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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday September 27, 2018 (NIV)

Isaiah 51-53

A Call to Trust the Lord

51 “Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance—
all who seek the Lord!
Consider the rock from which you were cut,
the quarry from which you were mined.
2 Yes, think about Abraham, your ancestor,
and Sarah, who gave birth to your nation.
Abraham was only one man when I called him.
But when I blessed him, he became a great nation.”

3 The Lord will comfort Israel[a] again
and have pity on her ruins.
Her desert will blossom like Eden,
her barren wilderness like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found there.
Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.

4 “Listen to me, my people.
Hear me, Israel,
for my law will be proclaimed,
and my justice will become a light to the nations.
5 My mercy and justice are coming soon.
My salvation is on the way.
My strong arm will bring justice to the nations.
All distant lands will look to me
and wait in hope for my powerful arm.
6 Look up to the skies above,
and gaze down on the earth below.
For the skies will disappear like smoke,
and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing.
The people of the earth will die like flies,
but my salvation lasts forever.
My righteous rule will never end!

7 “Listen to me, you who know right from wrong,
you who cherish my law in your hearts.
Do not be afraid of people’s scorn,
nor fear their insults.
8 For the moth will devour them as it devours clothing.
The worm will eat at them as it eats wool.
But my righteousness will last forever.
My salvation will continue from generation to generation.”

9 Wake up, wake up, O Lord! Clothe yourself with strength!
Flex your mighty right arm!
Rouse yourself as in the days of old
when you slew Egypt, the dragon of the Nile.[b]
10 Are you not the same today,
the one who dried up the sea,
making a path of escape through the depths
so that your people could cross over?
11 Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.
They will enter Jerusalem[c] singing,
crowned with everlasting joy.
Sorrow and mourning will disappear,
and they will be filled with joy and gladness.

12 “I, yes I, am the one who comforts you.
So why are you afraid of mere humans,
who wither like the grass and disappear?
13 Yet you have forgotten the Lord, your Creator,
the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy
and laid the foundations of the earth.
Will you remain in constant dread of human oppressors?
Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies?
Where is their fury and anger now?
It is gone!
14 Soon all you captives will be released!
Imprisonment, starvation, and death will not be your fate!
15 For I am the Lord your God,
who stirs up the sea, causing its waves to roar.
My name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
16 And I have put my words in your mouth
and hidden you safely in my hand.
I stretched out[d] the sky like a canopy
and laid the foundations of the earth.
I am the one who says to Israel,
‘You are my people!’”

17 Wake up, wake up, O Jerusalem!
You have drunk the cup of the Lord’s fury.
You have drunk the cup of terror,
tipping out its last drops.
18 Not one of your children is left alive
to take your hand and guide you.
19 These two calamities have fallen on you:
desolation and destruction, famine and war.
And who is left to sympathize with you?
Who is left to comfort you?[e]
20 For your children have fainted and lie in the streets,
helpless as antelopes caught in a net.
The Lord has poured out his fury;
God has rebuked them.

21 But now listen to this, you afflicted ones
who sit in a drunken stupor,
though not from drinking wine.
22 This is what the Sovereign Lord,
your God and Defender, says:
“See, I have taken the terrible cup from your hands.
You will drink no more of my fury.
23 Instead, I will hand that cup to your tormentors,
those who said, ‘We will trample you into the dust
and walk on your backs.’”

Deliverance for Jerusalem

52 Wake up, wake up, O Zion!
Clothe yourself with strength.
Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem,
for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer.
2 Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem.
Sit in a place of honor.
Remove the chains of slavery from your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For this is what the Lord says:
“When I sold you into exile,
I received no payment.
Now I can redeem you
without having to pay for you.”

4 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Long ago my people chose to live in Egypt. Now they are oppressed by Assyria. 5 What is this?” asks the Lord. “Why are my people enslaved again? Those who rule them shout in exultation.[f] My name is blasphemed all day long.[g] 6 But I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that I am the one who speaks to them.”

7 How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who brings good news,
the good news of peace and salvation,
the news that the God of Israel[h] reigns!
8 The watchmen shout and sing with joy,
for before their very eyes
they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.[i]
9 Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song,
for the Lord has comforted his people.
He has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has demonstrated his holy power
before the eyes of all the nations.
All the ends of the earth will see
the victory of our God.

11 Get out! Get out and leave your captivity,
where everything you touch is unclean.
Get out of there and purify yourselves,
you who carry home the sacred objects of the Lord.
12 You will not leave in a hurry,
running for your lives.
For the Lord will go ahead of you;
yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind.

The Lord’s Suffering Servant

13 See, my servant will prosper;
he will be highly exalted.
14 But many were amazed when they saw him.[j]
His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human,
and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.
15 And he will startle[k] many nations.
Kings will stand speechless in his presence.
For they will see what they had not been told;
they will understand what they had not heard about.[l]

53 Who has believed our message?
To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?
2 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,
like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him.
3 He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.

4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows[m] that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.

7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.[n]
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.[o]
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.

10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.

Footnotes:

  1. 51:3 Hebrew Zion; also in 51:16.
  2. 51:9 Hebrew You slew Rahab; you pierced the dragon. Rahab is the name of a mythical sea monster that represents chaos in ancient literature. The name is used here as a poetic name for Egypt.
  3. 51:11 Hebrew Zion.
  4. 51:16 As in Syriac version (see also 51:13); Hebrew reads planted.
  5. 51:19 As in Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek, Latin, and Syriac versions; Masoretic Text reads How can I comfort you?
  6. 52:5a As in Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text reads Those who rule them wail.
  7. 52:5b Greek version reads The Gentiles continually blaspheme my name because of you. Compare Rom 2:24.
  8. 52:7 Hebrew of Zion.
  9. 52:8 Hebrew to Zion.
  10. 52:14 As in Syriac version; Hebrew reads you.
  11. 52:15a Or cleanse.
  12. 52:15b Greek version reads Those who have never been told about him will see, / and those who have never heard of him will understand. Compare Rom 15:21.
  13. 53:4 Or Yet it was our sicknesses he carried; / it was our diseases.
  14. 53:8a Greek version reads He was humiliated and received no justice. Compare Acts 8:33.
  15. 53:8b Or As for his contemporaries, / who cared that his life was cut short in midstream? Greek version reads Who can speak of his descendants? / For his life was taken from the earth. Compare Acts 8:33.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Ephesians 5

Living in the Light

5 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”

Living by the Spirit’s Power

15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Spirit-Guided Relationships: Wives and Husbands

21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.[b] 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30 And we are members of his body.

31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”[c] 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Footnotes:

  1. 5:2 Some manuscripts read loved you.
  2. 5:26 Greek washed by water with the word.
  3. 5:31 Gen 2:24.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Psalm 69:19-36

19 You know of my shame, scorn, and disgrace.
You see all that my enemies are doing.
20 Their insults have broken my heart,
and I am in despair.
If only one person would show some pity;
if only one would turn and comfort me.
21 But instead, they give me poison[a] for food;
they offer me sour wine for my thirst.

22 Let the bountiful table set before them become a snare
and their prosperity become a trap.[b]
23 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,
and make their bodies shake continually.[c]
24 Pour out your fury on them;
consume them with your burning anger.
25 Let their homes become desolate
and their tents be deserted.
26 To the one you have punished, they add insult to injury;
they add to the pain of those you have hurt.
27 Pile their sins up high,
and don’t let them go free.
28 Erase their names from the Book of Life;
don’t let them be counted among the righteous.

29 I am suffering and in pain.
Rescue me, O God, by your saving power.

30 Then I will praise God’s name with singing,
and I will honor him with thanksgiving.
31 For this will please the Lord more than sacrificing cattle,
more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves.
32 The humble will see their God at work and be glad.
Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged.
33 For the Lord hears the cries of the needy;
he does not despise his imprisoned people.

34 Praise him, O heaven and earth,
the seas and all that move in them.
35 For God will save Jerusalem[d]
and rebuild the towns of Judah.
His people will live there
and settle in their own land.
36 The descendants of those who obey him will inherit the land,
and those who love him will live there in safety.

Footnotes:

  1. 69:21 Or gall.
  2. 69:22 Greek version reads Let their bountiful table set before them become a snare, / a trap that makes them think all is well. / Let their blessings cause them to stumble, / and let them get what they deserve. Compare Rom 11:9.
  3. 69:23 Greek version reads and let their backs be bent forever. Compare Rom 11:10.
  4. 69:35 Hebrew Zion.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Proverbs 24:7

7 Wisdom is too lofty for fools.
Among leaders at the city gate, they have nothing to say.

New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Posted on

09/26/2018 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 48:12-50:11, Ephesians 4:17-32, Psalms 69:1-18 , Proverbs 24:5-6

Today is the 26th day of September. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s, of course, a pleasure and a joy and an honor to be here with you today as we come around the global campfire, come in out of whatever’s going on. Set that aside. It’ll still be there, we may look at it different after we spend some time in the word. But we have permission to set aside a little time, step into a new space, calm ourselves, allow God’s word to wash over us. And that’s what we’ve come to do and so that’s exactly what we will do. We’re still working our way through the book of Isaiah in our Old Testament reading. Today we’ll read 48:12 - 50:11. And we’re reading from the New Living Translation this week.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in our reading from Ephesians today, Paul discussed what we might look like if we were at our very best and how to move in that direction. So, we should all be paying attention because I have never met a person who… I’ve met lots of people who are taking their lives, who are moving in the wrong direction and spiraling out of control. But I haven’t met any person who said, This is exactly what I want. What I really, really want is to spin down the toilet bowl of my life and go down the drain. We all want to move toward our best, especially in terms of our relationship with God. So, Paul talks about this today. But first he talks about what our best is not. Here’s what he said. Their minds are full of darkness, they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. So, according to Paul, a closed mind and a hard heart is not the way forward. And obviously this will be true. Paul’s entire premise throughout his ministry is that faith is the activator for renewal. And that faith is the only path that will lead us to God. And so true faith is not something that we can do half-heartedly. And it’s not something that we can do with a divided heart. True faith requires that we believe with our whole heart. And a closed mind and a hard heart won’t get us there. This is not who we were created to be. It’s not our best. So, how do we move toward a best, full-grown, mature, whole person? Paul offers specific counsel. He says, Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. And let me pause here for a second. Because we hear the word lust and we immediately go to sexuality almost a hundred percent of the time. But lust is a bigger thing than just a sexual thing. Lust is anything that is controlling you rather than the other way around. And it certainly goes hand in hand with deception. So, Paul says throw off that. Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God, truly righteous and holy. And I’m not paraphrasing. I’m reading this. Put on your new nature, created to be like God, truly righteous and holy. Let that simmer in your pot today. Because the implications are astounding. Paul told us to put on a new nature, created to be like God. And if we literally break this down, it would say to put on our new nature or our new self-created after the likeness of God. That would be a literal translation. So, the idea that this is even theoretically possible should blow our minds. Paul’s saying through faith we can put on a new nature and not just any nature. Not like we just change our personality or something. A new nature created to be like God, truly righteous and holy. So, what we’re talking about here is a fully restored humanity created in God’s image. And although we have no power whatsoever to give ourselves a new nature, we can receive one from God through faith. This is what being made new through faith is. And though we can’t make this happen on our own, we certainly have to collaborate. And Paul told us how. He said, Stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we’re all part of the same body. In other words, we’re all in this together. And don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you’re still angry. For anger gives a foothold to the devil. So, why would you want to do that? That’s counterproductive. If you’re a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Don’t hurt each other on purpose with your words. Let everything you say be good and helpful so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. So, get rid of the bitterness, the rage, the anger, the harsh words, the slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. If we’ll look back over what’s being said here and we’ll catch ourselves when we fall into these counterproductive behaviors, we then can do exactly what Paul said. Let the Spirit renew our thoughts and attitudes. In other words, we catch ourselves, we stop ourselves, we confess it, give it to God, we ask him to renew us. And we keep repeating that cycle as many times as it takes until we begin to find that we are being transformed and growing up and becoming mature. We can allow the Holy Spirit to trigger or remind us that wherever it is that we’re heading into, this is not who we were created to be. And it’s not where we’re going. It’s not choosing our best. And it’s working against this new nature that is created to be like God, righteous and holy. So, working against that, what we’re doing is trying some kind of strange attempt to resurrect an old and dead nature that’s not part of our story anymore, that is not like God in any way. So, we have to ask ourselves, because Paul has contrasted this very well. Which direction do we want to go in? Do we want to move in the direction that is going to make us fully mature and Christ-like in this world, bearing the nature of God, which is sinless and holy in this world? Or we can go in the other direction. And we should all be pretty well aware of where that road leads.

Prayer:

So, Father, we have to confess it’s overwhelming to think that You have invited us this near, this close, that You are giving us a new nature, re-creating us in Your image, restoring us to who we were made to be as people. And we confess that this is the aim of our life and what our hearts truly long for. And we confess that we’ve settled for far less. Any blinking light that can get our attention. We’ve settled for far less and we’re sorry. You’ve invited us to rise above all of the noise and deception of this world and to see things as they truly are. And yet so often we find ourselves confused and settling for blinking lights. So come Holy Spirit. We wanna grow up. We wanna be mature. We’ve got to obey You. You have showed us the narrow path that leads to life and invited us to walk it. The only thing that’s gonna stop that is ourselves. So come Holy Spirit and lead us into all truth we pray. In Jesus name we ask. Amen.

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

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi family, it’s Laura from Fort Myers and I have a prayer request today for a situation in our environment down here. We have what’s called Red Tide, which is a lot of microscopic organisms coming together in the Gulf of Mexico and creating…they cause fish kills and lots of…kill a lot of marine life and also when they break up they cause a respiratory irritation in people as well at the shore. And then we have another thing going on in one of our freshwater canals called blue green algae. And both of these things are killing lots and lots of marine life. And that’s something that…that God has…has…that’s my mission from God, is to help the environment, help His creation, what He has created in this world for us, you know, to enjoy and just the diversity of life around us. So, please pray that we get some relief from this, from both of these situations going on. And if that doesn’t appeal to you, pray because businesses are losing billions of dollars in people not visiting the hotels, resorts, and restaurants near the waterfront too. So…and…just rentals and just all kinds of loss is going on. So, please pray that we get relief from these situations and we can find a solution for this very soon. Thanks and have a great day.

Good morning this is Elizabeth from Louisiana. I’m calling with a request for my husband and, his name is Jason. He is dealing with a lot of anger…a temper. And he has prayed many times to ask God to remove it, many times, you know, the way that Paul of course did…for the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh. My husband struggles with things at work, with things in his life that he feels has not lined up with what God has in mind for him and gets more of what he has in mind for himself. I just…I request your prayers for my husband to let go, to…for the Lord to be able to break down the walls in his heart in order to do a mighty work in him so that he may be the true head of our home, what God intended them to be in a such a way that is completely Christlike. I know that God can do this. I have every faith in Him. I just request that you would please lift them up in prayer. And any Scriptures that someone could send along the way that would be much and most helpful. Thank you Brian for all that you do. I am glued to the Daily Audio Bible and I have loved it for the two solid weeks that I’ve been doing it. Thank you so much for following the Lords design. I appreciate everything that you do. Have a wonderful and blessed day. I love all of you very much.

Hi this is Melody Faith calling from Canada. I am just reaching out to my Daily Audio Bible family today to pray for my son. He is…has chosen to live on the streets because drugs are more important than a warm comfortable home and food in his tummy. His body is showing terrible signs of the effects of the lifestyle he’s living. We’ve had him home for three weeks and he was getting quite healthy and…and the cravings got so strong that he couldn’t resist anymore and he left. And now it’s snowing and he has nowhere to live. We’re just asking you to pray that our prodigal son will come home and that he’ll see treatment and that he’ll ask Jesus back into his life. And we’re so thankful for the Daily Audio Bible for Brian and Jill and all of you who call in regularly and those who don’t but I know are praying anyways. And we want to thank you. We want you to know we are trusting God to come through for him but we believe that prayer is key. Thank you very much and have a great day.

Hi this is Stephen __ calling from Southern California. I was calling because I was up early in the morning and I was listening and I just heard Daniel Johnson Junior call in from Cincinnati Ohio. And I know…I know that struggle brother where, you know, the heart waxes and wanes. And it does that, I think, in a lot of ways in our lives in the way that we eat, in the way that we exercise, in our relationships, in our relationships with the Lord. And I just wanted to share with you some things that have helped me. I think that, first and foremost, I think the text and talk about putting on the full armor of God every day I think are so necessary are to pray over ourselves and our family because we’re under attack. We do need that full armor of God on a daily basis and maybe multiple times a day. The other thing that helps me man is to think about…CS Lewis was writing and he was talking about us humans, we can’t always make ourselves feel a certain way. Like, you can’t always make yourself feel hungry or full. It just depends on when you eat, right? Same thing happens with love, you can’t make yourself feel that feeling all the time with our spouses or with the Lord. But he said something that always stuck with me in his writing. Ask yourself this question, ask yourself if you did love that person or if you did love the Lord. What would you do in that moment? And then when you find the answer to that then you do it. And I think, more importantly than anything else, in these moments when that happens to me, I pray to the Holy Spirit and I tell the Holy Spirit to take my heart and my mind and my action because my feelings aren’t there. And I ask the Holy Spirit to guide me. Because at the end of the day man we don’t want lose those spaces in time during the day when we can’t be a part of the body of Christ and we can affect our family or our friends or ourselves in a way that brings glory to the Lord. So, listen brother, you’re not alone in a struggle like that. Those are just things that I’ve…I’ve learned over the years. This…

Posted on

09/25/2018 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 45:11-48:11, Ephesians 4:1-16, Psalms 68:19-35, Proverbs 24:3-4

Today is the 25th day of September. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you and to move forward with you as we take the next step in our adventure through the Scriptures. We’re still working our way through the book of Isaiah. Today, chapter 45 verse 11 through 48 verse 11. And we’re reading from the New Living Translation this week.

Commentary:

Okay. So when you were a kid, did you want to grow up and be something? I’ve got a little fella in my house named Ezekiel. When he grows up, he’s gonna be lots and lots of things ranging from a janitor at school to a superhero. But he’s gonna be something. And we all have these dreams as children and even as we grow up we have dreams about what we will be. And what we will be like. And Paul talked about growing up in our reading from Ephesians today. And he gave us some characteristics, some traits that we have to sow into our lives. They have to become second nature to us. He said, Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. Okay, so to live into that, what Paul is proposing, would certainly require a level of maturity that we may not even always possess as adults. Which would show us perhaps we have some growing up to do. And the first place we can look, because we read this passage of Scripture with these characteristics from Paul and say, Yeah, these kind of lists, they show up in Paul’s writings and they’re great reminders of what I’m supposed to live towards. But we don’t really actually make any changes so that our lives will look like this. So let’s just take our marriages for example. Are those relationships supposed to be growing? Should they mature? Should we be growing closer together and more and more on the same page? Then maybe we actually have some growing up to do? And maybe this Ephesians chapter four Scripture that we just read gives us a perfect description of what is going to be required to have a maturing and growing marriage. Let’s do this again. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. So if we apply what Paul is suggesting to our marriages, then we could say, if we would both live into that, we would have a growing and maturing marriage. This can be applied to anything in our lives. We can apply this to our workplace. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. We can apply this to any part of our lives with the idea that if we do, we will be heading toward maturity. We will be growing up. So how do we mature as men and women who are worthy of God’s calling as Paul put it? Well for Paul, becoming spiritually mature’s more than this isolated endeavor that would only happen by chance. It was something that was to happen intentionally. And God gave gifts to help it happen intentionally. These were, according to Paul, the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Their role was then and is now to equip and build the church, which are God’s people. So according to Paul, this is part of the process. And I’m quoting Paul here. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. So the good news is that we can grow up and that we’re expected to grow up. But we’re supposed to grow into the standard of Christ. What does that mean? So if we were to try to break down the word standard and go literal translation on it, it would be a fully mature and respected person. This is what we’re growing into. A standard. Fully mature and respected people of Christ, who bare and live up to his standard. So now that we know this, this is something that we should be thinking about because this is the direction that we are supposed to be heading in. And growing up happens on many levels. Everything in us doesn’t grow up at the same rate and at the same time. We have different stages. But when we think of growing up spiritually, what we’re ultimately seeking is union with God. We want to become more aware of his presence. We want to more fully understand what’s really going on and then why it is we’re in this story called life. As we move further and further in the direction Paul’s suggesting, we understand more and more because we are maturing more and more. And in our reading today, Paul gives us a picture. A picture of what’s happening. He says, then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way, more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. So that’s monumental. That it’s even possible is monumental. According to Paul, this union we seek with God and the awareness of his presence is found in becoming mature and respected people of Christ. People who are growing in every way more and more like Christ. So in other words, people who are becoming Christ-like. Who are becoming like Jesus. So maybe when we were kids, we wanted to grow up and be a doctor or we wanted to grow up and be a race car driver or we wanted to grow up and be a princess. Paul is kind of re-framing that. When we grow up, we’re supposed to be like Jesus. Carry that around with you today as you observe your behaviors and your postures and your words. Because everyday it’s one of maturity or regression. Everyday we’re going to take a step forward and that step can be Christ-like maturity or anything but. This is gonna boil down to whether we’re paying attention and whether we’re willing to control ourselves in the process of maturity.

Prayer:

So Father, we invite You into our own growth. We have to confess that we’ve heard plenty of things, plenty of ways that the Bible shifts our focus and our posture and calls us higher and invites us further. And we just ignore it and stay in the same old ruts of our lives, choosing not to grow up, choosing to stay stuck and then choosing to blame You for it. Forgive us for that, Lord. Our maturity is a collaboration with You. And so we surrender to Your will and Your ways in our lives. We pray along with Isaiah. You, Lord, created the heavens and the earth and You put everything in place. You made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. You are the Lord. There is no other. You have publicly proclaimed bold promises, including what we read in Ephesians today. You do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. You would not have told us to seek You if You could not be found. And You only speak what is true and declare only what is right. And so we humble ourselves and surrender to You, Almighty God, and ask that You show us how to grow up. Come Holy Spirit, we pray. In Jesus name we ask. Amen.

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

Community Prayer and Praise: 

Good morning this is Stephen from Alabama on my morning walk after my listening time. And it’s September 21st. I may have already said that but I think I’ve got some good news for all of you this morning. I’m not a lawyer but I do know that lawyers love to take cases where there’s precedence and if there’s precedence then they feel pretty good about the case, they feel pretty good about the chances. Well, today we have precedents of two things that I believe the enemy attacked us in quite often and that’s our finances and our health. So, we’ve heard Hezekiah received a letter, a threatening letter, and  maybe you’ve received a letter collation or a frivolous lawsuit against you or you’ve received a letter of a terminal diagnosis like Hezekiah. Also received. But he spread out those papers before the Lord and when her received a terminal diagnosis he went to God the Creator and asked Him for more time. And God has granted both of those requests. So, let us take heart. Let us have faith that those that we’re praying for, those with terminal illnesses and financial hardships, that there is precedence. God has moved before and He can move again. Either way we win. In Jesus’ name. Love you guys. Have a great day.

Good morning fellow DABbers this is Monica from New Jersey. I’m a calling first to say thank you to Brian. As I started out on my walk this morning, it’s Friday, September 21, I was filled with anxiety about the family and things that are going on. And we said, let’s just stop and let God into it. And it was exactly what I needed to hear. I’m asking all of you to pray for my family. My daughters husband has decided he doesn’t want to be married anymore. He’s had an affair with a young woman for a year and half. They have two small children and __ their being forced out of their home and being used as __ in this horrible tug-of-war. I know the prayer works and I know you people pray __ for me when I was physically ill and the Lord cured me and healed me. And I thank you all for your prayers. Thank you. God bless you all.

Hi DAB family my name is Tony. I’m a calling, first and foremost, to give raise to our Lord and Savior. And my prayer request this morning comes as I realize just how helpless I am and how helpless we are. I have a grandson who’s possessed with demons, spiritual demons and we, as a family, are at a loss. Even the other day when we are our weakest and we can be like our strongest simply by calling on God, simply by turning it over to him. That’s the only answer I have, that’s the only answer I know. I’m praying for deliverance for my grandson. He’s got my heart. He has all of our hearts. He’s such a __ young man. I’m asking to you as the DAB family to come together unified in prayer to have my grandson delivered from these spiritual demons, that he be free, that we can use this moment as a testimony for the future for our children and for God to deliver him. I just need prayer. I need all of us to come together and pray. I thank you so much family. I thank you so much for this opportunity. I thank you for this forum, DAB. I’ve been listening for years. This is the first time I’ve ever called. I don’t want this to be the last. I know that there are so many others that are captured by demons in this world. Thank you family. God bless.

My name is Mike from Southern California. This prayer is for my brother and his girlfriend Maggie. And Rafael, brother, I am going through a similar circumstance but nothing as devastating as yours. And I heard that you lost your child and now your marriage is in jeopardy. You touched my heart and I want to ask the entire DAB family, right now, in one accord, pray for restoration of __ . Matthew 18:19-20 says, “Again, truly I tell you, if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.” I am with you my brother Raphael. Praying for you and the restoration of your marriage __. God bless you. In Jesus’ name we pray.

Posted on

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

Isaiah 48:12-50:11

Freedom from Babylon

12 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob,
Israel my chosen one!
I alone am God,
the First and the Last.
13 It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth,
my right hand that spread out the heavens above.
When I call out the stars,
they all appear in order.”

14 Have any of your idols ever told you this?
Come, all of you, and listen:
The Lord has chosen Cyrus as his ally.
He will use him to put an end to the empire of Babylon
and to destroy the Babylonian[a] armies.

15 “I have said it: I am calling Cyrus!
I will send him on this errand and will help him succeed.
16 Come closer, and listen to this.
From the beginning I have told you plainly what would happen.”

And now the Sovereign Lord and his Spirit
have sent me with this message.
17 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you what is good for you
and leads you along the paths you should follow.
18 Oh, that you had listened to my commands!
Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river
and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.
19 Your descendants would have been like the sands along the seashore—
too many to count!
There would have been no need for your destruction,
or for cutting off your family name.”

20 Yet even now, be free from your captivity!
Leave Babylon and the Babylonians.[b]
Sing out this message!
Shout it to the ends of the earth!
The Lord has redeemed his servants,
the people of Israel.[c]
21 They were not thirsty
when he led them through the desert.
He divided the rock,
and water gushed out for them to drink.
22 “But there is no peace for the wicked,”
says the Lord.

The Lord’s Servant Commissioned

49 Listen to me, all you in distant lands!
Pay attention, you who are far away!
The Lord called me before my birth;
from within the womb he called me by name.
2 He made my words of judgment as sharp as a sword.
He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand.
I am like a sharp arrow in his quiver.

3 He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel,
and you will bring me glory.”

4 I replied, “But my work seems so useless!
I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose.
Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand;
I will trust God for my reward.”

5 And now the Lord speaks—
the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant,
who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him.
The Lord has honored me,
and my God has given me strength.
6 He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me.
I will make you a light to the Gentiles,
and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

7 The Lord, the Redeemer
and Holy One of Israel,
says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations,
to the one who is the servant of rulers:
“Kings will stand at attention when you pass by.
Princes will also bow low
because of the Lord, the faithful one,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Promises of Israel’s Restoration

8 This is what the Lord says:

“At just the right time, I will respond to you.[d]
On the day of salvation I will help you.
I will protect you and give you to the people
as my covenant with them.
Through you I will reestablish the land of Israel
and assign it to its own people again.
9 I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out in freedom,’
and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’
They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures
and on hills that were previously bare.
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst.
The searing sun will not reach them anymore.
For the Lord in his mercy will lead them;
he will lead them beside cool waters.
11 And I will make my mountains into level paths for them.
The highways will be raised above the valleys.
12 See, my people will return from far away,
from lands to the north and west,
and from as far south as Egypt.[e]”

13 Sing for joy, O heavens!
Rejoice, O earth!
Burst into song, O mountains!
For the Lord has comforted his people
and will have compassion on them in their suffering.

14 Yet Jerusalem[f] says, “The Lord has deserted us;
the Lord has forgotten us.”

15 “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child?
Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?
But even if that were possible,
I would not forget you!
16 See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.
17 Soon your descendants will come back,
and all who are trying to destroy you will go away.
18 Look around you and see,
for all your children will come back to you.
As surely as I live,” says the Lord,
“they will be like jewels or bridal ornaments for you to display.

19 “Even the most desolate parts of your abandoned land
will soon be crowded with your people.
Your enemies who enslaved you
will be far away.
20 The generations born in exile will return and say,
‘We need more room! It’s crowded here!’
21 Then you will think to yourself,
‘Who has given me all these descendants?
For most of my children were killed,
and the rest were carried away into exile.
I was left here all alone.
Where did all these people come from?
Who bore these children?
Who raised them for me?’”

22 This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“See, I will give a signal to the godless nations.
They will carry your little sons back to you in their arms;
they will bring your daughters on their shoulders.
23 Kings and queens will serve you
and care for all your needs.
They will bow to the earth before you
and lick the dust from your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
Those who trust in me will never be put to shame.”

24 Who can snatch the plunder of war from the hands of a warrior?
Who can demand that a tyrant[g] let his captives go?
25 But the Lord says,
“The captives of warriors will be released,
and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved.
For I will fight those who fight you,
and I will save your children.
26 I will feed your enemies with their own flesh.
They will be drunk with rivers of their own blood.
All the world will know that I, the Lord,
am your Savior and your Redeemer,
the Mighty One of Israel.[h]”

50 This is what the Lord says:

“Was your mother sent away because I divorced her?
Did I sell you as slaves to my creditors?
No, you were sold because of your sins.
And your mother, too, was taken because of your sins.
2 Why was no one there when I came?
Why didn’t anyone answer when I called?
Is it because I have no power to rescue?
No, that is not the reason!
For I can speak to the sea and make it dry up!
I can turn rivers into deserts covered with dying fish.
3 I dress the skies in darkness,
covering them with clothes of mourning.”

The Lord’s Obedient Servant

4 The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom,
so that I know how to comfort the weary.
Morning by morning he wakens me
and opens my understanding to his will.
5 The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me,
and I have listened.
I have not rebelled or turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who beat me
and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard.
I did not hide my face
from mockery and spitting.

7 Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore, I have set my face like a stone,
determined to do his will.
And I know that I will not be put to shame.
8 He who gives me justice is near.
Who will dare to bring charges against me now?
Where are my accusers?
Let them appear!
9 See, the Sovereign Lord is on my side!
Who will declare me guilty?
All my enemies will be destroyed
like old clothes that have been eaten by moths!

10 Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys his servant?
If you are walking in darkness,
without a ray of light,
trust in the Lord
and rely on your God.
11 But watch out, you who live in your own light
and warm yourselves by your own fires.
This is the reward you will receive from me:
You will soon fall down in great torment.

Footnotes:

  1. 48:14 Or Chaldean.
  2. 48:20a Or the Chaldeans.
  3. 48:20b Hebrew his servant, Jacob. See note on 14:1.
  4. 49:8 Greek version reads I heard you. Compare 2 Cor 6:2.
  5. 49:12 As in Dead Sea Scrolls, which read from the region of Aswan, which is in southern Egypt. Masoretic Text reads from the region of Sinim.
  6. 49:14 Hebrew Zion.
  7. 49:24 As in Dead Sea Scrolls, Syriac version, and Latin Vulgate (also see 49:25); Masoretic Text reads a righteous person.
  8. 49:26 Hebrew of Jacob. See note on 14:1.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Ephesians 4:17-32

Living as Children of Light

17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”[a] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,[b] guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Footnotes:

  1. 4:26 Ps 4:4.
  2. 4:30 Or has put his seal on you.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Psalm 68:1-18

Psalm 68

For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David.

1 Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies.
Let those who hate God run for their lives.
2 Blow them away like smoke.
Melt them like wax in a fire.
Let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
3 But let the godly rejoice.
Let them be glad in God’s presence.
Let them be filled with joy.
4 Sing praises to God and to his name!
Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.[a]
His name is the Lord—
rejoice in his presence!

5 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
6 God places the lonely in families;
he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

7 O God, when you led your people out from Egypt,
when you marched through the dry wasteland, Interlude
8 the earth trembled, and the heavens poured down rain
before you, the God of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
9 You sent abundant rain, O God,
to refresh the weary land.
10 There your people finally settled,
and with a bountiful harvest, O God,
you provided for your needy people.

11 The Lord gives the word,
and a great army[b] brings the good news.
12 Enemy kings and their armies flee,
while the women of Israel divide the plunder.
13 Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures—
doves with wings of silver
and feathers of gold.
14 The Almighty scattered the enemy kings
like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.

15 The mountains of Bashan are majestic,
with many peaks stretching high into the sky.
16 Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains,
at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live,
where the Lord himself will live forever?

17 Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots,
the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary.
18 When you ascended to the heights,
you led a crowd of captives.
You received gifts from the people,
even from those who rebelled against you.
Now the Lord God will live among us there.

Footnotes:

  1. 68:4 Or rides through the deserts.
  2. 68:11 Or a host of women.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Proverbs 24:5-6

5 The wise are mightier than the strong,[a]
and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger.
6 So don’t go to war without wise guidance;
victory depends on having many advisers.

Footnotes:

  1. 24:5 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads A wise man is strength.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Posted on

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

Isaiah 48:12-50:11

Freedom from Babylon

12 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob,
Israel my chosen one!
I alone am God,
the First and the Last.
13 It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth,
my right hand that spread out the heavens above.
When I call out the stars,
they all appear in order.”

14 Have any of your idols ever told you this?
Come, all of you, and listen:
The Lord has chosen Cyrus as his ally.
He will use him to put an end to the empire of Babylon
and to destroy the Babylonian[a] armies.

15 “I have said it: I am calling Cyrus!
I will send him on this errand and will help him succeed.
16 Come closer, and listen to this.
From the beginning I have told you plainly what would happen.”

And now the Sovereign Lord and his Spirit
have sent me with this message.
17 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you what is good for you
and leads you along the paths you should follow.
18 Oh, that you had listened to my commands!
Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river
and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.
19 Your descendants would have been like the sands along the seashore—
too many to count!
There would have been no need for your destruction,
or for cutting off your family name.”

20 Yet even now, be free from your captivity!
Leave Babylon and the Babylonians.[b]
Sing out this message!
Shout it to the ends of the earth!
The Lord has redeemed his servants,
the people of Israel.[c]
21 They were not thirsty
when he led them through the desert.
He divided the rock,
and water gushed out for them to drink.
22 “But there is no peace for the wicked,”
says the Lord.

The Lord’s Servant Commissioned

49 Listen to me, all you in distant lands!
Pay attention, you who are far away!
The Lord called me before my birth;
from within the womb he called me by name.
2 He made my words of judgment as sharp as a sword.
He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand.
I am like a sharp arrow in his quiver.

3 He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel,
and you will bring me glory.”

4 I replied, “But my work seems so useless!
I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose.
Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand;
I will trust God for my reward.”

5 And now the Lord speaks—
the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant,
who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him.
The Lord has honored me,
and my God has given me strength.
6 He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me.
I will make you a light to the Gentiles,
and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

7 The Lord, the Redeemer
and Holy One of Israel,
says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations,
to the one who is the servant of rulers:
“Kings will stand at attention when you pass by.
Princes will also bow low
because of the Lord, the faithful one,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Promises of Israel’s Restoration

8 This is what the Lord says:

“At just the right time, I will respond to you.[d]
On the day of salvation I will help you.
I will protect you and give you to the people
as my covenant with them.
Through you I will reestablish the land of Israel
and assign it to its own people again.
9 I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out in freedom,’
and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’
They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures
and on hills that were previously bare.
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst.
The searing sun will not reach them anymore.
For the Lord in his mercy will lead them;
he will lead them beside cool waters.
11 And I will make my mountains into level paths for them.
The highways will be raised above the valleys.
12 See, my people will return from far away,
from lands to the north and west,
and from as far south as Egypt.[e]”

13 Sing for joy, O heavens!
Rejoice, O earth!
Burst into song, O mountains!
For the Lord has comforted his people
and will have compassion on them in their suffering.

14 Yet Jerusalem[f] says, “The Lord has deserted us;
the Lord has forgotten us.”

15 “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child?
Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?
But even if that were possible,
I would not forget you!
16 See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.
17 Soon your descendants will come back,
and all who are trying to destroy you will go away.
18 Look around you and see,
for all your children will come back to you.
As surely as I live,” says the Lord,
“they will be like jewels or bridal ornaments for you to display.

19 “Even the most desolate parts of your abandoned land
will soon be crowded with your people.
Your enemies who enslaved you
will be far away.
20 The generations born in exile will return and say,
‘We need more room! It’s crowded here!’
21 Then you will think to yourself,
‘Who has given me all these descendants?
For most of my children were killed,
and the rest were carried away into exile.
I was left here all alone.
Where did all these people come from?
Who bore these children?
Who raised them for me?’”

22 This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“See, I will give a signal to the godless nations.
They will carry your little sons back to you in their arms;
they will bring your daughters on their shoulders.
23 Kings and queens will serve you
and care for all your needs.
They will bow to the earth before you
and lick the dust from your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
Those who trust in me will never be put to shame.”

24 Who can snatch the plunder of war from the hands of a warrior?
Who can demand that a tyrant[g] let his captives go?
25 But the Lord says,
“The captives of warriors will be released,
and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved.
For I will fight those who fight you,
and I will save your children.
26 I will feed your enemies with their own flesh.
They will be drunk with rivers of their own blood.
All the world will know that I, the Lord,
am your Savior and your Redeemer,
the Mighty One of Israel.[h]”

50 This is what the Lord says:

“Was your mother sent away because I divorced her?
Did I sell you as slaves to my creditors?
No, you were sold because of your sins.
And your mother, too, was taken because of your sins.
2 Why was no one there when I came?
Why didn’t anyone answer when I called?
Is it because I have no power to rescue?
No, that is not the reason!
For I can speak to the sea and make it dry up!
I can turn rivers into deserts covered with dying fish.
3 I dress the skies in darkness,
covering them with clothes of mourning.”

The Lord’s Obedient Servant

4 The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom,
so that I know how to comfort the weary.
Morning by morning he wakens me
and opens my understanding to his will.
5 The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me,
and I have listened.
I have not rebelled or turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who beat me
and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard.
I did not hide my face
from mockery and spitting.

7 Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore, I have set my face like a stone,
determined to do his will.
And I know that I will not be put to shame.
8 He who gives me justice is near.
Who will dare to bring charges against me now?
Where are my accusers?
Let them appear!
9 See, the Sovereign Lord is on my side!
Who will declare me guilty?
All my enemies will be destroyed
like old clothes that have been eaten by moths!

10 Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys his servant?
If you are walking in darkness,
without a ray of light,
trust in the Lord
and rely on your God.
11 But watch out, you who live in your own light
and warm yourselves by your own fires.
This is the reward you will receive from me:
You will soon fall down in great torment.

Footnotes:

  1. 48:14 Or Chaldean.
  2. 48:20a Or the Chaldeans.
  3. 48:20b Hebrew his servant, Jacob. See note on 14:1.
  4. 49:8 Greek version reads I heard you. Compare 2 Cor 6:2.
  5. 49:12 As in Dead Sea Scrolls, which read from the region of Aswan, which is in southern Egypt. Masoretic Text reads from the region of Sinim.
  6. 49:14 Hebrew Zion.
  7. 49:24 As in Dead Sea Scrolls, Syriac version, and Latin Vulgate (also see 49:25); Masoretic Text reads a righteous person.
  8. 49:26 Hebrew of Jacob. See note on 14:1.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Ephesians 4:17-32

Living as Children of Light

17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”[a] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,[b] guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Footnotes:

  1. 4:26 Ps 4:4.
  2. 4:30 Or has put his seal on you.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Psalm 68:1-18

Psalm 68

For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David.

1 Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies.
Let those who hate God run for their lives.
2 Blow them away like smoke.
Melt them like wax in a fire.
Let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
3 But let the godly rejoice.
Let them be glad in God’s presence.
Let them be filled with joy.
4 Sing praises to God and to his name!
Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.[a]
His name is the Lord—
rejoice in his presence!

5 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
6 God places the lonely in families;
he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

7 O God, when you led your people out from Egypt,
when you marched through the dry wasteland, Interlude
8 the earth trembled, and the heavens poured down rain
before you, the God of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
9 You sent abundant rain, O God,
to refresh the weary land.
10 There your people finally settled,
and with a bountiful harvest, O God,
you provided for your needy people.

11 The Lord gives the word,
and a great army[b] brings the good news.
12 Enemy kings and their armies flee,
while the women of Israel divide the plunder.
13 Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures—
doves with wings of silver
and feathers of gold.
14 The Almighty scattered the enemy kings
like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.

15 The mountains of Bashan are majestic,
with many peaks stretching high into the sky.
16 Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains,
at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live,
where the Lord himself will live forever?

17 Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots,
the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary.
18 When you ascended to the heights,
you led a crowd of captives.
You received gifts from the people,
even from those who rebelled against you.
Now the Lord God will live among us there.

Footnotes:

  1. 68:4 Or rides through the deserts.
  2. 68:11 Or a host of women.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Proverbs 24:5-6

5 The wise are mightier than the strong,[a]
and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger.
6 So don’t go to war without wise guidance;
victory depends on having many advisers.

Footnotes:

  1. 24:5 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads A wise man is strength.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Posted on

09/24/2018 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 43:14-45:10, Ephesians 3:1-21, Psalms 68:1-18, Proverbs 24:1-2

Today is the 24th day of September. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. And it’s great to be here with you as we get the work week rolling. And we put one foot front of the other, take the next step forward as we continue these 365 steps through the year. And we’re reading from the New Living Translation this week. And back into the book of Isaiah we go. Chapter 43 verse 14 through 45 verse 10 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, as we continue to follow the path of this letter to the Ephesians, which is one of the most epic descriptions of what faith in Christ brings to the believer. So, we’re climbing higher and higher. And we’ll get to see these grand vistas of our faith and the implications of what God has done for us. But it’s when we contrast these implications that are written in Ephesians against our own life experience that we find we may be missing out on plenty that is available to us. We’re missing out on things that are just about too good to be true. So, in our reading today Paul wrote, This is God’s plan. Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the good news share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body and both enjoy the promise of blessing because they belong to Christ Jesus. So, that verse, which is Ephesians 3:6, that applies to every believer in the world. Jew and Gentile alike. And the promise is the riches of God’s blessings. But why would God be so gracious to us? According to Ephesians, there’s a reason. God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus, our Lord. So, here, the implications of what we’re talking about, we could just blow by this day after day after day, but the implications are pretty profound. Had you ever considered God’s goodness in offering you eternal life makes his wisdom known and displays it into the unseen realms? This is a big picture view of our faith. That because of our faith in Jesus, according to Ephesians, we can come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. So, what else would a person want but to be able to come boldly and confidently into the presence of God? What would be more far reaching than that? What mountaintop must we climb to get above that? Think of the implications. We’re permitted to enter the presence of the Almighty God, creator of all things seen and unseen, as boldly and confidently as a beloved son or daughter what with any loving parent. Even the Apostle Paul trying to write this down, it’s overwhelming to him. And he says as much in his benediction. When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. And Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high and how deep his love is. That’s profound stuff, my friends. And so let’s receive the benediction that the Apostle Paul spoke over the Ephesians as our prayer today. Long ago, this letter would have arrived at Ephesus to the church and it would have been read aloud and Paul closed with a benediction prayer that we can all receive. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Prayer:

Father, we receive that prayer of blessing. And we ask that You make it so, in the name of Jesus and by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Come Jesus,  we pray in your mighty name. Amen.

Announcements:

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

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

Community Prayer and Praise: 

Hey, this is Cory up in __. I was just listening to today’s podcast and I heard a call from Denise, first time caller who is recently diagnosed with follicular lymphoma. That call kind of hit close to home. That’s something that my dad has been living with for about 10 years now and I just wanted to say that I am thinking about you, I’m praying for you, and I can feel from what you’re going through. I don’t know firsthand but, I mean, yeah, I hear you, and I’m praying for you and I just wanted to give you hope that it is not a life sentence. My dad has been living a very full life with that for quite some time now. So, I’m hopeful that it’s…will be okay for you, yeah, I just want to lift you up today. So, thinking about you, praying for ya. All right. Bye.

Hello family this is Aaron in Michigan. Thank you Brian and Jill for this podcast. Thank you for family because the moment that someone entrusts a prayer request to me that I know is bigger than me that I can’t handle, I’ve got you all on speed dial. So, thank you family. Tonight I want to lift up my pastor. He has just come back off sabbatical and at a time where in he should feel fully rested and ready to go again. I know he’s facing some trouble because throughout his sabbatical his…his precious wife our…our pastor’s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer and has had undergone surgery and in the midst of chemo. And, so, that of course is laying high and heavily. And just this past weekend…this past week his father passed away. So, he is devastated, understandably so, and we just need to come around him and lift him up. He’s a man of God. He leads us and he makes sure we have what we need and is completely selfless. So, in this time of desperation for my pastor, please remember to pray for him. His name is Tom and he is the true power of God. He’s a man of God. He’s a leader. He is an amazing father and husband and he just needs our prayers. So, appreciate your family. Thank you for praying. I love you and I’ll continue praying as we go. Peace.

Good morning everybody. Hey, this Annette heading into work this morning. Gonna go build some freedom parts. Ha ha ha. Hey, I love you guys but my son Alex, as many of you know who, of course, has chosen the path of incarceration. So, but anyways, he’s asked for me to send him some books and things. And, so, I sent him some Reframe books and I posted that on the DAB friends page. And I thank you guys. Ah…so many wonderful, helpful, encouraging responses and I thank you and I pray for every one of you, especially one in particular and I think you know who you are sir. Thank you. And, so, anyways, I told my son that I was sending him a gift from my Daily Audio Bible family. So, I sent in a couple of Reframe books. And those of you who have read it, including myself, know what a difference it  makes in everyone’s life. And he was very encouraged and he was he was really….really excited about receiving one. So, if you guys would, pray for…pray for these books. Okay? Not, obviously, the book itself but the power of the book to invite Jesus into our lives. And, let’s pray for this…it’s San Miguel County prison in Telluride Colorado. Let us pray for these people, that God will just bust open the doors over there, bust open the doors of their hearts. So, I love you guys. Have a wonderful, wonderful day. People on the East Coast you are in all of our prayers here in Oklahoma. You’re in all of our prayers. And God bless you all. And make the path easy for you all. Have a great day. Bye-bye.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family. This is Lee from New Jersey. Today is September 21st and I’m not calling into pray today, not that I haven’t prayed today, but just praying against anger, I just don’t feel it. And I’m just calling to be honest. You know, you guys are my family and I had a meltdown with my daughter this morning. And it’s something that’s been going on all night. Just…just dealing with her…I mean…I think I have __ patience. I think I’m expecting way too much from her. You know what I mean? And she just got a new phone. And it all…it’s all starting again, you know, the nasty attitude. And I don’t know if it has to with her being a teenager. __ some books on teenagers and, you know, what their mind is going through, what their the brain is going through. So, I’m just very confused. Am I doing what’s right? Am I getting on her case? Am I being patient? Is she feeding herself stuff and she’s just hiding it? I mean…it’s not necessarily…it’s music, it’s his literature, it’s everything. And it comes out. And I’m just afraid that my daughter’s gonna come out worse than me. But you know, I didn’t come out right, I didn’t have anyone to guide me. You know, my mother __ but she tried. She was still a mother. My dad was gone. And I pretty much taught myself and I didn’t do a good job at it. I made a lot of mistakes. I had a child at 16. And then from there I made so many mistakes that I keep beating myself up over. And I gotta stop doing that. But then when I see my children and I see that there’s a potential for them going down that road, which I may be exaggerating because they’re far from that but…but just the thought of my daughter or my son, who are both on the path as well, It kills me. So, family please pray for me today, that I just…I just…I gotta get through this…I gotta make some sense out of this childbearing thing…out of this…

Posted on

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

Isaiah 45:11-48

11 This is what the Lord says—
the Holy One of Israel and your Creator:
“Do you question what I do for my children?
Do you give me orders about the work of my hands?
12 I am the one who made the earth
and created people to live on it.
With my hands I stretched out the heavens.
All the stars are at my command.
13 I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose,
and I will guide his actions.
He will restore my city and free my captive people—
without seeking a reward!
I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”

Future Conversion of Gentiles

14 This is what the Lord says:

“You will rule the Egyptians,
the Ethiopians,[a] and the Sabeans.
They will come to you with all their merchandise,
and it will all be yours.
They will follow you as prisoners in chains.
They will fall to their knees in front of you and say,
‘God is with you, and he is the only God.
There is no other.’”

15 Truly, O God of Israel, our Savior,
you work in mysterious ways.
16 All craftsmen who make idols will be humiliated.
They will all be disgraced together.
17 But the Lord will save the people of Israel
with eternal salvation.
Throughout everlasting ages,
they will never again be humiliated and disgraced.

18 For the Lord is God,
and he created the heavens and earth
and put everything in place.
He made the world to be lived in,
not to be a place of empty chaos.
“I am the Lord,” he says,
“and there is no other.
19 I publicly proclaim bold promises.
I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner.
I would not have told the people of Israel[b] to seek me
if I could not be found.
I, the Lord, speak only what is true
and declare only what is right.

20 “Gather together and come,
you fugitives from surrounding nations.
What fools they are who carry around their wooden idols
and pray to gods that cannot save!
21 Consult together, argue your case.
Get together and decide what to say.
Who made these things known so long ago?
What idol ever told you they would happen?
Was it not I, the Lord?
For there is no other God but me,
a righteous God and Savior.
There is none but me.
22 Let all the world look to me for salvation!
For I am God; there is no other.
23 I have sworn by my own name;
I have spoken the truth,
and I will never go back on my word:
Every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will declare allegiance to me.[c]”
24 The people will declare,
“The Lord is the source of all my righteousness and strength.”
And all who were angry with him
will come to him and be ashamed.
25 In the Lord all the generations of Israel will be justified,
and in him they will boast.

Babylon’s False Gods

46 Bel and Nebo, the gods of Babylon,
bow as they are lowered to the ground.
They are being hauled away on ox carts.
The poor beasts stagger under the weight.
2 Both the idols and their owners are bowed down.
The gods cannot protect the people,
and the people cannot protect the gods.
They go off into captivity together.

3 “Listen to me, descendants of Jacob,
all you who remain in Israel.
I have cared for you since you were born.
Yes, I carried you before you were born.
4 I will be your God throughout your lifetime—
until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you.
I will carry you along and save you.

5 “To whom will you compare me?
Who is my equal?
6 Some people pour out their silver and gold
and hire a craftsman to make a god from it.
Then they bow down and worship it!
7 They carry it around on their shoulders,
and when they set it down, it stays there.
It can’t even move!
And when someone prays to it, there is no answer.
It can’t rescue anyone from trouble.

8 “Do not forget this! Keep it in mind!
Remember this, you guilty ones.
9 Remember the things I have done in the past.
For I alone am God!
I am God, and there is none like me.
10 Only I can tell you the future
before it even happens.
Everything I plan will come to pass,
for I do whatever I wish.
11 I will call a swift bird of prey from the east—
a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding.
I have said what I would do,
and I will do it.

12 “Listen to me, you stubborn people
who are so far from doing right.
13 For I am ready to set things right,
not in the distant future, but right now!
I am ready to save Jerusalem[d]
and show my glory to Israel.

Prediction of Babylon’s Fall

47 “Come down, virgin daughter of Babylon, and sit in the dust.
For your days of sitting on a throne have ended.
O daughter of Babylonia,[e] never again will you be
the lovely princess, tender and delicate.
2 Take heavy millstones and grind flour.
Remove your veil, and strip off your robe.
Expose yourself to public view.[f]
3 You will be naked and burdened with shame.
I will take vengeance against you without pity.”

4 Our Redeemer, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
is the Holy One of Israel.

5 “O beautiful Babylon, sit now in darkness and silence.
Never again will you be known as the queen of kingdoms.
6 For I was angry with my chosen people
and punished them by letting them fall into your hands.
But you, Babylon, showed them no mercy.
You oppressed even the elderly.
7 You said, ‘I will reign forever as queen of the world!’
You did not reflect on your actions
or think about their consequences.

8 “Listen to this, you pleasure-loving kingdom,
living at ease and feeling secure.
You say, ‘I am the only one, and there is no other.
I will never be a widow or lose my children.’
9 Well, both these things will come upon you in a moment:
widowhood and the loss of your children.
Yes, these calamities will come upon you,
despite all your witchcraft and magic.

10 “You felt secure in your wickedness.
‘No one sees me,’ you said.
But your ‘wisdom’ and ‘knowledge’ have led you astray,
and you said, ‘I am the only one, and there is no other.’
11 So disaster will overtake you,
and you won’t be able to charm it away.
Calamity will fall upon you,
and you won’t be able to buy your way out.
A catastrophe will strike you suddenly,
one for which you are not prepared.

12 “Now use your magical charms!
Use the spells you have worked at all these years!
Maybe they will do you some good.
Maybe they can make someone afraid of you.
13 All the advice you receive has made you tired.
Where are all your astrologers,
those stargazers who make predictions each month?
Let them stand up and save you from what the future holds.
14 But they are like straw burning in a fire;
they cannot save themselves from the flame.
You will get no help from them at all;
their hearth is no place to sit for warmth.
15 And all your friends,
those with whom you’ve done business since childhood,
will go their own ways,
turning a deaf ear to your cries.

God’s Stubborn People

48 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob,
you who are called by the name of Israel
and born into the family of Judah.
Listen, you who take oaths in the name of the Lord
and call on the God of Israel.
You don’t keep your promises,
2 even though you call yourself the holy city
and talk about depending on the God of Israel,
whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
3 Long ago I told you what was going to happen.
Then suddenly I took action,
and all my predictions came true.
4 For I know how stubborn and obstinate you are.
Your necks are as unbending as iron.
Your heads are as hard as bronze.
5 That is why I told you what would happen;
I told you beforehand what I was going to do.
Then you could never say, ‘My idols did it.
My wooden image and metal god commanded it to happen!’
6 You have heard my predictions and seen them fulfilled,
but you refuse to admit it.
Now I will tell you new things,
secrets you have not yet heard.
7 They are brand new, not things from the past.
So you cannot say, ‘We knew that all the time!’

8 “Yes, I will tell you of things that are entirely new,
things you never heard of before.
For I know so well what traitors you are.
You have been rebels from birth.
9 Yet for my own sake and for the honor of my name,
I will hold back my anger and not wipe you out.
10 I have refined you, but not as silver is refined.
Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.
11 I will rescue you for my sake—
yes, for my own sake!
I will not let my reputation be tarnished,
and I will not share my glory with idols!

Footnotes:

  1. 45:14 Hebrew Cushites.
  2. 45:19 Hebrew of Jacob. See note on 14:1.
  3. 45:23 Hebrew will confess; Greek version reads will declare allegiance to God. Compare Rom 14:11.
  4. 46:13 Hebrew Zion.
  5. 47:1 Or Chaldea; also in 47:5.
  6. 47:2 Hebrew Bare your legs; pass through the rivers.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Ephesians 4:1-16

Unity in the Body

4 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.

7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift[a] through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say,

“When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people.”[b]

9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.[c] 10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Footnotes:

  1. 4:7 Greek a grace.
  2. 4:8 Ps 68:18.
  3. 4:9 Some manuscripts read to the lower parts of the earth.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Psalm 68:19-35

19 Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!
For each day he carries us in his arms. Interlude
20 Our God is a God who saves!
The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death.

21 But God will smash the heads of his enemies,
crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways.
22 The Lord says, “I will bring my enemies down from Bashan;
I will bring them up from the depths of the sea.
23 You, my people, will wash[a] your feet in their blood,
and even your dogs will get their share!”

24 Your procession has come into view, O God—
the procession of my God and King as he goes into the sanctuary.
25 Singers are in front, musicians behind;
between them are young women playing tambourines.
26 Praise God, all you people of Israel;
praise the Lord, the source of Israel’s life.
27 Look, the little tribe of Benjamin leads the way.
Then comes a great throng of rulers from Judah
and all the rulers of Zebulun and Naphtali.

28 Summon your might, O God.[b]
Display your power, O God, as you have in the past.
29 The kings of the earth are bringing tribute
to your Temple in Jerusalem.
30 Rebuke these enemy nations—
these wild animals lurking in the reeds,
this herd of bulls among the weaker calves.
Make them bring bars of silver in humble tribute.
Scatter the nations that delight in war.
31 Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals[c];
let Ethiopia[d] bring tribute to God.
32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth.
Sing praises to the Lord. Interlude
33 Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens,
his mighty voice thundering from the sky.
34 Tell everyone about God’s power.
His majesty shines down on Israel;
his strength is mighty in the heavens.
35 God is awesome in his sanctuary.
The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.

Praise be to God!

Footnotes:

  1. 68:23 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads shatter.
  2. 68:28 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek and Syriac versions; most Hebrew manuscripts read Your God has commanded your strength.
  3. 68:31a Or of rich cloth.
  4. 68:31b Hebrew Cush.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Proverbs 24:3-4

3 A house is built by wisdom
and becomes strong through good sense.
4 Through knowledge its rooms are filled
with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.

New Living Translation (NLT)

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


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09/23/2018 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 41:17-43:13, Ephesians 2:1-22, Psalms 67:1-7 , Proverbs 23:29-35

Today’s the 23rd day of September. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It’s great to be here with you from the rolling hills of Tennessee. It’s great to greet a brand-new, shiny, sparkly week together. And this week we’ll read from the New Living Translation. And obviously, we are following a path, a path that leads us through the entire Bible in a year. So, we’ll be picking up where we left off last week, which was yesterday, and that’ll take us back into the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament. And then we just got going in the letter to the Ephesians in the New Testament and we’ll continue with that. So, first, Isaiah chapter 41 verse 17 through 43 verse 13 today.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for this, this shiny, sparkly, new week, that threshold that we cross through every seven days, this reminder that there are rhythms and there are beginning’s. And we thank You for these Lord because this is a new beginning to a new week and we look forward to all that You have to speak to us. And it gives us the opportunity to reset, to reset our hearts and our minds and live into this week as we walk with You. None of the story’s written yet and we’re gonna write the story of this week either in collaboration with You or in an attempt to live it out in our own strength. And Your word has shown us over and over and over where those paths lead. So, come Holy Spirit, lead us on the narrow path that leads to life, lead us into all truth we pray. In the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

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

Check out the resources available in the Shop. Check out the Prayer Wall. Pray for your brothers and sisters. You can do all of this from the app as well. Stay connected and praying for each other. One of the great distinctives and beautiful things about this community is our love and prayer for one another. So, let’s keep that rhythm going.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that it dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link that’s on the homepage. Thank you, thank you, humbly and profoundly for your partnership. What we have done, as I’ve said hundreds of times over the years, what we’ve done we’ve done together. So,  thank you for your partnership. As I said, there’s a link on the homepage. If your using the Daily Audio Bible app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill, TN 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment there are a number of numbers that you can use. If you are in the Americas, you can dial 877-942-4253. If you are in the UK or Europe 44-20-3608-8078 is the number or if you are in Australia or that part of the world 61-3-8820-5459 is the number to call.

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: 

Hey Daily Audio Bible family, this is Jeff Bernhardt calling from Canada. I am so pumped. I just listened to today’s reading and heard call from Grant’s parents I think out of Washington state and I’m just, you know, I prayed I believed in my heart that God was going to do a miracle in his life and that he would be able to walk and he would not be paralyzed and God is awesome. He answered the prayer. And the fact that he went from being an atheist to an agnostic is also awesome. But I did want to call in because I want you to understand that our God is not a halfway God. I think about in the Bible when Jesus was praying for the blind man and he prayed and He said, what can you see. And he said, well, I can see people that look like trees. And then He prayed again and there was a complete healing. So, I’m just going to pray and believe there is a complete healing for Grant. Father, I lift him up to You the name of Jesus and I thank You for healing. I command his body to be completely healed from all complications of this accident of his decision Lord. Father, I also pray over his soul and I thank You for complete salvation Lord, that he’s not just an agnostic, that he goes all the way to becoming a believer. Lord command him in every way shape or form. Let everybody around him be believers. Let him see and know and taste that You are God. And while I’m praying, I want to pray for anybody else who has health conditions, any kind of sickness or disease. You said that we were healed and I just command that healing to come to be touching bodies right now in Jesus’ name. Amen. You know, this is the power of this. You know, although we call in and it’s over phone lines and distance. God doesn’t know any of distance. We’re all one family under the same God. Thank you Brian and Jill for putting this together. God is moving on the earth today and He still heals and He’s still in the miracle working business. God bless you guys and have a great rest of your week.

Well hello from beautiful Cincinnati Ohio. This is Daniel Johnson Junior. It’s been a long time since I called last. Been listening to the Daily Audio Bible for, gosh, I think nine years now and my heart is heavy. Actually, right now that I’m calling it’s about quarter til four AM on Thursday, September the 20th. And I’m just out here because I need to reclaim my heart back to God. I’ve just let habits creep in over time. You know, we talked today, interestingly enough, Galatians chapter 5 and I’ve noticed my heart being more and more drawn toward sin, toward getting into my sinful nature and to not please the Spirit. And I see it affecting my marriage, most importantly. My wife and I right now, we are more like roommates and we’ve had a lot of things going on and she’s got stuff that she’s need to work on but for me I need to be working on me. And out here we started to wake up even earlier than we normally would wake up just so I can get out here and spend some time with the Lord. I’m out here in one of my favorite prayer places. And I remember coming out here and looking up I can see the constellation Orion in the sky. It’s so beautiful. It’s so awesome. I can hear birds singing in the background, a few cars traveling along the highway in the distance. But God is so good here and I’m just really praying for myself, for my heart to be drawn back to Him and not toward and shackling me back to sin. God bless you from beautiful Cincinnati Ohio this is Daniel Johnson Junior. Make it a great day.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible family. This is Mimi and it’s my first time to call and I just heard a prayer request from Jackie today who is asking for prayer for her family. You’re dealing with your sister who has depression. and Jackie, I just want to reach out to you and let you know that I’ve been there. I have a sister that suffers from serious depression and has been homeless and I know what you’re going through and you wake up in the night worrying about where your sister is and whatever. So, having her there with you probably comforts and being able to help her. So, I’m praying for you and your husband and your sister. and I also want to live José from Austin Texas who lost your grandmother, I can just hear in your voice how much pain you’re going through with the loss of your grandmother. I just pray that God would comfort you. And I’m going to be praying for your both throughout the week. And I also have a prayer request. I’d just like to ask for prayer for me and my husband going through some trials. And anyways, thank you for doing this Daily Audio Bible. And I think it’s a wonderful group and a wonderful family. God bless you all. Bye.

Hello Daily Audio Bible __. Today’s September the 20th. This is __ and I’m calling from __ Columbia and I want to say hello to everyone. You know, I used to live in Minnesota for about __ I was there. But interestingly enough, I started listening to the Daily Audio Bible when I came back in 2008. Today I’d like to ask you to pray for me as I haven’t been able to overcome a sense of loneliness and lack of purpose. And I know there is a purpose from God. And I long to be in couple relationship but I’m not sure if it’s what the Lord wants for me. So, please pray for that. And I want you to know that I am really grateful __. And please know that I always keep you in my prayers. Also, Brian thank you for your love and dedication. This is also in my prayers, your ministry. And I would love to partner with you but…well…hopefully in the near future. Blessings to all of you. Take care.

Posted on

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

Isaiah 43:14-45:10

The Lord’s Promise of Victory

14 This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

“For your sakes I will send an army against Babylon,
forcing the Babylonians[a] to flee in those ships they are so proud of.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
Israel’s Creator and King.
16 I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters,
making a dry path through the sea.
17 I called forth the mighty army of Egypt
with all its chariots and horses.
I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned,
their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick.

18 “But forget all that—
it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
19 For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
20 The wild animals in the fields will thank me,
the jackals and owls, too,
for giving them water in the desert.
Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland
so my chosen people can be refreshed.
21 I have made Israel for myself,
and they will someday honor me before the whole world.

22 “But, dear family of Jacob, you refuse to ask for my help.
You have grown tired of me, O Israel!
23 You have not brought me sheep or goats for burnt offerings.
You have not honored me with sacrifices,
though I have not burdened and wearied you
with requests for grain offerings and frankincense.
24 You have not brought me fragrant calamus
or pleased me with the fat from sacrifices.
Instead, you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied me with your faults.

25 “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake
and will never think of them again.
26 Let us review the situation together,
and you can present your case to prove your innocence.
27 From the very beginning, your first ancestor sinned against me;
all your leaders broke my laws.
28 That is why I have disgraced your priests;
I have decreed complete destruction[b] for Jacob
and shame for Israel.

44 “But now, listen to me, Jacob my servant,
Israel my chosen one.
2 The Lord who made you and helps you says:
Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant,
O dear Israel,[c] my chosen one.
3 For I will pour out water to quench your thirst
and to irrigate your parched fields.
And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants,
and my blessing on your children.
4 They will thrive like watered grass,
like willows on a riverbank.
5 Some will proudly claim, ‘I belong to the Lord.’
Others will say, ‘I am a descendant of Jacob.’
Some will write the Lord’s name on their hands
and will take the name of Israel as their own.”

The Foolishness of Idols

6 This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:

“I am the First and the Last;
there is no other God.
7 Who is like me?
Let him step forward and prove to you his power.
Let him do as I have done since ancient times
when I established a people and explained its future.
8 Do not tremble; do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago?
You are my witnesses—is there any other God?
No! There is no other Rock—not one!”

9 How foolish are those who manufacture idols.
These prized objects are really worthless.
The people who worship idols don’t know this,
so they are all put to shame.
10 Who but a fool would make his own god—
an idol that cannot help him one bit?
11 All who worship idols will be disgraced
along with all these craftsmen—mere humans—
who claim they can make a god.
They may all stand together,
but they will stand in terror and shame.

12 The blacksmith stands at his forge to make a sharp tool,
pounding and shaping it with all his might.
His work makes him hungry and weak.
It makes him thirsty and faint.
13 Then the wood-carver measures a block of wood
and draws a pattern on it.
He works with chisel and plane
and carves it into a human figure.
He gives it human beauty
and puts it in a little shrine.
14 He cuts down cedars;
he selects the cypress and the oak;
he plants the pine in the forest
to be nourished by the rain.
15 Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire.
With it he warms himself and bakes his bread.
Then—yes, it’s true—he takes the rest of it
and makes himself a god to worship!
He makes an idol
and bows down in front of it!
16 He burns part of the tree to roast his meat
and to keep himself warm.
He says, “Ah, that fire feels good.”
17 Then he takes what’s left
and makes his god: a carved idol!
He falls down in front of it,
worshiping and praying to it.
“Rescue me!” he says.
“You are my god!”

18 Such stupidity and ignorance!
Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see.
Their minds are shut, and they cannot think.
19 The person who made the idol never stops to reflect,
“Why, it’s just a block of wood!
I burned half of it for heat
and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat.
How can the rest of it be a god?
Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?”
20 The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes.
He trusts something that can’t help him at all.
Yet he cannot bring himself to ask,
“Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?”

Restoration for Jerusalem

21 “Pay attention, O Jacob,
for you are my servant, O Israel.
I, the Lord, made you,
and I will not forget you.
22 I have swept away your sins like a cloud.
I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist.
Oh, return to me,
for I have paid the price to set you free.”

23 Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done this wondrous thing.
Shout for joy, O depths of the earth!
Break into song,
O mountains and forests and every tree!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob
and is glorified in Israel.

24 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer and Creator:
“I am the Lord, who made all things.
I alone stretched out the heavens.
Who was with me
when I made the earth?
25 I expose the false prophets as liars
and make fools of fortune-tellers.
I cause the wise to give bad advice,
thus proving them to be fools.
26 But I carry out the predictions of my prophets!
By them I say to Jerusalem, ‘People will live here again,’
and to the towns of Judah, ‘You will be rebuilt;
I will restore all your ruins!’
27 When I speak to the rivers and say, ‘Dry up!’
they will be dry.
28 When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’
he will certainly do as I say.
He will command, ‘Rebuild Jerusalem’;
he will say, ‘Restore the Temple.’”

Cyrus, the Lord’s Chosen One

45 This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one,
whose right hand he will empower.
Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear.
Their fortress gates will be opened,
never to shut again.
2 This is what the Lord says:

“I will go before you, Cyrus,
and level the mountains.[d]
I will smash down gates of bronze
and cut through bars of iron.
3 And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—
secret riches.
I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.

4 “And why have I called you for this work?
Why did I call you by name when you did not know me?
It is for the sake of Jacob my servant,
Israel my chosen one.
5 I am the Lord;
there is no other God.
I have equipped you for battle,
though you don’t even know me,
6 so all the world from east to west
will know there is no other God.
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I create the light and make the darkness.
I send good times and bad times.
I, the Lord, am the one who does these things.

8 “Open up, O heavens,
and pour out your righteousness.
Let the earth open wide
so salvation and righteousness can sprout up together.
I, the Lord, created them.

9 “What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator.
Does a clay pot argue with its maker?
Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying,
‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’
Does the pot exclaim,
‘How clumsy can you be?’
10 How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father,
‘Why was I born?’
or if it said to its mother,
‘Why did you make me this way?’”

Footnotes:

  1. 43:14 Or Chaldeans.
  2. 43:28 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.
  3. 44:2 Hebrew Jeshurun, a term of endearment for Israel.
  4. 45:2 As in Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek version; Masoretic Text reads the swellings.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Ephesians 3

God’s Mysterious Plan Revealed

3 When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles[a] . . . 2 assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. 3 As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. 4 As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. 5 God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.

6 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.[b] 7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.

8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. 9 I was chosen to explain to everyone[c] this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 Because of Christ and our faith in him,[d] we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. 13 So please don’t lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored.

Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,[e] 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.[f] 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Footnotes:

  1. 3:1 Paul resumes this thought in verse 14: “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father.”
  2. 3:6 Or because they are united with Christ Jesus.
  3. 3:9 Some manuscripts do not include to everyone.
  4. 3:12 Or Because of Christ’s faithfulness.
  5. 3:14 Some manuscripts read the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  6. 3:15 Or from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Psalm 68:1-18

Psalm 68

For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David.

1 Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies.
Let those who hate God run for their lives.
2 Blow them away like smoke.
Melt them like wax in a fire.
Let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
3 But let the godly rejoice.
Let them be glad in God’s presence.
Let them be filled with joy.
4 Sing praises to God and to his name!
Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.[a]
His name is the Lord—
rejoice in his presence!

5 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
6 God places the lonely in families;
he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

7 O God, when you led your people out from Egypt,
when you marched through the dry wasteland, Interlude
8 the earth trembled, and the heavens poured down rain
before you, the God of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
9 You sent abundant rain, O God,
to refresh the weary land.
10 There your people finally settled,
and with a bountiful harvest, O God,
you provided for your needy people.

11 The Lord gives the word,
and a great army[b] brings the good news.
12 Enemy kings and their armies flee,
while the women of Israel divide the plunder.
13 Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures—
doves with wings of silver
and feathers of gold.
14 The Almighty scattered the enemy kings
like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.

15 The mountains of Bashan are majestic,
with many peaks stretching high into the sky.
16 Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains,
at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live,
where the Lord himself will live forever?

17 Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots,
the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary.
18 When you ascended to the heights,
you led a crowd of captives.
You received gifts from the people,
even from those who rebelled against you.
Now the Lord God will live among us there.

Footnotes:

  1. 68:4 Or rides through the deserts.
  2. 68:11 Or a host of women.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Proverbs 24:1-2

24 Don’t envy evil people
or desire their company.
2 For their hearts plot violence,
and their words always stir up trouble.

New Living Translation (NLT)

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


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

Isaiah 41:17-43:13

17 “When the poor and needy search for water and there is none,
and their tongues are parched from thirst,
then I, the Lord, will answer them.
I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them.
18 I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus.
I will give them fountains of water in the valleys.
I will fill the desert with pools of water.
Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground.
19 I will plant trees in the barren desert—
cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine.
20 I am doing this so all who see this miracle
will understand what it means—
that it is the Lord who has done this,
the Holy One of Israel who created it.

21 “Present the case for your idols,”
says the Lord.
“Let them show what they can do,”
says the King of Israel.[a]
22 “Let them try to tell us what happened long ago
so that we may consider the evidence.
Or let them tell us what the future holds,
so we can know what’s going to happen.
23 Yes, tell us what will occur in the days ahead.
Then we will know you are gods.
In fact, do anything—good or bad!
Do something that will amaze and frighten us.
24 But no! You are less than nothing and can do nothing at all.
Those who choose you pollute themselves.

25 “But I have stirred up a leader who will approach from the north.
From the east he will call on my name.
I will give him victory over kings and princes.
He will trample them as a potter treads on clay.

26 “Who told you from the beginning
that this would happen?
Who predicted this,
making you admit that he was right?
No one said a word!
27 I was the first to tell Zion,
‘Look! Help is on the way!’[b]
I will send Jerusalem a messenger with good news.
28 Not one of your idols told you this.
Not one gave any answer when I asked.
29 See, they are all foolish, worthless things.
All your idols are as empty as the wind.

The Lord’s Chosen Servant

42 “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen.
He is my chosen one, who pleases me.
I have put my Spirit upon him.
He will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout
or raise his voice in public.
3 He will not crush the weakest reed
or put out a flickering candle.
He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.
4 He will not falter or lose heart
until justice prevails throughout the earth.
Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.[c]”

5 God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out.
He created the earth and everything in it.
He gives breath to everyone,
life to everyone who walks the earth.
And it is he who says,
6 “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.
I will take you by the hand and guard you,
and I will give you to my people, Israel,
as a symbol of my covenant with them.
And you will be a light to guide the nations.
7 You will open the eyes of the blind.
You will free the captives from prison,
releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.

8 “I am the Lord; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to anyone else,
nor share my praise with carved idols.
9 Everything I prophesied has come true,
and now I will prophesy again.
I will tell you the future before it happens.”

A Song of Praise to the Lord

10 Sing a new song to the Lord!
Sing his praises from the ends of the earth!
Sing, all you who sail the seas,
all you who live in distant coastlands.
11 Join in the chorus, you desert towns;
let the villages of Kedar rejoice!
Let the people of Sela sing for joy;
shout praises from the mountaintops!
12 Let the whole world glorify the Lord;
let it sing his praise.
13 The Lord will march forth like a mighty hero;
he will come out like a warrior, full of fury.
He will shout his battle cry
and crush all his enemies.

14 He will say, “I have long been silent;
yes, I have restrained myself.
But now, like a woman in labor,
I will cry and groan and pant.
15 I will level the mountains and hills
and blight all their greenery.
I will turn the rivers into dry land
and will dry up all the pools.
16 I will lead blind Israel down a new path,
guiding them along an unfamiliar way.
I will brighten the darkness before them
and smooth out the road ahead of them.
Yes, I will indeed do these things;
I will not forsake them.
17 But those who trust in idols,
who say, ‘You are our gods,’
will be turned away in shame.

Israel’s Failure to Listen and See

18 “Listen, you who are deaf!
Look and see, you blind!
19 Who is as blind as my own people, my servant?
Who is as deaf as my messenger?
Who is as blind as my chosen people,
the servant of the Lord?
20 You see and recognize what is right
but refuse to act on it.
You hear with your ears,
but you don’t really listen.”

21 Because he is righteous,
the Lord has exalted his glorious law.
22 But his own people have been robbed and plundered,
enslaved, imprisoned, and trapped.
They are fair game for anyone
and have no one to protect them,
no one to take them back home.

23 Who will hear these lessons from the past
and see the ruin that awaits you in the future?
24 Who allowed Israel to be robbed and hurt?
It was the Lord, against whom we sinned,
for the people would not walk in his path,
nor would they obey his law.
25 Therefore, he poured out his fury on them
and destroyed them in battle.
They were enveloped in flames,
but they still refused to understand.
They were consumed by fire,
but they did not learn their lesson.

The Savior of Israel

43 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;
I gave Ethiopia[d] and Seba in your place.
4 Others were given in exchange for you.
I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you.

5 “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.
I will gather you and your children from east and west.
6 I will say to the north and south,
‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel
from the distant corners of the earth.
7 Bring all who claim me as their God,
for I have made them for my glory.
It was I who created them.’”

8 Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf.
9 Gather the nations together!
Assemble the peoples of the world!
Which of their idols has ever foretold such things?
Which can predict what will happen tomorrow?
Where are the witnesses of such predictions?
Who can verify that they spoke the truth?

10 “But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord.
“You are my servant.
You have been chosen to know me, believe in me,
and understand that I alone am God.
There is no other God—
there never has been, and there never will be.
11 I, yes I, am the Lord,
and there is no other Savior.
12 First I predicted your rescue,
then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world.
No foreign god has ever done this.
You are witnesses that I am the only God,”
says the Lord.
13 “From eternity to eternity I am God.
No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.
No one can undo what I have done.”

Footnotes:

  1. 41:21 Hebrew the King of Jacob. See note on 14:1.
  2. 41:27 Or ‘Look! They are coming home.’
  3. 42:4 Greek version reads And his name will be the hope of all the world. Compare Matt 12:21.
  4. 43:3 Hebrew Cush.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Ephesians 2

Made Alive with Christ

2 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.[a] He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Oneness and Peace in Christ

11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

A Temple for the Lord

19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

Footnotes:

  1. 2:2 Greek obeying the commander of the power of the air.
New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Psalm 67

Psalm 67

For the choir director: A song. A psalm, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

1 May God be merciful and bless us.
May his face smile with favor on us. Interlude

2 May your ways be known throughout the earth,
your saving power among people everywhere.
3 May the nations praise you, O God.
Yes, may all the nations praise you.
4 Let the whole world sing for joy,
because you govern the nations with justice
and guide the people of the whole world. Interlude

5 May the nations praise you, O God.
Yes, may all the nations praise you.
6 Then the earth will yield its harvests,
and God, our God, will richly bless us.
7 Yes, God will bless us,
and people all over the world will fear him.

New Living Translation (NLT)

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


Proverbs 23:29-35

29 Who has anguish? Who has sorrow?
Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining?
Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns,
trying out new drinks.
31 Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is,
how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.
32 For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake;
it stings like a viper.
33 You will see hallucinations,
and you will say crazy things.
34 You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea,
clinging to a swaying mast.
35 And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it.
I didn’t even know it when they beat me up.
When will I wake up
so I can look for another drink?”

New Living Translation (NLT)

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