ask…request that people would consider given a Thanksgiving gift to the Daily Audio Bible because we feast on the word every day and I know it takes a lot of money to keep those servers going and to just have this happening every day for all of us all around the world. So, maybe you could consider a Thanksgiving gift for our Thanksgiving feast that we eat every day. Thank you so much. This is Diane from Pennsylvania.

Dear family, I am so nervous on this call and I’m so thankful, like Brian said that we don’t have to carry things alone. We have an emergency court this morning for custody of a grandchild. It’s not a good situation and I just pray that we get him today and I also ask prayer for his mother. She needs some help. You know, we all need help but the environment that he would be going in with her is just not good and I’m scared, and I just ask for prayers. I pray for you too. Thank you. Bye.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday November 24, 2018 (NIV)

Ezekiel 47-48

The Stream Flowing from the Temple

47 (A)The man led me back to the entrance of the Temple. Water was coming out from under the entrance and flowing east, the direction the Temple faced. It was flowing down from under the south part of the Temple past the south side of the altar. The man then took me out of the Temple area by way of the north gate and led me around to the gate that faces east. A small stream of water was flowing out at the south side of the gate. With his measuring rod the man measured 560 yards downstream to the east and told me to wade through the stream there. The water came only to my ankles. Then he measured another 560 yards, and the water came up to my knees. Another 560 yards farther down, the water was up to my waist. He measured 560 yards more, and there the stream was so deep I could not wade through it. It was too deep to cross except by swimming. He said to me, “Mortal man, note all this carefully.”

Then the man took me back to the riverbank, and when I got there, I saw that there were very many trees on each bank. He said to me, “This water flows through the land to the east and down into the Jordan Valley and to the Dead Sea. When it flows into the Dead Sea, it replaces the salt water of that sea with fresh water. Wherever the stream flows, there will be all kinds of animals and fish. The stream will make the water of the Dead Sea fresh, and wherever it flows, it will bring life. 10 From the Springs of Engedi all the way to the Springs of Eneglaim, there will be fishermen on the shore of the sea, and they will spread out their nets there to dry. There will be as many different kinds of fish there as there are in the Mediterranean Sea. 11 But the water in the marshes and ponds along the shore will not be made fresh. They will remain there as a source of salt. 12 (B)On each bank of the stream all kinds of trees will grow to provide food. Their leaves will never wither, and they will never stop bearing fruit. They will have fresh fruit every month, because they are watered by the stream that flows from the Temple. The trees will provide food, and their leaves will be used for healing people.”

The Boundaries of the Land

13 The Sovereign Lord said, “These are the boundaries of the land that is to be divided among the twelve tribes, with the tribe of Joseph receiving two sections.[a] 14 I solemnly promised your ancestors that I would give them possession of this land; now divide it equally among you.

15 “The northern boundary runs eastward from the Mediterranean Sea to the city of Hethlon, to Hamath Pass, to the city of Zedad,[b] 16 to the cities of Berothah and Sibraim (they are located between the territory of the kingdom of Damascus and that of the kingdom of Hamath), and to the city of Ticon (located by the border of the district of Hauran). 17 So the northern boundary runs from the Mediterranean eastward to Enon City, with the border regions of Damascus and Hamath to the north of it.

18 “The eastern boundary runs south from a point between the territory of Damascus and that of Hauran, with the Jordan River forming the boundary between the land of Israel on the west and Gilead on the east, as far as Tamar[c] on the Dead Sea.

19 “The southern boundary runs southwest from Tamar to the oasis of Kadesh Meribah and then northwest along the Egyptian border to the Mediterranean Sea.

20 “The western boundary is formed by the Mediterranean and runs north to a point west of Hamath Pass.

21 “Divide this land among your tribes; 22 it is to be your permanent possession. The foreigners who are living among you and who have had children born here are also to receive their share of the land when you divide it. They are to be treated like full Israelite citizens and are to draw lots for shares of the land along with the tribes of Israel. 23 All foreign residents will receive their share with the people of the tribe among whom they are living. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.”

The Division of the Land among the Tribes

48 1-7 The northern boundary of the land runs eastward from the Mediterranean Sea to the city of Hethlon, to Hamath Pass, to Enon City, to the boundary between the kingdoms of Damascus and Hamath. Each tribe is to receive one section of land extending from the eastern boundary west to the Mediterranean Sea,[d] in the following order from north to south:

Dan
Asher
Naphtali
Manasseh
Ephraim
Reuben
Judah

The Special Section in the Center of the Land

The next section of the land is to be set apart for special use. It is to be 10 miles wide from north to south, and the same length from east to west as the sections given to the tribes. The Temple will be located within this section.

In the center of this section, a special area 10 miles by 8 miles[e] is to be dedicated to the Lord. 10 The priests are to have a portion of this holy area. From east to west their portion is to measure 10 miles, and from north to south, 4 miles. The Temple of the Lord is to be located in the middle of this area. 11 This holy area is to be for the priests who are descendants of Zadok. They served me faithfully and did not join the rest of the Israelites in doing wrong, as the other members of the tribe of Levi did. 12 So they are to have a special area next to the area belonging to the Levites, and it will be the holiest of all. 13 The Levites also are to have a special area, south of that of the priests. It too is to be 10 miles from east to west, by 4 miles from north to south. 14 The area dedicated to the Lord is the best part of all the land, and none of it may be sold or exchanged or transferred to anyone else. It is holy and belongs to the Lord.

15 The part of the special area that is left, 10 miles by 2 miles, is not holy, but is for the general use of the people. They may live there and use the land. The city is to be in the center of it, 16 and it will be a square, 2,520 yards on each side. 17 All around the city on each side there will be an open space 140 yards across. 18 The land that is left after the city has been built in the area immediately to the south of the holy area—4 miles by 2 miles on the east and 4 miles by 2 miles on the west—is to be used as farmland by the people who live in the city. 19 Anyone who lives in the city, no matter which tribe he comes from, may farm that land.

20 And so the total area in the center of the section which was set apart will be a square measuring 10 miles on each side, and it will include the area occupied by the city.

21-22 To the east and to the west of this area which contains the Temple, the priests' land, the Levites' land, and the city, the remaining land belongs to the ruling prince. It reaches east to the eastern boundary and west to the Mediterranean Sea, and is bounded on the north by the section belonging to Judah and on the south by the one belonging to Benjamin.

Land for the Other Tribes

23-27 South of this special section, each of the remaining tribes is to receive one section of land running from the eastern boundary west to the Mediterranean Sea, in the following order from north to south:

Benjamin
Simeon
Issachar
Zebulun
Gad

28 On the south side of the portion given to the tribe of Gad, the boundary runs southwest from Tamar to the oasis of Kadesh, and then northwest along the Egyptian border to the Mediterranean Sea.

29 The Sovereign Lord said, “That is the way the land is to be divided into sections for the tribes of Israel to possess.”

The Gates of Jerusalem

30-34 (C)There are twelve entrances to the city of Jerusalem. Each of the four walls measures 2,520 yards and has three gates in it, each named for one of the tribes. The gates in the north wall are named for Reuben, Judah, and Levi; those in the east wall, for Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan; those in the south wall, for Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun; and those in the west wall are named for Gad, Asher, and Naphtali. 35 The total length of the wall on all four sides of the city is 10,080 yards. The name of the city from now on will be “The-Lord-Is-Here!”

Footnotes:

  1. Ezekiel 47:13 The tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph, were each given one section.
  2. Ezekiel 47:15 One ancient translation Hamath Pass, to the city of Zedad; Hebrew Zedad Pass to the city of Hamath.
  3. Ezekiel 47:18 Some ancient translations Tamar; Hebrew unclear.
  4. Ezekiel 48:1 One ancient translation extending … Sea; Hebrew having an eastern boundary and a western boundary.
  5. Ezekiel 48:9 Probable text (see 45.1) 8 miles; Hebrew 4 miles.
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

1 Peter 2:11-3:7

Slaves of God

11 I appeal to you, my friends, as strangers and refugees in this world! Do not give in to bodily passions, which are always at war against the soul. 12 Your conduct among the heathen should be so good that when they accuse you of being evildoers, they will have to recognize your good deeds and so praise God on the Day of his coming.

13 For the sake of the Lord submit yourselves to every human authority: to the Emperor, who is the supreme authority, 14 and to the governors, who have been appointed by him to punish the evildoers and to praise those who do good. 15 For God wants you to silence the ignorant talk of foolish people by the good things you do. 16 Live as free people; do not, however, use your freedom to cover up any evil, but live as God's slaves. 17 Respect everyone, love other believers, honor God, and respect the Emperor.

The Example of Christ's Suffering

18 You servants must submit yourselves to your masters and show them complete respect, not only to those who are kind and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 God will bless you for this, if you endure the pain of undeserved suffering because you are conscious of his will. 20 For what credit is there if you endure the beatings you deserve for having done wrong? But if you endure suffering even when you have done right, God will bless you for it. 21 It was to this that God called you, for Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you would follow in his steps. 22 (A)He committed no sin, and no one ever heard a lie come from his lips. 23 (B)When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, the righteous Judge. 24 (C)Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. It is by his wounds that you have been healed. 25 You were like sheep that had lost their way, but now you have been brought back to follow the Shepherd and Keeper of your souls.

Wives and Husbands

(D)In the same way you wives must submit yourselves to your husbands, so that if any of them do not believe God's word, your conduct will win them over to believe. It will not be necessary for you to say a word, because they will see how pure and reverent your conduct is. (E)You should not use outward aids to make yourselves beautiful, such as the way you fix your hair, or the jewelry you put on, or the dresses you wear. Instead, your beauty should consist of your true inner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of the greatest value in God's sight. For the devout women of the past who placed their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful by submitting themselves to their husbands. (F)Sarah was like that; she obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are now her daughters if you do good and are not afraid of anything.

(G)In the same way you husbands must live with your wives with the proper understanding that they are more delicate than you. Treat them with respect, because they also will receive, together with you, God's gift of life. Do this so that nothing will interfere with your prayers.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Psalm 119:49-64

Confidence in the Law of the Lord

49 Remember your promise to me, your servant;
it has given me hope.
50 Even in my suffering I was comforted
because your promise gave me life.
51 The proud are always scornful of me,
but I have not departed from your law.
52 I remember your judgments of long ago,
and they bring me comfort, O Lord.
53 When I see the wicked breaking your law,
I am filled with anger.
54 During my brief earthly life
I compose songs about your commands.
55 In the night I remember you, Lord,
and I think about your law.
56 I find my happiness
in obeying your commands.

Devotion to the Law of the Lord

57 You are all I want, O Lord;
I promise to obey your laws.
58 I ask you with all my heart
to have mercy on me, as you have promised!
59 I have considered my conduct,
and I promise to follow your instructions.
60 Without delay I hurry
to obey your commands.
61 The wicked have laid a trap for me,
but I do not forget your law.
62 In the middle of the night I wake up
to praise you for your righteous judgments.
63 I am a friend of all who serve you,
of all who obey your laws.
64 Lord, the earth is full of your constant love;
teach me your commandments.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 28:12-13

12 When good people come to power, everybody celebrates, but when bad people rule, people stay in hiding.

13 You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday November 24, 2018 (NIV)

Ezekiel 47-48

The Stream Flowing from the Temple

47 (A)The man led me back to the entrance of the Temple. Water was coming out from under the entrance and flowing east, the direction the Temple faced. It was flowing down from under the south part of the Temple past the south side of the altar. The man then took me out of the Temple area by way of the north gate and led me around to the gate that faces east. A small stream of water was flowing out at the south side of the gate. With his measuring rod the man measured 560 yards downstream to the east and told me to wade through the stream there. The water came only to my ankles. Then he measured another 560 yards, and the water came up to my knees. Another 560 yards farther down, the water was up to my waist. He measured 560 yards more, and there the stream was so deep I could not wade through it. It was too deep to cross except by swimming. He said to me, “Mortal man, note all this carefully.”

Then the man took me back to the riverbank, and when I got there, I saw that there were very many trees on each bank. He said to me, “This water flows through the land to the east and down into the Jordan Valley and to the Dead Sea. When it flows into the Dead Sea, it replaces the salt water of that sea with fresh water. Wherever the stream flows, there will be all kinds of animals and fish. The stream will make the water of the Dead Sea fresh, and wherever it flows, it will bring life. 10 From the Springs of Engedi all the way to the Springs of Eneglaim, there will be fishermen on the shore of the sea, and they will spread out their nets there to dry. There will be as many different kinds of fish there as there are in the Mediterranean Sea. 11 But the water in the marshes and ponds along the shore will not be made fresh. They will remain there as a source of salt. 12 (B)On each bank of the stream all kinds of trees will grow to provide food. Their leaves will never wither, and they will never stop bearing fruit. They will have fresh fruit every month, because they are watered by the stream that flows from the Temple. The trees will provide food, and their leaves will be used for healing people.”

The Boundaries of the Land

13 The Sovereign Lord said, “These are the boundaries of the land that is to be divided among the twelve tribes, with the tribe of Joseph receiving two sections.[a] 14 I solemnly promised your ancestors that I would give them possession of this land; now divide it equally among you.

15 “The northern boundary runs eastward from the Mediterranean Sea to the city of Hethlon, to Hamath Pass, to the city of Zedad,[b] 16 to the cities of Berothah and Sibraim (they are located between the territory of the kingdom of Damascus and that of the kingdom of Hamath), and to the city of Ticon (located by the border of the district of Hauran). 17 So the northern boundary runs from the Mediterranean eastward to Enon City, with the border regions of Damascus and Hamath to the north of it.

18 “The eastern boundary runs south from a point between the territory of Damascus and that of Hauran, with the Jordan River forming the boundary between the land of Israel on the west and Gilead on the east, as far as Tamar[c] on the Dead Sea.

19 “The southern boundary runs southwest from Tamar to the oasis of Kadesh Meribah and then northwest along the Egyptian border to the Mediterranean Sea.

20 “The western boundary is formed by the Mediterranean and runs north to a point west of Hamath Pass.

21 “Divide this land among your tribes; 22 it is to be your permanent possession. The foreigners who are living among you and who have had children born here are also to receive their share of the land when you divide it. They are to be treated like full Israelite citizens and are to draw lots for shares of the land along with the tribes of Israel. 23 All foreign residents will receive their share with the people of the tribe among whom they are living. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.”

The Division of the Land among the Tribes

48 1-7 The northern boundary of the land runs eastward from the Mediterranean Sea to the city of Hethlon, to Hamath Pass, to Enon City, to the boundary between the kingdoms of Damascus and Hamath. Each tribe is to receive one section of land extending from the eastern boundary west to the Mediterranean Sea,[d] in the following order from north to south:

Dan
Asher
Naphtali
Manasseh
Ephraim
Reuben
Judah

The Special Section in the Center of the Land

The next section of the land is to be set apart for special use. It is to be 10 miles wide from north to south, and the same length from east to west as the sections given to the tribes. The Temple will be located within this section.

In the center of this section, a special area 10 miles by 8 miles[e] is to be dedicated to the Lord. 10 The priests are to have a portion of this holy area. From east to west their portion is to measure 10 miles, and from north to south, 4 miles. The Temple of the Lord is to be located in the middle of this area. 11 This holy area is to be for the priests who are descendants of Zadok. They served me faithfully and did not join the rest of the Israelites in doing wrong, as the other members of the tribe of Levi did. 12 So they are to have a special area next to the area belonging to the Levites, and it will be the holiest of all. 13 The Levites also are to have a special area, south of that of the priests. It too is to be 10 miles from east to west, by 4 miles from north to south. 14 The area dedicated to the Lord is the best part of all the land, and none of it may be sold or exchanged or transferred to anyone else. It is holy and belongs to the Lord.

15 The part of the special area that is left, 10 miles by 2 miles, is not holy, but is for the general use of the people. They may live there and use the land. The city is to be in the center of it, 16 and it will be a square, 2,520 yards on each side. 17 All around the city on each side there will be an open space 140 yards across. 18 The land that is left after the city has been built in the area immediately to the south of the holy area—4 miles by 2 miles on the east and 4 miles by 2 miles on the west—is to be used as farmland by the people who live in the city. 19 Anyone who lives in the city, no matter which tribe he comes from, may farm that land.

20 And so the total area in the center of the section which was set apart will be a square measuring 10 miles on each side, and it will include the area occupied by the city.

21-22 To the east and to the west of this area which contains the Temple, the priests' land, the Levites' land, and the city, the remaining land belongs to the ruling prince. It reaches east to the eastern boundary and west to the Mediterranean Sea, and is bounded on the north by the section belonging to Judah and on the south by the one belonging to Benjamin.

Land for the Other Tribes

23-27 South of this special section, each of the remaining tribes is to receive one section of land running from the eastern boundary west to the Mediterranean Sea, in the following order from north to south:

Benjamin
Simeon
Issachar
Zebulun
Gad

28 On the south side of the portion given to the tribe of Gad, the boundary runs southwest from Tamar to the oasis of Kadesh, and then northwest along the Egyptian border to the Mediterranean Sea.

29 The Sovereign Lord said, “That is the way the land is to be divided into sections for the tribes of Israel to possess.”

The Gates of Jerusalem

30-34 (C)There are twelve entrances to the city of Jerusalem. Each of the four walls measures 2,520 yards and has three gates in it, each named for one of the tribes. The gates in the north wall are named for Reuben, Judah, and Levi; those in the east wall, for Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan; those in the south wall, for Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun; and those in the west wall are named for Gad, Asher, and Naphtali. 35 The total length of the wall on all four sides of the city is 10,080 yards. The name of the city from now on will be “The-Lord-Is-Here!”

Footnotes:

  1. Ezekiel 47:13 The tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph, were each given one section.
  2. Ezekiel 47:15 One ancient translation Hamath Pass, to the city of Zedad; Hebrew Zedad Pass to the city of Hamath.
  3. Ezekiel 47:18 Some ancient translations Tamar; Hebrew unclear.
  4. Ezekiel 48:1 One ancient translation extending … Sea; Hebrew having an eastern boundary and a western boundary.
  5. Ezekiel 48:9 Probable text (see 45.1) 8 miles; Hebrew 4 miles.
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

1 Peter 2:11-3:7

Slaves of God

11 I appeal to you, my friends, as strangers and refugees in this world! Do not give in to bodily passions, which are always at war against the soul. 12 Your conduct among the heathen should be so good that when they accuse you of being evildoers, they will have to recognize your good deeds and so praise God on the Day of his coming.

13 For the sake of the Lord submit yourselves to every human authority: to the Emperor, who is the supreme authority, 14 and to the governors, who have been appointed by him to punish the evildoers and to praise those who do good. 15 For God wants you to silence the ignorant talk of foolish people by the good things you do. 16 Live as free people; do not, however, use your freedom to cover up any evil, but live as God's slaves. 17 Respect everyone, love other believers, honor God, and respect the Emperor.

The Example of Christ's Suffering

18 You servants must submit yourselves to your masters and show them complete respect, not only to those who are kind and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 God will bless you for this, if you endure the pain of undeserved suffering because you are conscious of his will. 20 For what credit is there if you endure the beatings you deserve for having done wrong? But if you endure suffering even when you have done right, God will bless you for it. 21 It was to this that God called you, for Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you would follow in his steps. 22 (A)He committed no sin, and no one ever heard a lie come from his lips. 23 (B)When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, the righteous Judge. 24 (C)Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. It is by his wounds that you have been healed. 25 You were like sheep that had lost their way, but now you have been brought back to follow the Shepherd and Keeper of your souls.

Wives and Husbands

(D)In the same way you wives must submit yourselves to your husbands, so that if any of them do not believe God's word, your conduct will win them over to believe. It will not be necessary for you to say a word, because they will see how pure and reverent your conduct is. (E)You should not use outward aids to make yourselves beautiful, such as the way you fix your hair, or the jewelry you put on, or the dresses you wear. Instead, your beauty should consist of your true inner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of the greatest value in God's sight. For the devout women of the past who placed their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful by submitting themselves to their husbands. (F)Sarah was like that; she obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are now her daughters if you do good and are not afraid of anything.

(G)In the same way you husbands must live with your wives with the proper understanding that they are more delicate than you. Treat them with respect, because they also will receive, together with you, God's gift of life. Do this so that nothing will interfere with your prayers.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Psalm 119:49-64

Confidence in the Law of the Lord

49 Remember your promise to me, your servant;
it has given me hope.
50 Even in my suffering I was comforted
because your promise gave me life.
51 The proud are always scornful of me,
but I have not departed from your law.
52 I remember your judgments of long ago,
and they bring me comfort, O Lord.
53 When I see the wicked breaking your law,
I am filled with anger.
54 During my brief earthly life
I compose songs about your commands.
55 In the night I remember you, Lord,
and I think about your law.
56 I find my happiness
in obeying your commands.

Devotion to the Law of the Lord

57 You are all I want, O Lord;
I promise to obey your laws.
58 I ask you with all my heart
to have mercy on me, as you have promised!
59 I have considered my conduct,
and I promise to follow your instructions.
60 Without delay I hurry
to obey your commands.
61 The wicked have laid a trap for me,
but I do not forget your law.
62 In the middle of the night I wake up
to praise you for your righteous judgments.
63 I am a friend of all who serve you,
of all who obey your laws.
64 Lord, the earth is full of your constant love;
teach me your commandments.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 28:12-13

12 When good people come to power, everybody celebrates, but when bad people rule, people stay in hiding.

13 You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

11/22/2018 DAB Transcript

Ezekiel 44:1-45:12, 1 Peter 1:1-12, Psalms 119:17-32, Proverbs 28:8-10

Today is the 23rd day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it’s a pleasure and an honor to be here with you today. And, I guess, traditionally this is the beginning of the holiday season, black Friday. And, so I guess we can say it’s the most wonderful time of the year. And thankfully the rhythm of our year takes us right through the most wonderful time of the year and we just continue to take steps forward, which is what we’ll do today, of course, because it’s what we do every day. We’re reading from the Good News Translation this week. Ezekiel chapter 45 verse 13 through 46 verse 24.

Commentary:

Okay. So, even though the postures that the apostle Peter is writing about in his first letter, which we’re reading, even though those things are intended to be lived out every day, we mind find it, what’s being said is particularly relevant to the time of year we’re moving into now. I mean, because this is the time that our schedules start to fill, right, and they fill with joyful festivities but it's…along with all of that comes plenty of challenges, right? The rest of our year kind of gets disrupted. And in that disruption, we may find ourselves like feeling that something’s missing or fighting for our place, right, whether we’re fighting for a parking spot at the mall, which some of you probably are today, or within the family dynamics that arise around the holidays. And Peter gives us counsel in advance out in front of things on how to face trying times like these. So, quoting Peter, “Be obedient to God and do not allow your lives to be shaped by those desires you had when you were still ignorant. Instead be holy in all that you do just as God called you is holy Scripture. The scripture says be holy because I am holy.” So, obviously Peter’s not talking about holidays in the 21st century, he was talking about the shape of our everyday lives but since we’re headed into one of the most uniquely stressful times of the year, the counsel becomes immediately available. I mean…just…we read a lot of words today but if we just remember these, “you must be holy because I am holy”, right? That can be a rescue when we’re absolutely exhausted, when were emotionally spent, when we’re pulled into challenging environments, when we’re rubbing up against all kinds of stuff that just comes at this time year. Because often when we’re stressed out, right, we’re trying to find ways to cope and we’re overwhelmed and. And, so, we move toward trying to be in control…we try to control the environment, or we become incredibly opinionated or we become extremely judgmental. And, ironically this isn’t a new 21st century phenomenon among human beings. On the heels of Peter’s encouragement to live holy lives he had this to say, “You call him Father, when you pray who God judges all people by the same standard according to what each one is done.” So, we have to remember that we are each individually on a journey with God, especially in these stressful times like the holidays. None of us have been appointed that the spiritual judge over our peers or our family. God will handle it and He is impartial because He knows what’s really going on. So, in instead, Peter offered an alternative thought that relieves us of our control and returns us to a place of gratitude. And here’s how he says it, “Now by your obedience to the truth you have purified your selves and have come to have a sincere love for other believers, love one another earnestly with all your heart. For through the living and eternal word of God you have been born again as the children of a parent who is immortal, not mortal.” So, to be able to achieve or to live into this kind of love, even in spite of the stressful times, Peter goes on, “Rid yourselves then of all evil. No more lying or hypocrisy or jealousy or insulting language.” And oddly these are the kinds of behaviors we get pulled toward around the holidays when things are starting to fray, right, when it’s all starting to get to us. So, we can lavish gifts upon people while simultaneously being deceitful, hypocritical, jealous and full of all kinds of unkind things to say. And this is not unlike James observation that God can be worshiped, and His creations can be cursed out of the same mouth. And he had something to say about it and we should remember, “Surely my brothers and sisters, this is not right.” And the same conclusion applies to what Peter is saying. And then from our reading today, lastly, Peter gives us the “why” of all of this in a stunning reminder of who we really are, “you” and this is quoting Peter, “you are the chosen race, the Kings priests, the holy nation, God’s own people chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God who called you out of darkness into His own marvelous light.” And we have to acknowledge that the seasons we are entering is centered around that that absolute truth. Like all around the world we’ll begin to consider the arrival of the Savior who has called us out of darkness. And maybe this is the first time you’re realizing just how close to Christmas we are with all that’s just happening around us this week. Let’s carry into the season with us this reminder, something that we can continually tell ourselves. “You must be holy, for I am holy.” Let’s bring that into a season that celebrates the coming of the Holy Child and just allow that, that reminder of holiness and the invitation that we are being given to be holy and carry that into this season and let it shape our experience and be an influence for our decisions because we always have a choice. We can do good.

Prayer:

Father, we invite you into this, this what we’re talking about. We must be holy because you are holy and we certainly invite you into that because we can’t be holy on our own. We need to interact and collaborate to be intertwined with you. So, come, Holy Spirit. But we also pray over this coming season, out in front of us now, of joy and celebration that brings tremendous challenges to certain lives in all kinds of ways. We need you. Come, Holy Spirit we pray into the days ahead we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, its where you find out what’s going on around here.

And today is Black Friday and…well…I talked about it a couple of days ago but that means that the Daily Audio Bible Family Christmas Box for 2018 is now available and it is packed full of things that you’ll want to keep for yourself and things that you’ll want to give away. And this year’s Christmas Box is a good one. We have the Promise Land double DVD set that is always popular around here because…well…frankly it allows us to go in with a window and look around basically at the places that we have visited so often in the Scriptures. And double DVD set has over four hours of content to just really, really immerse yourself in the land of the Bible. So, that is in the Christmas Box. We’ve also included the last two books that I’ve written, the first one called Reframe in the second one called Sneezing Jesus. And these are both books of spiritual transformation. They are…I mean…literally when I sit down to write, I’m writing because I feel like I don’t have a choice…like I’ve reached a point of wrestling that I need to begin to put things on paper, that’s where things start. But in my heart and in my mind, I’m always writing toward someone and that someone is our community. So, if you have been taking the journey through the Bible and haven’t taken the journey through Reframe or Sneezing Jesus, they’re in the Christmas Box this year. And man I wrote it, so, it’s hard for me to say you really should read this, but I wrote it to be read by our community, people who are hungry for the Scriptures and are truly pressing in to the relationship with God that is offered through Jesus and actually trying to live this faith and actually allowing this faith to transform us. I’ve written these things that journey. So, both of those are included in the Christmas Box. And one additional book called “Going Solo”, written by my friend Robert. And it is about the solo parenting journey. There are plenty of single parents in this community, but there’s probably none of us that don’t have a single parent in our lives. And Robert went through a season of being a single dad under some pretty dire circumstances. And he shares this story. So, but it’s not just like a book of commiseration or a book of tips and tricks. Like, it’s not…it’s exactly what a single parent who is overwhelmed needs to hear with no one expecting anything in return. It’s just pouring life into a tattered soul. So, if you are on the solo parent journey then, yeah, this for you. But if you’re not, you know someone and this is for them. We also have our Daily Audio Bible Christmas cards for this year and they’re very beautiful and they have the word for the year imprinted on the front, “Hope”. So, there’s 20 cards and 20 envelopes in the Christmas Box. You can order the cards…like if you send out more than 20, you can order your Christmas cards from Daily Audio Bible. They’re not big advertisements for the Daily Audio Bible. They say Daily Audio Bible on the back, like where Hallmark is…would usually be. That’s it. But they are a fantastic way to invite your friends and family along for the journey with you in the coming year. So, yes there’s a pack of 20 of those in the Christmas Box but you can order as many of them as you want separately at the Daily Audio Bible Shop. And we’ll talk about that in the second. Also included is the Daily Audio Bible Christmas bulb for 2018. And I think this is the seventh year we’ve done this. Of course, the word “Hope” is on Christmas bulb. And I have a one of these for every year that we’ve been doing it and it goes up on the tree every year and I look at that little place on the tree, and it reminds me of all the journeys, all the miles, all the words, all the life that goes into a year of the Bible. So, that reminds me of all the journeys we’ve taken and just brings you into our home. And I know that that’s become a tradition for many of you and that’s true for you as well. So, the Christmas ball is in the Christmas Box. Also, we’re lovers of the Black Wing pencils and we have those in the Daily Audio Bible shop with all of our writing paraphernalia, which by the way, those writing kits are awesome Christmas gifts. So, you can check that out. But this year we were able to work along with our friends at Black Wing and get the Daily Audio Bible imprinted on some pencils. We’re not allowed to sell them like in boxes of 12 or as individuals but we’re allowed to put them in the Christmas Box. And, so, there’s is a Black Wing Daily Audio Bible, one-of-a-kind, in the Christmas Box this year. And then, of course, your choice of our Windfarm coffee or our Windfarm boutique tea. And lastly, a surprise, a mystery. And everybody will get the mystery, but everybody won’t get the same mystery, but one additional resource of some sort will be in the Box this year. So that’s the Daily Audio Bible Family Christmas 2018. It’s a good one and it’s available now on the Daily Audio Bible Shop. So that’s at dailyaudiobible.com and then you click Shop and you’ll see the Christmas section and you’ll find all the stuff. Of course, you can access the shop from the Daily Audio Bible app as well. So, we always sell out of these. I recommend if you want one that you get one sooner than later. Those of you who are outside of the domestic United States, including our neighboring nations of Canada and Mexico, the cutoff date for us and kinda feeling confident that everything would arrive for Christmas, is the 28th of November, which is less than a week. So, if you’re international and you’d like this to arrive for Christmas, then I wouldn’t delay. We will send them, of course, after the 28th internationally, but not sure the gonna arrive in time for Christmas. So, don’t delay on that. If you’re inside the United States then, you know, there’s a little more time but wouldn’t wait, they sell out every year. So, check all of that out in the Daily Audio Bible shop. It’s Christmas time. Here we go.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible here as we approach the end of the year, then obviously, I can’t thank you enough. My humble gratitude is beyond my words because every day that we sit down to come together like this is another day that we’ve done something in collaboration with God and His word, but also in community together. We just wouldn’t be here if we didn’t do it together. So, thank you. There’s 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 you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

hi, my name is Gwen Kavune and this is my first time calling the Daily Audio Bible. Today is November 19, 2018. I am so glad to be a part of the daily audio Bible. I really love hearing Brian and his commentary on the Bible each day. I’ve been listening for…since late in October and I really, really enjoy listening to the commentary, like I said. This is such a great venue for hearing the word and it’s great for me to because I am blind. So, this is a great way for me to hear the word of God. And hearing the prayer…being able to have a place to leave a prayer request is great. And to have other people agreeing with you and prayer is a great thing. I love having that available to me and having other believers out there supporting and encouraging me. That is so great. And I enjoy hearing from others and I enjoy…I’m sorry…I enjoy the poetry from Blind Tony. You do a wonderful job. Your gifted…

This is Judy and Steve in Salt Lake and this call is for Christine with the bumpy dog. Christine, we heard your call, not the first one, but the last one __ and we just want you to know that we are praying for you and we’re sending you a virtual hug. And I would’ve called sooner but I couldn’t talk. Just know we love you and we’re praying for the peace that passes all understanding for you, for healing according to God’s will. Whatever comes next, we pray that you are strong and that you know His love for you is never-ending. And we pray this in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

Hi everyone, it’s Karen in St. Louis. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for all your prayers for my 60th. Got a couple of texts from Marlene that were so encouraging and Shannon from Salem, your song your prayers and Josh from Indiana, your prayers were just like from God for my heart and I’m so grateful. I’m grateful for this community and am so grateful for Brian, Jill, and the family that’s answered the call. And I’m most grateful to Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith. And He’s our ultimate hope. And, so, Brian, I loved your commentary today on James and talking about the faith and works and then also going into our tongues. All these things that we’re going through in most of the fall, I think about Paula and the devastation that you’ve incurred and Christine with the bumpy dog, my heart goes out to you sister. And, so many others, you know. But this kind of encouraged me because we are on a journey. And in Hebrews 12:1 it says, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. And I just think about how it is constantly just looking to Jesus. And I thought about what you said Brian, at the family reunion, and about how you said that you never felt so close to the Lord is when you are suffering. So, brothers and sisters, take heart in this Thanksgiving where we give thanks to Jesus. I love you all. Bye-bye.

Hello Daily Audio Bible family, this is Becky from Orlando. I am calling in right now for Paula the child advocate. I just heard that you lost her home. I am so, so, so sorry that that happened in the wildfires. I hadn’t heard your original call and, of course, my eyes started tearing up when I heard that. I’m so sorry for your Paula. I’m gonna keep you in my prayers for you to find a house and some temporary housing in the meantime and just for some comfort. So, I’ve got you in my prayers and I’ve also got Christine with the bumpy dog in my prayers also. I’m praying for God’s healing touch on you for the chemotherapy to do its thing and to heal you and for you to find relief and for you to be able to get back home. So, I’ll keep you both in my prayers and I love you all very much. All right. Have a good day. Bye-bye.