9/11/2021 DAB Chronological Transcription

Ezekiel 44-45

Welcome to Daily Audio Bible Chronological. I’m Jill. It’s the eleventh day of September. Welcome to Daily Audio Bible Chronological. I’m Jill. I love being here with you every single day and we are turning through the Bible together in chronological order. We’ll do it every day till we get to the one year mark. And we are getting there little by little every single day. We’re one step closer. I hope you are enjoying this time being alone with God in His Word and letting it speak to you, letting it transform you from the inside out. I cannot wait to hear stories of how the Bible has changed your life and we’re just a few weeks away where we’re going to talk about an opportunity for you to let everyone know how the Bible has transformed you, but not yet. Right now we’re here to read the Bible and we’re reading in Ezekiel again today chapter 44 and 45. And today is the last day in The Voice translation. And tomorrow we will start a brand new translation and continue it throughout the week. Ezekiel, Chapter 44.

Prayer:

Father, we thank you for your word today and every day. And we thank you for this week. We thank you for all of the blessings that we take for granted. Thank you for breath and life and life more abundantly. We thank you for the sun that rose every day. And we thank you for the setting sun because as the sun rises and the sun sets, the name of the Lord shall be praised and we praise you. We thank you for your endless blessings for your miraculous work that is the gift of each of us. We close this week giving you thanks and giving you praise and letting you know that you alone are worthy. We pray this in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Announcements: 

Daily Audio Bible That’s home base. That’s the website. Take a look around, if you haven’t. You can download the app that’s free, if you haven’t. Check out the prayer wall. It’s available on both. It is just simply at your fingertips. You can jump on real quick and just type out your prayer requests and there will be people there waiting to pray with you for you. If you’d like to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, we thank you so much for your partnership for every day that you say yes to the Word of God, going forth to all the world, not just the United States, all the world, brothers and sisters around the globe to participate and go through this journey in the Word individually and collectively, as a family and as a community of believers. If you’re giving by mail DAB PO, Box 1996, Spring Hill, Tennessee 37174 or you can click the Give icon at the top of your mobile device or look for the Give icon on the website as well. If you need prayer, reach out if you’d like to pray for someone that’s previously called in reach out 800-583-2164 or you can conveniently use that red circle button. It’s up at the top right hand corner of your mobile device on the app. Just click it. You’ve got two minutes and then hit submit. Turn your wheel to chronological and it will go to the right place. You can check out the social media platforms as well. Daily Audio Bible, DAB Friends, Daily Audio Bible Chronological and DABC Friends and of course, my favorite place to connect with women, Daily Audio Bible Women. Now, once in a while, I get an email sent saying, Where is this DAB Women’s podcast? Well, we don’t have it yet yet. Yet, but fingers are crossed. We’re hopeful it’s coming soon. Soon. For now, we can connect together at the Daily Audio Bible Women’s page, and it’s just a page and they send encouragement out. And then every night before bed, I try to answer every single woman that has commented or left a remark or has a question or it’s just struggling. Reach out there. That’s where you’ll find me on social media. That’s gonna do it for me today. I’m Jill. We will turn the page together tomorrow. I love you. I’m so honored to be on this journey with you every single day. Until tomorrow, love one another.

Community Prayer Line:

Hi DABC fam. This is Janel Calling from Arizona. I wanted to ask if you would please pray that God will help organize and get together a kid’s Christmas Caroling group that my children and I are starting. I’m putting out the notice for rehearsals that will be starting in October and go through November. And then I will be booking us places to go and sing in our community. And so I just want to pray that God will be in charge of that and that he will let His name be known and the truth about who Jesus is. And that kids lives will be changed and hearts will be opened. And people will just have a wonderful Christmas season when they hear the children sing. And also we want to be raising money for a mission in Kenya. So we’ll be asking for donations for that. And that’s it. Thank you for praying. I’m so excited. I will definitely share what God does with it. All right.
Love you. Thanks. Bye.

Well, Hello, my wonderful DAB/DABC family, Soaring on Eagles Wings from Canada, praying for all those in our family all over the world that are experiencing excruciating invisible nerve pain. This is something that no one can understand unless they’re having that experience. But God knows. God sees your tears and hears your prayers. And tonight I’m asking that the good Lord above, will grant sleep to you. And for those who are awake, a good day with relief from this pain. Lord, you created every area of our body and you know the nerve supplies. You know how the brain operates, what it tells the nerves to do. And nothing happens to us that is outside of your knowledge. So, Father, I pray and ask you that you would touch these nerves, individual nerves and you’d bring relief from all this pain. And I ask all our family members to join together and pray that at the end of this month, we will have some testimony of people who have experienced relief from that awful nerve pain. Thank you, Jesus, for hearing our prayers- for bringing us peace in the midst of the storm.

Hi DABC. This is Refined by the Fire. I wanted to take a minute and reach out to Jill and each of us who have experienced the loss of a loved one. I wanted to take out time just to sit with you in your ashes and just grieve with you. Share in that heartache and that loss. Recognize the struggle and the void that’s created when somebody is gone. And while we know the truths of God’s hope for the future and seeing them again, the pain and the grief has a job to do in our season. And we take the time to sit together to recognize the loss that it is, to recognize that while there’s work in this that will produce amazing fruit and flowers to share with other people down the road. This is an extremely difficult time and just to lift each other up. Thank you for your vulnerability and sharing your loss.

09/11/2021 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 8:1-9:21, 2 Cor 12:1-10, Ps 55:1-23, Pr 23:4-5

Today is the 11th day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is a joy to be here with you today as we bring another week and our adventure through the Scriptures to a conclusion. And we are working through the book of Isaiah at this point in the Old Testament. Today we’ll read Isaiah chapters 8 and 9.

Prayer:

Father, we thank you for your word and we thank you for all of the different complexions and nuances that we get to encounter, all the personalities, all of the families, all of the geography and history, all of it coming together to shape and form us. And, so, as we continue through our journey in the days ahead through Isaiah, second Corinthians, and Psalms and Proverbs, every day there is something for us. Some days we search because you’ve hidden it like treasure for us to find. Someday it’s sitting there like a nicely wrapped gift just waiting for us to open and insight pours into our hearts, giving us clarity and direction for the choices that are facing us. And we are so grateful for your kindness, the kind gift of the Scriptures, the kind gift of your Holy Spirit’s guidance in our lives. And, so, come Holy Spirit and lead us forward, we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com, that is the home, home base, home of the Global Campfire. That's…that’s where you go to find out what’s happening around here and get connected in any of the ways that…that you can. So, be aware of that.

Check out the Community section. This is where you can find links to get connected on social media as well as the Prayer Wall that is always available. You can always…always ask for prayer. You can always go and offer prayer. Pray for one another. Let each other know that they’ve been heard and that they’re being prayed for. That makes a huge difference. So, that’s in the Community section.

You can also check out the Daily Audio Bible Shop. There are resources there in a number of different categories, all aimed at the journey that we are on together in the mission that we have to step-by-step day by day take the next step forward together until we complete a year of life and a revolution around the sun and the journey through every chapter and verse in the entire Bible. And we have crafted resources in the Shop, whether they be written resources to take the journey deeper or things that you can write your own journey like the Daily Audio Bible Journal. Journal your way to the Scriptures. Or music. Things to listen to things to take the journey deeper. Or the entire Global Campfire section of…of the Shop, things there to remind us that we’re doing this together, that this isn’t a solitary endeavor. We…we’re never alone. We were in this together every step of the way. And, so…yeah…check out the Daily Audio Bible Shop.

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

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, which is a little button up at the top or you can dial 877-942-4253.

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello, my sweet DAB family this is Ashley from California, and we live in a scary time right now. There is so much turmoil and scariness going on. And I just wanted to share with you all something I stumbled upon and it’s talking about the simple secret of trusting God and it’s talking about how to do that and how you learn to trust somebody is by spending time with them. And the way that we spend time with God is spending time in His word, listening to His voice, praying listening to worship and fellowship with other believers. And, you know, I just want to tell you that the DAB does that for us. We’re able to spend time with God in his word through listening to it, we pray with each other in community and on our own volition and then we get to worship God through these acts that we’re doing. So, I just wanted to let you know that we can live on the promises and not on explanations through this time that we spend together each day. And, so, we can trust things like when Jesus says do not be overcome by the world, but he’s overcome the world and we will have the victory. So, even though it’s scary right now everybody just keep chasing God. Choose to chase after Him and spend time with Him and get to know Him and listen for Him and pay attention to His presence. Alright y'all. I love you and have a great rest of your day. I am praying for you. Bye.

Hi DAB family this is Charlene from Akron OH. I had asked for prayer on the prayer wall back on April 25th I think it was due to my mom being admitted to the hospital. But anyway, she had passed on April 30th and I just never called to give an update and a lot of it was there was just so much I wanted to share but I had to narrow it down. There were so many God moments that were they’re at that time. There was the day before she was admitted to the hospital her last Facebook post had read when we draw the last breath only one thing will matter that our name is written the lambs book of life. Another thing that had happened to was us receiving thank you cards all at different times that she had sent out also the day before she was admitted to the hospital. And in a time when only my dad was allowed to see her we all knew different medical staff members from EEG tech to MI tech to nurse practitioner and the ICU doctor. And to know one of them would have been a miracle but to know four different people was just really comforting. And while we were making funeral…funeral arrangements my brother had remembered that she loved Psalm 91. And we decided to use that to represent her life. And when we came home to my parent’s house the Bible that she keeps open on the foyer table was open to Psalm 91. It’s been four months now. My dad is just struggling even though he knows it was meant to be. He’s lost 22 pounds since then and he just said even though he enjoys our company I know he feels a lot of emptiness. Just please continue to lift my dad up in prayer as he is…as we are all grieving this loss. Thank you so much.

Hello, my name is Imani Norman I’m 26 years old. I’m just coming on here. I’m new to this I’ve never done this before, but I’m just coming on here because I would like to have some prayers said for me. I’m going through financial hardship and the financial hardship that I’m going through is causing me to be delayed with like school and all of those things. It's…yeah…it’s like keeping me from a lot of things. And I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been a little bit sad about it. So, I just need some uplifting, some good prayers. I’ve been saying prayers too and talking to God. I just need a little more strength because this has been really, really hard. And I’m not sure what else I can do. It’s out of my control so I’m leaving it up to God. But if you can…if you can see a prayer for me that would be awesome. Thank you.

I wanted to call in for the little girl who…or the little child who called in asking for prayer because they were afraid but they didn’t want to be. Our father in heaven Lord we’ve all been in places like this where we’re afraid and we don’t know what to do. Lord I ask that you would remind this child of your word in the psalms, when I’m afraid I will trust in you. I ask that you would give us all the strength to do that especially this child right now in Jesus’ name I ask. Amen. I hope you’re encouraged by this prayer. And trust the Lord with all of your heart and don’t lean on your own understanding and that goes for me too.

Hi daily audio Bible this is Andy from Birmingham I wanted to share a quick verse which is Colossians 2:79. Have you roots planted deep in Christ. Grow in Him. Get your strength from Him. Let Him make you strong in the faith as you have been taught. Your life should be full of thanks to Him. And I’ve been thinking about that today because I’ve been digging up plant roots and these really strong plant roots are so hard that she broke two of my forks. It took me the whole day but they were really small plants so I said it doesn’t make sense, but the roots are so strong. So, I guess I felt like just calling in saying that maybe there’s someone out there that needs to hear that about these strong roots that can’t, you know, when, you know, think about when our lives we’re under attack, if you’ve got your strong roots in Christ then that's…that’s important. And again, in another version it says let your roots grow down into Him and let your lives be built on Him then your faith will be strong the truth we are taught and everything with thankfulness. Si, I hope that’s a blessing to someone today.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday September 11, 2021 (NIV)

Isaiah 8-9

The Eternal told me to take a large tablet and write—“Swift the Spoils of War and Speedy Comes the Attacker”— and to get believable witnesses, both the priest Uriah and Zechariah (Jeberechiah’s son), to watch me do it. I approached the prophetess—a woman who, like me, speaks for God—and she became pregnant and had a son, whom the Eternal said I should name Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Swift-the-Spoils-of-War-and-Speedy-Comes-the-Attacker); because before he is old enough to say “My father” or “My mother” the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carted off to become the property of their enemy, the king of Assyria.

Prophets like Isaiah not only speak their messages, but they sometimes act them out. Isaiah is a master of both prophetic speech and prophetic acts. It is common for God to ask prophets to expose important aspects of their families’ lives to demonstrate a message He wants to convey. Perhaps it is because the prophet speaks for God and Israel is God’s family. In this case, God tells Isaiah to embed His message into the name of his child. And what is that message? “Ahaz, the two countries currently threatening you will soon be conquered by a greater power—Assyria. It will attack quickly, defeat soundly, and carry off the spoils of war from Damascus and Samaria. So there is no need to fear them; instead, trust in your God.”

The Eternal One explained to me,

Eternal One: This disaster will happen because this people have rejected the stream of Shiloah
that flows gently to Zion.
Instead they rejoice over Rezin and Remaliah’s son.
Just watch—the Lord will overwhelm them
with great waves of the Euphrates River.
Like a river, Assyrian might and glory will bear down on them;
it will rise over its banks as unstoppable as a raging flood.
This Mesopotamian power will pour into Judah, rise and pass through,
wreaking near-fatal havoc.
And its reach will extend over all your land.

God, be with us.

Go ahead, make your alliances, you peoples, yet you’ll be crushed.
Listen closely, even if you’re far away:
Get ready for battle—get ready to be battered;
get ready for battle—get ready to be shattered.
10 Go ahead, devise your plans, but they will fail;
your proclamations won’t matter because God is with us.

No one wants to believe that God would use foreign power to wreak destruction on other lands and peoples. Yet, as God is holy, so God’s place must be holy. He simply cannot dwell where holiness is not. He cannot make a larger-than-life Zion out of an earthly Jerusalem, unless that place (and its people, of course) are right. At best, these people seem to think that paying lip service to God is enough; at worst, they don’t even care about God. A simple explanation is the people must be clean and holy. And this condition of rightness, holiness, and cleanliness is a product of how they are—in relation not only to God, but also to each other and the very land itself; these things are inseparable. The consequences of their failure to ensure the holiness of this sacred place by being right with God, land, and others are dire indeed. God must cleanse His people and place because He determines to be represented within and by them. So, better days will come again, and His covenant people will be set right and be happy and prosperous again.

11 See, this is what the Eternal told me. God leaned in close—His strong hand on me—to keep me from following these people.

12 Eternal One: Don’t call for an alliance, like all the rest of this people do.
Don’t fear what they fear, or dread what they dread.
13 After all, only the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, should terrify you.
Only God is holy. Only God should leave you trembling.
14 Look what I’m going to do in Zion:
The Eternal will be for you a sacred place,
But for both houses of Israel I’ll also be a stone that blocks their way
and a rock that trips them up;
For those who live in Jerusalem, I’ll be a trap and a snare.
15 Many will stumble over them. They will trip and be broken;
they’ll succumb to capture and be grabbed up.

God who provides a place of safety and security for those who trust in Him is the same God who puts obstacles in the way of those who disregard Him.

16 Now take care to keep this message as it is.

Seal up this teaching
and hand it over to my disciples.

17 As for me, I will wait for the Eternal, even though He feels absent, even though He has hidden His face from the family of Jacob. I will put all hope in Him. 18 You see, I and my children whom the Eternal One gave to me, we personify the promise. We are signs of what God intends and will do in Israel, what amazing things the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies has in mind, the One who is indeed present in Zion, this heaven on earth.

19 People might tell you to ask the fortune-tellers, consult the babbling astrologers, conjure the dead to tell the living what’s to come, but shouldn’t they ask their God? 20 Go to God’s teaching and His testimony to guide your thoughts and behavior! If any response disagrees with the word of God, then it’s muddling and wrong and not the least bit illuminating. 21 It leaves the people bedraggled and desperate, drifting here and there. In their hunger, the people are bound to be infuriated and curse their king and God. They’ll look up to the heavens 22 and down to the earth, yet see nothing but trouble, gloom, anguish, and darkness. They will be driven out into the darkness.

When God’s people haven’t seen a hint of light or hope of day, God will do something new.

But there will be no more gloom for those who knew such hardship. In times past, God humbled the land of Zebulun and Naphtali; later, He will restore the honor and glory to the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee, home of the nations.

The people who had been living in darkness
have seen a great light.
The light of life has shined on those who dwelt
in the shadowy darkness of death.
And You, God, will make it happen. You bolstered the nation,
making it great again. You have saturated it with joy.
Everyone in it is full of delight in Your presence,
like the joy they experience at the harvest,
like the thrill of dividing up the spoils of war.
For as You did back in the day when Midian oppressed us,
You will shatter the yoke that burdens them,
You will lift the load that weighs them down,
You will break the rod of their oppressor.
It’s true. All the fabric of war will go up in flames:
the troops’ heavy boots that stamped us down and their blood-soaked garb
Will all be burned beyond recognition or use.
There will be a new time, a fresh start.
Hope of all hopes, dream of our dreams,
a child is born, sweet-breathed; a son is given to us: a living gift.
And even now, with tiny features and dewy hair, He is great.
The power of leadership, and the weight of authority, will rest on His shoulders.
His name? His name we’ll know in many ways—
He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Dear Father everlasting, ever-present never-failing,
Master of Wholeness, Prince of Peace.
His leadership will bring such prosperity as you’ve never seen before—
sustainable peace for all time.
This child: God’s promise to David—a throne forever, among us,
to restore sound leadership that cannot be perverted or shaken.
He will ensure justice without fail and absolute equity. Always.
The intense passion of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies,
will carry this to completion.

The Lord has dispatched a word against Jacob;
it will come down hard on Israel.
All the people of Ephraim and the citizens of its capital Samaria will know.
In their pride and arrogance they say:
10 Hey! The walls have collapsed, but this gives us a chance to rebuild
better than it was before with the best stones instead of brick.
The invaders may have chopped down the sycamores,
but we will plant cedars in their place.”
11 But the Eternal stirs up Rezin’s enemies to move against Israel
and arouses all their foes to join them.
12 They come, these enemies, from both sides (Syrians on the east and Philistines on the west)
and consume Israel, swallowing it whole.
Still, God’s anger smolders.
His hand is raised; there’s more to come.

13 But the people don’t return to God after all His punishment.
They don’t change their ways and right their paths
To seek the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies.
14 Therefore, He will take them to task.
In a single day He’ll cut off from Israel the head and the tail;
He’ll cut down the noble palm and lowly reed.
15 The head are those charged with leadership—political and religious—
who used their power in the worst possible ways;
And the tail are the prophets who slur their lies.
16 These misguided leaders have misled this people;
and those who follow have become swallowed up in their deceit.
17-18 Even now the Lord takes no joy in a single one, not even the young.
Mercy has run out for even those without power—the widows and orphans.
For every single person is at fault and behaves badly.
No one thinks or acts as God would have them do.
Every mouth utters foolishness like a wildfire, out of control;
wickedness rages, leveling and clearing briars and thorns;
Forests and thickets burn, leaving the whole a smoking heap.
Still, God’s anger smolders. His hand is raised; there’s more to come.
19 The Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies,
sets our world on fire in His fury.
The rotten people become kindling for the fire,
turning against one another until no one is spared.
20 They slice off what’s on the right and are still hungry;
they eat what’s on the left and still aren’t satisfied.
And in their voracity, they consume their own.

Ravenous in their greed, no one is spared—not brothers or sisters, not allies or kin.

21 Manasseh and Ephraim devour each other
and turn their covetous eye south, toward Judah.
Still, God’s anger smolders. His hand is raised; there’s more to come.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sincerity is a difficult thing to judge. The commitment that people have to a cause can only be determined over time. One test might be: do they persevere through hardships and challenges? In this regard, Paul is without equal. If the cause of Jesus were a fleeting interest or a halfhearted pursuit, then he would have given up after his first beating. But Paul’s compassion for those who did not know the beauty of the gospel was stubborn and unyielding. This persecutor-turned-emissary always had his critics. But who could call him insincere?

Paul is speaking of himself in verses 2-5 in an odd, third-person way. He writes cryptically for a purpose: to distract from the fact that, at least for the moment, he is boasting of something other than weakness. In heavenly journeys, Paul has seen amazing sights and heard amazing sounds—sights and sounds no human can or should ever speak of.

But God adds something to keep Paul from being carried away by such ecstasies: He gives His emissary “a thorn in the flesh.” Perhaps it is a chronic physical or emotional illness he suffers. Perhaps it is the steady stream of opponents who follow Paul wherever he goes. In God’s wisdom, Paul doesn’t say because his listeners would likely fixate on whatever problem he has in unhealthy ways. That’s what humans do. Still Paul believes that God sent this unwelcome messenger, so he pleads with God three times to remove it. Why just three times? Why doesn’t he bombard heaven daily with his pleas? Well, it may be because he knows Jesus prayed three times in the garden for the cup of suffering to be removed. Ultimately Jesus surrendered to the will of the Father, and Paul does too: “Grace is enough, Paul. Grace is enough.”

12 Boasting like this is necessary, but it’s unbecoming and probably unavailing. Since you won’t hear me any other way, let me tell you about visions and revelations I received of the Lord.

Fourteen years ago, there was this man I knew—a believer in the Anointed who was caught up to the third heaven. (Whether this was an in- or out-of-body experience I don’t know; only God knows.) 3-4 This man was caught up into paradise (let me say it again, whether this was an in- or out-of-body experience I don’t know; only God knows), and he heard inexpressible words—words a mortal man is forbidden to utter. I could brag about such a man; but as for me, I have nothing to brag about outside my own shortcomings. So if I want to boast, I won’t do so as a fool because I will be speaking the truth. But I will stop there, since I don’t want to be credited with anything except exactly what people see and hear from me. To keep me grounded and stop me from becoming too high and mighty due to the extraordinary character of these revelations, I was given a thorn in the flesh—a nagging nuisance of Satan, a messenger to plague me! I begged the Lord three times to liberate me from its anguish; and finally He said to me, “My grace is enough to cover and sustain you. My power is made perfect in weakness.” So ask me about my thorn, inquire about my weaknesses, and I will gladly go on and on—I would rather stake my claim in these and have the power of the Anointed One at home within me. 10 I am at peace and even take pleasure in any weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and afflictions for the sake of the Anointed because when I am at my weakest, He makes me strong.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Psalm 55

Psalm 55

For the worship leader. A contemplative song[a] of David accompanied by strings.

Hear me, O God.
Tune Your ear to my plea,
and do not turn Your face from my prayer.
Give me Your attention.
Answer these sighs of sorrow;
my troubles have made me restless—I groan from anxiety
All because of my enemy! Because his voice speaks against me,
his wickedness torments me!
He casts down misfortune upon me;
his anger flares; his grudges grow against me.

My heart seizes within my chest; I am in anguish!
I am terrified my life could end on any breath.
I shiver and shudder in fear;
I can’t stop because this horror is just too much.
I said, “If only my arms were wings like the dove’s!
I would fly away from here and find rest—
Yes, I would venture far
and weave a nest in the wilderness.

[pause][b]

“I would rush to take refuge
away from the violent storm and pounding winds.”

Throw them off, O Lord. Confuse their speech, and frustrate their plans,
for violence and contention are building within the city.
I can see it with my own eyes.
10 They plot day and night, scurrying the city walls like rats,
trouble and evil lurking everywhere.
11 In the heart of the city, destruction awaits.
Oppression and lies swarm the streets,
and they will not take leave; no, they will not go.

12 If it were just an enemy sneering at me,
I could take it.
If it were just someone who has always hated me, treating me like dirt,
I’d simply hide away.
13 But it is you! A man like me,
my old friend, my companion.
14 We enjoyed sweet conversation,
walking together in the house of God among the pressing crowds.
15 Let death sneak up on them,
swallow them alive into the pit of death.
Why? Because evil stirs in their homes; evil is all around them.
16 But I, I shall call upon God,
and by His word, the Eternal shall save me.
17 Evening, morning, and noon I will plead;
I will grumble and moan before Him
until He hears my voice.
18 And He will rescue my soul, untouched,
plucked safely from the battle,
despite the many who are warring against me.
19 God, enthroned from ancient times through eternity,
will hear my prayers and strike them down.

[pause]

For they have refused change;
they supply their every need and have no fear of God.

20 My friend has become a foe, breaking faith, tearing down peace.
He’s betrayed our covenant.
21 Oh, how his pleasant voice is smoother than butter,
while his heart is enchanted by war.
Oh, how his words are smoother than oil,
and yet each is a sword drawn in his hand.

22 Cast your troubles upon the Eternal;
His care is unceasing!
He will not allow
His righteous to be shaken.

23 But You, O God, You will drive them
into the lowest[c] pit—
Violent, lying people
won’t live beyond their middle years.
But I place my trust in You.

Footnotes:

  1. 55:title Hebrew, maskil
  2. 55:7 Literally, selah, likely a musical direction from a Hebrew root meaning “to lift up”
  3. 55:23 Greek manuscripts read, “pit of destruction.” The idea is the grave or place of death.
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Proverbs 23:4-5

Do not overwork yourself just to become wealthy;
have enough sense to know when to quit.
As soon as you become fixed on riches, they vanish.
For suddenly they sprout wings
and become like a soaring eagle flying high in the sky.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

9/10/2021 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 6:1-7:25, 2 Corinthians 11:16-33, Psalm 54:1-7, Proverbs 23:1-3

Today is the 10th day of September, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible, I am Brian. It is wonderful to be here with you today as we gather together around this Global Campfire, find our place, take a deep breath and let everything else go and just relax into this space that we create together each and every day. An oasis of serenity, a protected place where the world and all of its pressures and cares, yeah we can drag them in here but this is a safe place. We can pick them all back up at the door if we want when we walkout, but this is our place. Just focus on the Scriptures allow them to wash over us, allow them to speak to us, allow them to carry us forward, and so, let’s dive in. We are still moving into the book of Isaiah because were about 10% through the book of Isaiah and so let’s continue our journey. Isaiah chapters 6 and 7 today.

Commentary:

Okay so, in the second letter to the Corinthians today we get to the…to the boasting part right where Pauls like, having to defend himself by boasting back against the super apostles or the great emissaries who have come in behind him, to the churches that he planted and are teaching nuances that he’s not teaching and they are bringing credibility like that they are associated with the actual apostles of Jesus. Paul can’t do that. So now he has to kind of state his credentials, essentially in a boasting fashion so I quote Paul “are they are Hebrews so am I, are they are true Israelites so am I, are they are the descendants of Abraham so am I, are they the servants to the anointed one, the liberating King I am even more so. I can’t believe how foolish I sound. I have worked harder for God’s kingdom, taken more beatings, been dragged in and out of prisons and have been eye to eye with death. Five times I withstood 39 lashes from Jewish authorities. Three times I was battered with rods, once I was almost stoned to death, three times I was shipwrecked and I spent one day and night adrift on the sea. I have been on many journeys and face the most extreme circumstances, perilous rivers, violent thieves and threats by my own people and by the Gentile outsiders alike. I have faced dangers in the city in the wilderness and at sea and danger from spies among our brothers and sisters. I have survived toil and hardships, sleepless nights, hunger and thirst without a crumb insight, bear to the cold. As if these external trials weren’t enough, there is the daily stress I feel and anxiety I carry for all the churches under my care.” Okay so, that’s Paul’s boasting his saying this is my pedigree. These are my credentials in the face of these super apostles. So, it’s safe to say that Paul faced a lot and that should indeed give him credibility among the people where he’s planted churches indeed. But beyond that, if he went through all of that stuff as the church is information at this early impetus of the church and its growth than what we need to understand is that resistance and hardship and difficulty and challenge have always, always been a part of the story and those challenging hardships are not easy, they weren’t easy then and they’re just hard now. It’s always been really, really hard. Our brothers and sisters who have carried this story forward to us today, did it through difficulty and hardship, just like we do and so often what we think is that somehow that’s not supposed to be the case. Somehow it’s supposed to be easy for us. Jesus is the easy maker not the way maker. He’s the way maker and he makes a way through the wilderness and rivers in the desert through the difficult times and we’re all going through them. We all will go through them. And when some of our brothers and sisters are going through really, really tremendous and peaceful times. Others of us are going through tremendous and difficult times and we help each other through these times together step-by-step. So, we can think of our challenges, things that we’re facing, things that are not letting us have enough sleep. Things that are keeping it difficult for us to fall asleep, things that we find ourselves staring out the window daydreaming thinking about, mulling over, chewing on trying to find solutions for. We need to know that this is part of it. Resistance in our lives is something that strengthens us. And it’s important that we become strong because we are revealing a kingdom. So, there are times where we feel like we can’t even put another foot in front of the other, we’re just burned out, we’re just absolutely exhausted. We have…life has just knocked us flat on our back, we’re just staring up at the sky, trying to figure out you if we even have the strength to stand back up. I know, I know what that feels like too. We all know what that feels like because we all face this. Jesus the anointed one, faced this. The apostle Paul, as we’re seeing in this letter, faced this. So, if there’s nothing more that I really could say to make it better. And there’s not. It’s just you are not alone. You are not the only one. And, at least in my experience, we can cave, we can buckle, we can throw in the towel, we can throw up our hands, we can walk away, but people have survived insurmountable odds when they believe, when they believe in what they’re doing, when they believe in what it means. People can endure just about anything. And we are the light of the world. We are the salt of the earth, we’re holding things together. If we could stop fighting each other, we could really, really do some damage to the darkness. If we would stop looking at our hardships and then looking at another brother and sister and going, why don’t they have to face…why aren’t they going through this thing? We just need to remember Jesus words at the very end of the gospel of John. What is that to you? You follow me. And so be encouraged. You can keep going. There is strength that you didn’t know about, that you can’t find until you get to the end of your own.

Prayer:

And so, Father, Holy Spirit come we’re very weary. Some of us are very, very weary and it’s been a hard season or a hard year or a hard life and we don’t have the strength to go on. We need Your strength and yet we look back into the Scriptures and see that this is the story. This is how the story goes. Everyone who’s ever stepped up to carry the light of the world forward has faced opposition and so we can take some comfort in that, doesn’t make it easier, but it lets us know we are a part of something that’s been going on a long time, and if we would come to the end of ourselves and surrender You would help us navigate. And maybe the circumstances aren’t going to change, but our perspective can radically shift so that the circumstances don’t have the power over us that they once did. Come Holy Spirit, help us to know that we’re becoming stronger and that we’re taking part in a process that has been going on since the very beginning. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday September 10, 2021 (NIV)

Isaiah 6-7

In the same year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a grand throne way up high with a flowing cape that filled the whole temple. Bright flaming creatures waited on Him. Each had six wings: two covering its face, two covering its feet, and two for flying. Like some fiery choir, they would call back and forth continually.

Flaming Creatures: Holy, holy, holy is the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies!
The earth is filled with His glorious presence!

They were so loud that the doorframes shook, and the holy house kept filling with smoke.

Isaiah: I am in so much trouble! I’m ruined!
I’m just a human being—fallible and stammering.
My lips are encrusted with filth;
and I live among people just like me.
But here I am, and I’ve seen with my very own eyes
none other than the King, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies.

Then one of the flaming creatures flew to me holding a red-hot ember which it had taken from God’s table, the temple altar, with a pair of tongs. The creature held it to my lips.

Flaming Creature: Look! With the touch of this burning ember on your lips,
your guilt is turned away;
All your faults and wrongdoings are forgiven.

Then I heard the Lord’s voice.

Eternal One: Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?

Isaiah: Here I am! Send me.

Eternal One: Go to this people and say,
“Keep listening, but do not comprehend;
Keep looking, but do not understand.”[a]

10 Make their hearts hard, their ears deaf, and their eyes blind.
Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears,
Understand with their hearts, and then turn and be healed.[b]

11 Isaiah: How long, Lord?

Eternal One: Until cities are in ruins, the houses sit empty,
and the land has become a wasteland.

12 You see, the Eternal has determined to move the people far away;
place after place will be completely abandoned.
13 And even if just a tenth survive, it will be burned again;
imagine a terebinth or an oak; once it is cut down, the stump remains.
The holy seed remains in the stump.

The stump remains: a testament to what the people used to be, a promise of what is to come.

When Ahaz (Uzziah’s grandson, Jotham’s son) was king here in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, a coalition of two other kings—Pekah (Remaliah’s son) from the Northern Kingdom (also called Israel and Ephraim) and Rezin from Aram (which is Syria)—determined to attack our capital Jerusalem. But they failed to take it. This is what happened: When our royal house (descended from David) heard that Aram was in league with Ephraim against us, the king was terrified. The news shook the hearts of the people like trees in the wind. So the Eternal told Isaiah to get involved.

Eternal One: Catch up with Ahaz at the end of the stream that comes out of the upper pool—you know, the one at the highway where they wash and bleach cloth. And bring your son who’s named Shear-jashub (which means “Returning Remnant”). 4-6 Tell Ahaz, “Keep your wits about you. Stay calm. Don’t panic just because those two angry northerners, Rezin of Aram and Pekah (Remaliah’s son), threaten you and say: ‘Let’s march against Judah, terrorize the people, overthrow it, and set up Tabeel’s son as our puppet king.’”

God promised that David’s dynasty would continue forever. Since Ahaz is of David’s line, he should be confident before the threat. But he needs the support of God’s prophet.

Here is what the Eternal Lord has to say.

Eternal One: It’s not going to work;
what they determine is not going to happen.
8-9 The head of Aram is Damascus, and its head is King Rezin;
Ephraim’s head is Samaria, and its king is Remaliah’s son.
Ephraim will fall apart as a nation and as a people within 65 years.
Now then, if you don’t hold firm, if you don’t believe, you will not remain firm.

10 The Eternal One also said this to our king, Ahaz:

Eternal One (to Ahaz): 11 Ask for proof, a sign from the Eternal your God. Go ahead, ask anything, anything at all; it can be high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.

Ahaz: 12 No way. I wouldn’t dare to ask, to test the Eternal One.

Isaiah: 13 Listen then. You are none other than the house of David, the one who inherited God’s promise of permanent kingship for David’s descendants. Is it so easy to be a bore to people that you would exhaust God’s patience too? 14 Suit yourself. The Lord will give you a proof-sign anyway: See, a young maiden[c] will conceive. She will give birth to a son and name Him Immanuel, that is, “God with us.”[d] 15 There will indeed be something Godlike about Him. He’ll be eating curds and honey when he knows to choose what is right and good and refuse what is not. 16 But before the boy has the wisdom to refuse evil and choose good the territory of the two kings you now dread will be abandoned.

17 But it’s not all rosy for you, either. The Eternal will bring against you, against this population, this blessed kingdom, such trouble as hasn’t been seen since the 10 northern tribes, led by Ephraim, seceded from Judah—trouble in the form of the Assyrian king. 18 At that time, the Eternal will summon the Egyptian flies and the stinging pests of Assyria, calling them 19 to settle into every crack and crevice of the country, every place high and low—mountains, fields, deserts, and cities—every thornbush and watering hole. 20 In that day, the Lord will hire the Assyrian king from beyond the Euphrates River to shave every part of you, humbling you like slaves. 21 Each person will hang onto only what he or she absolutely needs—a heifer and two sheep—in order to survive. 22 But some will survive because those who are left will eat curds and honey, for their animals will produce plenty of milk. 23 They will no longer live off the land because wherever there had been flourishing vineyards with 1,000 vines, worth 1,000 pieces of silver, they will produce nothing but briars and thorns. 24 No one will venture into this wasteland of briars and thorns without bow and arrow. 25 No one will dare to cultivate the hills that once were tilled for fear of what is out there; only the hardiest animals—cattle and sheep—are released to graze the ragged slopes.

Footnotes:

  1. 6:9 Luke 8:10
  2. 6:9–10 Matthew 13:14–15; Mark 4:12; John 12:40; Acts 28:26–27
  3. 7:14 Greek manuscripts read, “virgin.”
  4. 7:14 Matthew 1:23
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

2 Corinthians 11:16-33

16 So as I said before, please don’t mark me a fool; but if you must, then please accept me even as that and give me a little more room to boast. 17 What I am saying now is not in character with our Lord but is the bragging of a self-assured fool. 18 Just as other fools brag according to their worldly accomplishments, so I, too, will have to boast; 19 meanwhile, you—so wise, so tolerant—gladly bear this kind of foolishness. 20 How easily you tolerate becoming another’s slave, having them consume you, letting them rob you blind, or allowing them to edge their way past you or slap you in the face. 21 Embarrassingly I admit that next to them we must look very weak!

But in whatever way they dare to boast—remember, I’m speaking in character as a fool—I dare to boast even more! 22 Are they Hebrews, God’s chosen? So am I. Are they true Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants to the Anointed One, the Liberating King? I am even more so! (I can’t believe how foolish I sound.) I have worked harder for God’s kingdom, taken more beatings, been dragged in and out of prisons, and have been eye-to-eye with death. 24 Five times I have withstood thirty-nine lashes from Jewish authorities, 25 three times I was battered with rods, once I was almost stoned to death, three times I was shipwrecked, and I spent one day and night adrift on the sea. 26 I have been on many journeys and faced the most extreme circumstances: perilous rivers, violent thieves, and threats by my own people and by the Gentile outsiders alike. I have faced dangers in the city, in the wilderness, and at sea; and danger from spies among our brothers and sisters. 27 I have survived toil and hardships, sleepless nights, hunger and thirst without a crumb in sight, bare to the cold. 28 As if these external trials weren’t enough, there is the daily stress I feel and anxiety I carry for all the churches under my care. 29 Who is weak without this arousing my empathy? Who gets hurt and offended without this inciting my burning anger?

30 So as you can see, if I have to boast, I will, but only in my own weaknesses. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus, He who is worthy of eternal blessing, can confirm that I am telling you the truth. 32 Once, in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas had his people in the city looking for me in order to arrest me. 33 But I crouched in a basket and was lowered out of a window in the city wall, and I narrowly escaped his tight grip.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Psalm 54

Psalm 54

For the worship leader. A contemplative song[a] of David when his friends, the Ziphites, betrayed him to Saul. Accompanied by strings.

This is a lament reflecting the time when David was betrayed to Saul (1 Samuel 23:6–29). It expresses hope that God will save by His name. The name refers to the covenant name given to Moses at Mount Sinai (Exodus 3). We have translated it “the Eternal One.” For the ancients the name of God has power precisely because it embodies the presence of God. To call upon the name was to call upon God to remember His covenant promises and be present in power in order to rescue His people.

Liberate me, O God, by the authority of Your name.
Vindicate me through Your legendary power.
Hear my prayer, O God;
let the words of my mouth reach Your sympathetic ear.

The truth is, these strangers are rallying against me;
cold-blooded men seek to slay me;
they have no respect for You.

[pause][b]

But see now! God comes to rescue me;
the Lord is my valiant supporter.
He will repay my enemies for the harm they have done; they are doomed!
According to Your faithful promises, silence them.

I will sacrifice to You willingly;
I will lift Your name by shouts of thanksgiving, O Eternal One, for Your name is good.
God has pulled me out from every one of the troubles that encompass me,
and I have seen what it means to stand over my enemies in triumph.

Footnotes:

  1. 54:title Hebrew, maskil
  2. 54:3 Literally, selah, likely a musical direction from a Hebrew root meaning “to lift up”
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Proverbs 23:1-3

23 When sitting down to eat with a ruler,
take a moment to think about who you are with and what you are doing.
If you are the type who eats too much too fast,
do whatever is necessary to curb your enthusiasm for food.
Also, do not eye the ruler’s delicacies,
for the food may not be what it seems.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

09/09/2021 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 3:1-5:30, 2 Corinthians 11:1-15, Psalms 53:1-6, Proverbs 22:28-29

Today is the 9th day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it is wonderful to be here with you today as we do what we do and take the next step forward together, the next step through the Scriptures of course, and the next step forward in our lives. We have just begun our journey through the book of Isaiah. And, so, we will continue that journey. Isaiah chapters 3, 4, and 5 today.

Commentary:

Okay. Have you ever encountered somebody who’s like…who really needs to prove they’re a better Christian than somebody else…like a superior Christ follower to somebody else? The answers probably yes. The answer probably should be yes. For all of us, all we really have to do is go on social media to find this sort of thing going on pretty much 24 hours a day battling with one another over doctrine, battling with one another over right posture, battling with one another over interpretation, all these kinds of things. This is part of our history. This has…this has been going on a while now. In fact, it was going on in the beginning of the church and that is what we are beginning to encounter in the letter, the second letter to the Corinthians. So, Paul referenced “great emissaries” in our reading today. In other translations “super apostles”. And who exactly we’re referencing here, that's…that’s been a matter of scholarly debate for a very long time but it’s pretty clear from Paul’s letter that he’s not pleased, and he doesn’t like that they are coming to the churched that he has founded. So, probably what’s happening here is that believers in Jesus who have a bit of a different understanding, or maybe different convictions about certain things about Jesus or His teachings have begun to visit the churched that Paul established. And to take it even further it…it wouldn’t be unlikely that these would be maybe Jewish believers who were not in agreement with things like the Jerusalem Council, allowing Gentiles like…in other words, allowing the gospel to be inclusive, including the Gentiles, including anyone in the world who believed. There were definitely in the early church people who were for sure not on board with that idea at all, believing rather that Jesus was Jewish, and you would need to convert to Judaism and then follow Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. But they weren’t the only ones coming up with ideas. Once Gentile people began to believe in Jesus, having had no background in Judaism, so having had no real understanding of like how the story came to be they started crafting stories of their own about what Jesus meant, and what His mission was, and what He ultimately was trying to do. Regardless, these super apostles, these great emissaries had some sort of association with the apostles of Jesus, some of the men who actually were disciples who walked with Jesus, which lends some credibility to the idea that these might have been those of the Jewish persuasion coming into the Gentile churches and trying to set things right, that they in association with the actual apostles of Jesus had higher validity in what they were saying, more authority than Paul who had established the church, they were the super Christians. They were the ones who had come to make things right. Well Paul has a bit of a problem here because he didn’t have the credibility some of these people might have having been maybe sent or having walked in close association with some of the apostles of Jesus. Paul had never met Jesus in his earthly life and wasn’t really in close association for that matter with the Jerusalem church. They were certainly aware of each other. But Paul was out doing work among the Gentiles all over the Roman Empire. The thing that was sort of putting Paul this weird situation is that when these people came in to visit churches and Paul, he’s out ministering all over the place, some these people come in, roll out their credentials, are accepted into speak to the people, they’re not saying the gospel that Paul had taught in the first place that he’s trying to standardize throughout the Roman Empire, at least in the church is that he is planting. But they seem to have legitimate credibility at least as much credibility as Paul in the eyes of the people. And, so, this creates this weird problem where Paul has done the work, risked his life, maybe been beaten up, maybe been thrown out of town to establish a church, a little baby church that he wants to nurture up. And after he’s done the hard work of risking and planting then there’s people coming in behind him, saying, we’re more credible, we should take this place over, here’s how you got to do this, and here’s how to believe in Jesus. It just felt self-serving. They weren’t there when…there when lives were on the line. They showed up afterward. So, now Paul has a situation where these people are kind of showing their credibility which then makes Paul’s little church look toward Paul and essentially say, so what’s your credibility? We need to decide who’s more credible. And, so, it’s like a boasting match about who is the best Christian. And boasting, especially like self-promotion style boasting. Most people don’t like that. If you can see it, if you can spot it, it’s a turnoff. But it’s definitely not a characteristic that we would associate with Jesus or his followers, at least in the Scriptures. Trust me, it happens plenty…plenty to plenty in the world today. So, Paul’s in a situation where he’s gotta like boast back in order to just find even ground with the people that he’s risked his life to bring the gospel to. So, Paul’s uncomfortable with this idea because who wins in these scenarios? So, Paul sort of sets up like, hey I don’t really don’t want to be talking about myself. I’m in a bad position here, but if they’re going to do this then if they think they’ve got credibility than I…I have to say my own credibility. But before all that gets going, he’s like, and I’m quoting here, “to be completely honest, I am extremely jealous for you. But it’s the same kind of jealousy God has for you. You see, like an attentive father I have pledged your hand in marriage and promise to present you as a pure virgin to the one who would be your husband, the Anointed one.” So, he’s like the thing that’s kinda getting me up in arms here about what’s going on and these people coming in and telling you the nuanced…a nuanced gospel that I didn’t teach you, is that you are my life’s work. Your life, your…presenting you to God is why I am alive now, why I risk my life everywhere I go. And, so, all of that is to sort of set up where we’re gonna be going here tomorrow as we read from this letter because we’ll be hearing Paul’s quote unquote boasting in his own defense against great emissaries who have association with the actual apostles of Jesus who have been coming in behind him into the churches that he has planted. And we’ll get some of that starting tomorrow. But let’s think today though about the names we try to drop to get validation or credibility toward ourselves, especially in Christian service. What is the goal here, that we become a super apostle? A celebrated Christian? A better servant of Jesus than anybody else? You see how kinda counterintuitive even an idea is especially in the face of Jesus saying, “make them one father as we are one”, or as we look at the apostle Paul describing us as a body where all parts are irreplaceable and completely necessary. So, let’s think about the ways in which…well…we try to be super apostles, which really just exposes our own insecurity and our own pride.

Prayer:

Jesus, we invite Your Holy Spirit into that because we all have insecurities and pride and they have never really served us well. They have lingered and been a part of our story. We have fed them and allowed them to live in our minds and in our hearts, but they were never actually our friends. They were just there to take what they could get from us, and we allowed it. Come Holy Spirit into those insecurities that then breed pride, that then lead us into competition, that then lead us into identity crisis, that then lead us into trouble, and then lead us in the circle of repentance that we keep circling. Come Holy Spirit and let us humble ourselves under Your mighty hand knowing that our identity is in You. There is no other identity. We do not need an identity as compared to somebody else. We don’t need to be a better Christian than somebody else. It’s not a competition. We are fortunate and grateful that You have grafted us into Your family, and we are Your children. May we live like that we pray. In the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

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And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you not be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Good morning, Jesus, good morning, DABbers, this is God’s Chosen from Georgia. Father we thank You for the gift of life. We thank You that You are God, and we are not. We thank You for Your mercies that are new every morning. We thank You for the peace that You give us each night to be able to sleep and rest and remold our bodies. Thank You for Your provision for this brand-new day. Thank You because You reign, and You listen to every single prayer request that is brought before Your throne of mercy. Thank You for all unspoken requests. Thank You for the words that we would never hear because You know them all and You add meet them. Thank You that You created each one of us equal, You are loving, You are kind, You are faithful, You’re our provider, and You listen to us. Sometimes we have needs that we want to bring before You but when we listen to other people’s needs, we put our own needs aside and we intercede for all that are urgent. So, this morning Lord we want to say thank You for You have been gracious, You have been faithful, You have been loving, You have been kind. We pray Lord heavenly Father Lord that You would come with Your might and Your power, You would as You reign in glory You continue to look down upon us Your children and bless us. Bless all of us this morning. Bless all who take time to intercede for others. Blessed their lives, bless everything they touch. Help us Lord to look up to You for we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hey DABalonians shout out to my little sis it’s Doctor John from Jordan New York and I’m just calling in to let you guys know about how much I appreciate the outpouring of love. This community is just phenomenal. It…it really is a phenomenon that wraps its arms around people and loves unconditionally. I’ve witnessed it so many times through the years with different people where there’s this outpouring of prayer and love and people just saying, “hey we’ve got your back, we’ve got you.” And I actually never thought this would happen to me. And, so, it’s a little bit humbling, it’s very humbling but we have this community of heaven here on earth where we just…we just love each other and it’s phenomenal. So, I’m just saying thank you all for all the shout outs, all the prayers mentioned and unmentioned. And I'm…I’m humbled, completely humbled by everyone and what you’ve done. The funny part is when I listened to the first miracle call in that I made, I cried. You know, I just…it was so beautiful to me. And, so, I can imagine others of you tearing up…at at the miracles that we can accomplish here on earth. So, keep praying, keep the faith, keep it flowing y'all. OK? Make it a great day. Love you all. Bye bye.

Hey all this is Natalie all the way from phoenix AZ. I’ve only had this app for three days and I got it to listen to at night or whenever I’m cleaning around the house because I wasn’t making enough time to read my Bible and by the time I did I was exhausted, and I would fall asleep, and I just felt discouraged. So, I just randomly found this app. I picked the first one that looked interesting, and it has been such a blessing to hear all the other prayer requests from all around the world to hear all the encouragement and to hear how it’s really family on here. It’s just really encouraging to see that there is people struggling with the same things, there’s other people rooting for you that don’t even know you. This year for some reason has been especially hard for me and I’ve just been struggling recently but the messages and the readings that I’ve been listening to since September 1st, I believe, have just really changed my outlook and it’s starting to really affect me during the day. And that’s the purpose of God’s word. And I’m so thankful that I can have it on the go. It makes it so much easier to connect. And I’m just so thankful. So, thank you.

Hello there, DAB family this is Kevin from England I’d like to give a prayer of encouragement to everyone who’s listening to this right now, all…everyone that has been going through pain, through suffering, losing anyone or just feeling lonely or any…any of the sorts. I just want to pray to each and every one of you. And I pray that the Holy Spirit is with you and that you are uplifted, and that Jesus is with you and carries you and…and holds your hand through all…everything that you go through in life. I pray that all that listen to this that your day becomes brighter than it was before and continues to be bright. And continue to pray to the Lord. Continue to pray to pray…pray to Him not just on here but pray to Him even when you’re done praying here go pray some more. Pray and pray and pray. And I pray that every single one of you feel the Holy Spirit and are uplifted in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Hi, I’m calling just because I feel like I'm…I’m desperate. My name is Lisa and I’ve been really quite sick since January, and I feel like I’m a real burden to my family and I’m costing a lot of money for my medical treatment and still not better. They won’t go as far as calling it COVID long haul but they’re calling it chronic viral inflammation. And I just…I’m growing impatient, and I just need prayer. I feel all alone, and I feel like I’m a burden to my family. And, so, please pray for me, pray from my healing, pray for my sense of peace. I…I just feel really worn out and I feel very overwhelmed. Thank you.

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday September 9, 2021 (NIV)

Isaiah 3-5

See here! The Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies,
will take away the supply of bread and water—
the whole supply—from Jerusalem and Judah.
He will take away their heroes and warriors,
judges and prophets, fortune-tellers and elders,
He will take away their military officers and high-ranking officials,
advisers and skilled workers, and experts with charms and amulets.
In the chaos of their absence, I will make mere kids rule.
Even infants will govern them,
Leaving people to take advantage of each other,
making their lives miserable.
Youngsters will terrorize the elderly,
and the most despicable will bully the upstanding.
Desperate people will grab anyone who seems the least bit ordinary.

People: You managed to hold on to your coat, so you must be our leader;
this heap of rubble will be under your command!

Chosen Leader: I will not play the nurse for your wounds.
Do not elect me to lead the people—I can barely feed and clothe my own.

O how this precious city, this Jerusalem, has gone wrong,
and Judah is in shambles.
For all they say and do is an affront to the Eternal,
resisting His glorious presence.
The look on their faces tells the true story;
they flaunt their sins like Sodom.
They don’t even try to hide them—how terrible it will be for them,
for they will pay for their self-serving carelessness.
10 Tell those who have done right in the eyes of God
that all will be well for them,
For they will be rightly rewarded.
11 But whoever persists in wrongdoing will rue the day—
everything will go wrong for him—
Whatever he’s done will come back to him.
12 Oh, how I ache for my people! They are oppressed by children,
ruled by women, naïve and inexperienced.
O my people, your leaders are misleading you,
guiding you down the path to disaster.

13 But now the Eternal is taking the bench; He’s ready to judge;
He rises to lay out the people’s case.
14 The Eternal will bring charges
against those in positions of authority over His people.

Eternal One: You are charged with devouring everything in the vineyard,
and leaving nothing for the needy.
You’ve ransacked the poor to fill your houses.
15 How dare you! How dare you crush My people,
and grind the faces of the poor into the ground!

This is what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies has to say.

16 Eternal One: Because the daughters of Zion are so proud,
so preoccupied with themselves—strutting and flirting,
Skipping and dancing, winking and giggling for attention
17 I will shame them with unsightly scabs on their heads,
these daughters who should be the pride of Zion, God’s precious place.
I will make them feel naked
when I uncover their foreheads and make them bald.

Under God’s judgment they will lose all the things they have that make others notice, desire, or envy them.

18-23 When the time comes, the Lord will simply take away the jewelry for their ankles, heads, noses, arms, ears, wrists, and fingers; these chains and gems, baubles and bangles, sashes and veils, perfume bottles and lucky charms, festive clothes and undergarments, purses and mirrors—everything that consumed their attention to get attention.

24 Then instead of a lovely scent—they’ll smell of decay;
instead of leather belts—they’ll don a rope;
Instead of a cut and style—they’ll have bald heads;
instead of silky-soft fabric—they’ll put on scratchy burlap sacks;
Instead of beauty—they’ll be branded with shame.
25 Jerusalem, your fathers and sons will be slaughtered,
your valiant protectors killed in battle,
26 And your gates will cry out in grief.
The city will sit in a heap on the ground, desolate and empty.

On that day, seven women will beg the same man:

Women: Please, take away our shame. We will support ourselves—eat our own bread, make our own clothes—just let us be called by your name.

The prophet warns of a time when only a few of God’s people will be left. The shredded fabric of families will leave the most vulnerable exposed and desperate. Women, who in this ancient Israelite society depend on relationships to men for social and financial security, will resort to doing whatever they can to survive beyond the deaths of their fathers, brothers, and husbands. Although the framework of their culture will seem to have crumbled, the story will move forward as the God of Israel remembers His own. There will always be a remnant of those who follow the Lord. Utter despair gives way to hope.

Then, oh then, a tiny shoot cultivated and nurtured by the Eternal will emerge new and green, promising beauty and glory. Everything that comes from the earth will offer itself, lovely and magnificent, to those who escaped Israel’s demise. Those who survived in precious Zion, all who remain in that special city, Jerusalem, will be called holy. They are destined to be alive, these remaining few, in Jerusalem. Then the Lord will wash away the filth that clung to the daughters of Zion and clean up the blood that stained Jerusalem’s streets with a spirit of justice and the breath of fire. And the Eternal will create wonders over the whole of Mount Zion and those who gather there—cloud and smoke to dim the day, bright shining fire to light the night, all billowing over Zion’s glory like a satin canopy. And it will be a resting place, protected from the heat of the day, a place of shelter and retreat amid storms and rain.

This prophecy echoes stories of the great exodus, when God led Israel out of slavery in Egypt and guided them safely through the barren, rocky crags of the Sinai Peninsula. God was their comfort and sustainer, an ever-present guide and protection. The ancients spoke of traveling beneath the cool shade of a cloud by day and a pillar of warm, bright fire by night. Now the prophet sees ahead to a day when God will provide His people rest and comfort—a new exodus—in His chosen place, Zion.

Let me now sing for my dear friend,
a love song about his vineyard.
My friend, whom I dearly love,
had a vineyard on a fertile hill.
He labored to prepare the ground, tilling the soil and digging out rocks,
and then he planted it with the best plants he could find.
In its midst, he built a watchtower over it
and cut out a winepress in the hill nearby;
Then he waited, hoping it would be bountiful.
But the vineyard produced only wild, bitter grapes.

Eternal One: That’s it. Enough. Now, you who live in My special city, Jerusalem,
you people of this choice country, Judah,
Who’s in the right—Me or My vineyard?
What else could I possibly have done to make it flourish?
Why, when I had every reason to expect great beauty and bushels of grapes,
Did it yield only wild, bitter fruit?

I’ll tell you what I’m going to do,
what I’ve determined to do to My vineyard:
I’m going to take away its protective fence
and let the deer, raccoons, and rabbits devour it.
I’ll break down its wall,
let the vines be eaten and trampled.
I will set it up for destruction—
do no pruning, no tilling—
And it will be overrun with nasty briars and thornbushes.
I will even order the clouds not to water it.

See here, the vineyard of the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies,
is the house of Israel, His special people.
And the shoots and buds He nursed so lovingly along
are the people of this choice country, Judah.
He expected a paragon of justice and righteousness—
but everywhere injustice runs bloodred in the streets, and cries echo in the city!
Oh, how bad for those who hoard property and wealth,
buying up houses and fields, right and left,
Until there is no place left for anyone else;
you will find yourselves very alone in the midst of this great land!
I was there when the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies, told us what to expect.

Eternal One: Make no mistake about it: many houses will be abandoned.
Grand, beautiful houses with all the luxury will echo empty.
10 Huge investments in 10-acre vineyards
will yield tiny dividends, mere gallons of wine.
Prime property planted with plenty of seed
will grow a nearly worthless amount of grain.

11 Oh, I can’t help but groan for people who rise and drink
without stopping from early morning to late evening
Until their passions and emotions burn within them.
12 They entertain themselves with lyres and harps,
tambourines and flutes, and plenty of wine at their feasts.
But they don’t think for a minute about all the Eternal has done.
They don’t stop to consider the work of His hands.

13 Eternal One: Make no mistake: My people are headed for exile
because they never took note;
Even the most honorable among them will endure hunger
while the majority will be parched with thirst.

14 Make no mistake: the force of death is insatiable.
The great gaping grave is opened wide
To swallow whole Jerusalem’s opulence and pageantry—
her noble citizens and her common folk, all the raucous revelry.
15 Human beings will be cut down to size, one after another.
Those who walk around with their noses in the air will be humiliated.
16 By contrast, the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies,
will be high and mighty because He judges fairly.
The holy God will be shown to be so because He does what is right.
17 At that time, Jerusalem will become a pasture where lambs graze,
and foreigners will eat in the ruins where the wealthy once dined.

18 O how terrible for those who drag their guilt around,
worthlessness and wrongdoing in tow—
19 They sneer, “Well, where is He? Let Him be quick about it!
Let’s see this business of the Holy One of Israel;
Let’s see what He has in store so we can know what it is.”
20 O how terrible for those who confuse good with evil,
right with wrong, light with dark, sweet with bitter.
21 O how terrible for those who think they’re so wise,
who consider themselves so clever.
22 O how terrible for those heroes who can outdrink anyone,
those champions who take pride in mixing drinks,
23 Those judges who set the guilty free in exchange for “a little something,”
all the while denying the innocent what they deserve!
24 Therefore, as fire eats up the stubble and dry grass is engulfed by flames,
so it will be for everything they count on for the future—
Their roots will rot, their flowers will wither and fly away like dust,
for they refused to accept the law of the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies;
They derided and disparaged the word of the Holy One of Israel.

25 It’s no wonder the Eternal burns with anger at His people.
He has raised His hand against them and crushed them,
So that the whole earth rang with the blow, and you couldn’t move
without stumbling over their corpses lying like trash in the street.
Despite all this, He’s still very angry;
His hand is still raised; He’s not done yet.
26 He will signal to distant nations,
and whistle for their armies: unleash the dogs of war.
At breakneck speed they come,
a war machine like no other
27 Never tired, never weak;
no one needs to rest or sleep.
Not a belt needs tightening,
not a sandal strap needs fixing.
28 Their arrows have been sharpened;
their bows have been bent, ready for action.
Their horses’ hooves spark like flint;
their chariots’ wheels spin like whirlwinds.
29 Their roaring is deafening, like a lion, like a pack of roaring lions.
When they attack, they growl and pounce on their prey,
Carrying them away; no chance of a rescue.
30 On that day, they will roar over this people like a roaring, angry sea,
and the land will go sorrowfully dark, the light eclipsed by the clouds of war.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

2 Corinthians 11:1-15

Paul’s tone changes. Some believe chapters 10–13 may be from his second letter “covered with tears” (2:4). His rebuke and strong warning are meant to lead the Corinthians lovingly to repentance.

11 Please endure a little foolishness on my part; you have come so far with me already. To be completely honest, I am extremely jealous for you; but it’s the same kind of jealousy God has for you. You see, like an attentive father, I have pledged your hand in marriage and promised to present you as a pure virgin to the One who would be your husband, the Anointed One. But now I’m afraid that as that serpent tricked Eve with his wiles, so your hearts and minds will be tricked and you will stray from the single-minded love and pure devotion to Him. So then, if someone comes along and presents you with a Jesus different from the one we told you about, or if you receive a spirit different from the one gifted through our Lord Jesus, or even if you hear a gospel different from the one you heard through us; then you’re ready to go with it.

I consider myself in league with the so-called great emissaries; I lack nothing. Even if I’m not the greatest speaker, I make up for it by what I know of God and have proved it time and again to you. Was it a sin to humble myself and serve you so that you might be lifted up? Did I wrong you somehow by instructing you in the good news of God without charge? In a sense, I robbed other churches by accepting their support just so I could serve you. If any need arose while I was with you, I didn’t trouble anyone. When the brothers and sisters arrived from Macedonia, they covered all my needs so that I didn’t become a burden to any of you; and I plan on keeping it that way. 10 For I tell you, as the truth of the Anointed One lives in me, I will continue to boast about this all throughout Achaia. 11 Why am I doing this? It’s not because I don’t love you—God knows I do— 12-13 but I will continue doing what I am doing to cut off any opportunity—clearly some are looking for one—for these false emissaries, these low-down, untrustworthy preachers, these posers who act as emissaries of the Anointed, to claim that they work under the same terms that we do. 14 No wonder they are so good at it. Satan himself poses as a messenger of heavenly light, 15 so why should we expect less from his servants—plodding over the earth, pretending to be ministers of righteousness—but in the end, they’ll get what’s coming to them.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Psalm 53

Psalm 53

For the worship leader. A contemplative song[a] of David. A song for the dance.[b]

The foolish are convinced deep down that there is no God.
Their souls are polluted, and they commit gross injustice.
Not one of them does good.

From heaven the one True God examines the earth
to see if any understand the big picture,
if any seek to know the True God.

All have turned back to their wicked ways; they’ve become totally perverse.
Not one of them does good,
not even one.

Do the wicked relish their ignorance,
the wicked ones who consume My people as if they were bread
and fail to call upon the True God?

They trembled with great fear,
though they’d never been afraid before,
Because the True God ravaged the bones of those who rose against you.
You humiliated them because the True God spat them out.

Oh, that the liberation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the True God reclaims His people,
let Jacob celebrate; let Israel rejoice.

Footnotes:

  1. 53:title Hebrew, maskil
  2. 53:title Hebrew, mahalath, meaning is uncertain.
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Proverbs 22:28-29

28 Do not steal property from your neighbors by moving the boundary markers
your ancestors established.
29 And as for those who are skilled in their work,
they will be recognized and invited to serve kings
rather than regular folk.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

09/08/2021 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 1:1-2:22, 2 Corinthians 10:1-18, Psalm 52:1-9, Proverbs 22:26-27

Today is the 8th day of September, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian, it is wonderful to be here with you today as we take our next step forward and I’m glad we get to take that next step forward together…together is definitely better than alone. And we’re stepping into some new territories. So, the last couple of days we’ve been reading from the Song of Songs and that is always a joy to have my wife Jill, come and join us and read that together. And so, we concluded that yesterday, so today were moving into new territory.

Introduction to the Book of Isaiah:

The book of Isaiah. And so now, we’re kind of moving into the book of prophecy. And Isaiah is considered one of the books of major…one of the major prophets or the books of major prophecy which sort of indicates that there might be minor prophets as well and there are but the major and minor prophets aren’t because of like notoriety or importance, or influence it has a lot more to do with the content. For example, some of the minor prophets, when we get there, we’ll read through those in one day, there very short in content. Whereas the book of Isaiah, we’re gonna be camping out in Isaiah for a little while now, it’s 66 chapters long. So, it’s one of the longer of the books in the Bible. So. the other major prophets, besides Isaiah that we’re gonna encounter will be Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel. So, Isaiah, his name means the Lord saves and as we begin to read through Isaiah, we’ll find that he’s very passionate about what he’s communicating and he’s very well quoted. So, during Jesus’ ministry, as portrayed in the Gospels, Isaiah is quoted eight times, including the announcement of his ministry, right, that’s fundamental in Isaiah chapter 61 the spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, right, very, very famous passage. That’s Jesus quoting from the book of Isaiah and he lived eight centuries before Jesus and it seems that he was a man of some influence, maybe even some wealth, maybe he was a part of the nobles or aristocracy because royalty was available, like he had access to speak to royalty. That’s not, that’s not somebody just walking in from some backwater in Israel somewhere and he had a long career as a prophet. He was able to speak to five different kings, kings that, we’ve already read through the books of the kings. So, we’ve gone through a lot of these stories. He spoke to Usiah and Jothem and Ahas and Hezekiah and Manasseh, and then there’s a tradition both among the Jewish people and Christian tradition that Isaiah was martyred under King Manasseh. King Manasseh imprisoned him and eventually executed him by sawing him in half. That’s a tradition, so that’s not laid out in the Scriptures and we don’t have any other resources to know that…that it’s more than a tradition. Although the book of Hebrews does talk about Saints being martyred, some stoned, some sawed in half, some killed with the sword, so there may be a reference there to Isaiah. And as we get going, it’s 66 chapters and really like the first 39 chapters are chapters where the judgment of the Lord is being discussed and it’s a very sobering 39 chapters. And then the second, kinda half from chapter 40 through the end is some of the most comforting portions of the Bible, very, very hopeful portions of Scripture, and that kinda gives us a little…little bit of a template for what we encounter when we read the books of prophecy. Yes, there are times that God, through the prophets, comes and says some pretty harsh things that are going to happen or are potential future things that might happen if the people continue on the path that they seem to be determined to go on. Then certain things are going to happen because of that, but it’s also very, very typical to see in the prophets, God saying there’s a path out of this. You can come back, you could be restored, and he speaks with kindness and compassion, inviting fellowship and restoration of relationship and renewal of covenant. And so, will see that in Isaiah as well as throughout many of the other prophets, but with that, let’s go ahead and dive in, Isaiah chapters 1 and 2.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. All of this transition happening here at the beginning of the month settles us in. So, as we move into this new territory of Isaiah, we invite Your Holy Spirit to speak to us: give us understanding, give us wisdom, guide us, direct our steps, lead us deeper into Jesus, reveal the narrow path that leads to life, light our path, we pray in the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, it’s the website. It’s where you find out what’s going on around here. Of course, the Daily Audio Bible app will get you into these places as well. One of the areas that we talk about on a regular basis is the Community section because that’s where the Prayer Wall is, so and we should all know about that, know that it’s there. There’s more there than just the Prayer Wall, of course, there are links to the different social media channels that we participate in, and so you can get connected and stay connected to there but of course, the Prayer Wall, that’s the home of the Prayer Wall, that’s something that is in continual use, it’s…it’s always available around the clock, no matter what time zone you’re in, no matter what part of the world you are in, no matter what’s going on in your part of the world, no matter what’s going on in your life. The Prayer Wall is intended to be there as…as a resource for…for reaching out for prayer and to share what’s going on, so that others might pray for you. It’s also there so that we can turn outward, at any point in our lives, at any time, we can turn outward and pray for one another, which is remarkable, actually remarkable, for how it can change the mindset of what we might be facing or change our mindset in the face of what we’re facing. So, the Prayer Wall is in the Community section. You can reach it at dailyaudiobible.com or using the Daily Audio Bible app, press the drawer icon in the upper left-hand corner and that will open the drawer and you’ll find the Community section in there.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you, thank you humbly. If this mission that we began so many years ago now, to read the Bible, fresh every day and give it to whoever will listen to it, wherever they may be on this planet, no matter what time of day or night it is, no matter what’s going on in life, that it’s available, that it’s happening, that it’s every day, that it’s a community experience that, we come around this Global Campfire and know that no matter when we press play, no matter when we press play, we’re never alone here, never the only one in the world listening, this is always happening. And if that has made a difference in your life then thank you for your partnership. There’s a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com, if you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And as always if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, the little red button that lives up at the top, it looks like a Hotline button, it’s hard to miss. You’ll find it, if you’re using the app or you can dial 877-942-4253.

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

Prayer and Encouragements:

Good evening DAB family. This is Learning to Let Go from North Carolina. It’s been a while since I called in, there’s been a lot of changes in my life. But I was mainly calling in because I believe I heard the message from August 31st for Ms. Mercy who had nine children and 22 grandchildren so far and there was a report of her husband being a pedophile, inappropriately touching the children and that just hit my heart. That’s just such a profound, traumatic event for everyone involved, I’m sure. And I just wanted to let you know, I’m believe it was Ms. Mercy, said, that she was praying for healing and restoration for faith for her children and grandchildren, so I just want to let you know that I am thinking of you, hoping for that for you. I was also hoping that you all could pray for me. Like I said, there’s been a lot of transition in my life and I know eventually it will be for the better, and it’s definitely difficult to go through break-ups and such. But and I’m just praying for patience and peace through this healing process. I’d like to pray for that other person, just that all of this can be resolved and done with and over. And, to discontinue the push-and-pull and the back-and-forth. And so, if you all could pray for me for that as I do also pray for you all. You’re often in my thoughts and I really just appreciate people calling in and being vulnerable. And also, the praise reports so thank you all very much for that.

So, let me first of all say, I listen every day. And I hear all of you with your issues, believe me, I have many issues too. But what I want to do is first of all say thank you God for everything. I don’t know, I know I don’t need to lay out all my problems because as the Roman soldier said you don’t need to come to my house. Say the word and it will be done. When we say Lord, You know all my issues, please help me with those issues. And once again I will not pray for everyone on DAB that say Lord you know who’s asking. I pray for everyone in DAB and their issues. I’ve been a long-time listener. And I was kind of caught off guard by the August 31 reading, when God said to Job, where you when I laid the foundations of the earth, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. So, this basically says that the Angels were here when God created the earth and then when you read Genesis and all of a sudden, the devil pops up, you have to kind of read the whole thing, then we learn about Lucifer. Anyway, I don’t think it matters. It’s a matter of my salvation. But it did spike my curiosity, God says, seek knowledge: Proverbs 2 verse 6. For the Lord gives wisdom from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. As we speak about knowing the real story of creation, which is referring to our salvation. Let me pray, dear Heavenly Father please ease the burden of all my DAB brothers and sisters, please ease my burdens. As You know what they are. But let me also say thank You for everything You have done for me. Thank you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

[Singing] Oh, I keep my mind upon Jesus. That’s just what I need to do. I don’t need no fancy fandangle solution, just keep my mind upon you. Oh, I keep my heart upon Jesus. That’s just what I need to do. I don’t need to turn to anyone else, I just keep my heart upon you. Oh, I keep my eyes upon Jesus. That’s just what I need to do. Oh, I don’t need to stare at the glitter of the world. I just keep my eyes upon you. [End singing] Thank You Jesus, for rescuing me from myself.

Hello DABers, this is Sandy from Florida. I’m calling in for Mercy. For her prayer request. For her nine children and her 21 grandchildren. And her husband who’s in prison. And Mercy, you’re so strong. You’re so strong to call in for prayer. To take care of all your children and your grandchildren and what you’re going through. And mercy, I just pray the blood of Jesus would cover each one of you and that God would give you peace, understanding, patience and give you strength to do what you need to do to take care of your children. To direct your path, to give you guidance. I pray everyday that your children would forgive, release, let go of the pain and that God would heal every, every painful moment that and thing that has happened to them. And every wound would be healed, in Jesus’ name. And I pray that for you, Mercy, I pray the blood of Jesus and forgiveness, in your hearts. And Father God, I just pray for the hedge of protection around this entire family, Lord God. Give them Your purpose and Your plan. Lead them and guide them. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Hi DABers, it’s Bren in Central Florida. Just wanted to call in and let Cat know, even though she does know that we’re all praying for her, my family is also lifting her up. And her father-in-law, comfort him and give him his total peace, asking him to let him know He’s there. And just for strength and comfort for her family for whatever God choses to do in this situation. And that the family would draw closer no matter what God choses to do in this situation and just know that you’re loved. You’re loved, God loves you all so much. And we all love you. And also, praying for Anonymous who called to pray for her sister who’s struggling with mental illness. And I understand and we pray for you too. I just want you to know how much, how beautiful it is that you’re just loving her like Jesus. That’s the best we all can do is love each other the way Jesus loves us. So, you’re being lifted in prayer as well. And to the beautiful wife who lost her, lost her love of 38 years, I just want you to know that God, I know you already know how much he loves you all and He, nothing is impossible, He definitely has a way for you all to come together in peace and healing. And that’s what we’ll be praying for you all. I’m so sorry for that tragic loss and just know all of you, how much I love you all and God loves you all. If you can keep my family lifted up, we’re still recovering from COVID and especially my lungs, please. Love you all, God Bless you.    

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday September 8, 2021 (NIV)

Isaiah 1-2

This is the vision that Isaiah (son of Amoz) saw and what he prophesied about Judah and Jerusalem during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah in Judah:

In the time of Isaiah, prophets are known to be astute observers of their particular times and places. They speak what they understand to be God’s words to the people about how their thoughts and actions, especially their actions, relate to God’s expectations for them. When the people fall short of such expectations, prophets tell them what God thinks and what the consequences might be.

Listen and take note,
from the farthest reaches to the nearest!
Listen up heaven and earth,
for the Eternal One has spoken.
He is not happy with the children He raised.

Eternal One: Despite all I’ve done,
My children have rebelled against Me.
Oxen know their owners;
even donkeys know where their master feeds them,
But Israel is ignorant.
My very own, they ignore Me.

Truly this is a wicked nation,
a people fat with wrongdoing,
Like a litter of miscreants,
a pack of wilding adolescents.
They’ve rejected the Eternal,
despised the Holy One of Israel;
they’ve turned their backs on Him.

5-6 Why do you insist on taking a beating?
Why do you persist in such reckless rebellion?
Your bodies already suffer head to toe—
your heads ache and hearts flutter;
Your skin is covered with bruises,
swollen with welts, and gaping with wounds,
with no tending, no healing, no soothing.
Your country is a waste.
Your cities are dead, sooty rubble.
Your farms and fields are consumed,
everything you worked for destroyed
by foreign armies as you look on—helplessly.

Zion, our portion of heaven on earth, is no longer protected;
Jerusalem stands like a watchman’s shelter in a vineyard,
Like a hut in a melon field,
like a city assaulted and besieged.

Except for the fraction of us who hang on
by the grace of the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies,
We’d be destroyed and deserted
like Sodom and Gomorrah, utterly done in.[a]

10 Listen to the word of the Eternal One,
you rulers of Sodom!
Attend to God’s instructions,
citizens of Gomorrah!

11 Eternal One: What do I care for all of your slaughter-gifts?
I have had enough of your burnt offerings.
I’m not interested in any more ram meat or fat from your well-fed cattle.
The blood of bulls, lambs, or goats does not please Me.
12 When you come into My presence,
who told you to trample down the courtyard of My temple bringing all of this?
13 Just stop giving Me worthless offerings;
your incense reeks and offends Me!
Your feasts and fasts, your new moons and Sabbaths—
I cannot stand any more of your wicked gatherings.
14 Likewise, I deplore your holidays,
those calendar days marked specially for Me;
They weigh Me down.
I am sick and tired of them!
15 When you summon Me with your hands in the air, I will ignore you.
Even when you pray your whole litany, I won’t be listening
Because your hands are full of blood and violence.
16 Wash yourselves, clean up your lives;
remove every speck of evil in what you do before Me.
Put an end to all your evil.
17 Learn to do good;
commit yourselves to seeking justice.
Make right for the world’s most vulnerable—
the oppressed, the orphaned, the widow.

18 Come on now, let’s walk and talk; let’s work this out.
Your wrongdoings are bloodred,
But they can turn as white as snow.
Your sins are red like crimson,
But they can be made clean again like new wool.
19 If you pay attention now and change your ways,
you can eat good things from a healthy earth.
20 But if you refuse to listen and stubbornly persist,
then, by violence and war, you will be the one devoured.

These things were spoken by the very mouth of the Eternal.

21 O that city, once so loyal, has become a prostitute.
Where there had been perfect justice, equity and compassion,
Now there are murderers.
22 All that once made your community shine like silver is now tarnished,
your best drink watered down like a cheapskate’s wine.
23 Your leaders are liars, running around with thieves,
wheedling for bribes—greedy for “contributions.”
They don’t defend the needy and pay no attention to the weak.

24 Consequently, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, the Mighty One of Israel,
will not keep quiet.

Eternal One: Oh yes, I will get relief from my enemies
and settle the score with My foes!
25 I will take action against you, My sinful children,
burning off whatever is worthless, purging whatever is impure.
26 I will bring back legislators who have integrity,
people like your founding fathers—principled decision-makers.
Then your city will be called honorable and just,
a model of ethics, trustworthy, and strong.

27 In that way, this place Zion will pass the test:
the city restored by justice, her citizens delivered by repentance.
28 But those who arrogantly persist in doing wrong will be crushed.
Whoever abandons the Eternal will be done in.
29 You will be ashamed because you found pleasure in idols and oaks;
you will suffer disgrace because you bowed before images in gardens.
30 Like a tree that withers, like a garden without rain,
you will fall apart, fade, and dry up.
31 And those who seem strong among you will become dry straw,
their work the spark that sets it all ablaze,
Burning everything to the ground
and there won’t be anyone around to stop it.

This is what Isaiah (son of Amoz) prophesied about Judah and its capital Jerusalem:

There will come a time in the last days
when the mountain where the Eternal’s house stands
Will become the highest, most magnificent—
grander than any of the mountains around it.
And all the nations of the world will run there,
wanting to see it, feel it, fully experience it.
Many people of all languages, colors, and creeds will come.

People: Come! Let’s go to the Eternal’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
So that we might learn from Him how best to be,
to go along in life as He would have us go.

After all, the law will pour out from Zion,
the word of the Eternal, from Jerusalem.
God will decide what’s fair among nations
and settle disputes among all sorts of people.
Meanwhile, they will hammer their swords into sickles,
reshape their spears into pruning hooks.
One nation will not attack another.
They will not practice war anymore.

Isaiah sees an amazing picture of the future, a future which only God can create. In that vision, Jerusalem and the temple of the only God will sit on the highest mountain at the center of the world. In that day, all the nations of the world will stream to the holy city and seek God’s guidance and instruction. God will sit as King and Judge, dispensing real justice—not some man-made counterfeit—not only in international but also local matters. Perhaps, most amazingly for a world weary of war, this will be a time when war is a thing of the past and its lethal instruments are turned into tools for life and peace.

O house of Jacob—people of the promise—come, come walk with me
by the light of the Eternal.
See, You have abandoned Your people,[b]
the house of Jacob!
For they have taken on attitudes and postures of other cultures,
imitating anyone and anything that crosses their path
Practicing divination like the Philistines,
making deals with outsiders.
Their land is full of silver and gold,
rich with mind-boggling wealth.
Their countryside is full of warhorses;
there are more chariots than you can count.
Their land is full of worthless idols.
They worship their own creations;
They bow down to what they have made, bought, and sold.
But now the people will be humbled, reminded of their simplicity and limits—
don’t just absolve them!
10 Get into the caves, hide in the dust,
in the face of the Eternal’s terrifying Self,
in the face of His dread and enormous majesty.
11 The bubble of human pride will be burst;
the arrogant will be pulled down from their pedestals.
Then, finally, the Eternal, no one and nothing else,
will be the center of attention, lifted up in high esteem.
12 The Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has identified a time for assault
against the arrogant and proud, against all who think they’re so indomitable.
They will be humbled.
13 Against all the high and lofty:
against the cedars of Lebanon
and the oaks of Bashan,
14 Against the tallest mountains
and the highest hills,
15 Against every watchtower
and every defended border,
16 Against all the trading ships of Tarshish,
against all the luxury vessels.
17 On that day, humankind’s false pride will be shattered and pulled down.[c]
Then the Eternal, no one and nothing else, will be the center of attention,
Lifted up in high esteem.
18 As for all the idols, they will vanish.
19 People will hide themselves away in rocky caves and dusty holes in the ground
in the face of the Eternal’s terrifying Self,
In the face of His dread and enormous majesty,
when He comes forth to overwhelm the earth.
20 When that day arrives, people will leave behind
the idols they made to worship—even those made of silver and gold,
The things they felt were so important—
to the moles and the bats.
21 They hide themselves away in rocky caves and clefts,
in the face of the Eternal’s terrifying Self,
In the face of His dread and enormous majesty,
when He comes forth to overwhelm the earth.
22 Stop believing in human beings as so amazing, so capable!
We are short-lived, only a breath from death and worth as much.
What makes us think we’re so special?

Footnotes:

  1. 1:9 Romans 9:29
  2. 2:6 Greek manuscripts read, “it applies to His people.”
  3. 2:17 Meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

2 Corinthians 10

10 I, Paul, appeal to you in the same gentle and loving spirit of the Anointed—yes, I who am humble when I’m face-to-face with you but audacious to you in these letters when I’m away (I know what they say). If it were up to me, I’d rather not have to be so bold when I’m with you, especially with the kind of forceful confidence I can work up when I confront those who have accused us of walking in a worldly way. For though we walk in the world, we do not fight according to this world’s rules of warfare. The weapons of the war we’re fighting are not of this world but are powered by God and effective at tearing down the strongholds erected against His truth. We are demolishing arguments and ideas, every high-and-mighty philosophy that pits itself against the knowledge of the one true God. We are taking prisoners of every thought, every emotion, and subduing them into obedience to the Anointed One. As soon as you choose obedience, we stand ready to punish every act of disobedience.

Look at what is going on right in front of you. If anyone is convinced that he belongs to the Anointed, then he should think again; even if he belongs to Him, so do we. I’m not embarrassed, even if it seems to others I have gone overboard in speaking about the power the Lord has given us to edify and encourage you and not to destroy anyone who strays. I don’t want it to seem as if I’m simply trying to scare you with my letters; they are not hollow. 10 For some people are saying, “Paul’s letters sound authoritative and strong, but in person he just doesn’t measure up—even his speeches don’t deliver.” 11 They need to understand this: whatever we say through our letters when we are away, that is exactly what we will do when we are looking you in the eye.

12 For we would never dare to compare ourselves with people who have based their worth on self-commendation. They check themselves against and compare themselves with one another. It just shows that they don’t have any sense! 13 So we will carefully limit our boasting to the extent only of what God has done in and through us, a reach that extends as far as you. 14 For it wasn’t as if we were overreaching into someone else’s territory by reaching out to you. Weren’t we the first ones to bring you the good news of the Anointed One? 15 We carefully put limits on our boasting and avoid taking credit for what others do. But we do hope to see your faith grow so that we can watch our mission really expand all the way to the limits God has set for us. 16 The plan includes taking the good news to people and lands beyond you. We’ve no interest in or intention of staking claim to other people’s accomplishments in their arenas. As the Scripture says, 17 “The one who boasts must boast in the Lord.”[a] 18 Now let’s be clear: it’s not the one who commends himself who is approved; it’s the one whom the Lord commends.

Footnotes:

  1. 10:17 Jeremiah 9:24
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Psalm 52

Psalm 52

For the worship leader. A contemplative song[a] of David when the Edomite Doeg told Saul that David had received help from Ahimelech.

Psalm 52 recalls the callous way Doeg and Saul put to death the 85 priests of Nob (1 Samuel 22:6–19). The psalm ends with a memorable image: the one who keeps faith with God is like a lush olive tree cared for in His garden. While those who do not trust in Him are snatched up and torn away, those who do right will flourish under His care.

Why do you boast of all the trouble you stir up, O mighty one,
when the constant, unfailing love of God is what truly lasts?
Have you listened to yourself?
Your tongue is like a sharp razor,
full of lies that slash and tear right to the soul.
You’ve fallen in love with evil and have no interest in what He calls good.
You prefer your own lies to speaking what is true.

[pause][b]

You love words that destroy people, don’t you,
lying tongue?

You won’t be smiling
when the True God brings His justice and destroys you forever.
He will come into your home, snatch you away,
and pull you from the land of the living.

[pause]

Those who are just will see what happens to you and be afraid.
And some of them will laugh and say,
“Hey, look! Over there is the one who didn’t take
shelter in the True God;
Instead, he trusted in his great wealth
and got what he wanted by destroying others!”

But my life is abundant—like a lush olive tree
cared for at the house of the one True God.
I put my trust in His kind love
forever and ever; it will never fail.
Because of all You have done,
I will humble myself and thank You forever.
With Your faithful people at my side,
I will put my hope in Your good reputation.

Footnotes:

  1. 52:title Hebrew, maskil
  2. 52:3 Literally, selah, likely a musical direction from a Hebrew root meaning “to lift up”
The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Proverbs 22:26-27

26 Do not be a person to guarantee someone else’s loan
or put up collateral for the debts of an acquaintance;
27 For if you do and you can’t repay,
won’t you risk having your bed ripped out from under you?

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

09/07/2021 DAB Transcript

Song 5:1-8:14, 2 Corinthians 9:1-15, Psalms 51:1-19, Proverbs 22:24-25

Today is the 7th day of September welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here with you today as we do what we do, which is to take the next step forward together and that’s gonna lead us back into the song of songs or the song of Solomon, which we will conclude today. So, Jill joined me yesterday as we did day one of the song of Solomon and she’ll be here today to help us conclude this reading. And, so, let’s dive in. We’re reading from the Voice Translation this week. Song of Solomon chapter 5 through 8.

Commentary:

Okay. Psalm 51 is what we read today, and it is a Psalm of deep repentance and it’s from David and it’s about Bathsheba as we read at the beginning. So, we’ve read this story already, the story of David’s life and his reign. We know that he was a shepherd who came from nothing, killed a giant, became a national hero, had to grow up really, really fast, had to learn to be very resourceful to stay alive once King Saul had decided that he needed to die. So, when the king decided you needed to die…well…typically you die. And David had to run and stay secluded and hidden. And we went through all of that as he ascended to the throne. We watched his reign, and then we watched later in his life, him staying back from battle and being up on the roof and seeing Bathsheba taking a bath and desiring her and wanting her and going and fetching her and…and eventually, you know, having sex with her and she became pregnant, and she was married, and she was married to one of David’s 30 most loyal warriors. Some of the most brave men in the entire kingdom. And we watched David try to cover it up by bringing him back from the battle lines. But, you know, he was faithful and loyal. He wouldn’t even go home because he didn’t want the comforts of home, and he didn’t want the pleasure of his wife while his brothers were laying in a field encamped for battle. And, so, David sent Uriah. That was his name, Uriah the Hittite. He sent him back to battle with a note to that put him on the front lines and he was killed in battle. Nathan the prophet did confront David with a story about a rich man and a poor man and the poor man only had this one little sheep that he loved. It was part of his family like a pet, slept in the bed with him. And the rich man had a guest and didn’t want to go to his own flock, so he took this little beloved sheep and killed it and served it to his guests. And David was so mad, like just flaming with anger until it was clear that he was that man who took that little sheep. And, so, when we read Psalm 51 with that context, we can see that it’s a heart cry repentance, “have mercy on me. Because of your unfailing love wash me clean. I’m fully aware of all that I’ve done. My guilt is staring at me in the face. It’s against you that I have sinned. These are words of deep repentance, words that we should be familiar with. Maybe we don’t have the same kind of story as David, but we all have shame and regret and we all need change, which is fundamentally what repentance is - to change, to go in a different direction, change your mind. This is a necessary part of life, isn’t it? It’s a necessary part of every day, basically.

Prayer:

Father we come into your presence in that place, in the heart, in that space of repentance. We’re all guilty in some sort of way. We need your mercy we need it every single day. And, so, we pray along with David in the Psalm, “create in us a clean heart, O God. Restore within us a sense of being brand-new. Do not throw us far away from your presence. Do not remove your Holy Spirit from us. Give back the deep delight of being saved by you. Let you’re willing Spirit sustain us. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Song:

Create In Me A Clean Heart - Keith Green

Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me

Cast me not away from Thy presence, oh Lord
And take not Thy holy spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me

Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me

Cast me not away from Thy presence, oh Lord
Take not Thy holy spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me

Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me

Cast me not away from Thy presence, oh Lord
Take not Thy holy spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me