12/26/2018 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 9:1-17, Revelation 17:1-18, Psalms 145:1-21, Proverbs 30:32

Today is the 26th day of December. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is awesome to be here with you today, the day after Christmas. So, how are you how holding up? I feel like I’m gonna be full for days. So, are you guys going out shopping and doing the exchange thing, the after Christmas 50% off 75% off sales? Oh, we do that sometimes. I’m not sure I’m up for it. But what I am sure that I am up for is the next step forward in the Scriptures, as we literally count the days down, right? The days left in this year are few and it’s now we start turning our attention toward finishing strong and well and begin to think about what next year’s gonna look like, but that’s the beauty of the week between the holidays, we have some time to contemplate. And, so, bringing the Scriptures into that contemplation is the right thing to do. We’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week. Zechariah chapter 9 verses one through 17 today.

Commentary:

okay. So, the last couple of days no doubt have been busy ones, right, with Christmas just yesterday. And probably the truth is, it’s been an exhausting month. So, we’ll probably be eating leftovers from yesterday’s feast. That is usually what happens in my family and maybe, you know, maybe some shopping, maybe some exchanges, maybe you’ve had family in and they’re starting to leave and migrate back to their houses or their towns or maybe they’re hanging out and will spend the next week with you and that’ll fun, but today, you know is the day where, you know, Christmas is now be behind us, which is so weird. It just comes and goes like that, all this anticipation, pushing us toward the end of the year and this holiday season, like, just like that it’s over. And, so, we slowly start moving away from the Christmas season and s our focus starts to shift toward what the New Year might look like. And our reading from Proverbs today gave us some incredibly wise advice that can help us as we’re thinking of these things. So, the proverb said, if you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame. So, no matter how we’ve been behaving over the last couple days, it’s unlikely that we haven’t exhibited ourselves or, at minimum encountered pride. And this is…around this kind of…around this season we notice this in the over inflation of people, right, an over inflating version of ourselves that we portray, especially when we’re around loved ones that we only see once or twice a year and this kind of thing. In fact, I mean, over the last couple of days we may have endured hours of conversation with people that we love, but people that like to compare everything from their gifts to their careers to their spouses to their houses to their children. And maybe even worse yet, maybe we’re the ones, right? Maybe we’ve made others endure hours of our posturing. And so, what the Proverbs has to tell us today now that we’re through this season is to cover our mouths. And, so, this little piece of ancient wisdom, it can seem harsh at first blush because it’s basically telling us to shut up. But ,I mean, it’s actually freeing because what we’re being given permission to refrain from is the game of one-upmanship, right? We don’t have to one-up each other. We have permission to not have to do that. According to Proverbs, this makes us look like a fool anyway and we don’t have to do it. So, yeah, so going forward into this new year we can give that, you know, pour that into our cup and stir it around and sip it down because if we chomp down on our prideful words then we will not be saying things that do not need to be said and instead we can just simply be who we are, who we actually are, honestly. Like, we don’t have to step into the new year with this falseness about us that is something that we have to keep blowing up right? Like, the air keeps spilling out and then we keep inflating it and it’s a false version and we don’t have to do it. And maybe as we go into the new year we can just lose it altogether, right? We’re planning to shed some pounds so we could lose this too while we’re losing those pounds because we’ve learned this year in Scripture that our identity is…the only way we’ll have a true identity is found in embracing God’s mercy, His long-suffering kindness towards us. Like, we’re not gonna pose our way into His good graces, we’re not gonna over inflate ourselves and create a false version that’s gonna impress him. We do this will each other. What we’re saying is our identity comes from each other when it doesn’t. So, we don’t have to do this. We’re not required to pose and posture and over inflate and over exaggerate and hide, because that’s what we’re doing. We don’t have to create an image of ourselves that imagines what we would hope to be but isn’t anything like what we really are. It’s false, like, it’s a lie, we’re living a lie, it’s foolish, it’s gonna get us nowhere in the coming year. And according to Proverbs, like we said, we look like a fool. So, instead, as we contemplate the coming year over these next few days, we can contemplate what it might look like to just walk into freedom as we are because the apostle Paul told us back when we were reading second Corinthians that we’re invited to reflect the glory of the Lord upon the earth. That’s a pretty tough thing to do when you are over inflating a false reality that can’t be achieved from within our insecurities. All we’re doing then is trying to reflect a false glory upon the earth, a false glory that is aimed at us, and that is rooted in pride, and insecurity, and fear. So, think about it. Think about it in these next couple of days. You are invited by the Scriptures to be yourself, who you really are. And when you are that then you can truly reflect God’s glory upon the earth. So, if there were a worthy New Year’s resolution to think about, becoming ourselves, that would be worth it.

Prayer:

Father, we invite you into that because you have created us unique, individual, and you love us as you created us to be. And, yeah, we’ve made all kinds of missteps and inserted all kinds of things that didn’t belong in our story and they affect us and they pull us in all kinds of directions, but usually those are the things that are pulling us into what’s false, those are the things that compel us to over inflate, to posture, to pose, to hide, to be insecure. And, so, we’re inviting you into all of those places. Fill us in all of those places so that all we see of ourselves is what you see. And then we will actually be looking at ourselves as we really are, not through lenses of wounds, and woundings, and missteps, and mistakes. We’ll see ourselves as you do and if we can see ourselves as you do, then we are seeing ourselves as we really are. So, come Holy Spirit and help us to live into this in these coming days and in this coming year. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

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

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday December 26, 2018 (NIV)

Zechariah 9

Judgment of Zion’s Enemies

A pronouncement:

The word of the Lord
is against the land of Hadrach,
and Damascus(A) is its resting place—
for the eyes of humanity
and all the tribes of Israel
are on the Lord[a]
and also against Hamath,(B) which borders it,
as well as Tyre(C) and Sidon,(D)
though they are very shrewd.
Tyre has built herself a fortress;
she has heaped up silver like dust
and gold like the dirt of the streets.
Listen! The Lord will impoverish her
and cast her wealth into the sea;
she herself will be consumed by fire.(E)
Ashkelon will see it and be afraid;
Gaza too, and will writhe in great pain,
as will Ekron, for her hope will fail.
There will cease to be a king in Gaza,
and Ashkelon will become uninhabited.
A mongrel people will live in Ashdod,
and I will destroy the pride of the Philistines.(F)
I will remove the blood from their mouths
and the abhorrent things(G)
from between their teeth.
Then they too will become a remnant for our God;
they will become like a clan in Judah
and Ekron like the Jebusites.(H)
I will encamp at my house as a guard,
against those who march back and forth,
and no oppressor will march against them again,
for now I have seen with my own eyes.

The Coming of Zion’s King

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem!
Look, your King is coming to you;
he is righteous and victorious,[b]
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.(I)
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the horse from Jerusalem.
The bow of war will be removed,
and he will proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion will extend from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates River
to the ends of the earth.(J)
11 As for you,
because of the blood of your covenant,(K)
I will release your prisoners
from the waterless cistern.(L)
12 Return to a stronghold,
you prisoners who have hope;
today I declare that I will restore double to you.(M)
13 For I will bend Judah as my bow;
I will fill that bow with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
against your sons, Greece.[c](N)
I will make you like a warrior’s sword.
14 Then the Lord will appear over them,
and his arrow will fly like lightning.
The Lord God will sound the trumpet
and advance with the southern storms.(O)
15 The Lord of Armies will defend them.
They will consume and conquer with slingstones;
they will drink and be rowdy as if with wine.(P)
They will be as full as the sprinkling basin,(Q)
like those at the corners of the altar.(R)
16 The Lord their God will save them on that day
as the flock of his people;(S)
for they are like jewels in a crown,(T)
sparkling over his land.
17 How lovely and beautiful!
Grain will make the young men flourish,
and new wine, the young women.

Footnotes:

  1. 9:1 Or eyes of the Lord are on mankind—
  2. 9:9 Or and has salvation
  3. 9:13 Lit Javan
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Revelation 17

The Woman and the Scarlet Beast

17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls(A) came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the judgment of the notorious prostitute[a](B) who is seated on many[b] waters.(C) The kings of the earth(D) committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality.”(E) Then he carried me away in the Spirit[c](F) to a wilderness.

I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered[d] with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.(G) The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls.(H) She had a golden cup in her hand filled with everything detestable(I) and with the impurities of her[e] prostitution. On her forehead was written a name, a mystery:(J) Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Detestable Things of the Earth. Then I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses to Jesus.(K) When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.

The Meaning of the Woman and of the Beast

Then the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast, with the seven heads and the ten horns, that carries her. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss(L) and go to destruction.(M) Those who live on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world(N) will be astonished when they see the beast that was, and is not, and is to come.(O) This calls for a mind that has wisdom.[f](P)

“The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. They are also seven kings: 10 Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast that was and is not, is itself an eighth king, but it belongs to the seven and is going to destruction. 12 The ten horns you saw are ten kings(Q) who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.(R) 13 These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings.(S) Those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.”(T)

15 He also said to me, “The waters you saw,(U) where the prostitute was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.(V) 16 The ten horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute.(W) They will make her desolate and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire.(X) 17 For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his plan by having one purpose(Y) and to give their kingdom[g] to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled.(Z) 18 And the woman you saw is the great city that has royal power over the kings of the earth.”

Footnotes:

  1. 17:1 Traditionally translated the great whore
  2. 17:1 Or by many
  3. 17:3 Or in spirit
  4. 17:3 Or was filled
  5. 17:4 Other mss read earth’s
  6. 17:9 Or Here is the mind of wisdom
  7. 17:17 Or sovereignty
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Psalm 145

Psalm 145

Praising God’s Greatness

A hymn of David.

I[a] exalt you, my God the King,
and bless your name forever and ever.(A)
I will bless you every day;
I will praise your name forever and ever.(B)

The Lord is great and is highly praised;(C)
his greatness is unsearchable.(D)
One generation will declare your works to the next
and will proclaim your mighty acts.(E)
I[b] will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty
and[c] your wondrous works.(F)
They will proclaim the power of your awe-inspiring acts,
and I will declare your greatness.[d](G)
They will give a testimony of your great goodness
and will joyfully sing of your righteousness.(H)

The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and great in faithful love.(I)
The Lord is good to everyone;(J)
his compassion rests on all he has made.(K)
10 All you have made will thank you, Lord;
the[e] faithful will bless you.(L)
11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom
and will declare your might,(M)
12 informing all people of your mighty acts
and of the glorious splendor of your[f] kingdom.(N)
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;
your rule is for all generations.(O)
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and gracious in all his actions.[g](P)

14 The Lord helps all who fall;
he raises up all who are oppressed.[h](Q)
15 All eyes look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.(R)
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.(S)

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all his acts.(T)
18 The Lord is near all who call out to him,
all who call out to him with integrity.(U)
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry for help and saves them.(V)
20 The Lord guards all those who love him,
but he destroys all the wicked.(W)
21 My mouth will declare the Lord’s praise;
let every living thing
bless his holy name forever and ever.(X)

Footnotes:

  1. 145:1 The lines of this poem form an acrostic.
  2. 145:5 LXX, Syr read They
  3. 145:5 LXX, Syr read and they will tell of
  4. 145:6 Alt Hb tradition, Jer read great deeds
  5. 145:10 Lit your
  6. 145:12 LXX, Syr, Jer; MT reads his
  7. 145:13 One Hb ms, DSS, LXX, Syr; some Hb mss omit The Lord is faithful in all his words and gracious in all his actions.
  8. 145:14 Lit bowed down
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Proverbs 30:32

32 If you have been foolish by exalting yourself
or if you’ve been scheming,
put your hand over your mouth.(A)

Cross references:

  1. 30:32 : Jb 21:5; Mc 7:16
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

12/25/2018 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 8:1-23, Revelation 16:1-21, Psalms 144:1-15, Proverbs 30:29-31

Today is December 25th. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian and it is a pleasure and an honor as it is every day to be in your presence, but this is obviously a very special day. Today is Christmas day. And, so, all over the world billions and billions of people are celebrating the arrival of the Savior, the baby born to take away the sins of the world, the baby born to grow up to become the king of kings and Lord of lords, the baby boy that we are reading about in the book of Revelation who will utterly and completely annihilate wickedness from existence, and that story…that story began long ago and it became a part of the human story on the day that Jesus was born, the day we are celebrating now. So, may joy flood our hearts Merry Christmas.

Song:

Joy to the World


Joy to the world

Joy to the world, the Lord is come

Let earth receive her King

Let every heart prepare Him room

And Heaven and nature sing

And Heaven and nature sing

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing

Joy to the world

Joy to the world

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy

Repeat the sounding joy

Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy

Joy to the world, now we sing

Let the earth receive her king

Joy to the world, now we sing

Let the angel voices ring

Joy to the world, now we sing

Let men their songs employ

Joy to the world, now we sing

Repeat the sounding joy

Oh oh

He rules the world with truth and grace

And makes the nations prove

The light of His righteousness

And wonders of His love

And wonders of His love

And wonders of His love

And wonders, wonders, of His love

And wonders, wonders, of His love

Joy to the world, now we sing

Let the earth receive her king

Joy to the world, now we sing

Let the angel voices ring

So, on this Christmas day we will continue to take the next step forward because our relationship with the Scriptures, this is something that is an ongoing every day, always on, never off thing because it transforms us from within, and leads us to God. And the intertwined relationship that we have with God is an always on and never off thing. So, we’ve been reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week which is, of course, will do even on Christmas day. Zechariah…Zechariah chapter 8. Zechariah? That’s the first time I’ve ever said that that I can remember in all of these years. So, let’s stick with it. Zechariah 8:1 through 23 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, today is Christmas and Merry Christmas everyone and we’re celebrating with billions of people all over the world the arrival of the baby Jesus lying in a manger. And, so, we probably have warm hearts and depending on what time we’re listening, maybe full bellies. Around my house we have a big breakfast. So, that kind of starts early. And, you know, there’s probably garbage bags full of crinkled wrapping paper and, I don’t know, maybe…maybe we’ve got the nativity scene in our house or out on our lawn and it’s joyful and we feel full and it’s wonderful but…if I’m letting you in a little secret…usually…usually for me at some point in the day on Christmas I’m gonna feel the Christmas blues. And it’s hard to put my finger one. Like, it’s not…I’m not depressed. I’m happy. And I used to think well, maybe it’s the disruption of this kind of a day, it’s just a unique day among all days and so it’s just different. And, so, maybe I can’t find my moorings. But over the years, the more that I’ve thought about it, what I’m experiencing is like some sort of deep longing within. And it’s strange in the midst of the merriment that we actually really feel happy because of Christmas. And, so, it would confuse me for years and maybe you’re the same because this is a day where everything feels full and joyful. And, so, why is it is that something still feels missing when everything else is great and lovely and rejoicing. And then we can turn to the to the Scriptures, right? Like our reading from Revelation. Our reading from Revelation today discussed seven angels pouring out seven bowls of God’s wrath. And the destruction that’s described this is staggering. So, it’s hard to even fathom. So, its not exactly Christmas material, but maybe…maybe it gives us an explanation for this…this sense of longing…this sense that something still missing, because before the arrival Jesus, people had been anticipating a Savior, a deliverer. It was actually woven into the fabric of their culture. They had a deep sense that something was missing, that things were not exactly as they should be and that was part of their apocalyptic worldview, that the world was heading in a direction and a deliverer would come and make all things new. And we’ve discussed this lots of times and we’re seeing it clearly in Revelation. And we’ve been talking about the season of Advent. Some of us observe the season of Advent and that’s intended to help us embrace that longing because we find ourselves still with the same longing that they had. They were longing for a deliverer to come and the deliverer came. And, so we rejoice in the fact that Jesus came for us and we have that part of the story, but we still find ourselves with the same longing, waiting for his second arrival. And what we’re reading in Revelation is chilling, but what we’re reading is the ultimate destruction of every evil force set against Jesus, this is baby who came for us, this King of Kings came as a child. And, so, it’s not something that we should be chilled by or shudder in fear about. In order for this longing that kind of never really goes away and can find itself in our hearts in the most strange…strangest of times or places, like, even on Christmas day. In order for things to be made new as they should be, evil must be utterly destroyed and that is what we’re reading about in the book of Revelation. We’re reading about the fulfillment of this longing inside, right, the return of perfect shalom. So, if you find yourself like me at some point just kind of staring off and you’re surrounded by joy and loved ones but you’re staring off because something still feels like it’s missing, that’s, I think, normal. Things aren’t perfectly as they should be. But what we celebrate today is the only way they ever will be. And, so, with that light in our hearts, may we carry forward the spirit of Christmas bringing light and life and good news to all, and ultimately, my friends, my brothers and sisters to all things being made new.

Prayer:

Father, we come into Your presence with great humility, with hearts that are full, and yet hearts that are longing for all things to be made new. Oh, what a Christmas celebration that will be when we celebrate with You in Your presence when a new heaven and new earth have been born. And we are participating in the restoration of all things. So, we thank You Jesus for coming. We thank You God for rescuing us, Your children who were hopelessly lost and floundering and it’s not like we don’t still flounder, but You have given us a way, a North star, a way to be restored, a way to participate in the restoration of all things and the healing of our broken hearts. And, so, we rejoice this Christmas acknowledging that we’re longing for all things to be made new and they are, and they will. So, come Holy Spirit we pray as we continue to rejoice at Your arrival. We pray these things in Jesus name. Amen.

Announcements:

Alright friends, I’ll let you get back to what you were doing. I love you. I love you and having this moment to spend a part of Christmas with you is one of the great joys of life. I wish you the merriest of Christmases. I wish you nothing but joy and hope, which has been our word for this year and I wish this upon your entire families. Have a wonderful day.

I’m Brian. Merry Christmas. I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday December 25, 2018 (NIV)

Zechariah 8

Obedience and Feasting

The word of the Lord of Armies came: The Lord of Armies says this: “I am extremely jealous(A) for Zion; I am jealous for her with great wrath.” The Lord says this: “I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City;(B) the mountain of the Lord of Armies will be called the Holy Mountain.” The Lord of Armies says this: “Old men and women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of advanced age. The streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in them.” The Lord of Armies says this: “Though it may seem impossible to the remnant of this people in those days, should it also seem impossible to me?”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. The Lord of Armies says this: “I will save my people from the land of the east and the land of the west.[a] I will bring them back(C) to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.”(D)

The Lord of Armies says this: “Let your hands be strong, you who now hear these words that the prophets spoke when the foundations were laid for the rebuilding of the temple, the house of the Lord of Armies. 10 For prior to those days neither man nor animal had wages. There was no safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I turned everyone against his neighbor. 11 But now, I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. 12 “For they will sow in peace: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce, and the skies will yield their dew. I will give the remnant of this people all these things as an inheritance.(E) 13 As you have been a curse among the nations,(F) house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing.(G) Don’t be afraid; let your hands be strong.” 14 For the Lord of Armies says this: “As I resolved to treat you badly when your fathers provoked me to anger, and I did not relent,” says the Lord of Armies, 15 “so I have resolved again in these days to do what is good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah.(H) Don’t be afraid. 16 These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another; make true and sound decisions within your city gates. 17 Do not plot evil(I) in your hearts against your neighbor,(J) and do not love perjury,(K) for I hate all this”—this is the Lord’s declaration.

18 Then the word of the Lord of Armies came to me: 19 The Lord of Armies says this: “The fast of the fourth month,(L) the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth(M) will become times of joy, gladness, and cheerful festivals for the house of Judah. Therefore, love truth and peace.” 20 The Lord of Armies says this: “Peoples will yet come, the residents of many cities; 21 the residents of one city will go to another, saying: Let’s go at once to plead for the Lord’s favor and to seek the Lord of Armies. I am also going. 22 Many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the Lord of Armies in Jerusalem and to plead for the Lord’s favor.”(N) 23 The Lord of Armies says this: “In those days, ten men from nations of every language will grab the robe of a Jewish man tightly, urging: Let us go with you,(O) for we have heard that God is with you.”

Footnotes:

  1. 8:7 Lit sunset
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Revelation 16

The First Bowl

16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels,(A) “Go and pour out the seven[a] bowls(B) of God’s wrath on the earth.” The first went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and severely painful sores(C) broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped its image.

The Second Bowl

The second[b] poured out his bowl into the sea. It turned to blood like that of a dead person, and all life in the sea died.(D)

The Third Bowl

The third[c] poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood.(E) I heard the angel of the waters say,

You are just,
the Holy One,(F) who is and who was,(G)
because you have passed judgment on these things.
Because they poured out
the blood of the saints and the prophets,(H)
you have given them blood to drink;
they deserve it!(I)

I heard the altar say,

Yes, Lord God, the Almighty,
true and just are your judgments.(J)

The Fourth Bowl

The fourth[d] poured out his bowl on the sun. It was allowed to scorch people with fire, and people were scorched by the intense heat. So they blasphemed the name of God,(K) who has the power[e] over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory.(L)

The Fifth Bowl

10 The fifth[f] poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,(M) and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.(N) People[g] gnawed their tongues because of their pain 11 and blasphemed the God of heaven(O) because of their pains and their sores, but they did not repent of their works.

The Sixth Bowl

12 The sixth[h] poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,(P) and its water was dried up(Q) to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13 Then I saw three unclean spirits like frogs(R) coming from the dragon’s mouth,(S) from the beast’s mouth,(T) and from the mouth of the false prophet.(U) 14 For they are demonic spirits performing signs,(V) who travel to the kings of the whole world to assemble them(W) for the battle on the great day of God, the Almighty.(X) 15 “Look, I am coming like a thief. Blessed(Y) is the one who is alert and remains clothed[i](Z) so that he may not go around naked and people see his shame.”(AA) 16 So they assembled the kings at the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.[j](AB)

The Seventh Bowl

17 Then the seventh[k] poured out his bowl into the air,[l] and a loud voice came out of the temple[m](AC) from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. And a severe earthquake occurred like no other since people have been on the earth, so great was the quake.(AD) 19 The great city(AE) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations[n] fell. Babylon the Great was remembered in God’s presence; he gave her the cup filled with the wine of his fierce anger.(AF) 20 Every island fled, and the mountains disappeared.(AG) 21 Enormous hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds,[o] fell from the sky on people, and they blasphemed God(AH) for the plague of hail because that plague was extremely severe.(AI)

Footnotes:

  1. 16:1 Other mss omit seven
  2. 16:3 Other mss add angel
  3. 16:4 Other mss add angel
  4. 16:8 Other mss add angel
  5. 16:9 Or authority
  6. 16:10 Other mss add angel
  7. 16:10 Lit They
  8. 16:12 Other mss add angel
  9. 16:15 Or and guards his clothes
  10. 16:16 Some mss read Armagedon; other mss read Harmegedon; other mss read Mageddon; other mss read Magedon
  11. 16:17 Other mss add angel
  12. 16:17 Or bowl on the air
  13. 16:17 Other mss add of heaven
  14. 16:19 Or the Gentile cities
  15. 16:21 Lit about a talent; talents varied in weight upwards from 75 pounds
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Psalm 144

Psalm 144

A King’s Prayer

Of David.

Blessed be the Lord, my rock(A)
who trains my hands for battle
and my fingers for warfare.(B)
He is my faithful love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer.
He is my shield,(C) and I take refuge in him;(D)
he subdues my people[a] under me.(E)

Lord, what is a human that you care for him,
a son of man[b] that you think of him?(F)
A human is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.(G)

Lord, part your heavens and come down.(H)
Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.(I)
Flash your lightning and scatter the foe;[c]
shoot your arrows and rout them.(J)
Reach down[d] from on high;(K)
rescue me from deep water, and set me free
from the grasp of foreigners(L)
whose mouths speak lies,
whose right hands are deceptive.(M)

God, I will sing a new song to you;
I will play on a ten-stringed harp for you(N)
10 the one who gives victory to kings,
who frees his servant David
from the deadly sword.(O)
11 Set me free and rescue me
from foreigners(P)
whose mouths speak lies,
whose right hands are deceptive.(Q)

12 Then our sons will be like plants
nurtured in their youth,
our daughters, like corner pillars
that are carved in the palace style.(R)
13 Our storehouses will be full,
supplying all kinds of produce;(S)
our flocks will increase by thousands
and tens of thousands in our open fields.(T)
14 Our cattle will be well fed.[e]
There will be no breach in the walls,
no going into captivity,[f]
and no cry of lament in our public squares.(U)
15 Happy are the people with such blessings.
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.(V)

Footnotes:

  1. 144:2 Some Hb mss, DSS, Aq, Syr, Tg, Jer read subdues peoples; 2Sm 22:48; Ps 18:47
  2. 144:3 Or a mere mortal
  3. 144:6 Lit scatter them
  4. 144:7 Lit down your hands
  5. 144:14 Or will bear heavy loads, or will be pregnant
  6. 144:14 Or be no plague, no miscarriage
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Proverbs 30:29-31

29 Three things are stately in their stride;
four are stately in their walk:
30 a lion, which is mightiest among beasts
and doesn’t retreat before anything;
31 a strutting rooster;[a] a goat;
and a king at the head of his army.[b]

Footnotes:

  1. 30:31 Or a greyhound
  2. 30:31 LXX reads king addressing his people
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

12/24/2018 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 6:1-7:14, Revelation 15:1-8, Psalms 143:1-12, Proverbs 30:24-28

Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. Today is Christmas Eve and even though this is another step forward in our journey through the Scriptures this is a very, very special day. Today is the last day of Advent, the season of Advent, which means that the long wait for the arrival of the Savior is almost over.

So, it’s Christmas Eve and, yeah, there’s a lot of activity, a flurry of activity that happens on most Christmas Eve’s and maybe this evening will include a candlelight service or maybe even a midnight service. And the joy, the joy of Christmas finally arriving is upon us. And even in the midst of all of that we have taken time to step away for second surround ourselves with some serenity and allow God’s word to speak. And, so, this week we’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible. Today, Zechariah chapter 6 verse 1 through 7:14.

Commentary:

Okay. So, like we talked about at the beginning of our time together today, this Christmas Eve and it’s the final day of the Advent season. And, so, we probably have this sort of sense of anticipation, and even some joy in our hearts, and probably a pretty long to do list, right, in preparation for tomorrow. And, so, we might think, okay, how is today’s reading supposed to have anything to do with Christmas? Well, in our reading from Zechariah we continue to hear of the visionary experiences that Zechariah was having, but within that we were reminded of the fundamental postures God requires of us. So, in Zechariah we heard today, “this is what the Lord of Heaven’s armies says. Judge fairly and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners and the poor, and do not scheme against each other.” So, this command doesn’t have any blackout dates. So, this command is something that’s to be lived into today and if there were a season to live into this it would be Christmas. So, let’s make sure that we plant this in our hearts as we move forward into the festivities ahead of us. Let’s make sure that we do that. Let’s make sure that we show mercy and kindness to one another. And then we’re reading the book of Revelation and so we could also think, like, well this is the furthest thing from the nice cozy Christmas Spirit that I want to experience. I mean, John saw what seemed to be a sea made out of glass that was on fire. And upon this sea were those who endured. And we’ve been talking a lot about endurance lately, right, because the Bible keeps talking about. And to those who had endured and were on this glassy sea that was on fire, God gave these…those who endured…harps and they were singing the song of Moses and the song of the lamb. We may not think of their song as a Christmas Carol but think of it. “Great and marvelous are your works oh Lord, God the Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear you Lord and glorify your name for you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you for your righteous deeds have been revealed.” Well, that might not be a Christmas Carol about baby Jesus lying in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes, but this is a song coming from those who had endured who are singing the song of the Lamb and the song of Moses from a glassy sea. And who are they singing about? They’re singing about this baby born in a manger, the King of Kings and Lord of lords. So, this is a time to remember. We’re celebrating the first Advent right. Advent means arrival. And, so, that’s what Christmas is. We’re celebrating the advent of the Savior, the arrival of the Savior but we’re longing for His return. And as we read what we’ve read in Revelation today, we are prophetically hearing worship in advance from the time that we’re longing to see when everything will be made new. So yes, this is a Christmas gift to us. We’re hearing worship in advance from a time when all is as it should be.

Prayer:

Father, we dwell on that. We take a moment to realize how big of a deal this is and that all that we long for will happen. And, so, as we complete the Advent season for this year and move toward Christmas day You have given us a song or a Carol as it were from a time when all is restored. And we long for this. And, so, we invite you, come Holy Spirit and allow us to truly meditate on your first arrival and our longing for your second arrival as we immerse ourselves for the final hours of this season and prepare to move into Christmas. Come Holy Spirit we pray. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Announcements:

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

It’s such a lovely time to get to this day, and just really, really consider that here we are. Not only have we reached Christmas time but really are only a few steps away from completing our year together. And, so, yeah, tomorrow’s gonna hit and it’s gonna be a busy day and its gonna be full of activity and joy and wonder and it will be wonderful, but we’re here. We’re here right now in these moments. And, so, let’s commit ourselves to having a contemplative day that we don’t get just washed away by activity and forget what’s really going on here and the reason for all of this celebration. So, I’m gonna go out to a candlelight service myself, my family tonight, probably drive around, look at Christmas lights. It’s usually our tradition to get together and we have some soup or just kind of have a low-key evening just with each other in anticipation for out tomorrow. Whatever your tradition is, I hope that it’s a wonderful, wonderful experience. And just know that you’re in our hearts. Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing you’re not alone. You are, for sure, in our hearts. I wish we could all just have a Christmas together, but I don’t know what stadium would do that and I don’t know where it would be in the world. It wouldn’t be cozy. And, so, we have to do this virtually but you are in our hearts and I pray that we are all in each other’s hearts and that we are moving as a community into this Christmas season. So, Merry Christmas. I’ll be saying that again tomorrow, but bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And may this Christmas season be the most meaningful of your life. May you feel intertwined with Spirit of God and may that spirit give you joy knowing that this is all headed somewhere and where we are headed is unspeakably good because we are headed into the restoration of all things. All things are being made new and this is a reason to rejoice. So, Merry Christmas. I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello Daily Audio Bible family, this is John Corrado calling from the Christmas city, Bethlehem Pennsylvania. I hope you’re doing well. I’m so pumped up guys. I’m pumped up for Jesus arrival, can’t wait for that. But I’m pumped up more than anything just to give you guys a couple of quick updates and ask for your continued prayer, of course. So, first of all, love you guys. Thank you so much, every single one of you out there. Love you and I couldn’t live life without you. I apologize for any background noise here I’m on my cell phone in the car on my way to pick up my daughter Kelsey who is coming home from Los Angeles for Christmas from the airport. So, first of all, wow, I am pumped up and just a praise report there is like, Kelsey is coming home. She is living life, she’s going through life, she’s learning lessons and struggles. Life is a struggle. You know, we are promised that it’s gonna be hard, especially as Christians. And so, living up to its name. But she’s coming home and we’re so excited to have her home. And then thank you all so much for praying for my wife Andrea over the past really month and ½. You know, she’s doing really well, she is feeling well. We’re waiting for some results to hear back from the doctor but, like I said and posted on the DAB Friends page, God’s already got the victory in this and we believe truly in His healing power and strength. And no matter what, no matter what, we love God. We love our life and we’re so blessed and so thankful. I love you family. Merry Christmas and I’ll be back in touch again soon. God bless you.

Hi this is Will from Stroudsburg, formerly Will from Waynesborrow. I’ve been a listener since 2012. So, this will be completing my, I guess, seventh revolution around the sun listening to the Daily Audio Bible this year. I called in a few years ago when I was going through a really hard time. My ex-wife now basically just turned her whole personality around and we ended up getting divorced and it’s still a very strange situation with her with her, you know, alienating my children against me and everything else. But that’s not why I called. I called because I just heard Prodigal on the 21st reach out about how this is the worst year of his life, he’s thinking of committing suicide. And I just want to tell you man, when I was going through what I was going through, I literally spent 11 days in jail because I told my daughter that I loved her. That was the individual that I was dealing with and I lost everything. I lost my wife, I lost my house, I lost my vehicles, my job, I lost everything and had nothing. And I’m telling you, until you don’t have anything, until Jesus is all you have, you don’t realize that Jesus is all you need. So please, do not take what is God’s decision, the length of your life into your own hands. You must lean on Him and He will help you endure. So, I just wanted to call you with that encouragement. This is Will from Stroudsburg. Please Prodigal, reach back out and let me know that everything is going better for you. I’m praying for you. Love you brother. Bye.

Hi DAB family, this is Diane calling from Iowa and I’m calling in response to Duane from Wisconsin and his request for prayer. Duane you’ve been so faithful to pray for so many of us. So, I’m happy to pray for you. Sear family let’s pray. Dear God, we come before your throne of grace to lift up our brother Duane and his request for prayer. Lord he’s you requested prayer for visit that he’ll be having with his son who is currently incarcerated. And the Lord we pray for this visit. We pray for sweet fellowship between the two of them. We pray for your peace to fill the rooms and for love to abound between the two of them Lord. And we pray for healing and reconciliation for anything…anything that needs to be healed within the relationship. Lord, I also lift up Duane’s brother who is having hernia surgery and Lord I pray that you would guide the surgeon’s hands, that you would heal and restore his brother’s body from the surgery and that he would have a quick and speedy recovery. I pray all these things in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

Hi, this is Melissa from Houston and I just wanted to call because I just finished listening to the broadcast and I heard Prodigal call in and I wanted to say that, please don’t consider suicide. I understand that it’s hard to not consider it when things are so difficult, and I know __situation but it’s hard what you going through has been hard and it’s heartbreaking and it feels like loss. But I’m so certain in God and I know that God loves you and he still has something for you in spite of what you’re feeling. And I wanted to tell you that…I wanted to ask you not to make the decision that you can’t come back from and to let you know that people love you and that I heard your call. So, I wanted to tell you that I love you and there’s so much you more for you on the other side of this that I want to be able to see and I want you to be able to come from the other side of this and say, yeah, I thought about it. God is so good and everything that’s come out of this has been better for me not having done that. So, I know that this time is hard for a lot of people, but I want to just tell you that I love you, I love all of you. I didn’t get a chance to say Merry Christmas this year, but Merry Christmas and I hope you all have a very happy new year. And Prodigal, I hope I get to hear from you a lot more about good and sometimes the bad things, but I want to keep hearing from you. I love you. Merry Christmas and have a happy new year.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday December 24, 2018 (NIV)

Zechariah 6-7

Eighth Vision: Four Chariots

Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two mountains. The mountains were made of bronze. The first chariot had chestnut[a] horses,(A) the second chariot black horses,(B) the third chariot white horses,(C) and the fourth chariot dappled(D) horses—all strong horses. So I inquired of the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?”

The angel told me, “These are the four spirits[b](E) of heaven going out after presenting themselves to the Lord of the whole earth. The one with the black horses is going to the land of the north, the white horses are going after them, but the dappled horses are going to the land of the south.” As the strong horses went out, they wanted to go patrol the earth, and the Lord said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. Then he summoned me saying, “See, those going to the land of the north have pacified my Spirit in the northern land.”

Crowning of the Branch

The word of the Lord came to me:(F) 10 “Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go that same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Take silver and gold, make a crown,[c] and place it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 You are to tell him: This is what the Lord of Armies says: Here is a man whose name is Branch;(G) he will branch out from his place and build the Lord’s temple. 13 Yes, he will build the Lord’s temple; he will be clothed in splendor(H) and will sit on his throne and rule. There will also be a priest on his throne, and there will be peaceful counsel between the two of them.(I) 14 The crown will reside in the Lord’s temple as a memorial to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen[d] son of Zephaniah. 15 People who are far off will come and build the Lord’s temple, and you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me to you. This will happen when you fully obey the Lord your God.”(J)

Disobedience and Fasting

In the fourth year of King Darius,(K) the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer, Regem-melech, and their men to plead for the Lord’s favor(L) by asking the priests who were at the house of the Lord of Armies as well as the prophets, “Should we mourn and fast in the fifth month as we have done these many years?”

Then the word of the Lord of Armies came to me: “Ask all the people of the land and the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh months for these seventy years, did you really fast for me?(M) When you eat and drink, don’t you eat and drink simply for yourselves?(N) Aren’t these the words that the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and secure,[e] along with its surrounding cities, and when the southern region and the Judean foothills were inhabited?”

The word of the Lord came to Zechariah: “The Lord of Armies says this: ‘Make fair decisions.(O) Show faithful love and compassion(P) to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the resident alien or the poor,(Q) and do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’(R) 11 But they refused to pay attention(S) and turned a stubborn shoulder; they closed their ears so they could not hear.(T) 12 They made their hearts like a rock so as not to obey the law or the words that the Lord of Armies had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets.(U) Therefore intense anger came from the Lord of Armies. 13 Just as he had called, and they would not listen, so when they called, I would not listen, says the Lord of Armies. 14 I scattered them with a windstorm over all the nations that had not known them, and the land was left desolate behind them, with no one coming or going. They turned a pleasant land into a desolation.”

Footnotes:

  1. 6:2 Lit red
  2. 6:5 Or winds
  3. 6:11 Lit crowns
  4. 6:14 Probably Josiah
  5. 7:7 Or prosperous
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Revelation 15

Preparation for the Bowl Judgments

15 Then I saw another great and awe-inspiring sign[a] in heaven:(A) seven angels with the seven last plagues; for with them God’s wrath will be completed.(B) I also saw something like a sea of glass(C) mixed with fire, and those who had won the victory over the beast, its image,[b] and the number of its name, were standing on the sea of glass with harps from God.(D) They sang the song of God’s servant Moses(E) and the song of the Lamb:

Great and awe-inspiring are your works,
Lord God, the Almighty;
just and true(F) are your ways,
King of the nations.[c](G)
Lord, who will not fear
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.(H)
All the nations will come
and worship before you(I)
because your righteous acts
have been revealed.

After this I looked, and the heavenly temple—the tabernacle of testimony(J)—was opened.(K) Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues, dressed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes wrapped around their chests. One of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God who lives forever and ever.(L) Then the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power,(M) and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

Footnotes:

  1. 15:1 Or and awesome symbolic display
  2. 15:2 Other mss add his mark
  3. 15:3 Other mss read ages
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Psalm 143

Psalm 143

A Cry for Help

A psalm of David.

Lord, hear my prayer.
In your faithfulness listen to my plea,
and in your righteousness answer me.(A)
Do not bring your servant into judgment,(B)
for no one alive is righteous in your sight.(C)

For the enemy has pursued me,
crushing me to the ground,
making me live in darkness
like those long dead.(D)
My spirit is weak within me;
my heart is overcome with dismay.(E)

I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all you have done;
I reflect on the work of your hands.(F)
I spread out my hands to you;
I am like parched land before you.(G)Selah

Answer me quickly, Lord;
my spirit fails.(H)
Don’t hide your face from me,
or I will be like those
going down to the Pit.(I)
Let me experience
your faithful love in the morning,
for I trust in you.(J)
Reveal to me the way I should go
because I appeal to you.(K)
Rescue me from my enemies, Lord;
I come to you for protection.[a](L)
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.(M)
May your gracious Spirit
lead me on level ground.(N)

11 For your name’s sake, Lord,
let me live.
In your righteousness deliver me from trouble,(O)
12 and in your faithful love destroy my enemies.
Wipe out all those who attack me,
for I am your servant.(P)

Footnotes:

  1. 143:9 One Hb ms, LXX; some Hb mss read I cover myself to you
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Proverbs 30:24-28

24 Four things on earth are small,
yet they are extremely wise:
25 ants are not a strong people,
yet they store up their food in the summer;(A)
26 hyraxes are not a mighty people,
yet they make their homes in the cliffs;(B)
27 locusts have no king,
yet all of them march in ranks;(C)
28 a lizard[a] can be caught in your hands,
yet it lives in kings’ palaces.

Footnotes:

  1. 30:28 Or spider
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

12/23/2018 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 4:1-5:11, Revelation 14:1-20, Psalms 142:1-7, Proverbs 30:21-23

Today is the 23rd day of December. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and there’s a lot going on around here, right? This is the threshold of a shiny, sparkly, new week. This is Christmas Eve Eve and it also happens to be the last Sunday in the season of Advent. And, of course, the season of Advent ends tomorrow with Christmas Eve and the bells toll at midnight. And, at least according to the tradition, we greet the Savior at Christmas. So, if you’ve got the Advent wreath going in your house or, you know, the candles are being lit at church or whatever, today is the Joy candle, representing the joy comes after a long wait for the Savior to arrive.

Song:

Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emanuel,

and ransom captive Israel

that mourns in lonely exile here

until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

shall come to you, O Israel.

O come, O Wisdom from on high,

who ordered all things mightily;

to us the path of knowledge show

and teach us in its ways to go. Refrain

O come, O come, great Lord of might,

who to your tribes on Sinai’s height

in ancient times did give the law

in cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain

O come, O Branch of Jesse’s stem,

unto your own and rescue them!

From depths of hell your people save,

and give them victory o'er the grave. Refrain

O come, O Key of David, come

and open wide our heavenly home.

Make safe for us the heavenward road

and bar the way to death’s abode. Refrain

O come, O Bright and Morning Star,

and bring us comfort from afar!

Dispel the shadows of the night

and turn our darkness into light. Refrain

O come, O King of nations, bind

in one the hearts of all mankind.

Bid all our sad divisions cease

and be yourself our King of Peace. Refrain

So, we have this brand-new shiny week out in front of us. And this week will certainly encompass the Christmas holiday. So, it’s a unique week that’s in front of us, but one thing is constant, and that is that we take the next step forward every day no matter what the day is. No matter what’s going on we center ourselves in the Scriptures. And this week we’ll read from the Christian Standard Bible. Of course, we’ll pick up where we left off yesterday in the book of Zechariah. Today chapter 4 verse 1 through 5 verse 11.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word and we thank You for bringing us to this point in the year. And it’s shocking sometimes to look forward and realize we’re days away from a brand-new start, a brand-new year, because it seems like we just began this journey not too long ago. And yet You have brought us day by day, step-by-step to this point where we are at one of the most important days of the year that we celebrate and commemorate the world over. But this day, Christmas, represents one of the most profound and impactful things that have ever happened in human history. And, so, we prepare our hearts as we move into this new week with Christmas Eve upon us tomorrow and Christmas Day. There’s  a lot of festivities, so there’s a lot going on, there’s a lot of running around, there’s a lot of last-minute preparations, there’s all kinds of ways to be completely and utterly distracted from what is really going on here. And what is really going on here is a mystery. And, so, Holy Spirit, come and allow us to have space in our hearts to contemplate the longing for a Savior, and the arrival of a Savior. And we thank You, Jesus, for that very thing, for Your arrival and for Your life and for Your redemption. The world has never been the same and we certainly aren’t the same because of it. So, come Holy Spirit as we enter into these next few days. Keep us rooted in and what these days represent, not only to our lives and our families but to humanity. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

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

This is the beginning of the final full week of the year 2018, right? And that obviously includes, you know, everything that’s going on today, it includes Christmas Eve tomorrow, and Christmas Day, Tuesday. So, those days are kinda spoken for. So, we’re like running out of days. We’re moving our way rapidly toward the end of the year and in the end of our time spending this year in the Bible. One week from tomorrow will be the last day that we have to read from the Scriptures in 2018. So, yes, right now everything is all Christmas as it should be. And, yes, let’s immerse our self in everything that the wonder of the season can bring. And I wish…hope, hope, hope, hope for you and your family and everyone that you love…and may you enjoy this final Sunday of Advent and moving us into Christmas Eve.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. And there is a link that lives on the homepage. 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, no matter the season and no matter what’s going on we are a community and we are here for each other. If you’ve 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 Daily Audio Bible family, this is Anna from Los Angeles California and I wanted to give a praise report. There have been people paying and I’ve felt your prayers for my health, for my hair to grow back, for my skin to clear, for my digestive problems to go away. And I have to say, praise Jesus, I am experiencing healing. My hair is growing back. In fact, it’s growing close to an inch a month and I’m just so excited to have this restored. Also, I’ve been asking everyone to pray that my female relationships have been restored. I lost three female friendships this year and every single one of those relationships is starting to be restored. Specifically, two of the women reached out to me without me contacting them and asked for forgiveness. And praise the Lord that He’s the God of restoration. Please continue to pray for Cameron. He’s the young man that I was involved with and because we’re in different places with Christ we cannot be together but continue to pray. I have so much hope for him. Pray that God would set him free and bring him into the family of God, bring him home, and bring us back together in restoration and wholeness. Lord God, I thank You that You are the God who heels and You are the God that answers and I’m claiming Psalms 65:5, it says that God is faithful to answer our prayers. So, thank you for praying in Jesus’ name. Lord we bless you.

Hey everyone, it’s Margo from Australia and I just heard the message left by the Prodigal and I just want to say to you, I’ve been in a similar place. I have been wanting to suicide quite a number of times and God has brought me to that in the most miraculous…well…in the most amazing way. It didn’t happen overnight supernaturally, but if God can do that for me He can do it for you. He doesn’t love me anymore than he loves you. I didn’t deserve His help and neither do you but God does it because He loves us. There is hope for you prodigal. There is hope because there is always hope with God. You may have hit rock bottom, but you know what that means? That means the only way to go now is up. I am going to be praying for you because my heart breaks for you. It’s clear you’ve had a terrible year. Can I encourage you to absolutely immerse yourself in the word of God? I’m talking burying yourself in the Bible every chance you get because that is where your hope and your joy will come from and the Lord will speak to you. He did it for me and He’ll do it for you. Every chance you get, read the Psalms, say them out loud, it’s a form of spiritual warfare, throwing in Satan’s face. Read the Psalms, the Psalms of David. David was where you are right now. King David has been in that place. Did you know the story of what happened with King David? I encourage you to read it. He did terrible things and got himself into a terrible situation and yet the Lord brought him out and he did it, I think, largely through praise. So, not only bury yourself in the word of God but also pray with Him daily even when you don’t feel like it. I will be praying…

Hello from beautiful Cincinnati Ohio, it is Daniel Johnson Junior and I am calling, it is today the 21st of December and I was listening to the prayer requests and I heard the message from the Prodigal and I just stopped the program and called in here. I just want to pray for you and also to encourage you. First of all, you know that you need help. You know that there is hope because you’ve reached out to this community. And you know that you really do not want to take your own life. And I am just begging you, I’m begging you to see through the lies that are being told to you by the enemy so that you can live and thrive. We were made more than just to survive we were made to thrive. And I think that’s my word for next year for myself. Yes, I have been down, and I have had times of…myself…some of what your experiencing. I can’t even imagine what you’re feeling…it’s just…but I know that you have to believe that there is just hope because you would not have reached out to this community. In the Scriptures, anytime that someone has taken a life it has always been looked at is not a good thing. Judas, King Saul, his armor bearer. Those types of things, all those were not looked at as a good thing. And if you decided to, you know, take your own life, it is more…you’re going to hurt more people then you really realize. You are so much worth…you are worth so much more than you realize, and I just want to encourage you and I pray for you. God, please help, reach out right now into this brother’s life and encourage him Lord. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family, this is Dave from Southwest Florida. I called in a while back just about financial problems with the business and my wife’s father. Every time it seems that I call in there are breakthroughs, almost instantly. And I don’t mean to treat this like a drive-through but it seems like your prayers are very, very effective. Thank you. I’ve been involved in a program here in Southwest Florida for several years called Gator Wilderness Boys Camp that works with troubled youth. They had a counselor tragically killed Sunday night. We had just spent several hours with him and after we left he got on his motorcycle and was hit head-on by a truck that came over into his lane. He was taking care of 8 boys 24 hours a day. He was a parent basically to them. Also, there have been other staff members who have been coming under attack. One has a brain tumor, had a brain tumor, he just had surgery. Another has testicular cancer that spread to liver and lungs. And then there’s also a young lady who works there in her early 20s that developed heart problems. It just really seems like the place is coming under spiritual attack. But please, please pray for them. Again, the name is Gator Wilderness Boys Camp. Thanks.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday December 23, 2018 (NIV)

Zechariah 4-5

Fifth Vision: Gold Lampstand

The angel who was speaking with me then returned and roused me as one awakened out of sleep. He asked me, “What do you see?”

I replied, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top. The lampstand also has seven lamps at the top with seven spouts for each of[a] the lamps. There are also two olive trees beside it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

Then I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?”

“Don’t you know what they are?” replied the angel who was speaking with me.

I said, “No, my lord.”

So he answered me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by strength or by might, but by my Spirit,’(A) says the Lord of Armies. ‘What are you, great mountain?(B) Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain.(C) And he will bring out the capstone accompanied by shouts of: Grace, grace to it!’”

Then the word of the Lord came to me:(D) “Zerubbabel’s hands have laid the foundation of this house,(E) and his hands will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me to you. 10 For who despises the day of small things?(F) These seven eyes of the Lord, which scan throughout the whole earth, will rejoice when they see the ceremonial stone[b] in Zerubbabel’s hand.”(G)

11 I asked him, “What are the two olive trees on the right and left of the lampstand?” 12 And I questioned him further, “What are the two streams[c] of the olive trees, from which the golden oil is pouring through the two golden conduits?”

13 Then he inquired of me, “Don’t you know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I replied.

14 “These are the two anointed ones,”[d](H) he said, “who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”(I)

Sixth Vision: Flying Scroll

I looked up again and saw a flying scroll.(J) “What do you see?” he asked me.

“I see a flying scroll,” I replied, “thirty feet[e] long and fifteen feet[f] wide.”(K)

Then he said to me, “This is the curse(L) that is going out over the whole land, for everyone who is a thief, contrary to what is written on one side, has gone unpunished,[g] and everyone who swears falsely, contrary to what is written on the other side, has gone unpunished. I will send it out,”(M)—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—“and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by my name. It will stay inside his house and destroy it along with its timbers and stones.”(N)

Seventh Vision: Woman in the Basket

Then the angel who was speaking with me came forward and told me, “Look up and see what this is that is approaching.”

So I asked, “What is it?”

He responded, “It’s a measuring basket[h] that is approaching.” And he continued, “This is their iniquity[i] in all the land.” Then a lead cover was lifted, and there was a woman(O) sitting inside the basket.(P) “This is Wickedness,” he said. He shoved her down into the basket and pushed the lead weight over its opening. Then I looked up and saw two women approaching with the wind in their wings. Their wings were like those of a stork,(Q) and they lifted up the basket between earth and sky.

10 So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the basket?”

11 “To build a shrine for it in the land of Shinar,”(R) he told me. “When that is ready, the basket will be placed there on its pedestal.”

Footnotes:

  1. 4:2 Or seven lips to
  2. 4:10 Lit the tin stone
  3. 4:12 Or branches
  4. 4:14 = Joshua and Zerubbabel
  5. 5:2 Lit 20 cubits
  6. 5:2 Lit 10 cubits
  7. 5:3 Or side, will be removed
  8. 5:6 Lit It’s an ephah
  9. 5:6 One Hb ms, LXX, Syr; other Hb mss read eye
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Revelation 14

The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion,(A) and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.(B) I heard a sound[a] from heaven like the sound of cascading waters(C) and like the rumbling of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like harpists playing on their harps.(D) They sang[b] a new song(E) before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders,(F) but no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, since they remained virgins.(G) These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were redeemed[c] from humanity as the firstfruits(H) for God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.(I)

The Proclamation of Three Angels

Then I saw another angel(J) flying high overhead,(K) with the eternal gospel to announce to the inhabitants of the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.(L) He spoke with a loud voice:(M) “Fear God(N) and give him glory,(O) because the hour of his judgment has come.(P) Worship the one who made heaven and earth,(Q) the sea and the springs of water.”

And another, a second angel, followed, saying, “It has fallen, Babylon the Great(R) has fallen.[d] She made all the nations drink the wine of her sexual immorality,[e] which brings wrath.”(S)

And another, a third angel, followed them and spoke with a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, which is poured full strength into the cup of his anger.(T) He will be tormented with fire and sulfur(U) in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb, 11 and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever.(V) There is no rest[f](W) day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or anyone who receives the mark(X) of its name. 12 This calls for endurance from the saints,(Y) who keep God’s commands and their faith in Jesus.”[g]

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”(Z)

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “so they will rest from their labors, since their works follow them.”

Reaping the Earth’s Harvest

14 Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and one like the Son of Man[h](AA) was seated on the cloud, with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the one who was seated on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap, for the time to reap has come, since the harvest of the earth is ripe.”(AB) 16 So the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

17 Then another angel who also had a sharp sickle came out of the temple in heaven. 18 Yet another angel, who had authority over fire, came from the altar, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Use your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the vineyard of the earth, because its grapes have ripened.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle at the earth and gathered the grapes from the vineyard of the earth, and he threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.(AC) 20 Then the press was trampled outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press up to the horses’ bridles for about 180 miles.[i](AD)

Footnotes:

  1. 14:2 Or voice
  2. 14:3 Other mss add as it were
  3. 14:4 Other mss add by Jesus
  4. 14:8 Other mss omit the second has fallen
  5. 14:8 Or wine of her passionate immorality
  6. 14:11 Or They have no rest
  7. 14:12 Or and the faith of Jesus, or and faithfulness to Jesus
  8. 14:14 Or like a son of man
  9. 14:20 Lit 1,600 stadia
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Psalm 142

Psalm 142

A Cry of Distress

A Maskil of David. When he was in the cave.(A) A prayer.

I cry aloud to the Lord;(B)
I plead aloud to the Lord for mercy.(C)
I pour out my complaint before him;
I reveal my trouble to him.(D)
Although my spirit is weak within me,
you know my way.(E)
Along this path I travel
they have hidden a trap for me.(F)
Look to the right and see:[a]
no one stands up for me;
there is no refuge for me;
no one cares about me.(G)

I cry to you, Lord;
I say, “You are my shelter,
my portion in the land of the living.”(H)
Listen to my cry,
for I am very weak.(I)
Rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.(J)
Free me from prison
so that I can praise your name.
The righteous will gather around me
because you deal generously with me.(K)

Footnotes:

  1. 142:4 DSS, LXX, Syr, Vg, Tg read I look to the right and I see
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Proverbs 30:21-23

21 The earth trembles under three things;
it cannot bear up under four:
22 a servant when he becomes king,(A)
a fool when he is stuffed with food,
23 an unloved woman when she marries,(B)
and a servant girl when she ousts her queen.

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

12/22/2018 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 1:1-2:21, Revelation 12:1-17, Psalms 140:1-13, Proverbs 30:17

Today is the 22nd day of December. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is a joy to be here with you on Christmas Eve Eve Eve but we’re or headed right into it. We’re ending another of our weeks together and turning the corner into a new weekend. We’ll be greeted by a shiny, sparkly, brand-new blinking Christmas and I’m looking forward to that and I hope you are too. So, we’ve been reading from the New Living Translation this week and that’s how we will finish our week off. And we’ll read from Zechariah chapter 2 verse 1 through 3 verse 10 today.

Commentary:

Alright. So, we’re only days away from Christmas and, you know, if you’ve got kids then they’re probably counting down the hours at this point. And some of us are preparing to travel and we’re packing and getting ready for that and others are making preparations to receive those who are traveling in and that can be across town, that could be from across the ocean, but we’re preparing to you to be together. This coming back together is the joy…one of the joys of Christmas and it should be. And those that have been around us our whole lives, right, maybe as siblings or parents, uncles, aunts, cousins will be reunited. But even though those childhood days may be gone, we’re adults now, maybe even have families of our own or maybe we’re in another city and we’ve built our own life there. When we all get back together it doesn’t take long to fall back into the role we played when we were younger. So, those young, soft places inside, they start getting touched and maybe old words of teasing or scorn, they start to creep in and then the strangeness between generations and, you know, maybe different people in our family hold different convictions than we do. And, so, all these things start rubbing against each other and then before we know it something volatile gets said, and they’re words that kind of just hang out there just waiting to explode and create a bad day and maybe even a bad holiday experience. So, the book of Psalms today gave us some sage advice for navigating the next few days that we’re heading into. The psalmist says, “take control of what I say oh Lord and guard my lips. Don’t let me drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness. Don’t let me share in the delicacies of those who do wrong. Let the godly strike me. It will be a kindness. If they correct me it is soothing medicine. Don’t let me refuse it.” So, we should take that Psalm to heart and let it discipline us in advance so that we don’t find ourselves being the one who says the volatile thing, the thing that’s going to blow everything else up and the dominoes fall and the holiday’s…well…then they get a black mark over them and there are tears and there are apologies and it’s it doesn’t have to happen. So, king David, he’s the one who gave us the words to this prayer but the prayer itself, it forces us to make choices now, right, before the first gift gets unwrapped because in the heat of the moment that’s not the time to start making decisions about how you’re gonna handle your words, right? In the heat of the moment words form and they get spat into the world and they can’t be taken back. So, we have to remember that we were…when we were a kid…you know all these old things start to seep into the family dynamic. That is not who we are. Like, we’re not who we were when we began this journey this year. We spent almost a whole year in the Bible together. We are not the same as we were when we started. And, so, rather than, you know, diving into that haze of conflict that can erupt we can choose to bring light and life and good news where we would have once maybe brought darkness. But if we’re going to do that we have to choose in advance. Like we have to choose now how we’re going to handle ourselves so that in the heat of the moment we can remember, I’ve already made my decision how I’m gonna deal with this. So, let’s remember. I mean, tomorrow is the is the last Sunday of Advent and then it’s Christmas Eve and then it’s Christmas. And this season is the season that reveals that God is not willing to withdraw from our story and its the season that shows us how deeply He’s desiring to be a part of our lives and how intensely He wants to be with us no matter who we are. And that includes those that we find ourselves in conflict with all of the time. So, this is our opportunity to give the joy of Christmas or we can withhold it and see what happens. But whatever we’re gonna do, if we choose in advance we have such a better chance of actually seeing it through.

Prayer:

Father, we pray along with the psalmist. Take control of what I say Lord. Guard my lips. Don’t let me drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness during this holiday season when I am observing the fact that You came to rescue me from all of that. Don’t let me share in the delicacies of those who do wrong. Come Holy Spirit and flow through me. Let me be an agent of light and life and good news to my family and my loved ones. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, its where you find out what’s happening.

And it’s Christmas time and that’s what’s happening. I went to a Christmas program last night. I go to one tomorrow. So, these kinds of things are happening right? And then Christmas Eve we normally do a candlelight service. And, so, it is certainly Christmas time and I doubt anyone of you are surprised by that. Tomorrow is the last Sunday in the season of Advent. And the Christmas Eve on Monday will be the last day of Advent. And, of course, Advent is a means arrival. So, it’s a season to contemplate the arrival of what God did by sending His Son to earth to become one of us and all that the work of Christ represents, not only in our own hearts, but to humanity. So, try to stay in the rhythm, try to find some time to contemplate that. Just sit with that, enjoy some rest, and some silence, and some quiet.

I’ve talked to you about the family Christmas album that we have. You can listen to that, like, wherever you get your music. Like, if you have Apple music or wherever you stream music or get music, you can get the family Christmas album, just search for my name. It’s kinda made for exactly what we’re talking about. It’s the kind of record that you want turn the Christmas lights on and everything else off and just kind of immerse yourself in the season. So, this is something that we have to fight for the closer that we get to Christmas because it’s so busy and yet we can be so busy that we miss what’s actually happening and what this season represents. And, so, try to find some time one way or the other, even if it’s just a few minutes even if it’s to still than the noise that’s going on and just have some inner serenity as we contemplate that God came for us in person. So, check that out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible in these remaining days of the year than thank you profoundly and humbly for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage 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, this is a message for the Prodigal. I just wanted to say that your one of the people whose voices I always recognize the moment you start calling. And your calls are always very insightful and always make a real impact on me. And we really don’t want you to go. You’re needed in this community and no matter how you may feel bad about yourself we love you and God loves you and you’re needed. And I’m calling from Australia. You’re making an impact all around the world and we just don’t want you to go. We need you. So, we hope to continue to hear from you. Thank you.

Hi, my name is Wes, and I’m actually a first-time caller here and I just wanted to start out by saying a huge thanks to Brian and Jill for this amazing podcast. I try to listen to it every day when I can and I’m really just calling in for a person called Prodigal. It just sounds like he’s going through really dark times right now and I can’t imagine what that’s like. And I just have a Bible verse for you, it’s Psalm 23:4 and its, “even though I walked through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” And this verse has helped me get through dark times as well. And just know that God really loves you and I don’t think he created…I know he didn’t create a single human being with the intention to commit suicide. So, we are all praying for you here at the Daily Audio Bible and we want what’s best for you and hopefully you can reach out to other people like maybe in your area as well and hopefully you guys can talk and stuff like. But we’re praying for you and hope for the best.

Hey DAB family, this is Byron out in Florida calling for John, calls himself the Prodigal. Amen, thanks so much for your call on the 21st. I’m sorry you’ve been going through such a rough time having lost so much. I’m thankful that you did call, I’m thankful as always, your honesty. I just want to encourage you that God isn’t done with you yet, not by a long shot. And I don’t know if you heard it but on the same day the first call that aired was from Walta and her encouragement I think was very important for you. And that fact that you wake up every morning with your eyes open is hard and fast proof that God isn’t finished with you yet and He still is more for you to do. Walta doesn’t call herself the burning bush for no reason. She’s been through it and back again and still going through it. So, for her to find that insight is tremendously encouraging not only for me but for you. God is not done with you. You’re searching the Scriptures to find validation for suicide. Search the Scriptures for validations for reasons still being here, that He who began a good work in you will see it to completion. He’ll give wisdom to anyone who asks for it. And our Lord is the Lord who wept when He saw the pain and loss that His children endured. God knows how you feel He’s not far from you, He’s right beside you. So, wait on Him and He will bring it all back. We’re praying for your brother. I love you. Call in again, even if you don’t know what you’re gonna say, we want to hear from you. Bye.

Hi this is Toni from Germany and this call is specifically for the Prodigal. I am grateful that you listened to the priest and I would like you to go back to him. He asked you to come to us. I ask you to go back to him. And then the other thing is, I’m not gonna tell you to do this though I would love to, go get another dog. Alright? I want to as does everyone else on Daily Audio Bible listening to hear your victory story. So, I thank you for hanging in there, for giving thanks to the Lord even in your suffering. And then let’s watch and see how the Lord will help you come to victory in 2019. I’m looking forward to your victory story and that you will be able to bless many others as a result. God bless you. I’ll be praying.

This is for Prodigal. I was in the dollar store last night and there was a lady and two kids behind me in a long line. There was one big kid and then the smaller kid. The bigger kid had a pack of glow sticks and the toddler was screaming for them. The mom opened the pack and gave him one which stopped the tears. He walked around with it smiling and the bigger boy took it and the toddler started screaming again. Just as the mom was about to do something the older child took bent the glow stick and handed it back to the toddler. As we walked outside the store at the same time the toddler noticed that the stick was now glowing, and his brother said, “I had to break it so that you could get the full effect from it.” I could hear that saying to me, “I had to break you to show you why I created you. You had to go through it so that you can fulfill your purpose.” The precious child was happy just swinging that unbroken glow stick around in the air because he didn’t understand what it was created to do, which was to glow. There’s some people who will be contentious being but some of us that God has chosen, we have to be broken, we have to get sick, we have to lose a job, we have to we go through divorce, we have to burry our spouse, our parents, our best friend and / or our child. In those moments of desperation God is breaking us but when the breaking is done then we’ll be able to see the reason for which we were created. So, when you see us glowing just know that we have been broken but healed by His grace and His mercy. You can keep going the way you’ve been going Prodigal, knowing where that may lead, or you can give yourself a real chance for a better life. The fact that you’re listening to this shows that you want another option. There’s only one real source of hope for a life that possesses meaning, fulfillment and joy and that source is Jesus Christ as you know. Speaking about his followers Jesus said in John 10:10, I have come that they may have life and to have it to the full. Through your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, Prodigal, you can experience overflowing love and forgiveness and peace and joy in your…

Good morning daily audio Bible family, this is Dorothy from Dustin. And I just heard Prodigal call and my heart is breaking for you. Please, please don’t take your life because God gave it to you and he has a purpose for you and a plan for you and He is the great Redeemer, He is the God of second chances. Please don’t do this. I know it’s hard. It’s hard for me it’s hard for so many people at this time of year but your God is a great God and He loves you so very much. He has a plan for you. Don’t take His plan. This time next year will be a faint memory and He’s gonna do something wonderful for you and let that take place. I’m praying for you and I know so many others are. Lord Jesus, we lift Prodigal up to you right now. We thank You for his life. We know how much You love him. Please show him Your love, reveal it to him through people and through situations Lord. At this time of year Lord, we thank You for Your birth, we thank You for coming for us and we thank You for Your son prodigal. Bless him Lord Jesus. Merry Christmas my family. Thank you for this Brian. Thank you for this outreach it’s so precious to me and Sue so many. Merry Christmas.

Hey, my brother Prodigal, I heard you loud and clear today. Man, I balled my eyes out for a second. I am so encouraged that you called. God Almighty is answering your prayers. I too have been there. This is Alex from San Diego, Friday the 21st. My friend, I hope you have ears to hear right now. It’s to all the prodigal’s out there who have had those thoughts, who have not yet been transformed by the renewing of their mind. My answer is a revelation to me where Jesus told me, yes you must die, you must pick up your cross and follow me. We’re gonna go die. Where gonna go die that old man, that old way of thinking. That arrogant, prideful, selfish jerk that I once was had to die, and I needed to be made new and I found my answers in Romans chapter 8. My plan sat there in plain sight. In order to lose my life, I needed to find it. No, I needed to lose my life completely to find it. In the name of Jesus I pray that you hear these words. Romans 8:13 told me finally one day and I got it. It says if you, Alex, if you, Prodigal, if you put to death the deed of the flesh you will live. And I started to get a deeper understanding that I had a job to do. I had to put down that arrogance, I had to put down that anger. I had to stop pointing and picking on things on my computer that I did not need to point and click on. I needed to stop listening to that music that didn’t give me anything but in my old thoughts. I had to transfer my whole way of doing things so that I could find a new life and I pray that this message goes out and that its put on the air and that you hear it my friend, that you stop doing what you’ve been doing and become that born-again spirit, man that can find the abundant life. You cannot have a victory in those old thoughts that you’re thinking right now. They don’t belong. That’s the adversary. He wants to take you out. In God Almighty reaching through these airwaves.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday December 22, 2018 (NIV)

Zechariah 2-3

Future Prosperity of Jerusalem

[a]When I looked again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. “Where are you going?” I asked.

He replied, “I am going to measure Jerusalem, to see how wide and how long it is.”

Then the angel who was with me went to meet a second angel who was coming toward him. The other angel said, “Hurry, and say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem will someday be so full of people and livestock that there won’t be room enough for everyone! Many will live outside the city walls. Then I, myself, will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the Lord. And I will be the glory inside the city!’”

The Exiles Are Called Home

The Lord says, “Come away! Flee from Babylon in the land of the north, for I have scattered you to the four winds. Come away, people of Zion, you who are exiled in Babylon!”

After a period of glory, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me[b] against the nations who plundered you. For he said, “Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession.[c] I will raise my fist to crush them, and their own slaves will plunder them.” Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.

10 The Lord says, “Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem,[d] for I am coming to live among you. 11 Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me to you. 12 The land of Judah will be the Lord’s special possession in the holy land, and he will once again choose Jerusalem to be his own city. 13 Be silent before the Lord, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling.”

Cleansing for the High Priest

Then the angel showed me Jeshua[e] the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan,[f] was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Jeshua. And the Lord said to Satan, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.”

Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. So the angel said to the others standing there, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And turning to Jeshua he said, “See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.”

Then I said, “They should also place a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the Lord stood by.

Then the angel of the Lord spoke very solemnly to Jeshua and said, “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: If you follow my ways and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk among these others standing here.

“Listen to me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets.[g] I will engrave an inscription on it, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day.

10 “And on that day, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, each of you will invite your neighbor to sit with you peacefully under your own grapevine and fig tree.”

Footnotes:

  1. 2:1 Verses 2:1-13 are numbered 2:5-17 in Hebrew text.
  2. 2:8a The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  3. 2:8b Hebrew Anyone who touches you touches the pupil of his eye.
  4. 2:10 Hebrew O daughter of Zion.
  5. 3:1a Hebrew Joshua, a variant spelling of Jeshua; also in 3:3, 4, 6, 8, 9.
  6. 3:1b Hebrew The satan; similarly in 3:2.
  7. 3:9 Hebrew seven eyes.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Revelation 13

The Beast out of the Sea

13 Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God. This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority.

I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?”

Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months. And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling—that is, those who dwell in heaven.[a] And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.[b]

Anyone with ears to hear
should listen and understand.
10 Anyone who is destined for prison
will be taken to prison.
Anyone destined to die by the sword
will die by the sword.

This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.

The Beast out of the Earth

11 Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. 14 And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. 15 He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die.

16 He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. 17 And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. 18 Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[c] His number is 666.[d]

Footnotes:

  1. 13:6 Some manuscripts read and his dwelling and all who dwell in heaven.
  2. 13:8 Or not written in the Book of Life before the world was made—the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered.
  3. 13:18a Or of humanity.
  4. 13:18b Some manuscripts read 616.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Psalm 141

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry!
Listen when I cry to you for help!
Accept my prayer as incense offered to you,
and my upraised hands as an evening offering.

Take control of what I say, O Lord,
and guard my lips.
Don’t let me drift toward evil
or take part in acts of wickedness.
Don’t let me share in the delicacies
of those who do wrong.

Let the godly strike me!
It will be a kindness!
If they correct me, it is soothing medicine.
Don’t let me refuse it.

But I pray constantly
against the wicked and their deeds.
When their leaders are thrown down from a cliff,
the wicked will listen to my words and find them true.
Like rocks brought up by a plow,
the bones of the wicked will lie scattered without burial.[a]

I look to you for help, O Sovereign Lord.
You are my refuge; don’t let them kill me.
Keep me from the traps they have set for me,
from the snares of those who do wrong.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
but let me escape.

Footnotes:

  1. 141:7 Hebrew our bones will be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Proverbs 30:18-20

18 There are three things that amaze me—
no, four things that I don’t understand:
19 how an eagle glides through the sky,
how a snake slithers on a rock,
how a ship navigates the ocean,
how a man loves a woman.

20 An adulterous woman consumes a man,
then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?”

New Living Translation (NLT)

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