12/26/2019 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 am Brian. It is an honor to be here with you post-Christmas, right, like day after Christmas and yeah, like wow, a lot of leftovers, maybe some shopping, maybe some friends and family are gonna be here for the rest week, maybe your traveling today, who knows. What I do know is that it is wonderful and an honor and a joy to be here around the Global Campfire where no matter where we have traveled to or no matter where we are going we…we have this place and we come in out of the cold and just center ourselves together around God’s word and allow it to speak into our lives. And, so, that will take us today back into the book of Zechariah. We’re reading from the Good News Translation this week. Today Zechariah chapter 9.

Prayer:

Father…Father, we thank You for that right at the end because…because we are in a season where we react much more than we stop and think and…and perhaps it doesn’t matter what season were in, perhaps that’s our status quo is to react and not stop and think, but especially in this season where things can be volatile we invite Your Holy Spirit. This is wisdom’s words, and this is something that we’re supposed to live into. So, if we have been foolish enough to be arrogant and we may have done that over the last few days and plan evil, well then, we should stop and think. So, we take this moment to acknowledge that and to stop and think. And as we move from this time together we ask Your Holy Spirit to help us to do that to…to go through this day thinking about what we’re going to say, whether or not we’re going to be foolish, whether or not we’re gonna be arrogant, whether we’re craft evil plans of some sort. Help us Holy Spirit to stop and think before we engage in our thoughts, words, and deeds. It’s just that little beat, just that little second that Your Holy Spirit indwells, and we can listen, or we can ignore and go our own way, but we want to stop and think. And, so come Holy Spirit into this day where we may be out shopping, exchanging, fighting for parking places, finding all kinds of situations to be stressful. Help us Father to remember to stop and think. We pray this in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, its where you find out what’ s going on around here. So, certainly stay tuned and stay connected. We are in the final days of this year and of this decade. I cannot believe Christmas was yesterday. I guess I still have that glow, but it’s like wow that comes and goes quickly and we get into this day and we start turning our attention to how to dismantle all the things that we’ve built up for Christmas and how to kind of get ready to sail into the new year. And, so, I’m kind of there to. And I’ve started a lot of years, so I have some experience with this and I’ve learned over the years the way to start a new year strong is to finish the one you’re in strong. And, so, that's…that’s what I’m focusing on. I’m sure that’s what you’re focusing on too as we focus on the remaining days that will lead us to the final chapters of the Bible. And after that, a brand-new beginning, which I’m looking forward too. And one of the ways we do that is to stay connected as we take our journey through the Scriptures. So, stay connected at the at the website or through the app in any way that you can and in any way that you want to.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible as we approach the end of this year and decade then I as I say most every day, I can’t thank you enough. The reality is we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t do this together and I’m grateful, grateful, grateful that we have been here together all of these years. So, there is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you are using the Daily Audio Bible app, 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 you can hit the Hotline button, the little red button in the app at the top or you can dial 877-942-4253.

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

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday December 26, 2019 (NIV)

Zechariah 9

Judgment on Neighboring Nations

(A)This is the Lord's message:

He has decreed punishment for the land of Hadrach and for the city of Damascus. Not only the tribes of Israel but also the capital of Syria belong to the Lord. Hamath, which borders on Hadrach, also belongs to him, and so do the cities of Tyre and Sidon, with all their skill. Tyre has built fortifications for herself and has piled up so much silver and gold that it is as common as dirt! But the Lord will take away everything she has. He will throw her wealth into the sea, and the city will be burned to the ground.

(B)The city of Ashkelon will see this and be afraid. The city of Gaza will see it and suffer great pain. So will Ekron, and her hopes will be shattered. Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will be left deserted. People of mixed race will live in Ashdod. The Lord says, “I will humble all these proud Philistines. They will no longer eat meat with blood in it, or other forbidden food. All the survivors will become part of my people and be like a clan in the tribe of Judah. Ekron will become part of my people, as the Jebusites[a] did. I will guard my land and keep armies from passing through it. I will not allow tyrants to oppress my people any more. I have seen how my people have suffered.”

The Future King

(C)Rejoice, rejoice, people of Zion!
Shout for joy, you people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you!
He comes triumphant and victorious,
but humble and riding on a donkey—
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

10 (D)The Lord says,

“I will remove the war chariots from Israel
and take the horses from Jerusalem;
the bows used in battle will be destroyed.
Your king will make peace among the nations;
he will rule from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.”

The Restoration of God's People

11 (E)The Lord says,

“Because of my covenant with you
that was sealed by the blood of sacrifices,
I will set your people free—
free from the waterless pit of exile.
12 Return, you exiles who now have hope;
return to your place of safety.
Now I tell you that I will repay you twice over
with blessing for all you have suffered.
13 I will use Judah like a soldier's bow
and Israel like the arrows.
I will use the men of Zion like a sword,
to fight the men of Greece.”

14 The Lord will appear above his people;
he will shoot his arrows like lightning.
The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;
he will march in the storms from the south.
15 The Lord Almighty will protect his people,
and they will destroy their enemies.
They will shout in battle like drunk men
and will shed the blood of their enemies;
it will flow like the blood of a sacrifice
poured on the altar from a bowl.[b]

16 When that day comes, the Lord will save his people,
as a shepherd saves his flock from danger.
They will shine in his land
like the jewels of a crown.
17 How good and beautiful the land will be!
The young people will grow strong on its grain and wine.

Footnotes:

  1. Zechariah 9:7 The original inhabitants of Jerusalem, who became David's subjects after he captured the city.
  2. Zechariah 9:15 Verse 15 in Hebrew is unclear.
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Revelation 17

The Famous Prostitute

17 (A)Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came to me and said, “Come, and I will show you how the famous prostitute is to be punished, that great city that is built near many rivers. (B)The kings of the earth practiced sexual immorality with her, and the people of the world became drunk from drinking the wine of her immorality.”

(C)The Spirit took control of me, and the angel carried me to a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a red beast that had names insulting to God written all over it; the beast had seven heads and ten horns. (D)The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and covered with gold ornaments, precious stones, and pearls. In her hand she held a gold cup full of obscene and filthy things, the result of her immorality. On her forehead was written a name that has a secret meaning: “Great Babylon, the mother of all prostitutes and perverts in the world.” And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's people and the blood of those who were killed because they had been loyal to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was completely amazed. “Why are you amazed?” the angel asked me. “I will tell you the secret meaning of the woman and of the beast that carries her, the beast with seven heads and ten horns. (E)That beast was once alive, but lives no longer; it is about to come up from the abyss and will go off to be destroyed. The people living on earth whose names have not been written before the creation of the world in the book of the living, will all be amazed as they look at the beast. It was once alive; now it no longer lives, but it will reappear.

“This calls for wisdom and understanding. The seven heads are seven hills, on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings: 10 five of them have fallen, one still rules, and the other one has not yet come; when he comes, he must rule only a little while. 11 And the beast that was once alive, but lives no longer, is itself an eighth king who is one of the seven and is going off to be destroyed.

12 (F)“The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet begun to rule, but who will be given authority to rule as kings for one hour with the beast. 13 These ten all have the same purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will fight against the Lamb; but the Lamb, together with his called, chosen, and faithful followers, will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings.”

15 The angel also said to me, “The waters you saw, on which the prostitute sits, are nations, peoples, races, and languages. 16 The ten horns you saw and the beast will hate the prostitute; they will take away everything she has and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and destroy her with fire. 17 For God has placed in their hearts the will to carry out his purpose by acting together and giving to the beast their power to rule until God's words come true.

18 “The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Psalm 145

A Hymn of Praise[a]

145 I will proclaim your greatness, my God and king;
I will thank you forever and ever.
Every day I will thank you;
I will praise you forever and ever.
The Lord is great and is to be highly praised;
his greatness is beyond understanding.

What you have done will be praised from one generation to the next;
they will proclaim your mighty acts.
They will speak of your glory and majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds.
People will speak of your mighty deeds,
and I will proclaim your greatness.
They will tell about all your goodness
and sing about your kindness.
The Lord is loving and merciful,
slow to become angry and full of constant love.
He is good to everyone
and has compassion on all he made.

10 All your creatures, Lord, will praise you,
and all your people will give you thanks.
11 They will speak of the glory of your royal power
and tell of your might,
12 so that everyone will know your mighty deeds
and the glorious majesty of your kingdom.
13 Your rule is eternal,
and you are king forever.

The Lord is faithful to his promises;
he is merciful in all his acts.
14 He helps those who are in trouble;
he lifts those who have fallen.

15 All living things look hopefully to you,
and you give them food when they need it.
16 You give them enough
and satisfy the needs of all.

17 The Lord is righteous in all he does,
merciful in all his acts.
18 He is near to those who call to him,
who call to him with sincerity.
19 He supplies the needs of those who honor him;
he hears their cries and saves them.
20 He protects everyone who loves him,
but he will destroy the wicked.

21 I will always praise the Lord;
let all his creatures praise his holy name forever.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 145:1 HEBREW TITLE: A song of praise by David.
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 30:32

32 If you have been foolish enough to be arrogant and plan evil, stop and think!

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

12/25/2019 DAB Transcript

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

Today is the 25th day of December. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is great to be here with you today. Obviously, today is Christmas Day. So, Merry Christmas. What a day of celebration. Joy to the world, the Lord has come.

Song:

Joy to the World

Alright. So, even though it’s Christmas day and there’s a lot going on such, it is such a joy and an honor to be here on Christmas around this Global Campfire, maintaining this rhythm of allowing God’s word to speak into our lives every day, no matter what day it is. It is a joy to be here with you on Christmas day, taking the next step forward in the Scriptures. And we’ve the reading from the Good News Translation this week. So, we’ll continue with that. And today we’ll read from Zechariah, chapter 8.

Commentary:

Okay. So, this…this marks my 14th Christmas of reading the Daily Audio Bible. So, this is my 14th Christmas day reading this portion of Scripture. And it's…it’s really interesting. I mean…in years gone by, I can read this portion of Scripture and go like, “man…could there be any other portion of Scripture that we could read on Christmas day because this is…this is just a lot of judgment and a lot of really horrible, horrible things happening on the earth in the book of Revelation. And I, you know, my…I mean…my temperament…I’ve been a creative my entire…I mean…I’ve made my way in the world by creating things. And, so, that kind of gives me a natural kind of melancholy temperament. And, so, when the rhythms of my life change, like if I’m finishing a lengthy project and finally that it’s done and there’s that lull or there’s the disruption of the patterns of life like Christmas and there’s kind of sort of this pause, this lull, this different thing. Even though it may be incredibly joyous, just underneath it all is like the blues, I guess, is the best way to describe it. Sort of this unsettledness, this…this I don’t think I would go as far as to say depression or anything just kind of like, why, why isn’t everything right today. Everything. Everything around me, like friends, family, gifts, joy, festivities, feasting all…all of the things that we should do to commemorate and celebrate the arrival of the Savior. Like it’s all here, it's…it’s all good, why does it feel like something’s missing? And I usually…like I can feel it even as I’m talking about it. And, you know, being an introvert with a lot of festivity and a lot of people around, at some point during the day I will sneak away for a few minutes somewhere and just, you know, kind of breathe and then it just kind of bubbles up and I can…I can feel that, that kind of melancholy, that kind of, “what is missing from an otherwise perfect day that would make me feel this way? What am I missing? What is it that I can’t name? What is it that I can’t find that’s causing this?” And I don’t think I’m alone. I’ve talked to a lot of people in my life. I don’t think I’m alone. I think more of us than not experience this at some point during this season. And over the years, I’ve even taken that, the questioned God, “what is this? Like, what am I missing? I am tuned in. Like, I am so thankful and so grateful that you would come and rescue I…I can’t even believe the story that I’m celebrating today because it changes everything in the world. And, so, I am rejoicing and it is joy to the world and I am happy and what is going on here? And I’ve even…even read the stories from Revelation, read this passage of Scripture on Christmas day and thought, “man…what is going on here because this just kinda feeds into it.” But I’ve realized, at least with this particular portion of Scripture over the years, something…something pretty important for us to remember and maybe even some words to touch the empty place inside that…that many of us feel at some point today. Yesterday in Revelation we were standing in a very, very interesting place that’s very hard to imagine. We were standing on the shores of sea of glass on fire and next to that sea were the remaining brothers and sisters who had endured until the end and God had given them harps and they were singing a song of worship, an ancient song of Moses, but also the fact that this is a prophetic vision and this is in the future. So, we’re like standing there with our brothers and sisters who endured until the end watching them worship God. And, so, we turn the page and we get to today and there is these bowls of God’s wrath being poured out upon the earth, and it just seems completely merciless because it pretty much is because what we’re seeing today is our little baby Jesus, born helpless, lying in a manger. We’re seeing him all grown up. And what’s happening in the book of Revelation today isn’t just God being mad and foretelling some kind of judgment with the invitation to return to Him. Everyone that is going to return to Him has. What we’re seeing today is a merciless outpouring of God’s wrath upon evil itself. Unfortunately, as the story goes, there are people that are swept up into that and those are the ones who refused…refused in the face of utter destruction to turn to God and live. But nevertheless this is an all out attack by the God of Angel armies, the Savior, on evil on the things that have been destroying the planet and destroying the people. And isn’t that what we’re praying for when we pray come Lord Jesus? Isn’t that what we’re asking for when we ask God to make all things new again? Isn’t this our hope, that one day evil itself will be eradicated and annihilated from existence? Wow. That is a Christmas story because Christmas carried the story of God’s redemptive power and plan forward. So, for me, as I’ve snuck away to have private moments on Christmas and just kind of sit with the feeling that something’s missing, or something’s not right I’ve thought to myself, that's…that’s how it is. Like what I’m feeling is deep, I can’t name it because it’s cheaper than my words. It’s my soul, longing to be restored. It is my soul longing for things to be as they are supposed to be. When we read this passage in Revelation, we have a prophetic vision that God fully intends to restore all things. But in order for that to happen the deception that has been deceiving the human race since the Garden of Eden must be eradicated and annihilated. Before all things become new all things that are old need to pass away. And what a metaphor for us on this day. What a metaphor for us as we move into the final week of the year. The old has to pass away for the new to come. And even in our own lives when we face struggles we might fight so hard just to return to the status quo when God may be inserting obstacles in our way that are intended to rid us of the old so that the new can come, so that this longing that just never really goes away inside of us, this longing for restoration so that it can actually happen.

So, I’m not sure how festive the Christmas message this is for me to give to you today. I am quite certain there is no shortage of wonderful, magnificent Christmas retellings and Christmas messages for today. This is just what Christmas kind of shapes up like for me and I know I’m not alone. And if you feel that and maybe you experience it is loneliness or maybe, you know, you experience it as an any number of disruptive emotions. But probably if you sit with that, maybe loneliness would be the thing because maybe your alone today or maybe that…maybe somebody’s missing…like my mom…and my mom is missing from the world and I hate that at this time of year, that my father is gone from this world, I hate that at this time of year. So, it’s easy for us like to identify like a loneliness or loss or grief or any of these things, but I believe that if we actually can get still for a few minutes that what this boils down to is a deep ancient longing. We are groaning along with all of creation for restoration, and it is so good. It is so good to find that place because Christmas represents the fact that we are headed in that direction if we are in Christ

Prayer:

And, so, I pray a blessed Christmas over You. Holy Spirit we invite You. We realize that there is no where we can go from Your presence. And, so, You are in and among us as a community all over the world. As we celebrate Your arrival, You’re coming for us and we invite Your Holy Spirit into these places that…that feel out of…out of sync with the holiday. We invite You into those places of deep longing and we ask that You whisper into our souls, the truth that all things are being made new, that we are going somewhere and that that somewhere is good. And we thank You Jesus, for coming for us and modeling life for us. And we ask as the spirit of Christmas, as all of these festivities are at their height today, that we embrace them fully, that we drink deeply…deeply of joy today. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

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

Song:

Joy to the World

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday December 25, 2019 (NIV)

Zechariah 8

The Lord Promises to Restore Jerusalem

The Lord Almighty gave this message to Zechariah: “I have longed to help Jerusalem because of my deep love for her people, a love which has made me angry with her enemies. I will return to Jerusalem, my holy city, and live there. It will be known as the faithful city, and the hill of the Lord Almighty[a] will be called the sacred hill. Once again old men and women, so old that they use canes when they walk, will be sitting in the city squares. And the streets will again be full of boys and girls playing.

“This may seem impossible to those of the nation who are now left, but it's not impossible for me. I will rescue my people from the lands where they have been taken, and will bring them back from east and west to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, ruling over them faithfully and justly.

“Have courage! You are now hearing the same words the prophets spoke at the time the foundation was being laid for rebuilding my Temple. 10 Before that time no one could afford to hire either men or animals, and no one was safe from enemies. I turned people against one another. 11 But now I am treating the survivors of this nation differently. 12 They will plant their crops in peace. Their vines will bear grapes, the earth will produce crops, and there will be plenty of rain. I will give all these blessings to the people of my nation who survive. 13 People of Judah and Israel! In the past foreigners have cursed one another by saying, ‘May the same disasters fall on you that fell on Judah and Israel!’ But I will save you, and then those foreigners will say to one another, ‘May you receive the same blessings that came to Judah and Israel!’ So have courage and don't be afraid.”

14 The Lord Almighty says, “When your ancestors made me angry, I planned disaster for them and did not change my mind, but carried out my plans. 15 But now I am planning to bless the people of Jerusalem and Judah. So don't be afraid. 16 (A)These are the things you should do: Speak the truth to one another. In the courts give real justice—the kind that brings peace. 17 Do not plan ways of harming one another. Do not give false testimony under oath. I hate lying, injustice, and violence.”

18 The Lord Almighty gave this message to Zechariah: 19 “The fasts held in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will become festivals of joy and gladness for the people of Judah. You must love truth and peace.”

20 The Lord Almighty says, “The time is coming when people from many[b] cities will come to Jerusalem. 21 Those from one city will say to those from another, ‘We are going to worship the Lord Almighty and pray for his blessing. Come with us!’ 22 Many[c] peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord Almighty and to pray for his blessing. 23 In those days ten foreigners will come to one Jew and say, ‘We want to share in your destiny, because we have heard that God is with you.’”

Footnotes:

  1. Zechariah 8:3 Mount Zion (see Zion in Word List).
  2. Zechariah 8:20 many; or great.
  3. Zechariah 8:22 many; or great.

Cross references:

  1. Zechariah 8:16 : Eph 4:25
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Revelation 16

The Bowls of God's Anger

16 Then I heard a loud voice speaking from the temple to the seven angels: “Go and pour out the seven bowls of God's anger on the earth!”

(A)The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Terrible and painful sores appeared on those who had the mark of the beast and on those who had worshiped its image.

Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea. The water became like the blood of a dead person, and every living creature in the sea died.

(B)Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “The judgments you have made are just, O Holy One, you who are and who were! They poured out the blood of God's people and of the prophets, and so you have given them blood to drink. They are getting what they deserve!” Then I heard a voice from the altar saying, “Lord God Almighty! True and just indeed are your judgments!”

Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to burn people with its fiery heat. They were burned by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God, who has authority over these plagues. But they would not turn from their sins and praise his greatness.

10 (C)Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. Darkness fell over the beast's kingdom, and people bit their tongues because of their pain, 11 and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not turn from their evil ways.

12 (D)Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River. The river dried up, to provide a way for the kings who come from the east. 13 Then I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs. They were coming out of the mouth of the dragon, the mouth of the beast, and the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are the spirits of demons that perform miracles. These three spirits go out to all the kings of the world, to bring them together for the battle on the great Day of Almighty God.

15 (E)“Listen! I am coming like a thief! Happy is he who stays awake and guards his clothes, so that he will not walk around naked and be ashamed in public!”

16 (F)Then the spirits brought the kings together in the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl in the air. A loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!” 18 (G)There were flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder, and a terrible earthquake. There has never been such an earthquake since the creation of human beings; this was the worst earthquake of all! 19 (H)The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of all countries were destroyed. God remembered great Babylon and made her drink the wine from his cup—the wine of his furious anger. 20 (I)All the islands disappeared, all the mountains vanished. 21 (J)Huge hailstones, each weighing as much as a hundred pounds, fell from the sky on people, who cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because it was such a terrible plague.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Psalm 144

A King Thanks God for Victory[a]

144 Praise the Lord, my protector!
He trains me for battle
and prepares me for war.
He is my protector and defender,
my shelter and savior,
in whom I trust for safety.
He subdues the nations under me.

(A)Lord, what are mortals, that you notice them;
mere mortals, that you pay attention to us?
We are like a puff of wind;
our days are like a passing shadow.

O Lord, tear the sky open and come down;
touch the mountains, and they will pour out smoke.
Send flashes of lightning and scatter your enemies;
shoot your arrows and send them running.
Reach down from above,
pull me out of the deep water, and rescue me;
save me from the power of foreigners,
who never tell the truth
and lie even under oath.

I will sing you a new song, O God;
I will play the harp and sing to you.
10 You give victory to kings
and rescue your servant David.
11 Save me from my cruel enemies;
rescue me from the power of foreigners,
who never tell the truth
and lie even under oath.

12 May our sons in their youth
be like plants that grow up strong.
May our daughters be like stately columns
which adorn the corners of a palace.
13 May our barns be filled
with crops of every kind.
May the sheep in our fields
bear young by the tens of thousands.
14 May our cattle reproduce plentifully
without miscarriage or loss.
May there be no cries of distress in our streets.

15 Happy is the nation of whom this is true;
happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 144:1 HEBREW TITLE: By David.
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 30:29-31

29 There are four things that are impressive to watch as they walk:

30 lions, strongest of all animals and afraid of none;
31 goats, strutting roosters,
and kings in front of their people.[a]

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 30:31 Verse 31 in Hebrew is unclear.
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

12/24/2019 DAB Transcript

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

Today is the 24th day of December. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. December 24th obviously means this is Christmas eve. And, so…so, Christmas is upon us, and I am…I’m so grateful that we get to enjoy this season together. And I’m trying to really embrace that attitude of gratefulness today, gratefulness for my brothers and sisters that make up the body of Christ, that we all need to be a part of all because God chose to condescend himself down to a form like us and become one of us and come into the world and rescue us and show us what life can look like and show us the narrow path that leads to it. So, I am grateful today on this eve of Christmas day. And we’ve got another step to take forward. Doesn’t matter whether it’s Christmas day or any other day of the year. We have a rhythm and we allow God’s word to be a part of that rhythm by speaking into our lives. And, so, we’re reading from the Good News Translation this week. And today, this Christmas Eve we will read Zechariah chapter 6 and 7.

Commentary:

Okay. So, on this Christmas Eve in the book of Revelation we were taken to the…the banks of a sea made of glass mixed with fire. So, let’s just take a second and imagine a sea of glass…so…that could be glass…that…that could be glass…like…glass, right? Or that could be that it was very, very calm, a sea that’s very calm mixed with fire. So, we just have to imagine that. And standing next to the sea were those who had endured, those who had overcome, who had won the victory over the beast and its image by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. They’re standing by the sea of glass, and each of them are holding harps that were given to them by God. What a treasure. And they were singing a song, and the Bible identifies the song as the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. So, there singing a song of worship by the side of an ocean of glass mixed with fire. And these are the ones who endured until the end. And that…that might not sound like baby Jesus in a manger, right? Like, that…that might not sound very Christmas-y, but they sang a song of worship to Jesus. So, what we have in the book of Revelation today is a worship song from the past, the song of Moses to the Lamb, which is Jesus taking place in the future. And this worship song is…is t Jesus. And, so, on this Christmas Eve, let’s hear, let’s embrace, let’s participate in this worship that has been recorded for us but has not yet happened. “Lord God Almighty, how great and wonderful are your deeds! King of the nations, how right and true are your ways! Who will not stand in awe of you, Lord? Who will refuse to declare your greatness? You alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship you, because your just actions are seen by all.”

Prayer:

Father we worship You. You are the one who was and is and is to come. And on this day that we mark the eve of Your arrival. We drink in the fact that You aren’t only a helpless baby Jesus, You are the most high God, and You did come in all humility, almost undercover as it were, and You lived a life of humility. And we ask Holy Spirit that You would help us to enter into that humility over the course of the next couple of days. The most momentous event in the history of the world was accomplished in humility, and not just human humility, the humility of the God of Angel armies. And, so, we recognize this all-powerful Savior and we invite Your Holy Spirit to hover in and among all of the thoughts, words, and deeds of today in this evening and tomorrow, all of the festivities that are going on. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the mighty name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Song:

O Holy Night

O Holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appears and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is Peace
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us Praise His Holy name
Christ is the Lord; O praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim
His power and glory evermore proclaim

Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday December 24, 2019 (NIV)

Zechariah 6-7

The Vision of the Four Chariots

I had another vision. This time I saw four chariots coming out from between two bronze mountains. (A)The first chariot was pulled by red horses, the second by black horses, (B)the third by white horses, and the fourth by dappled horses. Then I asked the angel, “Sir, what do these chariots mean?”

(C)He answered, “These are the four winds; they have just come from the presence of the Lord of all the earth.”

The chariot pulled by the black horses was going north to Babylonia, the white horses were going to the west, and the dappled horses were going to the country in the south. As the dappled horses came out, they were impatient to go and inspect the earth. The angel said, “Go and inspect the earth!”—and they did. Then the angel cried out to me, “The horses that went north to Babylonia have quieted the Lord's anger.”

The Command to Crown Joshua

The Lord gave me this message. 10 He said, “Take the gifts given by the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, and go at once to the home of Josiah son of Zephaniah. All of them have returned from exile in Babylonia. 11 Make a crown out of the silver and gold they have given, and put it on the head of the High Priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak. 12 (D)Tell him that the Lord Almighty says, ‘The man who is called The Branch will flourish where he is and rebuild the Lord's Temple. 13 He is the one who will build it and receive the honor due a king, and he will rule his people. A priest will stand by his throne, and they will work together in peace and harmony.’ 14 The crown will be a memorial in the Lord's Temple in honor of Heldai,[a] Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Josiah.”[b]

15 Men who live far away will come and help to rebuild the Temple of the Lord. And when it is rebuilt, you will know that the Lord Almighty sent me to you. This will all happen if you fully obey the commands of the Lord your God.

The Lord Condemns Insincere Fasting

In the fourth year that Darius was emperor, on the fourth day of the ninth month (the month of Kislev), the Lord gave me a message.

The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to the Temple of the Lord Almighty to pray for the Lord's blessing and to ask the priests and the prophets this question: “Should we continue to mourn because of the destruction of the Temple, by fasting in the fifth month as we have done for so many years now?”

This is the message of the Lord that came to me. He said, “Tell the people of the land and the priests that when they fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during these seventy years, it was not in honor of me. And when they ate and drank, it was for their own satisfaction.”

This is what the Lord said through the earlier prophets at the time when Jerusalem was prosperous and filled with people and when there were many people living not only in the towns around the city but also in the southern region and in the western foothills.

Disobedience, the Cause of Exile

The Lord gave this message to Zechariah: “Long ago I gave these commands to my people: ‘You must see that justice is done, and must show kindness and mercy to one another. 10 Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners who live among you, or anyone else in need. And do not plan ways of harming one another.’

11 “But my people stubbornly refused to listen. They closed their minds 12 and made their hearts as hard as rock. Because they would not listen to the teaching which I sent through the prophets who lived long ago, I became very angry. 13 Because they did not listen when I spoke, I did not answer when they prayed. 14 Like a storm I swept them away to live in foreign countries. This good land was left a desolate place, with no one living in it.”

Footnotes:

  1. Zechariah 6:14 One ancient translation Heldai; Hebrew Helem.
  2. Zechariah 6:14 One ancient translation Josiah; Hebrew Hen.
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Revelation 15

The Angels with the Last Plagues

15 Then I saw in the sky another mysterious sight, great and amazing. There were seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last ones, because they are the final expression of God's anger.

Then I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. I also saw those who had won the victory over the beast and its image and over the one whose name is represented by a number. They were standing by the sea of glass, holding harps that God had given them (A)and singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

“Lord God Almighty,
how great and wonderful are your deeds!
King of the nations,[a]
how right and true are your ways!
(B)Who will not stand in awe of you, Lord?
Who will refuse to declare your greatness?
You alone are holy.
All the nations will come
and worship you,
because your just actions are seen by all.”

(C)After this I saw the temple in heaven open, with the Sacred Tent in it. The seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, dressed in clean shining linen and with gold bands tied around their chests. Then one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven gold bowls full of the anger of God, who lives forever and ever. (D)The temple was filled with smoke from the glory and power of God, and no one could go into the temple until the seven plagues brought by the seven angels had come to an end.

Footnotes:

  1. Revelation 15:3 nations; some manuscripts have ages.
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Psalm 143

A Prayer for Help[a]

143 Lord, hear my prayer!
In your righteousness listen to my plea;
answer me in your faithfulness!
(A)Don't put me, your servant, on trial;
no one is innocent in your sight.

My enemies have hunted me down
and completely defeated me.
They have put me in a dark prison,
and I am like those who died long ago.
So I am ready to give up;
I am in deep despair.

I remember the days gone by;
I think about all that you have done,
I bring to mind all your deeds.
I lift up my hands to you in prayer;
like dry ground my soul is thirsty for you.

Answer me now, Lord!
I have lost all hope.
Don't hide yourself from me,
or I will be among those who go down to the world of the dead.
Remind me each morning of your constant love,
for I put my trust in you.
My prayers go up to you;
show me the way I should go.

I go to you for protection, Lord;
rescue me from my enemies.
10 You are my God;
teach me to do your will.
Be good to me, and guide me on a safe path.

11 Rescue me, Lord, as you have promised;
in your goodness save me from my troubles!
12 Because of your love for me, kill my enemies
and destroy all my oppressors,
for I am your servant.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 143:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David.

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 143:2 : Rom 3:20; Gal 2:16
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 30:24-28

24 There are four animals in the world that are small, but very, very clever:

25 Ants: they are weak, but they store up their food in the summer.
26 Rock badgers: they are not strong either, but they make their homes among the rocks.
27 Locusts: they have no king, but they move in formation.
28 Lizards: you can hold one in your hand, but you can find them in palaces.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

12/23/2019 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. It is wonderful to be here with you as we move into and through Christmas week. What a time of joy it is. And, you know, what a time of mixed emotions it can be, and I get that fully, I understand, but underneath it all, we need to remember joy. The coming of Jesus changes everything. And, so, may we press into the themes that the season of Advent brings up - hope, faith, joy and peace - and may we experience these things as we continue our journey toward Christmas. And that journey takes us daily back into the Scriptures as we come around this Global Campfire and enjoy each other’s company. Merry Christmas to everybody. Just imagine us all sitting around this roaring fire waving at each other. We’re all dressed up in…I don’t know…either just terrible Christmas Sweaters or our finest, but we’re here together in one another’s presence, in the presence of the Savior, and allowing the word of God to speak into our lives for today. And that will take us into the book of Zechariah. And today we will read chapters 4 and 5.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the Old and the New Testaments, in the book of Zechariah and the book of Revelation, we’re reading prophetic and even apocalyptic literature. So, you know, so reading from Zechariah and reading from Revelation in very visionary fashion can sound very similar, even though they’re separated in their writing by…by centuries. This genre of writing is highly symbolic. And, so…so while we’re reading from old and the new Testaments, while we’re reading from Zechariah and Revelation, especially Revelation since it’s more widely talked about, we should observe ourselves. Like, what is it that we are looking at symbolically and what is it that we’re like taking literally and why? Like, what is it that’s inviting us to do that? How would we…how do we tell the difference? Those…those are the considerations that are taken when interpreting this genre. But even inside of all of the imagery in Zechariah today, we encountered a very famous passage, “it is not by might nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s armies.” Can…can we just…can we sit with that one verse for second? It…now…think about this, think about what you are going to walk into today that you don’t want to be walking into. Think about the rest of this week and all of the festivities and all that the little booby traps that are set everywhere for us to step into. It is not by force nor is it by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord. That right there my brothers and sisters, is our anchor for the days ahead. If you’ll just hold onto that for…even the rest of the week…just hold onto it. Say it in the morning, say it a night. Every time that you are about to step into something it can come back to you, remind you - are you doing this in your own strength, is this by your own might? Then its…then it’s not gonna work like you’re hoping. It is not by might nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.

And Psalms gives us hope. Psalms gives us direction. The psalmist says today, “you are my place of refuge.” Like, could we just pause there? Could we just sit with that going into the next few days? “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.” That’s from the Bible. That’s Psalm 142. And, you know, everybody wants something this time of year. Like this is…this is the time of year where we’re giving people what they want and receiving what we want commemorating the gracious unspeakable gift of the Savior. So, you know, like there's…there’s presents under our tree and Ezekiel, like he can’t hardly…you know…he can't…like the hours have turned into days for little kids. Like one 24-hour period feels like seven weeks for him right now because of all the festivities. He’s wondering what he might get. He’s wondering if he might get what he wants, but I know what’s under that tree, and I know that I have no way to wrap a gift and put it under that tree that will be his place of refuge. That is a gift that God is putting under the tree. That is a gift that only God can give us. And He is giving it to us. But are we receiving the gift that He is our place of refuge? The psalmist said, “when I’m overwhelmed you alone know the way that I should go.” If we can allow these things to get beyond our intellect and actually rest in the center of our actual being, in the place that’s true….if these truths could be inside of us in the place that is most true then we would understand the gift that they are that we do not have to be overrun by this season or any season. We have a gift, the place of refuge. And we receive that gift by realizing that it is not by might nor by power nor by…nothing that we can do. It is by God’s Spirit that we can navigate.

Prayer:

Father, we invite Your Holy Spirit into exactly that. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and…yeah…this…this is it…we’re here, and certainly we are rejoicing, and certainly we are rooted in the story that tells us of the coming arrival of the Savior, but there’s a lot of add-ons that go along with these festivities and they’re not normally practiced at any other time of the year. And, so, it’s very easy for us to live completely distracted and get out the other side of the next few days and wonder what just happened. We are inviting Your Holy Spirit to allow us to experience the next few days from within this place of refuge that You are offering us. It was actually Your coming to rescue us that offers us this relationship in this place of refuge. And, so, we receive this gift that You are giving us of the opportunity to move into the holiday season with a sense of calm, a sense of peace, a sense of hope, a sense of joy, and a sense of faith, all of the things that this season are intended to teach us. So, come Holy Spirit, we pray. We welcome You as we move forward in celebrating You. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hey DAB family, I’m a first-time caller and I don’t know where I’ve been the last 11…however long many years it’s been…oh my goodness. But I am so encouraged, I am blown away. My name is Daniel from South Holland Illinois. I am…I’m blown away by the incredible amount of encouragement and concern and care and love and refreshment and prayer covering that you guys provide for each other. I just…I…I…I…I’m really almost speechless, which is a very difficult thing for me, but I am just so encouraged and I look forward to being able to join you guys on a consistent basis to just…to be a blessing, to be an encouragement, that’s what my wife and I desire to do, as well as to have some prayer…prayer concerns presented before you as well. So, thank you guys for what you’re doing. Thank you so much for…for the love that you guys have for each other. I’m looking forward to connecting with you guys. So, God bless you guys, keep up the great kingdom work.

Greetings DAB family it is 16 December, I am a Daddy’s Dreamer from Tampa or DDFT. I just felt the Lord pressing on me to call today to encourage others to press into Him even when you don’t feel like it. When I first made the decision to block out or at least minimize the world’s influence in my life it was a hard transition which really opened my eyes to how much worldly influence was dominating my life and how easy it was to be of the world. I remember very vividly how distressed I was when I discovered as a teenager that all of these new very attractive freedoms maybe weren’t the best for my soul. My daughter has recently said to me with exasperation, “why does everything always have to be about God?” It broke my heart but reminded me that, I too, felt that same way at her age. All I can do is press into the Lord for daily and even hourly and minute by minute guidance. Please pray with me. Lord, You know every situation and You know the path to our children’s heart. Lord, show us the way, give us the words and steps to guide them in the right direction in Jesus’ name. Amen. Obviously, family our God loves our earthly children more than we do and wants what is best. I guess just with everything else, I need to do the hardest and easiest thing, just hand over control to God. Thank you for praying over our children with me and listening. This is DDFT. Stay positive and always with his light shine through you. Bye for now.

Good morning my wonderful DAB family it’s December 17th and this is Jeanette calling from Canada. As I listened this morning, I heard Scott Utah calling and asking for prayer regarding is tinnitus, which is that ringing in the ear. He sounds so despondent and discouraged. And Scott, you said you don’t want to hurt yourself in any way and this is cause for concern. So, I am taking you to the throne of grace this morning to our heavenly Father who hears you, here’s your cry, knows your heart, see everything that you’re going through, and He is the greatest physician of all times. And, so, I ask You God that You would take Scott now in Your arms and You’d put those hands over his ears Lord God, and You would reduce the ringing and You’d to bring healing to his ears. You are God Almighty, there is nothing that is too difficult for You and I’m praying Father God that at Christmas time this season when we celebrate the birth of Christ that this will be a renewed Scott, ringing will be gone, joy will fill his life again and he will be able to praise and worship You and give You Thanksgiving for all that You’ve done for him. Scott, hang in there. God loves you and we love you too, your family. And I pray for a little Cherry from Canada who sounded so down in the dumps. Cherry, I love to hear your voice. I love the joy that comes out of you and I’m praying for you today that God would ease all your pain and bring joy into your life again. And we praise you.

Hey family, His Beloved in California. I have a favor to ask of you, a prayer request, it’s so…embarrassing, I guess. First of all…ugh…okay. So, the holidays are coming up, families get together. Every year we go away with my family. I have a very large family and we take a trip somewhere together. So, there’s about 25 of us that go every year. One of my stepsisters, God bless her, has some issues with philandering and adultery. And I kind of lost it a couple years ago and started yelling at her in private. I just had enough of it. I’d seen one too many affairs and I’m not judging her, but I just lost it. Last year on the trip she came after my husband and it was very inappropriate and instead of fighting back with the sword of the Spirit, which I know to do, I got in the fight with my husband, I ruined our whole trip and I’m just like whipped up about this new trip because I just want versus to come out of my mouth, I want to fight the enemy with the sword of the Spirit, do you know what I mean? So please, please, pray for me that the Holy Spirit will come upon me and I’ll have the right versus because I know this is not a battle of flesh. And it’s keeping me up at night and I just want to have peace and I know that all things are possible with God and greater is He who is in me than he is in the world and I just pray that the Holy Spirit and the prayers of you would help me through this time. Thank you. I love you. Bye.

Yes, this is Florida Charlie Oscar Papa. I just heard the prayer request for the guy in Utah. I think it’s Titus with the ringing of the ears and I just want to pray over you my brother. I feel your…your pain. I feel the wanting for healing in your voice and I just…I just declare Father God that You just heal Titus right now God. Heal him with any ailment. We speak to the medical professionals. We speak to the doctors, to the staff, Father god, anyone that is treating him, that they come and they just provide a supernatural touch, just relieve any ailment that is in his mind, his ears, his system Father God, let it all come into alignment with You. Father God we just declare that he hears the joy of the Lord, he hears the sound of the Lord, he hears the…the word that You have for him Father God. Don’t let…don’t let anything…any ungodly thing come to pass that is not of You Father God. And we just declare Your safety, Your protection over him. In Your wonderful powerful name, we pray Jesus. Amen.

Hi this is Don I’m my first-time caller. I would like to ask prayers for my son Kevin who is getting out of prison tomorrow. He has been battling drug addiction for many years and finally ended up in state prison. He has been in there for four years and he has an 11-year-old son. He’s had very little contact with the family over the years and is angry. I would also like to pray that my wife and I can be guided, that we may handle the situation according to God’s will. I pray that we can lead him by example to have faith in Jesus Christ and in his life so that he may find the peace that he needs to be a good dad and come back to the family. Thank you.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday December 23, 2019 (NIV)

Zechariah 4-5

The Vision of the Lampstand

The angel who had been speaking to me came again and roused me as if I had been sleeping. “What do you see?” he asked.

“A lampstand made of gold,” I answered. “At the top is a bowl for the oil. On the lampstand are seven lamps, each one with places for seven wicks. (A)There are two olive trees beside the lampstand, one on each side of it.” Then I asked the angel, “What do these things stand for, sir?”

“Don't you know?” he asked me.

“No, I don't, sir,” I replied.

10b The angel said to me, “The seven lamps are the seven eyes of the Lord, which see all over the earth.”[a]

11 (B)Then I asked him, “What do the two olive trees on either side of the lampstand mean? 12 And what is the meaning of the two olive branches beside the two gold pipes from which the olive oil pours?”

13 He asked me, “Don't you know?”

“No, I don't, sir,” I answered.

14 Then he said, “These are the two men whom God has chosen and anointed to serve him, the Lord of the whole earth.”

God's Promise to Zerubbabel

The angel told me to give Zerubbabel this message from the Lord: “You will succeed, not by military might or by your own strength, but by my spirit. Obstacles as great as mountains will disappear before you. You will rebuild the Temple, and as you put the last stone in place, the people will shout, ‘Beautiful, beautiful!’”

Another message came to me from the Lord. He said, “Zerubbabel has laid the foundation of the Temple, and he will finish the building. When this happens, my people will know that it is I who sent you to them. 10a They are disappointed because so little progress is being made. But they will see Zerubbabel continuing to build the Temple, and they will be glad.”

The Vision of the Flying Scroll

I looked again, and this time I saw a scroll flying through the air. The angel asked me what I saw. I answered, “A scroll flying through the air; it is thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide.”

Then he said to me, “On it is written the curse that is to go out over the whole land. On one side of the scroll it says that every thief will be removed from the land; and on the other side it says that everyone who tells lies under oath will also be taken away. The Lord Almighty says that he will send this curse out, and it will enter the house of every thief and the house of everyone who tells lies under oath. It will remain in their houses and leave them in ruins.”

The Vision of the Woman in the Basket

The angel appeared again and said, “Look! Something else is coming!”

“What is it?” I asked.

He replied, “It is a basket, and it stands for the sin[b] of the whole land.”

The basket had a lid made of lead. As I watched, the lid was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman!

The angel said, “This represents wickedness.” Then he pushed her down into the basket and put the lid back down. I looked up and saw two women flying toward me with powerful wings like those of a stork. They picked up the basket and flew off with it.

10 I asked the angel, “Where are they taking it?”

11 He answered, “To Babylonia, where they will build a temple for it. When the temple is finished, the basket will be placed there to be worshiped.”

Footnotes:

  1. Zechariah 4:10 Verses 10b-14 are moved here from the end of the chapter in order to retain the natural sequence of the narrative.
  2. Zechariah 5:6 Some ancient translations sin; Hebrew eye.
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Revelation 14

The Lamb and His People

14 (A)Then I looked, and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion; with him were 144,000 people who have his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. (B)And I heard a voice from heaven that sounded like a roaring waterfall, like a loud peal of thunder. It sounded like the music made by musicians playing their harps. The 144,000 people stood before the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders; they were singing a new song, which only they could learn. Of the whole human race they are the only ones who have been redeemed. They are the men who have kept themselves pure by not having sexual relations with women; they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed from the rest of the human race and are the first ones to be offered to God and to the Lamb. (C)They have never been known to tell lies; they are faultless.

The Three Angels

Then I saw another angel flying high in the air, with an eternal message of Good News to announce to the peoples of the earth, to every race, tribe, language, and nation. He said in a loud voice, “Honor God and praise his greatness! For the time has come for him to judge all people. Worship him who made heaven, earth, sea, and the springs of water!”

(D)A second angel followed the first one, saying, “She has fallen! Great Babylon has fallen! She made all peoples drink her wine—the strong wine of her immoral lust!”

A third angel followed the first two, saying in a loud voice, “Those who worship the beast and its image and receive the mark on their forehead or on their hand 10 (E)will themselves drink God's wine, the wine of his fury, which he has poured at full strength into the cup of his anger! All who do this will be tormented in fire and sulfur before the holy angels and the Lamb. 11 (F)The smoke of the fire that torments them goes up forever and ever. There is no relief day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, for anyone who has the mark of its name.”

12 This calls for endurance on the part of God's people, those who obey God's commandments and are faithful to Jesus.

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Happy are those who from now on die in the service of the Lord!”

“Yes indeed!” answers the Spirit. “They will enjoy rest from their hard work, because the results of their service go with them.”

The Harvest of the Earth

14 (G)Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was what looked like a human being, with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 (H)Then another angel came out from the temple and cried out in a loud voice to the one who was sitting on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap the harvest, because the time has come; the earth is ripe for the harvest!” 16 Then the one who sat on the cloud swung his sickle on the earth, and the earth's harvest was reaped.

17 Then I saw another angel come out of the temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.

18 Then another angel, who is in charge of the fire, came from the altar. He shouted in a loud voice to the angel who had the sharp sickle, “Use your sickle, and cut the grapes from the vineyard of the earth, because the grapes are ripe!” 19 So the angel swung his sickle on the earth, cut the grapes from the vine, and threw them into the wine press of God's furious anger. 20 (I)The grapes were squeezed out in the wine press outside the city, and blood came out of the wine press in a flood two hundred miles long and about five feet deep.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Psalm 142

(A)A Prayer for Help[a]

142 I call to the Lord for help;
I plead with him.
I bring him all my complaints;
I tell him all my troubles.
When I am ready to give up,
he knows what I should do.
In the path where I walk,
my enemies have hidden a trap for me.
When I look beside me,
I see that there is no one to help me,
no one to protect me.
No one cares for me.

Lord, I cry to you for help;
you, Lord, are my protector;
you are all I want in this life.
Listen to my cry for help,
for I am sunk in despair.
Save me from my enemies;
they are too strong for me.
Set me free from my distress;[b]
then in the assembly of your people I will praise you
because of your goodness to me.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 142:1 HEBREW TITLE: A poem by David, when he was in the cave; a prayer.
  2. Psalm 142:7 distress; or prison.
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 30:21-23

21 There are four things that the earth itself cannot tolerate:

22 a slave who becomes a king,
a fool who has all he wants to eat,
23 a hateful woman who gets married,
and a servant woman who takes the place of her mistress.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

12/22/2019 DAB Transcript

Zechariah 2:1-3:10, Revelation 13:1-18, Psalms 141:1-10, Proverbs 30:18-20

Today is the 22nd day of December. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It’s great to be here with you today as we turn the knob and step through the threshold of a brand-new shiny sparkly week. This is the final Sunday in the season of Advent and that’s been every Sunday this month, the season that that we use as Christians to put our…our hearts posture in the right place and that is certainly a contemplative journey as we consider the mystery of the arrival of the Savior, but also the longing that those in the time of Jesus shared in their hearts and had been sharing for a long time looking for a Savior, a Messiah to come and realizing that…that we identify with them, because although Jesus came and rescued us we still have that longing for his second advent, His second arrival, for his return. And, so, as we move obviously, squarely, straightly into Christmas week, this is a week representing peace. And with that we take the next step forward in our journey through the Scriptures this year. And on this Christmas week we will read from the Good News Translation. And we started the book of Zechariah yesterday and mentioned the fact that will be traveling with Zechariah all the way until the last two days of the year. And today we will read Zechariah chapters 2 and three.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for bringing us this far into the year, certainly, but we thank You for bringing us here into such a time of joy where in mere days we will celebrate Your arrival as an infant child, helpless, born into this world to save it. But not just to save it, You came as one of us and showed us what it looks like to live as a human being and what Your restoration has brought to us. And, so, we certainly rejoice in You, Father. And even as we move into these next few days, and they are certain to be busy and full of activity and any number of disruptions and we’ll find ourselves interacting with, perhaps people that we don’t know that well, and certainly people that we’ve lived with our entire lives, and families will come together who have begun forming families of their own in other cities and will brush back up against each other and they’re be any number of opportunities for tension to arise. And, so, Father we pray along with the psalmist today, “Lord place a guard at my mouth, a century at the door of my lips. Keep me from wanting to do wrong.” This is our prayer Lord. In the disrupted times of life and seasons when things are coming at us in ways that they don’t normally come out as, it’s very easy for us to slip into just reacting to everything instead of waking up and being proactive and inviting Your Holy Spirit into every moment. So, we invite Your Holy Spirit here at the beginning of this week, that we move into a time that is actually full of joy. Joy to the world, the Lord has come. And may this be our focus in the days ahead we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. 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 hear tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello DAB family this is Carla with a Broken Heart. I called some time ago about the troubles that I was going through, feeling lonely and heartbroken and feeling like God has left me alone. I know he hasn’t, and I received all of the prayers that you all have given me, and I thank you so much. I’m still in the midst of the storm but God is yet still bringing me out. I wanted to call in and say thank you to the young lady, she didn’t give her name, but she had a European accent and she sang a song about be still and let God be God. And the biggest deal that I’m dealing with is me missing my mother and the comfort of being able to go to my mother when I’m going through. And I want her to know that I appreciate her calling and saying how much she loves me and she’s praying for me and that she wished that she was here with me and she could give me a hug and just hold me and let me know that everything is all right because it meant so much to me. It really made me feel like my mother was here hugging me. And I don’t feel so lonely as I go through this struggle. I know God is bringing me out and I know I’m going to see happiness and I know it’s going to be joy coming and I just wanted to thank you so much for that love because it was desperately needed. And God bless you for that love and all of you out there who have prayed for me and all those who are heartbroken and who are suffering. Thank you, Daily Audio Bible family for loving one another and being there for each other and especially being there for me. God bless you all and thank you Lord for loving us the way you do God with Your unconditional love.

Hi, my name is Mary my husband just died a couple days ago, and I just need prayer to get through this time. Thank you.

Hi, this is Victoria Soldier. Just calling tonight to pray for some of the DABbers. Wanted to say hi to Slave of Jesus, it’s so good to hear from you Slave of Jesus and Ted the truck driver. I just want to say hi to you all and continue praying with you all on the highway, the byways. And I wanted to pray for the family members of Gabriel and Jeremiah. I want to pray for the lady who…that she’s got a broken heart, my precious sister Carla. I wanted to pray for you and your broken heart because God’s got someone who’s going to take all the breaks out of that heart, He’s got a special person for you because God has all good things. He said He wouldn’t hold any good things from them that love Him. I just want to let you Saints know that God is getting ready to do a magnificent explosion in the life of His people, He’s gonna explode in great and amazing numbers and just want to say that life and favor and traveling mercies to all and whatever the desires of your heart. Somebody who’s going through a stronghold right now, just asking God to bless him and relieve that stronghold, that strong desire, to kill that spider and knock down the cobwebs of your life so you can soar like none other. Lord You bless your people Lord, You bless Your mighty and young people who are calling, You bless the seniors who are calling, You bless the marriages Lord, the marriages that the devil is trying to break up. Who God has put together let no man put us under. I rebuke you wicked one, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus by the power of the Holy Ghost. Lord you send him home. You send him home and let him come to himself like the young man who says I’ll go and tell my father that even the servants get even more than me. Lord pray for our nation that people will begin to…

Hi family this is Sally from Massachusetts and I’m calling to ask You to pray with me. Heavenly Father, we lift up every single person who is touched by the Daily Audio Bible in some way. We come to You Lord because we believe in the power of prayer, and as a community as a whole, we love You and we worship You we trust You and we know that You have a plan for us. Father God You know those of us who are struggling in our jobs. You know those of us who are struggling in our marriages, and You know those of us who are sitting at the bedside of a loved one waiting for them to die. Father God, You know our emotional well-being, You know our needs and our struggles. You bless us with our successes and our own debts, we praise You for this Lord. We ask You now for healing. We ask You for strength. We ask You for patience. We ask You for wisdom. We ask You for knowledge. We ask You for compassion. We ask You for strong hearts and steady hands. We praise You for this Lord and we ask You this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Hi, this is Marilyn I live in the inland Northwest. I’ve been listening to this podcast since about October when I heard Brian on Chris Avery live and it has just made a world of difference to me to feel part of a family to not feel so alone and to not have to just play a recording from some app, to hear Brian’s voice. And to have a personal daily update day that he shares in the devotional and commentaries are just tremendously appreciated. I don’t feel… It has helped me emotionally and spiritually to be more consistent and to be able to pray for others and not…and know that I’m not alone in my struggles. And I just so appreciate the Prayer Wall. And I do say prayers almost daily for all the prayer…the prayer requests that come in. So, I just really appreciate the feeling of being part of the family and I can’t say how much…words can’t express what this has done for me spiritually as well to keep on board too when I have so many intensive, high maintenance dietary challenges and trying to get everything accomplished as a widow. And I listen over and over several times almost each day to…over and over and again to each podcast. So, anyways I hope you have a wonderful happy new year and thanks and God bless. God’s blessings to you and to…

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday December 22, 2019 (NIV)

Zechariah 2-3

The Vision of the Measuring Line

In another vision I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. “Where are you going?” I asked.

“To measure Jerusalem,” he answered, “to see how long and how wide it is.”

Then I saw the angel who had been speaking to me step forward, and another angel came to meet him. The first one said to the other, “Run and tell that young man with the measuring line that there are going to be so many people and so much livestock in Jerusalem that it will be too big to have walls. The Lord has promised that he himself will be a wall of fire around the city to protect it and that he will live there in all his glory.”

The Exiles Are Called to Come Home

6-7 The Lord said to his people, “I scattered you in all directions. But now, you exiles, escape from Babylonia and return to Jerusalem. Anyone who strikes you strikes what is most precious to me.”

So the Lord Almighty[a] sent me with this message for the nations that had plundered his people: “The Lord himself will fight against you, and you will be plundered by the people who were once your servants.”

When this happens, everyone will know that the Lord Almighty sent me.

10 The Lord said, “Sing for joy, people of Jerusalem! I am coming to live among you!”

11 At that time many nations will come to the Lord and become his people. He will live among you, and you will know that he has sent me to you. 12 Once again Judah will be the special possession of the Lord in his sacred land, and Jerusalem will be the city he loves most of all.

13 Be silent, everyone, in the presence of the Lord, for he is coming from his holy dwelling place.

The Prophet's Vision of the High Priest

(A)In another vision the Lord showed me the High Priest Joshua standing before the angel of the Lord. And there beside Joshua stood Satan,[b] ready to bring an accusation against him. (B)The angel of the Lord[c] said to Satan, “May the Lord condemn you, Satan! May the Lord, who loves Jerusalem, condemn you. This man is like a stick snatched from the fire.”

Joshua was standing there, wearing filthy clothes. The angel said to his heavenly attendants, “Take away the filthy clothes this man is wearing.” Then he said to Joshua, “I have taken away your sin and will give you new clothes to wear.”

He commanded the attendants to put[d] a clean turban on Joshua's head. They did so, and then they put the new clothes on him while the angel of the Lord stood there.

Then the angel told Joshua that the Lord Almighty had said: “If you obey my laws and perform the duties I have assigned you, then you will continue to be in charge of my Temple and its courts, and I will hear your prayers, just as I hear the prayers of the angels who are in my presence. (C)Listen then, Joshua, you who are the High Priest; and listen, you fellow priests of his, you that are the sign of a good future: I will reveal my servant, who is called The Branch! I am placing in front of Joshua a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, and in a single day I will take away the sin of this land. 10 (D)When that day comes, each of you will invite your neighbor to come and enjoy peace and security, surrounded by your vineyards and fig trees.”

Footnotes:

  1. Zechariah 2:8 Hebrew has two additional words, the meaning of which is unclear.
  2. Zechariah 3:1 A supernatural being whose name indicates he was regarded as the opponent of human beings.
  3. Zechariah 3:2 One ancient translation The angel of the Lord; Hebrew The Lord.
  4. Zechariah 3:5 Some ancient translations He commanded the attendants to put; Hebrew I said, “Let them put.
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Revelation 13

The Two Beasts

13 (A)Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads; on each of its horns there was a crown, and on each of its heads there was a name that was insulting to God. (B)The beast looked like a leopard, with feet like a bear's feet and a mouth like a lion's mouth. The dragon gave the beast his own power, his throne, and his vast authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have been fatally wounded, but the wound had healed. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. Everyone worshiped the dragon because he had given his authority to the beast. They worshiped the beast also, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who can fight against it?”

(C)The beast was allowed to make proud claims which were insulting to God, and it was permitted to have authority for forty-two months. It began to curse God, his name, the place where he lives, and all those who live in heaven. (D)It was allowed to fight against God's people and to defeat them, and it was given authority over every tribe, nation, language, and race. (E)All people living on earth will worship it, except those whose names were written before the creation of the world in the book of the living which belongs to the Lamb that was killed.

“Listen, then, if you have ears! 10 (F)Whoever is meant to be captured will surely be captured; whoever is meant to be killed by the sword will surely be killed by the sword. This calls for endurance and faith on the part of God's people.”

11 Then I saw another beast, which came up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb's horns, and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It used the vast authority of the first beast in its presence. It forced the earth and all who live on it to worship the first beast, whose wound had healed. 13 This second beast performed great miracles; it made fire come down out of heaven to earth in the sight of everyone. 14 And it deceived all the people living on earth by means of the miracles which it was allowed to perform in the presence of the first beast. The beast told them to build an image in honor of the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was allowed to breathe life into the image of the first beast, so that the image could talk and put to death all those who would not worship it. 16 The beast forced all the people, small and great, rich and poor, slave and free, to have a mark placed on their right hands or on their foreheads. 17 No one could buy or sell without this mark, that is, the beast's name or the number that stands for the name.

18 This calls for wisdom. Whoever is intelligent can figure out the meaning of the number of the beast, because the number stands for the name of someone. Its number is 666.

Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Psalm 141

An Evening Prayer[a]

141 I call to you, Lord; help me now!
Listen to me when I call to you.
(A)Receive my prayer as incense,
my uplifted hands as an evening sacrifice.

Lord, place a guard at my mouth,
a sentry at the door of my lips.
Keep me from wanting to do wrong
and from joining evil people in their wickedness.
May I never take part in their feasts.

Good people may punish me and rebuke me in kindness,
but I will never accept honor from evil people,
because I am always praying against their evil deeds.
When their rulers are thrown down from rocky cliffs,
the people will admit that my words were true.
Like wood that is split and chopped into bits,
so their bones are scattered at the edge of the grave.[b]

But I keep trusting in you, my Sovereign Lord.
I seek your protection;
don't let me die!
Protect me from the traps they have set for me,
from the snares of those evildoers.
10 May the wicked fall into their own traps
while I go by unharmed.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 141:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David.
  2. Psalm 141:7 Verses 5-7 in Hebrew are unclear.

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 141:2 : Rev 5:8
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society

Proverbs 30:18-20

18 There are four things that are too mysterious for me to understand:

19 (A)an eagle flying in the sky,
a snake moving on a rock,
a ship finding its way over the sea,
and a man and a woman falling in love.

20 This is how an unfaithful wife acts: she commits adultery, takes a bath, and says, “But I haven't done anything wrong!”

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 30:19 : Wis 5:10-Wis 5:12
Good News Translation (GNT)

Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society