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Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Isaiah 34-39, and I'm calling the episode “The Self Made Man”.  Comments on Isaiah 37 and 38 Thoughts on Isaiah 37  You know that there's no such thing as a self made man, right? Whatever heights a person ascends to, God enabled. Nothing comes into our lives but that He either allows them or causes them. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying that God causes every calamity that happens to people. We do live in a world cursed by the effects of sin. But when an apparently evil person accumulates great wealth or power, it is because God allowed it. He would be a pretty weak God if that were not so.  In the case of Sennacherib, who boasted that he had routed every other king, God said, ““Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone.” Sometimes those who seem to have the most power really have the least. This Assyrian king thought there was no one who could stop him. He thought he was in control of all he touched. But in reality, he was God's pawn.  As we look at the people clamoring for wealth and power, let us remember that God has a plan, and He uses the proud and arrogant to bring it about.  It is up to those of us in the trenches to do as Hezekiah did and pray to God, acknowledging Him for who He is. “Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.” And when the world attacks us, let us remember what God said to Sennacherib, “Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! 24By your messengers you have ridiculed the Lord.” It's not you and me they attack. It is God. And He will deal with them justly. Your thoughts? Thoughts on Isaiah 38  I am so happy that God saw fit to include the contents of chapter 38 in the Bible. Here is this good king Hezekiah, whom God had given a victory over the proud and arrogant king Sennacherib. He's in the prime of a well lived life, and he falls deathly sick. And the Lord sent Isaiah to tell Hezekiah that he would not get well. Now, I don't know about you, but if a prophet came to me with that message, I would probably just resign myself to preparing myself to meet God. I mean, come on. God sends a prophet to tell me that I'm not going to recover. I'm going to figure that it's a done deal.  But not Hezekiah. He rolls over in his death bed to face the wall, and he begins to pray. Without any boasting, without trying to bargain with God, he just says, “Don't forget that I have been faithful to you, Lord. I have obeyed you with all my heart, and I do whatever you say is right.” And then he sobbed. And what does God do? He tells Hezekiah that he will give him fifteen more years to live, and during that time He (God) will protect him (Hezekiah) and Jerusalem from the Assyrians.  Friends, here is a perfect example of one reason that living your life for God is a good thing. We can pray, and God will listen. It's not that we gain points with God so that we can manipulate or bargain with Him. But when He sees that we have been faithful to keep our heart pure, through the blood of Christ, He hears our prayers when we cry out to Him. Of course He may not see fit to give us healing like He did Hezekiah, but He will hear us.  This account of Hezekiah's sickness, prayer and healing is in the Bible for a reason. God wants us to know that we can approach His throne with confidence, knowing that He hears us. That's important, because the gods of false religions don't make any promise of a love relationship. Our God wants us to know that He cares about us, not as a group, but as individuals. He knows your name. He formed you in your mother's womb. He knows everything about you.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Job 13-14, and I'm calling the episode “You've Got Some Nerve”.  Comments on Job 13 and 14 In chapter 13, Job speaks to God. His prayer begins humbly. “Listen carefully. Hear what I have to say. I've thought about my case, and I think I'll be found righteous.” He asks God to stop oppressing him, and he asks Him not to frighten him. The next thing he says is a bit bold. He says to God, “Call and I'll answer. But if you don't, I'll speak and you'll answer me.” I'm not sure I would make that challenge to the One who holds the universe in His hand! But he proceeds to make his case to God, whom he is convinced has unjustly brought all these mishaps upon him. He thinks God is being unfair, and he wants an answer. When we are in the midst of suffering, our thinking can really get confused. It's had to think clearly when we're in pain, whether physical, emotional or spiritual. That's one of the reasons God gave us His Word. It is meant to be the compass that guides us in the storms of life, when we are unable to get our bearings from what we can see or think.  When all seems hopeless, when it feels as if God is far away, His Word tells us that He does not change, that all things work together for those who are called, and that He is love. Those promises never change, despite any turmoil that we are in.  Never judge any situation by what you feel. Feelings lie. The heart is a deceiver. God's Word is true. He is the Rock of our salvation. In chapter 14, Job talks about the frailty of man, the short time that he is here on Earth, and the fact that once he is gone, he'll not return. Job ends with the idea that once we are gone, we'll not even know what becomes of our children.  As a parent, I pray for and am concerned for my kids and their kids. But the fact is, their destiny is beyond my control. Just as I had to decide whether or not I would follow Christ, they must make their own decisions. I do my best to be a good example for them, I do my best to lay a godly foundation for them to build on, but their relationship with God, or lack of it, is between them and God. I must put them in God's hands and trust them to His love.  Job was right. We live in a fallen, dying world where the cares and struggles of life never end. We seem to go from one difficulty to another. Life is not easy. I for one am content with the few days we have on Earth and look forward, like Job did to answering God when He calls me home. Not that I'm in a hurry, but I won't go kicking and screaming. I look forward to being in His loving embrace. Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 5-6 GNT Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Andy Henderson on Unsplash Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God By Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude V. King / B&H Books Experience the book that has restored, reoriented, and renewed millions of people---now thoroughly updated with seven new chapters and dozens of additional stories! Whether you're reading it for the first time or eager to encounter a fresh edition of the classic text you already love, you'll not be the same when you finish it. 368 pages, hardcover from B&H.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Psalms 18-20, and I'm calling the episode “Who Can We Trust?”.  We'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, we have several comments, prayer requests and a praise! Covid Lawyer Website Link Coffee & Covid If your employer might make vaccines mandatory, go to this link NOW! Comments on Our Reading I would like to quickly focus on three different verses that stood out to me today. The first was Psalm 19:14. "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."  What we say and what we spend our time thinking about is very important. It is a reflection of what's in our heart. And so, if our goal when we stand before the Lord is that He look at us and say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," we need to look at what we say and what we think about while we're here on earth. The next verse that stood out to me today was chapter 20:1. "May the Lord answer you when you are in trouble; may the God of Jacob make you secure!"  That truly is my prayer for you, beloved. We live in troubling times. There is a lot going on in the world today, and I pray that when you cry out to him in these times, that He answers you. And I pray that you find security in God. The last verse that stood out to me was chapter 20:7. "Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we depend on the Lord our God." This also relates to the troubled times in which we live. We might change that to "Some trust in politicians and others in medical experts, but we depend on the Lord our God." Politicians aren't going to save us. Medical experts aren't going to save us. Only God can save us.  We should pray for our politicians. We should pray for medical experts. We should pray for anybody in power. But we depend on the Lord our God. Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 18 NLT, Ch. 19 NLV, Ch. 20 NET Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Jose Ruales on Unsplash Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God By Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude V. King / B&H Books Experience the book that has restored, reoriented, and renewed millions of people---now thoroughly updated with seven new chapters and dozens of additional stories! Whether you're reading it for the first time or eager to encounter a fresh edition of the classic text you already love, you'll not be the same when you finish it. 368 pages, hardcover from B&H.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Judges 1-6, and I'm calling the episode “The Twins-Stubbornness and Foolishness”.  Comments on Chapter 1 My comments today are short because the reading was long. Well today we saw in chapter 1 that the children of Israel did not do as God commanded them. They did not entirely eradicate the people of the lands that God gave them. And in leaving a remnant of these people, they invited untold heartache upon themselves, and as we read on in the Bible we shall see that that is exactly what happened. There's a good article at gotquestions.org that expands on this. Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 1-3 ESV, Ch. 4-5 NCV, Ch. 6 ERV Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Alessandro Bellone on Unsplash Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God By Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude V. King / B&H Books Experience the book that has restored, reoriented, and renewed millions of people---now thoroughly updated with seven new chapters and dozens of additional stories! Whether you're reading it for the first time or eager to encounter a fresh edition of the classic text you already love, you'll not be the same when you finish it. 368 pages, hardcover from B&H.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Genesis 20-23, and I'm calling the episode “God Will Provide”.  We'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, and I have a somewhat urgent prayer request at the end of the show. Comments on Thoughts on Genesis 22 God promised a son to Abraham and Sarah, but it took twenty-five long years for that promise to be fulfilled. Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac was born, and Sarah ninety or ninety-one. After such a long wait, it is hard to imagine how happy they must have been to finally hold their baby, and how much they must have loved him.  The text tells us in verse one that God tested Abraham. It was a test of faith. As we have seen as we have been reading through Genesis, Abraham's faith was not always strong. But every failure is an opportunity to grow.  And now, with the birth of Isaac, Abraham has seen evidence that God fulfills his promises, even the most unlikely ones. Because of God's faithfulness in this and many other instances, Abraham's faith is strong.  And now God came to Abraham and said, “Take your only son, Isaac, the son you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Kill him there and offer him as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” "Take your only son, Isaac..." Abraham had another son, Ishmael. But in chapter 21, Ishmael and his mother Hagar were sent away, out of Abraham's life. Ishmael was not the promised son. He was the product of Abraham and Sarah's lack of faith. In terms of God's promise, Abraham has just one son. God said, “Take your only son, Isaac, the son you love..." This is the first time love is mentioned in the Bible. And it is in connection between a father and a son and the sacrificial offering of the son.  "Kill him there and offer him as a whole burnt offering..." This had to have been a shocking thing to hear. It went against God's promise that Isaac would have children, and through Isaac would come a great nation.  Maybe the thought flashed through his mind, "If I kill Isaac, how is God's promise going to be fulfilled? What if I refuse? If I refuse, Isaac will be able to have the children that God promised! But what happened last time I took it upon myself to fulfill God's promise? Ishmael was born. How did that work out?" "...offer him as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” There was a very specific place that God wanted this to be done.  "Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took Isaac and two servants with him. After he cut the wood for the sacrifice, they went to the place God had told them to go." There is no indication that Abraham resisted. At the first opportunity, he gathered the supplies, his beloved son, servants and a donkey and set out. He didn't understand, but he obeyed. He has learned that you don't have to understand HOW God will do what He says, you just have to obey. I like how Spurgeon said it, “But there is not a word of argument; not one solitary question that even looks like hesitation. ‘God is God,' he seems to say, and it is not for me to ask him why, or seek a reason for his bidding. He has said it: ‘I will do it.'” We know that Abraham could not have *wanted* to do what God said to do. But he trusted God. Feelings do not enter the equation. Faith is not about feelings. Faith is believing God. And so Abraham, Isaac, the servants, the donkey and the wood for the sacrifice set out to God's appointed place. Now listen to the next words in our text: "On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance." On the third day. Three days they travelled. Three days for Abraham to think about what was ahead, what God had called him to do. Three days to be with his beloved son. The son of the promise. Three days to consider whether or not he was going to go through with it. Three days to struggle with the idea of turning around.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Romans 11-12, and I'm calling the episode “God's Open Door Policy”. Thoughts on Romans 11 Paul ended the last chapter by saying that Israel had rejected the Messiah, and he begins this chapter by asking if God then, has rejected them.  Not surprisingly the answer is, "Of course not!". God kept a remnant, a few out of the nation of Israel, who did believe, because of His divine grace.  And then Paul goes on to say that it is because of the unbelief of Israel that God extended grace to non-Jews, or Gentiles. Because of this, they were grafted into the vine. Another way of saying that is that God adopted them into His family.  You know, it's a wonderful and awesome thing to be born into a family, but how much more special is it when a mom and a dad choose to adopt a child into their family? Children are usually born into a family in the natural course of events, right? But it takes a special effort and will to adopt a child. This is what God has done for those of us who are not Jewish. We are especially loved and chosen. But we should be aware, Paul says, that natural branches were broken off from the olive tree so that we might be grafted in. That means that we have a special responsibility to be faithful. And also be mindful that if God broke off the natural branches because of unbelief, He will not hesitate to do the same to the Gentile. Now, lest this thought scare you, Paul also reminds us that God's grace extends even to those Jews who He cut off. If they return to faith, He will graft them back onto the olive tree.  This is the message that flows through all of scripture: if you are unfaithful, you will suffer the consequences. But if you return, God will forgive and bless you. Verse 29 gives us an incredibly encouraging message: “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Paul was referring to the fact that God has not permanently put Israel aside because of their rejection of the Messiah. But it also applies to all of us. It means that God will never set us aside. He will always welcome us back, He never says, "Well, it was a mistake to call him/her." The door is always open to return to Him. Always. Beloved, it is never too late to say "I'm sorry" to God. If you have something that has caused a separation between you and God, if you confess that to Him, He will forgive you. That is the gift we have because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. We don't deserve that kind of forgiveness, but that's how much He loves us. Amen.  Thoughts on Romans 12 Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. For some, this is a hard thing to consider. We like to think that our bodies are our own, right? Well, tie this scripture with what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:19 and 20: Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. If I profess to be a believer, these are important things to think about as I go about my life. My body is not my own. I have a responsibility to use it in such a way that would be acceptable to God. My body is on loan from its creator. I should use it for His purposes, not mine. I should maintain it so that He can use it to its fullest potential. I should be involved with things that further the kingdom of God, not sinful activities that bring shame on the name of God.  And in suggesting this approach, Paul is appealing to us, or as it says in other translations, he is beseeching us, or urging us. He's not ordering us, but urging us to do this as an act of will, a decision, as a living sacrifice. A sacrifice done out of love for God, because He deserves it, and because it shows that God's will is good and acceptable and perfect.  So many in the culture around us think that God is an angry old man in Heaven waiting to catch us doing something wrong so th...

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Matthew 14-16, and I'm calling the episode “The Long Detour."  Thoughts on Matthew 15 When the chapter begins, Jesus is in Gennesaret, by the Sea of Galilee.  But in verse 21 Jesus travels to the area around Tyre and Sidon, about 50 miles away. And the area is in the opposite direction of Jerusalem. For reference, Galilee is roughly due north of Jerusalem, about 75 miles away. As the crow flies, Tyre is about 105 miles from Jerusalem.  Remember, Jesus walked everywhere. He didn't own any animals. So it probably took him two to three days, depending on his speed, to walk from Gennesaret to the area around Tyre and Sidon.  Why am I telling you this? Because when Jesus went there, this was not on the way to any of the places he usually frequented. He was there on a mission. He had an appointment to keep with a Canaanite woman. A Gentile. There was a lot of hatred between the Jews and the Canaanites. Yet this woman cries out to Jesus, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!” She must have heard the accounts of the miracles of healing that Jesus had done, even for Gentiles, and she believed that Jesus was the Son of David, and that He could heal her daughter. The people in his home town had no faith in Jesus, but this Canaanite woman did.  Let's step aside for a moment to note that the Gentiles Jesus healed previously had travelled to his location. In this case, Jesus made the trip to her.  Now back to the scene. The woman cries out, "Have mercy on me...!" and Jesus doesn't even answer her. Maybe he didn't even acknowledge her presence. This doesn't sound like Jesus. He ignored her. Evidently her reaction to being ignored was to keep pleading with Jesus, because the disciples said, “Send her away, because she is crying out after us!” At this point, we don't know what Jesus was doing, but the disciples were annoyed. They wanted her to just go away. In saying "send her away", the original language implies that they were asking Jesus to do what she asked so that she would stop her pleading and go away. Instead Jesus said in essence, "I was not sent for the Gentiles, but for Israel." This made her even more persistent. "Lord, help me!" Listen to what Charles Spurgeon wrote about this plea: “I commend this prayer to you because it is such a handy prayer. You can use it when you are in a hurry, you can use it when you are in a fright, you can use it when you have not time to bow your knee. You can use it in the pulpit if you are going to preach, you can use it when you are opening your shop, you can use it when you are rising in the morning. It is such a handy prayer that I hardly know any position in which you could not pray it: ‘Lord, help me.'” Lord, help me. Some people don't feel like they've prayed effectively unless they use a lot of words. Jesus told us in Matthew 6:8 that "...your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Lord, help me. But to our ears, Jesus seemingly doubled down in his coldness to her. He says, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs!” Sounds pretty racist, doesn't it? Knowing how Canaanites and Jews hated each other, it sounds like Jesus is calling her a dog, doesn't it? But not so. The language tells us that what Jesus said was "little dogs", as in the pet dogs that even Jewish people had, not the wild dogs that roamed the streets.  We aren't told the tone of Jesus' voice when he made this statement, but I imagine He was beginning to let her in on the fact that He was using this as a teaching moment. I can even believe that He had a hint of a smile on his face. So she said, “Yes, Lord, for even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table.” She understood what he was saying. She didn't take offense at being called a little dog. And she continued her plea. "Just throw me a scrap, Lord.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Isaiah 29-33, and I'm calling the episode "Tell Us Nice Things.” Thoughts on Isaiah 30  Sometimes prophecy reads like today's news, doesn't it? 8Now go and write down these words. Write them in a book. They will stand until the end of time as a witness 9 that these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay attention to the lord's instructions. 10They tell the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” They tell the prophets, “Don't tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies. 11 Forget all this gloom. Get off your narrow path. Stop telling us about your ‘Holy One of Israel.'”Isaiah 30:8-11 NLT Is this not what much of the world is saying today to those of us who believe in God's Word? When we speak about God's teaching on, oh…shall we say…homosexuality or abortion or the fact that God created just two sexes…they come down on us like a ton of bricks. They spew hate and call us homophobes. They tell us we are bigots, misogynistic, intolerant...you know the list. They call teaching God's Word on the subject “hate speech”. Even when we deliver the message in even and compassionate tones.  But wait a minute. If we truly believe God's Word, if we believe that the Bible calls these things sin, and that God hates sin, as is clearly stated in Scripture, and if we believe that sin separates a person from God, wouldn't it be a terribly hateful thing NOT to tell people about that? Isn't the loving thing to tell them, so that they CAN repent and find peace with God? I think so.  No, they want us to tell them only about God's love. If we just talk about the blessings of God, then they will tolerate us. If we tell them that God loves everybody, they're happy. If we tell them that as long as they have good intensions they will get to Heaven, they leave us alone. They don't want to hear the “s” word: sin. They deny that Hell is a real place, and they sure don't want to hear that unless they know Jesus, Hell will be their eternal destination. Don't, under any circumstances tell them that Jesus is the only way!  And now, listen to verses 12 and 13: 12This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in oppression and lies, 13calamity will come upon you suddenly—like a bulging wall that bursts and falls. In an instant it will collapse and come crashing down. God is waiting. Because He does love them, God is waiting for them to see their need for Him. But He will not wait forever, and then destruction will come. It will be a sad and terrible day, and it will come quickly, catching them completely by surprise. Oh how sad they will be, and how sad for us if we let them silence us. We will know that we might have made a difference in the lives of some of them if we had been faithful to our calling to warn them. You say, “But Steve, I wasn't called to be a prophet!” Really? Didn't Jesus tell us to go into all the nations, making disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit? What do you think that makes you? A prophet is not just one who foretells the future. A prophet is also one who tells the message God has given him. Our message is to tell a lost, sinful and dying world that they must repent and believe that Jesus Christ came to the Earth, lived a sinless, perfect life, and then gave Himself as the sacrifice for their sins, was raised on the third day, and now sits at the Father's right hand so that He can intervene for them to the Holy and Righteous and Just Father.  That is every believer's job. There is no higher calling. The most loving thing any of us can do is tell the world that they are headed for destruction if they stay on their present course. It's not hate speech. It's sounding the alarm to a world bent on self destruction. Your thoughts? Thoughts on Isaiah 32  Amidst the prophecies of judgment in much of the book of Isaiah,

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Job 11-12, and I'm calling the episode "Nothin' Like A Good Friend." Thoughts on Job 11-12 In chapter eleven, Zophar has had enough of what he considers to be just a rash of wordy nonsense. In essence he accuses Job of running off at the mouth. He asks, “Just because you like to hear yourself talk, are we supposed to shut up?” Well gosh, Zophar thank you for being a friend. I don't expect this reaction from Job. Zophar accuses Job of saying things he didn't say, like “My teaching is morally correct,” and “As you can see, I am innocent”, neither of which was true. He did say that “I am not wicked”, but he also said, “I have sinned.” I think that Zophar misunderstood Job, in part because of Job's somewhat and understandably emotional charge that God was cruel in his treatment of him. What about you? Did he misunderstand Job, or is he just being judgmental? From verse seven on, Zophar's words are pretty much accurate. God is beyond understanding. God can do as He pleases. If you confess your sin, you will be forgiven and you will find peace. As chapter 12 opens, Job responds to Zophar with sarcasm. “You are the keepers of wisdom. When you die, wisdom will die.”  At this point, I can just imagine the emotions that Job must be feeling. Physically, he is a wreck. Emotionally, he is mourning the loss of his children (most importantly) and to probably a far lesser extent, his wealth. Spiritually, he's confused. He can't understand why God would bring such calamities on him. And now on top of all this, he's resentful, to say the least.  Personally, I have to hand it to Job. At least he continued to engage with them. He could have just shut them out, told them to take a hike. But he's better than that. Evidently the friendship he's had with them until now is worth trying to save, despite their insensitivity here. So he continues the conversation. I the rest of the chapter he tells them that he is not inferior to them. And he reminds them where wisdom actually comes from - from God. From verses 13 on to the end of the chapter, Job demonstrates that Zophar's accusation that he is empty-headed, is false. He talks at length about the power of God; his ability to give or take according to His own will. Of course Job is accurate, but certainly his description of God seems dark, and reflective of his current condition. Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 11-12 GNT Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Charles Deluvio on Unsplash Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God By Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude V. King / B&H Books Experience the book that has restored, reoriented, and renewed millions of people---now thoroughly updated with seven new chapters and dozens of additional stories! Whether you're reading it for the first time or eager to encounter a fresh edition of the classic text you already love, you'll not be the same when you finish it. 368 pages, hardcover from B&H.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Psalms 15-17, and I'm calling the episode “Who Can Come Into God's Presence?”.  Thoughts on Psalms 15 David begins this Psalm with two questions: Lord, who may enter your Temple? Who may worship on Zion, your sacred hill? These questions show the desire of David's heart. He longed to be in God's presence. The Temple (or actually in the original language the word "Temple" in our translation today, is tent, or Tabernacle) represented the place of God's presence.   He answers his own questions, and it is important for us to remember that he wrote from the perspective of the Old Testament, or Old Covenant. Obedience, or the lack thereof, determined the blessings or curses that a person could expect. The person who was not in obedience to God could not expect the blessing of God's presence. The New Testament gives us a different basis for receiving God's blessing and being able to be in His presence, doesn't it? Because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, faith in Him is the ground on which we receive blessings and come into relationship with God.  It is very important to understand, however, that obedience or rebellion is an indicator of whether we actually do have a relationship with God. Or put another way, if we have a genuine faith. 1 John 1:6 tells us, "If we say, 'We have fellowship with Him,' yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.  7But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." In other words, if we say we believe, but our life doesn't reflect a changed heart, we are liars.  In David's list of attributes the righteous person should have (which is only a representative list, not an exhaustive one), he says, "They despise those whom God rejects...". That sounds harsh to our ears today, doesn't it? From childhood, many of us are taught not to "hate" anyone. But listen to Proverbs 8:13: To honor the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil ways and false words.  The person who does evil habitually is in fact rejected by God. The righteous man must also reject such a person. Listen carefully, though. I am not saying that we are to assume that this person is beyond God's ability to forgive if they come to Christ. I like the way Matthew Poole, the 17th century commentator put it: “He doth not admire his person, nor envy his condition, nor court him with flatteries, nor value his company and conversation, nor approve of or comply with his courses; but he thinks meanly of him; he judgeth him a most miserable man, and a great object of pity; he abhors his wicked practices, and labours to make such ways contemptible and hateful to all men as far as it lies in his power.” So what are we to do with this person? We should pray for them. Verse 4: They despise those whom God rejects, but honor those who obey the Lord. I love Spurgeon's comment on the second half of the verse: “We must be as honest in paying respect as in paying our bills. Honour to whom honour is due. To all good men we owe a debt of honour, and we have no right to hand over what is their due to vile persons who happen to be in high places.” In our culture today, it is the person in high places who receive honor, regardless of their character. And the most honorable among us is often overlooked. Let us not fall into this practice, beloved. Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 15 GNT, Ch. 16 ERV, Ch. 17 NASB Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Ruan Carlos on Unsp...

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Joshua 21-24, and I'm calling the episode “Words To Remember”. We'll be reading about Joshua's last days. We'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, and we have another praise report. Thoughts on Joshua 23 and 24 In these two closing chapters of the book of Joshua, we see two different times that the aging leader called the entire nation to hear him, because he knew that his life was drawing to a close and he wanted to leave them with a final message. The first gathering is recorded in chapter 23. He reminds them of all that God had done for them, and that it was the Lord that fought for them and delivered the land that they now held and enjoyed, as He had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He told them to be very careful to love the Lord and continue to obey his commands so that His blessing would continue to be on them, and if they failed to do that, grave consequences would come to them.  Notice that he started the warning with the words "love the Lord your God." If we love someone, we don't find it difficult to do the things that please them, do we? I don't treat my wife, the lovely lady LeeAnn with respect and do the things that I know will bring a smile to her face because I'm afraid she'll make my life miserable if I don't. I am a loving husband to her because I love her. I find it easy to not behave badly toward her. I don't have to keep reminding myself not to be mean to her or be unfaithful to her or any number of things that would break her heart. When you love someone, your motivation comes from a positive place. And that was what Joshua wanted for the children of Israel.  But he knew that some of the people did not love the Lord, and were in fact unfaithful to Him. Some were worshipping the gods and idols of the Canaanites and the other people who were in the land before they arrived. So Joshua warned them of the consequences of their idolatry. And this is what caused him, in chapter 24 to say to them, "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell." He let them know that he and God were aware of their double mindedness. So he set the decision before them, and he let them know in no uncertain terms where he stood, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." It is never a good thing to flirt with anything that would draw you away from a loving relationship with God. Flirtation leads down a disastrous path. Choose. And once the choice is made, commit to the decision and follow through with actions that will only strengthen the relationship. Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 21-22 HCSB, Ch. 23-24 ESV Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Behrouz Jafarnezhad on Unsplash Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God By Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude V. King / B&H Books Experience the book that has restored, reoriented, and renewed millions of people---now thoroughly updated with seven new chapters and dozens of additional stories! Whether you're reading it for the first time or eager to encounter a fresh edition of the classic text you already love, you'll not be the same when you finish it. 368 pages, hardcover from B&H.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Genesis 16-19, and I'm calling the episode “The God Who Sees Me”. We'll be reading about_what can happen when we decide to help God, Sodom and Gomorrah, and some other very important happenings. We'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, and we have another praise report. Thoughts on Genesis 16 Years earlier, God had promised to Abram that he would have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky. But now, Sarai has begun to doubt God's promise. She does what comes so easily to human beings. She rationalizes. She decides that God must need some help, so she tells Abram to have a child with her servant, Hagar. Of course, Abram, being a great man of faith, says to her, "No Sarai. God knows what He is doing. You are my wife, and it would be wrong of me to do this with Hagar. Let's wait on the Lord." Except that is not what he did, is it? Once again, Abram also doubts God. He too is weary of waiting on God.  So Abram does what Sarai suggests, and Hagar becomes pregnant with Abram's child.  Now Hagar becomes prideful because she considers herself to be greater than Sarai, who had been unable to conceive. Being childless was considered to be a shameful thing in their culture. So since Hagar had conceived, she thought that she was "all that". And she began to rub it in. She mistreated Sarai. And Sarai did what so many of us do. She shifted the blame. She blamed Abram. "This is all your fault!" Of course, Abram, being a man of great character said, "No Sarai. This was your idea, but I'll tell her to shape up." Except that is not what he did, is it? No, he washed his hands of the whole thing and told Sarai to do as she saw fit. And of course Sarai mistreated Hagar so badly that Hagar ran away. We don't know how far Hagar got, but she stopped by a spring of water, and The Angel of the Lord appeared and said, "Hagar, Sarai's servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?” Let's stop here for a moment. This is the first time we read of "The Angel of the Lord", but it will not be the last. He'll appear to Abraham in Genesis 22. He'll appear to Moses in Exodus 2. He'll appear to Balaam in Numbers 22, to the nation of Israel in Judges 2, to Gideon in Judges 6, to Samson's parents in Judges 13, to David in 2 Samuel 24, and to Elijah in 1 Kings 19.  Who is The Angel of the Lord? In these contexts, where The Angel of the Lord appears to someone in physical form, it is the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ. Later in the chapter Hagar says, “You are the God who sees me.” So she understood that this was God. And since John 1:18 says, in speaking of God the Father, "No one has ever seen God. But the unique One (speaking of Jesus), who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed God to us." 1 Timothy 1:16 also tells us that no human has ever seen God the Father. So, when God physically appeared to a person in the Old Testament, we believe that it was Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, before his incarnation in Bethlehem. Let's continue, "...The Angel of the Lord appeared and said, "Hagar, Sarai's servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?” Notice that in saying this to her, the angel of the Lord let Hagar know that He knew who she was by addressing her by name. So when He asked where she was coming from and where she was going, He probably knew those answers, too. When she told The Angel of the Lord that she was running from her mistress, Sarai, He told her to go back, submit to Sarai, and He would give her more descendants than she could count. He told her to change her direction. She was running *from* Sarai, but He told her to *go back* to Sarai. To change one's direction is to repent. And with this instruction came the implied promise of His protection, because of the promise He made that she would have all those descendants.  The Angel of the Lord told Hagar to name the son she was preg...

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is ROMANS 9-10, and I'm calling the episode “Beautiful Feet."  We'll be reading about God's grace, God's selection, righteousness, the importance of being a preacher, and how that directly relates to you. We'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, and we have another praise report. Thoughts on Romans 9  Chapter 9 has some language in it that causes difficulty for some people. Did it get your attention? Here it is again. Paul was quoting Malachi 1:2-3. He said, “As the Scriptures say, ‘I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.'” What? God hated Esau? What's up with that? Well, as it turns out, this type of language in the Hebrew was used more in the comparative sense. God was comparing his affection of the two boys, Jacob and Esau. When God said he hated Esau, the meaning was that He loved Jacob more. It was not an active hate.  There are other examples of this language in the scriptures. You've heard, “He that spareth his rod hateth his son; but he that loveth him chasteneth Him.” That's Proverbs 13:24. In Matthew 6:24 we read, “No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other”. And the verse that so many misunderstand is when Jesus said in Luke:14:26, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother”. All of these are comparative. Obviously a parent does not actively hate his child by not disciplining him. Of course, withholding discipline is not at all a good way to raise a child, but often times a parent does this because he loves the child too much. Again, this is misguided, but it is not active hate.  Also, I wear many hats as far as the work I do. When I first began podcasting, I had a windshield repair business. I still do. But now I do podcasting, which is another “master”. I am also a professional voice artist. Another “master”. And I have this great new book. Marketing that is another master. Guess what. I don't have the same amount of enthusiasm for each of those things. I enjoy them all, but truth be told, I do have a favorite. That doesn't mean I hate the others.  And you know Jesus does not want us to hate our parents in the way that we use the word “hate”. He just meant that we must love Him more than our parents. Now, as for why God loved Jacob more than Esau, Paul addressed that as well as it can be in the following verses of chapter 9. It sort of boils down to “God is God and we are not.” We really cannot fully understand God's reasoning, because our minds are so much less than His. As people who trust that God is love, we have to accept His goodness as a matter of faith. And in my own life, He has demonstrated countless times that He is worthy of my faith. So I'm ok with His decisions.  Thoughts on Romans 10 There are three different verses that I want to zero in on today, and they really encapsulate the Gospel, or the Good News. Remember Jesus' words in Matthew 18:3 when he said: Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. In all the complexity of Romans, these three verses are so simple that even a child can understand. The first is the last part of verse 8 and continuing through verse 9:  This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. That's it. Boom. Dead simple. Nothing needs to be added, no works for you to do. You cannot add anything to what Jesus already did to bring salvation. It's done. "If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." And then verse 13 shows us who this Good News is for: For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Everyone. Not those who are "good". Everyone is included, no one is excluded. There is nothing that can keep you from the salvation that...

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Matthew 11-13, and I'm calling the episode “Jesus Is No Pushover."  We'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, and a boostagram/comment about a recent episode. Thoughts on Matthew 11  Some people have the idea that when Jesus was here, he was a milquetoast kind of guy. A pushover. Always soft in word and deed. Weak even. These are people who have never read the Bible. At the end of this chapter, verses 28-30 Jesus said, "“Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. 29Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. 30The burden that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.” Let's look at these verses, shall we?  I can't tell you how many times I've moved or helped friends move in my life. Dozens of times. I've moved from the L.A. area 350 miles to Mammoth Lakes in the Sierra and back. Twice. I've lived in homes all around the southern California area. I've moved from LA to Orange County, and then two or three times within Orange County. Then, from Orange County to LA county again. Then to Riverside county. And then four or five more times. Each time with more and more stuff. In all those moves, do you think I looked for weak guys to help me? No. I always recruited my strongest friends. Nothing against smaller people, but if I want help to lift stuff, I want the burly kind. Jesus is offering to bear our burdens. I don't know about you, but some of my burdens are anything but light. I'm 67 years old, and some of the burdens I've experienced in my life would have crushed me if I hadn't had Jesus to help me. He bore my heavy loads, and gave me a light one in return.  No. Jesus is not a milquetoast. He is capable of carrying the heaviest of loads. Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is the Beginning and the End. Remember His night in Gethsemane, asking the Father if there was any other way to save us? He knew what was coming, but the only way our sins could be atoned for was the way set out before Him. Anyone who could go through with the Father's plan is not weak. Anyone who could survive the flogging he suffered on the day he was crucified is not weak. Anyone who could forgive those who nailed Him to the cross, or those who mocked him as He hung there is not weak. Anyone who could defeat death and arise the third day is not weak.  The Jesus we read about today is a man's man, the ultimate leader, and a Savior that I am happy to serve, follow and share with anyone who will listen.  You? Thoughts on Matthew 12  In verse 38, some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.” You know, on the face of it, this might not seem like a terribly unreasonable request. Jesus has made some pretty bold statements, right? I mean, what gives Him the authority to say the things He's said? After all, He who makes bold claims has the burden of proof. The thing is, Jesus has already done many miracles, right? He's healed many people of a whole host of diseases, He's showed that He can control the weather, he turned water to wine. And there is no doubt that reports of His miracles were widely circulated, and some of the teachers and Pharisees were eye witnesses. So what's going on here? They were demanding that He do something then and there. Of course, they did not believe that Jesus was God, but can you imagine demanding the creator of all that is that He perform like some dancing monkey? God is God. Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. He is as much God as God the Father or God the Holy Spirit. Together they are One God, yet each distinct.  His response was, of course swift and piercing. They had seen all that they would need to if they were truly looking for God,

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Isaiah 23-28, and I'm calling the episode “The Cornerstone.”  We'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, and a boostagram/comment about a recent episode. And  we have a very special prayer request. Thoughts on Isaiah 24-27 Chapter 23 is the final chapter of the judgements against the nations. It began in chapter 13 with the judgement against Babylon, and ends here in chapter 23 with the judgement against Tyre. Chapters 24-27 talk about when Jesus finally establishes His Kingdom on earth. Chapter 24 is primarily about the Great Tribulation which will occur just before Jesus' second coming. Chapter 25 is a song of joy in the midst of the Great Tribulation. There will be those who finally accept Jesus during that terrible time, and they will will rejoice in God despite what is happening all around them. Chapter 26 is the rejoicing of the land of Judah at the Messiah's reign over Israel at His second coming. Chapter 27 is a celebration of Messiah's ultimate victory. Chapter 28 begins with warnings about drunkenness in Israel and Judah. Then moves on to those who are deserving of judgement.  In the middle of the chapter, verses 16 and 17, we read some beautiful words of encouragement: And so the Lord says, “I'm laying a firm foundation for the city of Zion.It's a valuable cornerstone proven to be trustworthy; no one who trusts it will ever be disappointed.17 Justice and fairness will be the measuring lines that help me build.” After that, there is advice to those who are deserving of judgement, then moves on to talk of God's perfect timing. And the chapter ends with the words: This wonderful knowledge comes from the Lord All-Powerful, who has such great wisdom.  But I like it better in the NASB: This also comes from the Lord of armies, Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great. This phrase "His counsel wonderful" is the same as Isaiah 9:6 "wonderful counselor".  Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 23-28 CEB Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God By Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude V. King / B&H Books Experience the book that has restored, reoriented, and renewed millions of people---now thoroughly updated with seven new chapters and dozens of additional stories! Whether you're reading it for the first time or eager to encounter a fresh edition of the classic text you already love, you'll not be the same when you finish it. 368 pages, hardcover from B&H.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Job 9-10, and I'm calling the episode “Job's Response”.  And that's going to be all for today. I'm asking your forgiveness, because this has been one of those days. Nothing bad, but just a ton of stuff, and I'm just too exhausted to produce a full show for you today. I hope that's ok with you. I'll be back tomorrow with a normal show. Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 9-10 GWT Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Steve Webb Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God By Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude V. King / B&H Books Experience the book that has restored, reoriented, and renewed millions of people---now thoroughly updated with seven new chapters and dozens of additional stories! Whether you're reading it for the first time or eager to encounter a fresh edition of the classic text you already love, you'll not be the same when you finish it. 368 pages, hardcover from B&H.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Psalms 12-14, and I'm calling the episode “I Will Sing To the Lord”. We'll be reading about_David's Prayers for help and how he overcame depression and feeling as if he had been abandoned by God_. We'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, and a boostagram from someone who got a kick out of yesterday's episode. And I have a praise in our prayer time. Thoughts on Psalms 12-13 Chapter 12 In this Psalm, which is truly a prayer, David is crying out to God. Those who had been faithful to him have become gossipers and liars, and being unable to stop the lies, he asks God to cut them off...to stop them in their tracks as it were. And these liars even bragged that they could not be stopped. They said, “We are great speakers.No one else has a chance.” Sounds a bit like today, doesn't it? We hear lies from politicians, from the media (both main stream and social), even from sources that at one time were seemingly bulwarks of truth: the medical and scientific communities. They all seem to think that they can lie with impunity.  God heard the liars, and He said, “I will do something! The poor are mistreated and helpless people moan. I'll rescue all who suffer.” When God said, "I'll rescue all who suffer," David believed that God was also speaking to him.  And Family, I believe God is speaking to us today. The Bible is not a dusty old book about what happened thousands of years ago. It is the vibrant, living Word of God.  Listen to the next verse: Our Lord, you are true to your promises, and your word is like silver heated seven times in a fiery furnace.  Here David declares first that God always keeps His promises, and that unlike the words of the liars, God's word is pure and true, as silver is after being purified in the fire seven times. Again I say, the Bible is not a dusty old book about what happened thousands of years ago. It is the vibrant, living Word of God. Beloved, the Bible has withstood the test of time. God HAS preserved it through the centuries. No other manuscript has as many ancient copies as does the Bible. It is trustworthy. It is true. It is God's Word. Unchanging. Reliable. True.  James Montgomery Boice wrote that “The French atheist Voltaire…once said, ‘In twenty years Christianity will be no more. My single hand shall destroy the edifice it took twelve apostles to rear.' He wrote that in fifty years no one would remember Christianity. But in the year he wrote that, the British Museum paid the Russian government five hundred thousand dollars for a Bible manuscript while one of Voltaire's books was selling in the London book stalls for just eight cents.”  Charles Spurgeon said, “Give up no line of God's revelation. Brethren, we cannot endure this shifty theology. May God send us a race of men who have backbones! Men who believe something, and would die for what they believe. This Book deserves the sacrifice of our all for the maintenance of every line of it.”  Beloved, we could use some people like that today, don't you think? People with backbone who speak truth, and willing to die for their beliefs. People who's God is the Lord, not the lies that are so prevalent today.  Chapter 13 We find David in prayer again. Four times in the first two verses David asks "How long?" 1How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Have you ever felt like that? Have you prayed a similar prayer? Probably most of us who are believers have. Listen again to the words of Spurgeon: “Whenever you look into David's Psalms, you may somewhere or another see yourselves. You never get into a corner but you find David in that corner. I think that I was never so low that I could not find that David was lower; and I never climbed so high that I could not find that Dav...

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Joshua 16-20, and I'm calling the episode “Somewhere To Run”. We'll be reading about_God's plan for making sure justice was properly carried out_. We'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, and we'll hear a comment on last Saturday's episode. Thoughts on Joshua 20 In chapter 20 we read about the cities of refuge, or what I'm calling “Somewhere To Run”. Kind of a callback to the 1965 tune “Nowhere To Run” by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. What a great song. I told you I was old. If you like Motown music, look it up. But I digress. These cities of refuge were places that someone who had unintentionally or accidentally killed a person could flee and be protected from "the avenger of blood". As the commentator Matthew Henry put it, these were people who were guilty by hand, but not of heart.  What is "the avenger of blood"? In Israel at that time, each family had a designated person who had the responsibility to be sure that if someone in that family was murdered, justice would done. This was the avenger of blood.  God wants murderers to be punished. We know this from Genesis 9:6. "Whoever sheds man's blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in His image." However, in order to establish that a murder had taken place, there had to be a trial. The cities of refuge were places where the person who had unintentionally or accidentally killed someone could be safe until a trial could happen. The avenger of blood would not be given custody of that person. If, after a trial, it was shown that the killing was an accident and not a crime of hate or jealousy or rage, then the person would be allowed to stay in that city, and that city only. It's interesting to note a few facts about these cities of refuge: all were Levite cities (the Levites were the tribe from which all priests came); these places of refuge were types of, or pointed toward, the refuge that we have in Jesus; they were distributed around the country so that one of them was always within a half day's journey from anywhere in the country; all the cities were on hills so that they could be seen from a distance, so that if a person were fleeing to one, they could keep their eyes on that place, as we do with Christ. Reminds me of the old hymn, "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus".  Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace. Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 16-17 NET, Ch. 18 NKJV, Ch. 19 NLV, Ch. 20 HCSB Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Jeremy Lapak on Unsplash Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God By Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude V. King / B&H Books Experience the book that has restored, reoriented, and renewed millions of people---now thoroughly updated with seven new chapters and dozens of additional stories! Whether you're reading it for the first time or eager to encounter a fresh edition of the classic text you already love, you'll not be the same when you finish it. 368 pages, hardcover from B&H.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Genesis 12-15, and I'm calling the episode “Arrested Obedience”. We'll be reading about Abram and the promise God made to him. We'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment. Thoughts on Genesis 12 Joshua 24:2 tells us that Abram came from a family that lived on the other side of the Euphrates river and worshipped other gods.  This place is identified as Ur of the Chalees in Genesis 11:28 and 31, Genesis 15:7 and Nehemiah 9:7. Acts 7:4 calls it the "land of the Chaldeans". This is in the area of modern day Iraq. It was in the lower region of what was called the Fertile Crescent. It was a land of prosperity with a thriving civilization, and Abram's father, Terah (TAIR-uh) seems to have been wealthy. While Abram was still living in this land of prosperity, Acts 7:3 tells us that "God told him, ‘Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.'" We have to sort of piece the story together. In Genesis 11:31 we're told that "One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram's wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran's child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran." Here in Genesis 12:1 we are told, "The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you." And then we read the promise.  But let's stay here for a moment.  Abram and his family are living the good life in Ur. He is from a family of idol worshippers. Maybe Abram is himself an idol worshiper. After all, he was raised in this culture. And God comes to him and says, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you." Then what happens? Abram heads out *with his wife and relatives*. What did God tell him? "Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family..." So Abram only partially obeyed God's command.  And in Genesis 11:31, the detail that they were "headed for the land of Canaan" is included. So we know that they were traveling in the right direction. But what happened? Verse 31 continues, "...but they stopped at Haran and settled there." Haran was not the land that God had called Abram to. Haran was only about halfway to Canaan. But they stopped there anyway. Why? We are not told.  What we are told is that they stopped short of fully following God's command. Abram was in a state of arrested obedience. He was in the process of going where God told him to go, but he stopped. Arrested obedience. It was not until Abram's father, Terah died, and Abram was now seventy-five years old, that Abram and his household (including Lot), and all of his possessions left Haran and restarted his journey to Canaan.  It's interesting to note that the name Terah means "delay", and Haran means "barren". Abram's partial obedience caused delay and barrenness for Abram. God's plan will always be accomplished, but our disobedience can be costly for us.  Listen to Charles Spurgeon's words, “The result of this to Abram was the absence of privilege. God spoke not to his servant in Haran: neither dream, nor vision, nor voice came to him in the place of hesitancy. The Lord loved him, but hid his face from him, and denied him the visits of his grace.” And yet Abraham is known as a great man of faith. How can this be? How can a man who didn't have enough faith to fully follow the Lord's command be called a great man of faith? Because one failure does not define us, beloved. And God's grace looks at the heart. Yes, Abram got off the track, but he got back on. And as we read more of Abram's life, we will see several times that his obedience is not perfect, but as God works with him, his faith grows. 

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Romans 7-8. Two of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. I'll share some comments, and we'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment. Thoughts on Romans 7 and 8  Do you like baseball? I love baseball. Probably because my grandpa loved it. I remember sitting on my grandpa's lap as he sat in his recliner, watching the Dodgers shortly after they moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Of course, I was too young to know that they were new to LA, and to me the Dodgers had always been here. Grandma and Grandpa lived just a little over 15 miles from the LA Coliseum, where the Dodgers played before Dodger Stadium was built, and the Dodgers were the home team. So my grandpa loved the Dodgers, and I loved my Grandpa, so I loved the Dodgers, and baseball. Why am I talking about baseball? Because Major League Baseball has a Hall of Fame. In that Hall of Fame are some of the best players the game has ever known. Players who exemplified excellence.  If there were a Hall of Fame of the best chapters in the Bible, I would most certainly nominate Romans 8, with runner up being chapter 7. Chapter 8 is Sandy Koufax, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Lou Gehrig all rolled into one. And more. Let me explain. In chapter seven, Paul talks about how the Law pointed out sin to us. It made us aware of sin. Then he showed us that we are slaves to sin. He said, “I want to do what is right but I do not do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate.” Does that sound familiar? If you are a believer, you know it does. If you are not a believer, then maybe it sounds foreign to you. But believers are intimately aware of the struggle between the desires of the flesh and the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the teaching of the Word of God. We know the feeling of despair when we fail. Paul ended chapter 7 with these words: “There is no happiness in me! Who can set me free from my sinful old self? 25 God's Law has power over my mind, but sin still has power over my sinful old self. I thank God I can be free through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Yes! Yes! A thousand times Yes! I thank God I can be free through Jesus Christ our Lord!  Listen again to Paul's opening words in chapter 8: “Now, because of this, those who belong to Christ will not suffer the punishment of sin. 2 The power of the Holy Spirit has made me free from the power of sin and death. This power is mine because I belong to Christ Jesus.” Home Run! Outta the park! “those who belong to Christ will not suffer the punishment of sin”. Them's shoutin' words, Family! Now as long as we're in this Hall of Fame chapter, let me repeat for you some of the best, most encouraging verses ever written: He gave Himself to take away sin. By doing that, He took away the power sin had over us. Home Run! if the Holy Spirit is the boss over your mind, it leads to life and peace. Home Run!  All those who are led by the Holy Spirit are sons of God. 15 You should not act like people who are owned by someone. They are always afraid. Instead, the Holy Spirit makes us His sons, and we can call to Him, “My Father.” Home Run! If we are children of God, we will receive everything He has promised us. We will share with Christ all the things God has given to Him. But we must share His suffering if we are to share His shining-greatness. Home Run! the Holy Spirit helps us where we are weak. We do not know how to pray or what we should pray for, but the Holy Spirit prays to God for us with sounds that cannot be put into words. 27 God knows the hearts of men. He knows what the Holy Spirit is thinking. The Holy Spirit prays for those who belong to Christ the way God wants Him to pray. Home Run! We know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are chosen to be a part of His plan. Home Run! Since God is for us, who can be against us?  Home Run! God did not keep His own Son for Himself but ga...

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Matt 8-10. After that I'll have some comments. Then we'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, and we'll have a short time of prayer.  Thoughts on Matthew 10 32Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. 33But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.Matthew 10:32-33 Those are the words of Jesus. Our Savior and our Lord. You know what "Lord" means, right? It means "one having authority and power over others". So if he said those words, it's critically important that we make a stand for Christ, publicly. People need to know that we are followers of Jesus.   Way back in the olden days, 1979, there was a song by a guy who went by the name of Gary S. Paxton. The name of  the song was Evidence. One of the verses said,  If you were arrested for being a ChristianWould there be enough evidence to help convict youIf they took you in front of a panel of judgesCould they find a staunch witness to help convict youEvidence, Gary S. Paxton That song has been with me, in the back of my mind for over 40 years. I want there to be so much evidence that if I'm ever put on trial for my faith in Jesus that it'll be the world's shortest trial. Open and shut. The prosecuting attorney will have the easiest summation ever: "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. You see the volumes of evidence against Mr. Webb. Do your duty." And the jury goes into the jury room, takes a preliminary vote, which is a unanimous GUILTY.  What would your trial be like? I like what Spurgeon said: "What Christ is to you on earth, that you will be to Christ in heaven. I shall repeat that truth. Whatever Jesus Christ is to you on earth, you will be to him in the day of judgment. If he be dear and precious to you, you will be precious and dear to him. If you thought everything of him, he will think everything of you." The next part disturbs some people: 34 “Don't think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn't come to send peace, but a sword. 35For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36A man's foes will be those of his own household. 37He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn't worthy of me. 38He who doesn't take his cross and follow after me, isn't worthy of me. 39He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.Matthew 34-39 This statement about not coming to send peace kind of flies in the face of what we usually think about Jesus. What gives?  Of course the overall message of Jesus was one of peace. Look at the Sermon on the Mount. If a man strikes you on one cheek, turn the other. If you are compelled to walk a mile, walk two. And so on. What Jesus meant by this statement here is that he requires such a life changing commitment to Him, that some people will reject Him. That act of rejection will divide people, even entire households. And the commitment to Him must take priority over everything and everyone else. Ok. So I understand how that might sound harsh to some ears. But hang with  me for a moment. Think of what Jesus did. He gave up the glories of Heaven to be born a helpless, human baby. In a stable, surrounded by animals and their waste. He lived not in a palace, but a working class home. In a fairly primitive time. He lived a sinless life, only to be mercilessly tortured and executed. And Romans 5:8 says he did this "while we were still sinners...". So, the way I see it, the least I can do for Him is put Him at the tippy top of my priorities.  And by the way, He is not a hard taskmaster. Next week in chapter 11 we'll read Jesus' words, "28 “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you,

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Isa 18.22: Open Doors, Closed Doors. After that I'll have some comments. Then we'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, and we'll have a short time of prayer.  Thoughts on Isaiah 22 Jerusalem As I said on the last Isaiah episode, Isaiah chapters 13-23 are prophesies against nations that have attacked and otherwise been troublesome for Israel and Judah.  So what's with chapter 22? This is a message about the destruction of Jerusalem. Unfortunately for them, Jerusalem and Judah at this point in their history had again turned from God. Because of this desertion, God would send no help when Babylon attacked. Jerusalem would try to make preparations for defense, but they refused to do the one thing that would halt the destruction: they would not return to the Lord. Shebna In the middle of the chapter, Isaiah spoke of Shebna, who served King Hezekiah as the administrator and scribe of the palace, both very high offices. Hezekiah was a good king who honored the Lord, but neither Shebna or the people of Judah followed suit. So judgement fell on Shebna and the people. Shebna was a proud man who only sought to bring glory to himself, so much so that he had a great tomb built for himself, which was something often done in that day to show great power and wealth. Isaiah prophesied that the people of Judah and Jerusalem would be taken away into exile, but Shebna did not believe or listen. As was prophesied, Shebna died in exile. The Doors Shebna's replacement was Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah. Where Shebna sought only to elevate himself, Eliakim is given an honored name by God: "my servant". What a contrast!  God said, "I will place the key to David's house on his shoulder; what he opens no one will close, and what he closes no one will open." "David's house" here is actually better translated as "the house of David". And this phrase is actually a prophecy of the Messiah. In Revelation 3:7 Jesus spoke of himself with these words: These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.” God sometimes closes doors to us, while opening others. He knows the plans He has for us, and out of love He closes doors that we think we want to go through. Closed doors are not lost opportunities, beloved. They keep us from wasted time or heartache and pain. What our prayer should be when we come to a door that is closed is, "Lord, lead me to the open door." Through that door are blessings, fulfillment, and service to God. No aspiration could be higher than that. Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 18-19 NKJV, Ch. 20-22 CEB Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Alessandra Onisor on Unsplash Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God By Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude V. King / B&H Books Experience the book that has restored, reoriented, and renewed millions of people---now thoroughly updated with seven new chapters and dozens of additional stories! Whether you're reading it for the first time or eager to encounter a fresh edition of the classic text you already love, you'll not be the same when you finish it. 368 pages, hardcover from B&H.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Job 7-8. After that I'll have some comments. Then we'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, and we'll have a short time of prayer.  Thoughts On Job 8 My goodness gracious! What a terrible way to begin, when your “friend” is sitting there covered in ashes, with sores all over his body, having lost everything but his wife and his life. Talk about kicking a guy when he's down. I'm wondering if there was some jealousy going on with these three friends. Job had been the richest guy around, with a wonderful family and an all-around good life. Maybe these guys were jealous of Job. And now that it's all gone, maybe they're feeling a bit smug. Maybe they're thinking, “I knew it was too good to be true. I knew Job just lucked into that life. And now God is evening the score. Job thought he was so good. Ha! How does it feel to be down in the pits? Huh, Job?” So this guy, Bildad now says, “Your children sinned against God, so He punished them.”  Ok. You can say what you want about me, but if you attack or accuse my kids I'm coming after you. Especially when they're sick. Our Trial With Our Son A few years ago, my 21 year old middle son Steven came down with an extremely bad case of ulcerative colitis. It was so bad the gastroenterologist that first saw Steven said it was the worst case he had ever seen.  For those of you that have heard this story, don't worry. I'm not going to tell the whole ordeal here. Stick around.  Long story short, shortly after having been diagnosed, Steven suffered a perforated colon. The UC had gotten so bad that the contents of his colon began leaking into his abdomen. He woke us up at about 2 in the morning in extreme pain. He had been sick for weeks at this point, and by now he had already lost 30 or so pounds, and he was extremely weak. So we rushed him to the hospital, and within an hour or two he was in an operating room having his colon removed. The infection in his abdomen was so bad that he ended up being on round the clock IVs of four different high powered antibiotics for something like seven months. It took nearly ten months for him to return to work. That first night in the waiting room, while Steven was being operated on, LeeAnn and I cried out to God, asking him to spare our son. We had no idea what the outcome would be, but we knew that Steven's life was in His hands.  Friends and family came to be with us as we waited. And believe me when I say that if one of them had said what Bildad said to Job, that would've been the last words ever between us. They would be out of our lives.  Of course Steven is not perfect, but he has grown to be a good man. To accuse him of suffering some kind of punishment from God because of some moral failing would've been beyond the pale.  Thankfully, we have a wonderfully loving and supportive family and that sort of thing didn't happen. All through the ordeal with our boy, they were supportive in a thousand different ways, as was our astounding church family. They were truly what the New Testament church is supposed to be. We are grateful that God has restored Steven's health. He's back to work and living life the husband of a good wife. Yes, God heard our prayers and spared Steven, but I'm very aware that not every situation has the same outcome. A Devastating Loss When I was sixteen I had a sixteen year old girlfriend who was diagnosed with cancer and exactly one month after her diagnosis she was gone. She was very well known, and there were thousands of people praying for her, including her extremely devoted and doting parents. But for some reason, God did not choose to heal her. Does that mean God was not good in that situation? Of course not. God does not change. God is always good. God is love. But His plans are seldom revealed to us. Like Job did, on that day that he lost everything, the appropriate response is to still praise Him.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Psalms 9-11: Fear Not. After that I'll have some comments. Then we'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment and we'll pray for some needs in the Lifespring Family. Thoughts on Psalms 11 Thoughts on Psalm 11 There was a time, before he was king, when David was being pursued by King Saul. And David's friends, though well intentioned, gave him advice not founded in faith. "Run away! Hide!" David's response was, "Why should I hide when I trust in God's protection? God is still on His throne. He sees what is happening to me, and He will deal with those who wish to do me harm. He knows I am His, and He will watch over me." Beloved, Family, have you noticed that everywhere you look we are being given another reason to be afraid? "There's a new variant, and it's worse than the last!" "ISIS is back!" "The Taliban is back!" "Joe Biden wants to steal your retirement!" "China!" "Russia!" "The Commie Left!" "The Nazi Right!" "We're all gonna die!" If I didn't know better, I just might think it's a coordinated effort!  Relax. I'm not going to go all political on you. But I will say that, yes it is being coordinated. But not by any political party or nation. It's being coordinated by the one who wants us to look at whats happening instead of our Heavenly Father. David had it right. Why should we fear when we know that "the Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord is on his throne in heaven." Yes, He is watching. He knows who are His and who are doing evil. The evil will suffer His wrath, and the righteous will enjoy His blessings. Psalm 46:1-2a says, "1God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2Therefore will not we fear..." Isaiah 41:10 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God..." Jesus said, "...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 I could go on and on. God's Word is full of phrases like "fear not", "don't be afraid" and the like. There's a saying going around that there are 365 "fear nots" in the Bible...one for each day of the year. That's a nice thought, but it's not true. But that's ok. There are actually many, many more times that we are assured that we have no need to fear in the Bible.  Listen, Family. God has many names in the Bible. I did a podcast called "In Touch With God's Character" for some time. Each episode was only a few minutes long, in which I would focus on one of the names of God. Each name of God emphasizes an aspect of who He is. Jesus, when praying to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed, "Abba Father". Do you know what Abba means? It's an Aramaic word that roughly means "Daddy". It speaks of the close, intimate relationship of a father and child, and the childlike trust that a youngster places in his daddy. We also have that relationship with God! Paul wrote in Romans 8:14-15, "14For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”  Beloved, with God, the Creator of all that is, as our Daddy, what have we got to be afraid of? Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 9 CEB, Ch. 10 GNT, Ch. NIRV Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Hans Veth on Unsplash Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God By Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude V. King / B&H Books Experience the book that has restored,

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Joshua 11-15. We'll see the Promised Land delivered to the tribes of Israel. After that I'll have some comments, and I'll share some Family comments. Then we'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment. Thoughts on Chapter 11 Here in Joshua 11 there are three things I wanted to focus on for just a moment.  Together We see in the first few verses that Israel's enemies banded together to defeat them. It didn't matter what their differences were, they knew that Israel had defeated every enemy they faced, so if they were to have any chance at all, they knew they had to fight Israel together.  We as Christians could learn from that. We have a common enemy, too. And that enemy is the enemy of man's soul. It's satan. And just as Israel had no prayer of defeating their enemies in the Promised Land without the help of God, we have no hope of defeating satan in our own lives without the help of that same God. Also, the world today is turmoil on a hundred different fronts, but you can be sure that the same enemy is behind it all. It's satan. He delights when man is fearful, combative, hateful and without hope. It's our job to tell mankind of the Good News of Jesus Christ. And we have a better chance of success if we forget about the things that cause division amongst us and focus on what we have in common, Jesus the Messiah.But if we are divided, our message is diluted. The world is less inclined to believe us. Jesus said they'll know that we are Christians by our love for one another. Believers need to focus on the One who died for us, not on our petty differences.  You Have the Necessary Tools Notice that God didn't fight these battles for Joshua miraculously like he did in the beginning. He has demonstrated to Joshua that He is with him, and He assures Joshua that he will have the victory, but He gives Joshua the battle plan and then leaves Joshua to execute that plan.  Family, as we mature in our spiritual life, he expects more of us. He expects us to fight our own battles. How many times have I heard someone say, "If God would only just take that temptation away, because I just can't handle it on my own!" Hogwash. He has given you what you need, you just need to do it. God didn't fight all of Joshua's battles, and He's not going to fight all of your battles, either. When God Says "Go" Near the end of the chapter, when Joshua and Israel have nearly completed the task of taking the land promised to their fathers by God, we're told that "Joshua and his army killed the Anakim from the northern and southern hill country." Who were the Anakim? When Moses was still alive, just as he brought the people to the threshold of the Promised Land, he sent twelve men in to scout out the country. When they came back, most of the scouts correctly said that it was a land flowing with milk and honey, but they also reported that the people who lived there were strong, and their cities were large and walled. They said, "We even saw the three Anakim clans. In fact, we saw the Nephilim who are the ancestors of the Anakim. They were so big that we felt as small as grasshoppers.” And so the people of Israel became fearful. They forgot about all the miracles God had done for them to bring them out of Pharoah's Egypt, how he gave them water out of a rock, how he fed them manna from heaven. They said, "We wish we had died in Egypt or somewhere out here in the desert! Is the Lord leading us into Canaan, just to have us killed and our women and children captured? We'd be better off in Egypt.” And God became angry at them and ultimately said, in essence, "Fine. They want to die in the desert? In the desert they shall die. Not one of this generation will set foot in the promised land." It was their lack faith that caused them to wander in the desert for forty years.  Of course, God was able to defeat Israel's enemies when they first arrived at the threshold of the Promis...

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Genesis 8-11. After that I'll have some comments. Then we'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment. Thoughts on Genesis 8-11: After the Flood Genesis 8 Noah, his family and all the creatures were on the ark for about a year before the earth was ready for them to come out. When the time was right, God told Noah to go out of the ark and take his family and all the creatures with him, so that they would be able to repopulate the earth. The first thing Noah did was worship God through sacrifice. He knew that God had delivered him, and that he owed God everything. He owed a debt he could never repay, and in this sacrifice he demonstrated his devotion and desire to please God. Noah had brought just seven each of the clean animals and clean birds on the ark, and to sacrifice any of them was very costly, but a sacrifice that is cheap is no sacrifice at all. God was pleased with the sacrifice and He said to Himself that He would never curse the earth on account of man's sin again, nor kill every living thing in this manner again.  After the flood, the water canopy that had been above the earth was gone. This caused a completely different ecosystem to emerge. Before, temperatures were moderated year around by the canopy. After, the earth experienced seasons. Verse 22: While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. Notice also that, as I mentioned in my remarks on previous chapters, with the water canopy now gone, lifespans quickly decreased.  Genesis 9 God told Noah and his sons to multiply and fill the earth, as He had told Adam and Eve. And God told them that they were now allowed to eat animals. This could be that because the environment was so different that food from plants would not be as plentiful as it had been before the flood. But because they were now prey, God put the fear of man into the animals.  It is in this chapter that we first read of the importance of blood. Blood represents life. When blood flows out of a living being, so does its life. And because man is made in God's image, when a person's blood is shed there must be an accounting. It is in this chapter that God allows capital punishment for murder.  And then God made a covenant, a promise, to Noah and his family, and to every living thing on the earth, that he would never again bring a flood like this again to the earth. And to mark this covenant, God made the rainbow. (Note that during the pre-flood era, with the water canopy, rainbows were probably never seen because the sun's light was diffused because of the cloud cover.) It would be a constant reminder, whenever it is seen, of this covenant. Then we have the Bible's first mention of drunkenness. Over indulgence in alcohol is always condemned in the Bible. Proverbs 20:1, "Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise." Proverbs 23:29-33, "29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? 30Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. 31Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! 32In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. 33Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things." In Noah's case, his drunkenness allowed him to be in a compromising situation. The language used, that of being uncovered, could be referring to sexual relations. So some scholars think that Noah may have abused by one of his relatives. Or it might only be that when Ham saw his father, he mocked him, which would have been extremely disrespectful of Noah as a man of God.  The language in verse 24 implies that it was more than mere mockery, however. "When Noah awoke from his drinking and learned what his youngest son had done to him...".

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Romans. After that I'll have some comments. Then we'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, and we have a couple prayer requests. Comments On Romans 5 and 6 Where to begin? Entire books have been written in mining all the truths found in Romans. Whenever I sit down to try to come up with comments to share on any chapter of Romans, I feel like I'm trying to fill a cup from a fire hose. So you'll have to forgive me if I don't address the finer points. I have to grab just a tiny bit and go with that, in the hopes that you'll thirst for more and do some studying on your own. Also, you are welcome to comment on the show notes page for this and every episode, or send comments to me at comment.lifespringmedia.com. Chapter 5 So for today's discussion, I'm going to look at verse 6: “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Let's break that down. “For when we were still without strength…” How great is God's love for us? When we could do nothing on our own, when we were ungodly, when we were sinners, God made a way for us. We could offer nothing, nor did we even have a desire to make our way to Him. God's love is the entire reason for sending Jesus. “in due time…” God is never early, God is never late. God is always exactly on time, every time. At just the right time, God sent His son. Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”  All the pieces were in place for the coming of the Messiah. Spiritually, the world was ready. Enough time had elapsed for people to see that the Law could not save us. All the Law did was demonstrate that we could not uphold it. Linguistically the world was ready. Language had developed to the point that the ideas necessary to communicate God's plan could be conveyed to a large enough population that the message could be spread. Plus the world was ready politically, philosophically and geographically. Every piece was in place. Let's read the verse again: “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” “…Christ died for the ungodly.” “…for the ungodly.” The Greek word translated for is huper. It means “for the sake of, in behalf of, instead of.” Christ died for the sake of, in behalf of, instead of insert your name here.  Charles Spurgeon was probably the greatest preacher of the nineteenth century, or even up until today.  Charles Haddon Spurgeon Here are a few of his words about “the ungodly”. “You will say, ‘Oh, I am one of the worst in the world.' Christ died for the worst in the world. ‘Oh, but I have no power to be better.' Christ died for those that were without strength. ‘Oh, but my case condemns itself.' Christ died for those that legally are condemned. ‘Ay, but my case is hopeless.' Christ died for the hopeless. He is the hope of the hopeless. He is the Savior not of those partly lost, but of the wholly lost.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon “If Christ died for the ungodly, this fact leaves the ungodly no excuse if they do not come to him, and believe in him unto salvation. Had it been otherwise they might have pleaded, ‘We are not fit to come.' But you are ungodly, and Christ died for the ungodly, why not for you?” Charles Haddon Spurgeon Indeed. Why not for you? Thoughts on Romans 6 Ok, so there was a lot of talk of sin in today's reading. Before I give my thoughts on the reading, maybe we should define the term.  What is sin? Sin is a word we don't hear much in our culture today, much less in our churches. I think part of the reason is that we don't want to make people feel bad, and we don't want those steeped in today's culture to think we're narrow-minded or judgmental or phobic or racist. Well my friend,

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Matthew 5-7: The Sermon on the Mount. After that I'll have some comments. Then we'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, and we have a couple prayer requests. Comments Jesus had begun drawing large crowds by now. He taught in synagogues, he preaching the gospel of the kingdom of Heaven, and he healed all kinds of disease and sickness among the people. He became famous, and people are always drawn to famous people. In Jesus' case, they wanted to see miracles and hear him teach. So on this particular day, when Jesus saw the crowd, He walked up a mountain so that his voice could be heard by them, and once he found a place to sit, he began speaking. It was common in that day for teachers to sit, and students to stand, and we have other examples Jesus sitting while teaching. Matthew 13:2, 23:2, 24:3, Luke 4:20. Given the denseness of Jesus' message, there is no way to talk about every point in one episode of this podcast. But I do have a couple of points I want to address. Jesus Fulfilled the Law and the Prophets In 5:17 Jesus says, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them." This is very important, because He will be accused of blasphemy when the religious leaders hear certain parts of His teaching. He was declaring here that His purpose was *not* to oppose the Law that God gave to Israel through Moses. He came to fulfill the Law, to live it as God intended, not as the Scribes and Pharisees had misinterpreted it. No one had ever fulfilled the Law, because to do so would mean that he or she had never sinned. Jesus is the only one in the history of mankind to live a sinless life. Jesus never broke the Law of God. The Law and the Prophets pointed to Jesus. He fulfilled them. The Law and the Prophets proclaim that the penalty for sin is death. Jesus' death on the cross fulfilled this as well. He had not sinned, but He took my sin and yours upon Himself. He was the perfect and final sacrificial Lamb. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:4, "Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." The Bottom Line If I was forced to distill the Sermon on the Mount, what would I say was the lesson Jesus wanted the crowd to leave with? Jesus laid out some pretty high standards, didn't He? If you're angry with a brother, you will subjected to judgement. If you look with lust at someone who is not your spouse, you are an adulterer. If someone hits you on the right cheek, you are to turn your other cheek to him. And you have to love your enemies. And that's only part of the first chapter. Maybe I'm alone here. Maybe I'm the worst guy on the planet. But according to Jesus' teaching in this sermon, I. Am. Guilty. Guilty as charged. I cannot sit behind this microphone and claim to be righteous. I can't expect to get into Heaven on my merits.  I am in deep, deep trouble.  Am I alone? Hmm? Oh, good. This realization that we fall far short is exactly what Jesus intended with this sermon. He needed to make us aware of our need for Him. We desperately need Him. We need him more than food, more than water, more than the air we breathe. Because without Him, our future is bleak. Our future holds nothing but blackness, torment, and separation from God. But here is the Good News! In John 3:17 and 18 Jesus says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 The one who believes in him is not condemned.” If I believe in Him, I am free from condemnation! My sins, which are many, are not only forgiven, they are forgotten. They are as far from me as the east is from the west. God sees me as pure and holy and righteous, because of what Jesus did for me. And for you.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Isaiah 12-17. After that I'll talk about a message of hope. Then we'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment.  Thoughts Isaiah chapters 13-23 are prophesies against nations that have attacked and otherwise been troublesome for Israel and Judah.  As I write this in mid-September 2021, the United States and the world have witnessed growing tyranny. Governments around the globe have slowly stripped away more and more rights, and have imposed mandates and restrictions at alarming rates. And it looks as though this trend will continue for the foreseeable future.  As a result, crime rates are up, suicides are up, alcohol and drug abuse is up. I could go on. Many people have lost hope. They see no way out, no light at the end of the tunnel.  Their despair is not hard to understand. When it seems as if the tyrants are in control, the future looks dark. A Message of Hope This feeling of hopelessness is part of the reason God gave Isaiah the prophesies in these chapters. God was letting His people know that their tormentors would be dealt with, and that they would be avenged. He wanted to give them hope. And most of those prophesies have been fulfilled, exactly as written. God said He would bring an end to nations that seemed unbeatable, and He did. The prophecies yet to be fulfilled are sources of hope for us. We know the end of the story, and God wins. Our ultimate enemy, the tormentor of mankind since the Garden of Eden, the father of lies, will be forever condemned to the lake of fire. And we who love God, who belong to Jesus, are going to spend eternity in His presence.  Knowing this makes it possible for me to remain relatively unscathed by world events. Of course I hate seeing liberties eroded and injustices go unpunished. I hate seeing lies perpetrated as truth and truth being censored as lies.  But I know that one day, all will be made right. Eternity is a long time. The entire history of mankind, in light of eternity, will be a mere blip.  We must keep our eye on the ball. We are here to be a shining light on a hill, showing a lost world the way to Jesus Christ. He said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me." There is more than enough reason to have hope, even in 2021. Jesus is on the throne, and looking at current events, I have high hopes that His return is right around the corner. We'll talk about that at a later time. Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 12 GNT, Ch. 13-17 NKJV Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Kristopher Roller on Unsplash Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God By Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude V. King / B&H Books Experience the book that has restored, reoriented, and renewed millions of people---now thoroughly updated with seven new chapters and dozens of additional stories! Whether you're reading it for the first time or eager to encounter a fresh edition of the classic text you already love, you'll not be the same when you finish it. 368 pages, hardcover from B&H.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Job 5-6. After that I'll have some comments on chapter six. I've been a bit long-winded on the last couple episodes, so today's comments are shorter. Then we'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment, after which we have some prayer requests and praises. Thoughts on Job 5 Last week we read the beginning of Eliphaz's remarks to Job, in which he basically said that obviously Job is suffering because there is some sin in his life, and God is punishing him.  In today's reading, among other things, Eliphaz continues his oh-so-helpful-and-compassionate statements by saying how happy Job should be, since God is correcting him. And he concludes by saying that he and his friends are speaking from having studied these things for a long time, and that Job ought to just accept it. Well there you go. So much for flowers and a get well card. It's amazing how hurtful some people can be when someone they know suffers some sort of calamity. Listen. When a friend of yours is hurting or sick or has suffered some sort of loss, don't try to make this a teaching moment; that is not being a friend.  The best thing you can do is just be with them. Sit with them. Pray with and for them. Bring them a meal. Just love them.  Thoughts on Job 6 After Eliphaz has his say Job has to say something.  And oh my goodness. Job's despair is palpable, isn't it? His physical pain is unbearable, but that's only part of the pain he is suffering. His spirit is broken, too.  He had to sit and listen as his so-called friend said that he must have done something to deserve the calamities that have befallen him, and in the words we read today, he shows that he feels as if he has become a target for God's wrath. Remember Jesus' words on the cross? “My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?” Such hopelessness and utter despair. Next week we will read more of what Job said in response to Eliphaz. They are heartbreaking words. A Modern Day Job? Almost exactly thirteen years ago, I interviewed my friend Kenny Metcalf. Kenny was the keyboard player for the band Stryper back in the 80s. As a matter of fact, Kenny was the guy who shared the Gospel with the members of the band, before they were known as Stryper, and brought them to Christ.  A few years after he left the band, Kenny was stricken with an autoimmune disease that caused sores all over his body, literally from the top of his head to the bottoms of his feet. He truly had a Job-like experience.  In the interview, we talked about his early life, how he knew the guys who would become the band Stryper, his touring with the band, his disease, how he praised God even as he was near death, and how God healed him. If you would like to hear the interview, just go to kenny.lifespringmedia.com. I also videotaped the interview, and have much of it on YouTube. I'll remind you that this was thirteen years ago, so the video quality is not great, but you might enjoy watching. The interview had to be broken up into several segments because back then YouTube wouldn't let you post long videos. If you want to see the videos, I'll have the links on the show notes page for this episode.  Kenny Metcalf Interview on YouTube Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5 Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 5-6 GNT Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Adam Przeniewski on Unsplash Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God By Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude V. King / B&H Books Experience the book that has restored, reoriented,

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Psalms 6-8. After that I'll have some comments on chapter six. I've been a bit long-winded on the last couple episodes, so today's comments are shorter. Then we'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment. Thoughts This is the first of the seven Psalms of Confession: Psalms 6, 31, 37, 50, 101, 129, and 142. These Psalms are characterized by confession and humility before God. In this Psalm we see David asking God to withhold His wrath. David is in agony, both physically and spiritually. We can't tell if this pain is from an illness, because of the sorrow he feels for a sin he committed, danger from pursuing enemies, or perhaps a combination of these afflictions. It does seem that his health is leaving him as well as his confidence. Yet he's still is sure that God will be the faithful One He always has been, and He will come to David's aid. As the psalm begins, we see David's repentance. As it ends, it is his confidence. When we are in similar circumstances, it is all to common that we remain in a place of misery. To be sure, if we have sinned, it is appropriate that we have remorse. After all, we made the decision to reject the right course of action. As believers, we have the benefit of the Holy Spirit's guidance. He tells us when we are about to "leave the reservation", yet leave we do. The remorse, the guilt we feel is because we belong to God, and we chose to follow our flesh instead of God.  And it is right that we own the consequences. If what we have done in sinning causes pain to ourselves or others, we must accept our responsibility. Being a believer does not give us a "get out of jail free card" in terms of this life. To be sure, if we are believers in Jesus, if we have asked Him to be our Lord and our Savior, we have assurance that our sins are forgiven. 1 John 1:9 tells us, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." But if our sin has caused consequences here, we have to face them and make things right.  Now with all that said, it's important to allow ourselves to be confident in the mercy of God, as David did in this psalm. Near the end he confidently declared, "The Lordhas heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer." Sorrow and consequences are meant to make us reconsider our behavior. Repentance is not the feeling of guilt or sorrow. Repentance is an action. It's making an about face. It's turning from the sin and toward God. And the wonderful thing about that is that we know that God is always there to greet us with open arms. On this date, 1966 the Good News New Testament was published by the American Bible Society. This the copy my grandparents gave me in 1970. Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 6 NLT, Ch. 7 CEV, Ch. 8 NIV Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Fengyou Wa on Unsplash Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God By Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude V. King / B&H Books Experience the book that has restored, reoriented, and renewed millions of people---now thoroughly updated with seven new chapters and dozens of additional stories! Whether you're reading it for the first time or eager to encounter a fresh edition of the classic text you already love, you'll not be the same when you finish it. 368 pages, hardcover from B&H.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Genesis 4-7. After that I'll address what some people see as difficulties in those chapters. We'll do Our reading today is Joshua 6-10. After that I'll have some comments on those chapters.. Then we'll do our “On This Day In Church History” segment. Thoughts Thoughts on Joshua 5 and 6 When God tells you to do something, don't question Him. Even if you think doing it will make you look silly.  How crazy must the people in Jericho thought the Israelites were when they looked outside the walls on the first day, and saw the parade pass by. "What do those desert wanderers think they're doing? And what's with those strange trumpets?", they must've said.  And on the second day, "What? They're doing it again? That's weird." And so on for six days. Then, on the seventh day: "Oh for crying out loud. They're back. Oh well. They'll be gone soon."  "Wait. They're going around again. That's strange."  "And again?" And if you're one of the Israelites, how silly must you have felt to be walking out there, doing nothing, saying nothing. "Come on! If we're going to take this city, let's take it already! Let's storm the walls! Let's build a battering ram for the door! Let's DO something! What's with all this WALKING?" "Wait. Joshua's telling us to go around seven times today? What? We're supposed to yell when we hear the ram's horn? Does he really think that's going to scare the inhabitants into surrender, or something? Sheesh" Of course we know what happened, but since they didn't have the book of Joshua to read back then, this whole series of events must have looked and felt incredibly silly and stupid at the time. When God tells you to do something, don't question Him. Even if you think doing it will make you look silly.  Thoughts on Joshua 7 The first word of today's chapter is "But". Whenever we see that, we need to remember what the previous statement was, because "but" is a word that ties two thoughts together. If I say to you, "But I'm going to have a snack," you don't know the full meaning of that statement. I might have said,"I just ate" or "I'm late for an appointment" or "I'm on a diet" or "Dinner is in fifteen minutes" or any number to other things. Each one of those opening statements gives a bit of a different flavor to my "But I'm going to have a snack" statement. Here in Joshua 7, we have to go back to the last sentence of Joshua 6, which read, "So the lord was with Joshua, and his reputation spread throughout the land." And the first sentence of Joshua 7 was, "But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord."  And then the story of what happened unfolds. We see that the sin of one man ignited God's wrath against the entire nation. You've heard the phrase, "No man is an island"? That fact is shown to be true here. Our secret sins, even if we think they won't affect anyone, are seen by God, and they do affect others. Our families, our churches, our communities, our nation.  The fact that Joshua was committed to doing what was right in God's sight was evident by the fact that he was willing to tear his clothes and lie face down on the ground before the Ark of the Covenant, which represented the presence of God, until the evening. And then God told Joshua what the problem was, and how Joshua should address it. As the narrowing down process went forward, Achan had every opportunity to step forward and confess. The fact that he didn't do that sealed his fate. It wasn't until God revealed that this was the one that he confessed, and told the details of his sin. Note that he knew that all of the plunder was to go to the Lord, but when he saw that Babylonian robe he allowed himself to begin thinking about how beautiful it was. And that led to coveting it and then the silver and the gold. His sin began like all others. Not in the seeing, but in the rolling it over in his mind,

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Genesis 4-7. After that I'll address what some people see as difficulties in those chapters. We'll do a top ten. The reading is a bit long, and my comments on the top ten difficulties are longer than usual. So after that, we'll go directly to our “On This Day In Church History” segment,, and then we'll be finished for the day. Thoughts There are several passages and events in these four chapters that many people find difficult to understand. 1. Why did God not accept Cain's sacrifice? (Chapter 4) We are told in verse 3 that "3When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock." Why do you suppose that they brought gifts, or offerings? Could it be that God had instructed them to do so? We do know that very specific instructions were given by God to Moses for several different types of offerings. Is it difficult to expect that God, in this very early period of human history, would instruct Adam and Eve's sons to give offerings with specific instructions as to what would be expected, or required? And notice the language. "Cain presented some of his crops..." Whereas Abel brought "the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock." The KJV says  Abel "...brought the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof." Many translations say words to the effect. The fat was considered the best part. So Cain brought "some of his crops", and Abel brought the best parts. It seems as if Cain was lackadaisical about his offering, whereas Abel's offering was wholehearted.  God sees and cares a great deal about the state of our heart, especially when it comes to our offerings. Note that there is the implication that Cain knew that his offering was not what God required, because when He saw that Cain was unhappy that his offering was not accepted, God said to him, "You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” "You will be accepted if you do what is right..." Cain knew that his offering was not right. 2. When Cain went to the land of Nod, who did he marry? (Chapter 4) If Adam and Eve were the first humans, and Cain and Abel were their only children, how could there be anyone else? In Genesis 5:4, we are told that Adam (and by inference, Eve) had other sons and daughters. So Cain married one of his sisters. At this point in human history, the gene pool was still pure enough that this would not be a dangerous thing. It was not until God gave the Law to Moses much later, that God forbade the marriage of close relatives. 3. How could lifespans be as long as those recorded in Genesis 5?  There are two factors that could be at play.  a) The purity of the gene pool. Much of the disease that plagues us today, including the disease of aging can be attributed to genetic anomalies that have crept in over the generations. When DNA is replicated, errors occur in the code.  b) Also remember that the genealogy of Adam recorded here is before the flood. It is quite likely that the Earth's atmosphere was very different before the flood. Remember the description of the creation. After God created light and dark on the first day, on the second day God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” So there was a great deal of water above the Earth and on the Earth. This water canopy above the Earth would have shielded the Earth from the harmful rays of the sun, protecting the inhabitants on the surface of the Earth. Lifespans after the flood decreased dramatically. 4. How could all of humanity actually be descended from just Adam and Eve? (Chapter 5) One writer has estimated that if Adam did indeed live 930 years,

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Romans 3-4. After that I'll have a comment or two about the chapters we've read. And I'll tell you about my favorite spot. A place where I am both relaxed and invigorated, and how that feeling relates to today's scripture. And then, there's the “On This Day In Church History” segment. Thoughts on Romans 3-4 Do you have a favorite place? Someplace on the planet that you think about when you wish you could just get away from it all? Someplace where you are both relaxed and excited at the same time? For me, that place is a little campsite in the Yosemite wilderness. It's a place nestled in where the Merced river takes a gentle 90 degree turn on its way down to the Yosemite valley. I love to sit, in my mind's eye, just at that corner, amidst the pine trees, as the Stellar's Jays call out and the occasional brown trout jumps out of the gently flowing water chasing a mosquito for dinner. Since it is in the wilderness, this spot is well away from the crushing crowds of tourists who never leave the paved paths of the valley. Only backpackers get to see this area. It's a peaceful spot, and oh so exciting at the same time because so relatively few get to enjoy this place. That's how I feel about Romans, chapter four. Peaceful and excited. I love to read this chapter. The excitement comes first, for me. How can you *not* be excited to read, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Account Paid In Full Wait. What? All he did was believe God, and God credited him with righteousness??? Really? You mean old Abe didn't have to go slay a dragon or kill 100 bulls or starve himself for a month or, or, or? He just believed God? Yeah. That's it. You say that can't be right. Surely he did something. Nope. Listen. “Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation. But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness.” Abraham's faith was credited as righteousness. Not his work, because that would have been a payment of obligation.  Well, you heard the chapter. Paul went into a fair amount of detail…all of it good. And it is all so exciting to see that it is not works that earns righteousness. And that's a good thing, keeping in mind what Paul wrote in chapter three. You know, where he said, “There is no one righteous, not even one, there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.”  Sort of sounds hopeless doesn't it? But back here in chapter four, we get the good news that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. What's good about that? The closing sentences tell us, “ But the statement *it was credited to him* was not written only for Abraham's sake, 24 but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was given over because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification.” This is the part of the chapter that gives me peace. I'm excited that God's plan for man is so incredibly generous. Believe and be righteous. I find infinite peace in the knowledge that this lavish grace is extended to you and to me. When we really begin to grasp this truth, there is nothing that can steal your peace. Link to Yesterday's Show I posted the video trailer of season 1 of The Chosen yesterday. Here's the link. Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Matthew 3-4, after which I'll have a gripe about something in one of our chapters, and then a close examination of a verse in another chapter. After than, there's the “On This Day In Church History” segment, and we don't have any prayer requests today, but given that today is 9/11, I think we should pray for our nation. We'll do that at the end of the show. Thoughts on Matthew 3 John the Baptist's appearance here in Matthew chapter three is significant because God has not had a prophet on the earth since Malachi, who lived roughly around 400 BC.  God had been silent. He had left Israel to their own devices, and they had grown proud of themselves and their supposed observance of the Law, and they were insensitive to sin. Then, all of a sudden, out of the wilderness, comes this crazy looking guy dressed in a robe of camel's hair with a leather belt. This outfit, besides being unusual, would have signaled to the people that this was a prophet, because they were known to wear rough materials , not fine worldly things.  His diet was as unusual as his dress. He ate locusts and wild honey. This also showed that he was not interested in earthly niceties, but ate only to maintain life. After a silence of 400 years, God sent John the Baptist to wake up the people. They had truly fallen spiritually asleep. And John came as a voice crying in the wilderness. What happens when a baby cries? It commands everyone's attention. John's mission was to get the people's attention. What was his message? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!” Repent? Repent from what? John was telling them to wake up and change their way of thinking. To repent is to have a change of mind and heart. Once that happens, behavior changes.  The people thought they were just fine. Remember, they had grown complacent during God's silence. But they were far from Him. John was telling them that they were NOT fine. They needed to change and get ready for the soon coming of the kingdom of heaven.  And many people heard John's message, believed and were baptized. However, the religious establishment, those who relied most on their outward observance of the Law to feel self righteous and smug, came to see John but did not believe his message was for them. And he told them of the coming wrath. Of course we know that many of them never did allow themselves to believe. Just as there were smug, self righteous non believers in John the Baptist's time, there are smug, self righteous non believers today who do not believe that Jesus is coming. Our job, my friend, is to be a voice to them. Not many believed then, and not many will believe now. But we are not responsible for the numbers. That is in God's hand. We must simply do that which we are called to do. Be his voice. Thoughts on Matthew 4 After Jesus was baptized by John in chapter three, the Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness. After 40 days and nights of fasting, the enemy came to tempt Him, with three different offers. Do you remember how Jesus responded to him? Right. Jesus said to Him, “It is written…”, and He quoted scriptures to him. The enemy tempted Him three times, and Jesus responded four times with “It is written…” Jesus gives us the way we need to respond when we are tempted. Not by force of will, but by applying scripture.  We are in a spiritual battle. Paul tells us this in Ephesians 6:11-17, and tells us how we can be properly prepared. Paul writes, “11 Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing...

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Isaiah 7-11, after which I'll have a gripe about something in one of our chapters, and then a close examination of a verse in another chapter. After than, there's the “On This Day In Church History” segment. The scripture reading and my remarks are longer than usual today, so I'm going to keep everything else shorter than usual. Thoughts on Isaiah 8 Is It Understandable? Ok, I'm all for modern English translations as long as the new translation makes the text easy to understand, and it conveys the original meaning that was intended in the original language. But in the beginning of chapter 8 we have, what is to me, an excellent example of why we need to keep the older translations around.  At the beginning of chapter 8, God tells Isaiah to “Take a large piece of writing material and write on it in large letters: “Quick Loot, Fast Plunder.” It it me, or did you sort of say, “What?!?” when you heard that? I did not immediately grasp the meaning of that sentence. What exactly is a large piece of writing material, and what is the meaning of  “Quick Loot, Fast Plunder”? In the King James Version, Isaiah is told, “Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Maher–shalal–hash–baz.”. Now, other than Maher–shalal–hash–baz, doesn't that make more sense? I'll explain Maher–shalal–hash–baz in a moment. But you probably easily understood the instruction to “Take thee a great roll.” What did they write on in those times? Scrolls. The modern translation could have easily said, “Get a large book and write on it.” In my opinion, that would have been much better. Is It Accurate? And did you notice something in the King James Version I just read to you that was not in the Good News Translation? Let me read them to you again. First the KJV: Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Maher–shalal–hash–baz. And now, the GNT: Take a large piece of writing material and write on it in large letters: ‘Quick Loot, Fast Plunder.'  Did you hear the missing element? In the KJV Isaiah is told to write with a man's pen. There is nothing at all about what to write with in the GNT. Why is this point important? I like the way the Jamieson, Fausset, Brown commentary explains it: (Isaiah was to write it) in ordinary characters, which the humblest can read. Not in hieroglyphics. The object was that, after the event, all might see that it had been predicted by Isaiah.” This was God telling Isaiah that He wanted everyone, from the most noble to the most humble, to know what God told Isaiah would take place. It was not to be only for the aristocracy. Does It Make Sense? Now for Maher–shalal–hash–baz. Again, the KJV says: Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Maher–shalal–hash–baz. The GNT says: Take a large piece of writing material and write on it in large letters: ‘Quick Loot, Fast Plunder.'  Maher–shalal–hash–baz means, “Make speed to the spoil, hasten to the prey.” Don't you think that is actually more clear than  “Quick Loot, Fast Plunder.” Quick Loot, Fast Plunder sounds like a fast food slogan or something.  The message here is that the Assyrian army will come upon them with great speed and make great spoil. They're coming in quickly, and they will bring a great deal of destruction upon them.  So there's a short lesson on one way to get more meaning from the reading of scripture. Use more than one version. Compare translations. Don't just let things go by that you're not clear on.  Thoughts on Isaiah 9:6 Ok, I'm going to cheat just a little bit here. We read from the Good News Translation, but for my remarks, I'm going to use the King James because I like how it sounds, and many of us are more familiar with this verse in the KJV because when we hear the Christmas story, it is the KJV that is most often quoted. The Verse Here's Isaiah 9:6 from the KJV: For unto us a child is bor...

Podcast Intro I just published the latest newsletter a few minutes ago. If you're signed up for it and it hasn't hit your inbox, check your spam folder. And then whitelist it. If you haven't signed up for the newsletter, you definitely should. Go to news.lifespringmedia.com. Our reading today is Job. Chapters 3 and 4, I'll give you some of my thoughts on those chapters, and then, there's the “On This Day In Church History” segment, and we will have some “Prayer Requests” at the end of the show. Thoughts On Job Job Chapter 3 One of the best indicators of one's strength of character, and relationship with God is how we deal with hardship. Do we collapse like a house of cards or do we rise up, steel ourselves, ask the Lord for wisdom and strength, and keep on keepin' on? How we react to circumstances is a choice. We decide. As chapter three opens, Job has just lost nearly everything; most of his wealth, his children and his health. And his wife has told him to curse God and die. He doesn't have much more to lose. Remember, satan wins if Job does curse God. That was his challenge. And so with the opening of chapter three, we have the opening salvo in the battle for Job's mind and soul. Will he curse God? Will he fold? How will he decide to deal with his great loss? The physical and emotional pain he's in? How will he think about what others think about him? What will he think about God in light of his circumstances? Most of the remainder of this book that bears his name will reveal the answers to these questions. We'll see Job's character and his relationship with God. And maybe we can learn from Job, so that when we face loss and pain (as everyone does) we'll be better prepared to make choices for our reactions that will glorify God.  As the chapter opens, Job curses the day he was born, and the night that he was conceived. Given his present suffering, he would rather have never existed. That makes me think of the Jimmy Stewart Christmas movie "It's A Wonderful Life". You know the story. Stewart's character George Bailey, a good man who is loved by his wife, his kids and most of the little town he lives in, comes into some tough times through no fault of his own. And in the depths of feeling sorry for himself he says, "I wish I had never been born." And so an angel arranges for his wish to come true, and then proceeds to show George how the world would have been much worse off without him. It's a good movie that the Lovely Lady LeeAnn watch nearly every year. So Job is admittedly much worse off than George Bailey, and he has quite a lot to say in the midst of his misery. It's really pretty pathetic, but you have to have some empathy for him if you've ever been in a hard place. I'm not making light at all of his circumstances. He really let it out.  But he did not curse God.  Can you imagine the enemy's frustration? Hah! Job Chapter 4 So after Job speaks for awhile, one of the three friends who have come to sit with him decides that he can't take it anymore. He's got to say something.  Don't you just love it when someone starts a conversation with you by saying, “Can I say something to you without you getting mad?” You know it's going to be one of *those* conversations. That's how Eliphaz began his talk. That's just how I would want a friend to start things off when I'm in agony. Uh-huh. Then he goes on to say that people reap what they sow, the implication being that Job must have done something to deserve what he's going through. Now remember, the only thing Job has done to deserve what's happening to him is to have lived a blameless life. Imagine what he must be thinking right about now as his well-meaning friend is speaking. Job was a better man than I, so maybe I can't really put myself in his place. But my guess is that he wasn't smiling in agreement with Eliphaz. Several years ago my son, Steven was very, very sick. He was quite literally at death's door.

Podcast Intro Our reading today is Joshua. Chapters 1 through 5, I'll give you some of my thoughts on those chapters, and then, there's the “On This Day In Church History” segment, and we will have some “Prayer Requests” at the end of the show. Thoughts on Psalms 3-5 Selah is a word that is most found in the book of Psalms. Habakkuk is the only other book in which it appears, but only three times. Here in Psalms it occurs 71 times. But what does it mean? I would love to give you a definite definition, but the truth is that we don't know! But here's what scholars surmise. The Hebrew word calah seems to be related to selah, and it means “to hang” or “to measure or weigh in the balances.” Job says, when speaking of wisdom, “The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold” (Job 28:19). The word translated “valued” in that sentence is the Hebrew word calah. Job is saying that wisdom is beyond comparing even with jewels, and when weighed in the balance against wisdom, the finest jewels cannot equal its value. Another thought about the meaning of selah is that it comes from two Hebrew words: s_lah, which means “to praise”, and s_lal, which means “to lift up”. And another idea is that selah comes from the Hebrew salah, which means “to pause”. The Psalms were written as songs, so perhaps this is a musical notation which told the musicians to pause. Maybe to take a breath. Maybe to sing a cappella. Maybe for an instrumental interlude. Could be they were to stop and praise God and/or lift their hands in worship. If this interpretation is true, all of the mentioned meanings combined would make perfect sense.  Interestingly, the Amplified Bible adds “pause and calmly think about that” when the word selah appears.  So when we see the word as we are reading the Bible, we should stop and meditate on what we have just read, lifting our hearts to praise God. Selah! Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 3-5 HCSB Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Nico Smit on Unsplash Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God By Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude V. King / B&H Books Experience the book that has restored, reoriented, and renewed millions of people---now thoroughly updated with seven new chapters and dozens of additional stories! Whether you're reading it for the first time or eager to encounter a fresh edition of the classic text you already love, you'll not be the same when you finish it. 368 pages, hardcover from B&H.

Podcast Introduction This is the daily podcast where we will read the entire Bible in a year. Today, we are going to read from the book of Joshua. Chapters 1 through 5, I'll give you some of my thoughts on those chapters, and then there's the “On This Day In Church History” segment. Introduction to Joshua Joshua is the man that God chose to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land. Moses had brought them to the threshold, but because Moses had disobeyed God at a certain point along the way during their 40 years wandering in the wilderness, God did not allow Moses to enter the Promised Land. It was Joshua who would take up the mantle of leadership.  Thoughts On Today's Chapters Sometimes people will say, “God can't save me. He can't forgive me. I've lived a terrible life.” Or “God could never use me. You don't know what I've done.”  In chapter two we read of the spies that Joshua sent into the town who stayed at the house of the prostitute, Rahab. We read how she hid them and saved their lives.  Here's the rest of her story. Rahab married Salmon, an Israelite from the tribe of Judah. Her son was Boaz, the husband of Ruth. Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, is her direct descendant. That's right. In Jesus' genealogy is a prostitute. True, Jesus is not Joseph's biological son. But  it would be understandable if God chose not to use a family line for Jesus' step father that included a prostitute, right? Here's the lesson for us all. Rahab's sinful life was forgiven because of her faith in God, and when God forgives, that sin is as if it never existed.  Besides that, what family doesn't include those who have sinned? There isn't one, is there? As Paul says in Romans, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” No one is without sin.  Knowing that, it seems silly to me that some Bible commentators in the past have tried to say that Rahab was an innkeeper, because they thought it shameful that a prostitute would be in Jesus lineage. But there is not mistaking the language.  As we read through the Bible this year, you'll see that God does not pull punches in describing real life and real sin. That Rahab was a prostitute is lightweight compared to some of the things we'll read.  Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 1-2 GW, Ch. 3-4 GNT, Ch. 5 NIV Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Please rate or review the show by clicking the heart! Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Will O on Unsplash Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God By Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude V. King / B&H Books Experience the book that has restored, reoriented, and renewed millions of people---now thoroughly updated with seven new chapters and dozens of additional stories! Whether you're reading it for the first time or eager to encounter a fresh edition of the classic text you already love, you'll not be the same when you finish it. 368 pages, hardcover from B&H.

Podcast Introduction Since it's Labor Day here in the United States, a holiday, this will be an abbreviated show. And beginning tomorrow, I'll be switching up the format of the show a little bit. More about that tomorrow. This is the daily podcast where we will read the *entire* Bible in a year. Stick around, and before you know it, you'll be able to say you've read the entire Bible, in the process, I hope you will be inspired, informed and maybe even entertained. Today, we are going to read from the beginning, the book of Genesis. Chapters 1 through 3, I'll give you some of my thoughts on those chapters, and then, there's the “On This Day In Church History” segment. Introduction to Genesis Genesis begins with an assumption. The assumption is that God exists.  How can we know God exists? I know He exists because of how He has worked in my life. I know how I was before I knew Him, and how I am since dedicating my life to Him. I am not the man I would have been if were not for God's presence in my life. But there is much more than that. A great many excellent logical and philosophical arguments can be made for the existence of God, which I'll not talk about here. I'll leave that to others who are much better equipped to do that. I am more a student of the Bible than a student of philosophy. I don't discount that field of study, it's just not where my passions are. No, the Bible is my source of truth. And Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” And yesterday we read in Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” In other words, creation itself speaks clearly of the existence of the Creator. Look at the order of the universe. The intricate detail of all that exists. This kind of order cannot evolve out of chaos. And even if it could, where did the building blocks of the universe come from? The fact that things do exist at all speaks loudly for the fact that there is a Creator. And the order of the universe demands an intelligent Creator.   Genesis is about the creation of the universe, and it's about the beginning of the nation of people of Israel, and how God has interacted with them throughout history. It is believed that God used Moses to write Genesis, in addition to the other first five books of the Bible, namely Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.  Genesis is divided into twelve parts, with each part being introduced with the phrase “this is the account of”, or some variation of that, depending on which translation of the Bible you are reading. Each of the twelve sections tells about the life and family of the person named, and the sections, when taken together, tell the story of humanity's history and God's plan to restore mankind and our place in His world through Israel. Thoughts on Genesis 1 Again, because of the Labor Day holiday, I'll make my comments short today. There are so many events packed into these first three chapters that it's difficult to decide what to talk about, but decide I must. So I'll talk about the first sentence. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Actually, I'll just talk about the word “God”. The original language for Genesis is Hebrew. The Hebrew word that is translated as God in nearly all English translations is Elohim, which is a plural word, not singular. Being plural, the pronouns and verbs used with Elohim should also be plural. But they are not. They are singular.  Second century Rabbi Simeon ben Joachi said: “Come and see the mystery of the word Elohim; there are three degrees, and each degree by itself alone, and yet notwithstanding they are all one, and joined together in one, and are not divided from each other.” Adam Clarke, 18th century theologian said: “He must be strangely p...

Podcast Introduction This is the daily podcast where we will read the entire Bible in a year. Stick around, and before you know it, you'll be able to say you've read the entire Bible, in the process, I hope you will be inspired, informed and maybe even entertained. How did you find the show? Did a friend tell you, did you hear about the show on another podcast, did you learn about it in a fortune cookie? Let me know! Email me at steve@lifespringmedia.com, and use the subject line “Here's where I found you”. Alan Middleton heard about the show from Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak's No Agenda podcast. He said in his email: This was exactly what I was looking for. Every year, I come up with a new plan for Bible listening and devotional podcasts, and the ones I had for 2021 weren't really working for me.  So the possibility to jumping on with you was worth checking out, and I think I am going to really enjoy the system you use for going through the Word. Keep up the good work and God bless you. GBY too, Alan. Thanks for your email. BTW, Alan has a podcast called  Dorkness to Light, which you can find at dorknesstolight.blogspot.com. Thanks for answering the question Alan! steve@lifespringmedia.com, and use the subject line “Here's where I found you”. Thoughts on Romans Romans 1 Paul's epistle, or letter to the Romans is probably the most eloquent and developed presentation of God's plan of salvation in the entire Bible. It begins with an introduction here in the first chapter up to verse 15, then moves into presenting the Gospel in all of its intricacies through to the end of chapter 11. From chapter 12 through most of chapter 15, Paul shows how we are transformed by the power of God, and then the final verses of the book are some closing thoughts of a personal nature and a blessing. Here in the first chapter, Paul opens by introducing himself and how Jesus called him to be an apostle, which means messenger. Then he tells the Romans how much affection he has for them and how he wants to visit them, and then he says how God accepts anyone who has faith. Later on he'll talk much more about that, but here in the introduction, it is noted that the message is that God has made a way of saving all people, whether Jew or Gentile. Then Paul wastes little time in showing the broken nature of mankind, and the trouble they bring on themselves when they turn their heart on God. He says they have no excuse, because God has revealed Himself in so many ways. But they reject Him, and because of their insistence and stubbornness, He has turned them over to do as they will. Once God lets go, it doesn't take long to begin circling the drain into a life of depravity. He lists several specific sins, and it's a list that if we were to give each one a rating from 1 to 10, with a 1 rating being the most vile,  the list might include sins with ratings of 9 or 10 all the way to 1.  But that rating scale is a human construct. Each of those sins is something that God hates. Murder? Sure, we all agree on that. But arguing? Gossiping? Do those really belong in the same list? Yessir, they do.  The point Paul is making is that we are all in desperate trouble, and a holy God is angry because of rebellious people who reject him. Now, as a warning, I'll tell you that the next couple of chapters will consist somewhat of more of the same. He's addressed the Gentiles here in verses 18-32, then in Chapter 2 and the beginning of chapter 3 he'll address the Jews, and he'll talk about all mankind in the remaining verses of chapter 3. Of course the reason he spends so much time talking about the brokenness of mankind is to establish the need for the sacrifice of Jesus, and the entire plan of salvation brought to us by a forgiving and loving God. If you've never read Romans, stick with me through the entire book. I think you'll come out the other side loving God more than you ever have. Romans 2 In Romans 2,

Podcast Introduction You know, a lot of you are new to the show, and I would love to know what brought you here. How did you find the show? Did a friend tell you, did you hear about the show on another podcast? If so, which one? Email me at steve@lifespringmedia.com, and use the subject line “Here's where I found you”.  This is the daily podcast where we will read the entire Bible in a year. Stick around, and before you know it, a year will have gone by and you'll be able to say you've read the entire Bible. Every time I read through the Bible again, I've learned something new. I hope you'll be able to say the same thing.  I'm always open to your comments, and I'll read some of them on the show. You can comment at comment.lifespringmedia.com Thoughts on Matthew 1-2 Introduction to Matthew Since this is our first reading of The Gospel According to Matthew, let's start with an introduction, shall we? First, the word “gospel” means Good News. It's the good news of the salvation that Jesus of Nazareth brings to anyone who believes in Him. Matthew was one of the twelve disciples. Before Jesus called him, Matthew was a tax collector. When Jesus was on Earth, Israel was under Roman rule. And Matthew, a Jew, collected taxes for the Romans, so most Jews considered Matthew a traitor. Tax collectors were hated by the Jews, not only because they were working for the Romans but because they often took much more in taxes than were actually owed, and whatever excess they took in, they kept for themselves. And many of them became rich. The book of Matthew was probably written somewhere between 55 and 65 A.D. during the early life of the church. At that time, most Christians were Jewish converts. This is probably why much of what Matthew wrote with a very Jewish perspective. He shows, by often quoting from the Old Testament, how Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies regarding the coming Messiah. The Genealogy Chapter one begins with the genealogy of Jesus, and if you are familiar with the Old Testament, many of the names in this genealogy will be familiar to you. Some highlights are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (of course); Judah (you may have heard Jesus referred to as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah”); Amminadab; Boaz and Ruth; Jesse and his son David; and Solomon. As we read the OT, more of the names in Jesus' genealogy will become familiar to you. I used to think that this was just a long list of boring names, but the more we learn of these men, the more interesting the list becomes. For example, did you know that one of Jesus' ancestors was a prostitute? Another was a murderer? Stick around. The Birth After the genealogy, Matthew tells us the account of the birth of Jesus. The betrothal of Joseph and Mary. That Mary became pregnant by the Holy Spirit, how Joseph wanted to break off the marriage agreement when he learned that she was pregnant, etc. What a special family God the father chose to raise the Messiah in. Think about this. At this point in human history, God had been silent for 400 years. Many Jews were Jewish in name only. A bit like today, in fact. Sure, they went to temple but they didn't have a true faith in God. They lived their lives by the Law of God, not the love of God. But this man Joseph was a godly man, and a compassionate man. When he learned that his fiance was pregnant, he could have had her stoned to death. At the very least he could have disgraced her publicly. But an angel of God appeared to him in a dream and told him that the baby Mary carried was by God the Holy Spirit. And when he awoke, he did what the angel told him to do. He married Mary. He could have chalked the dream and the vision up to a bad meal the night before. But Joseph was a man of faith. This was the perfect man to be step father for the Messiah. And the young girl Mary. We don't know her exact age, but she was most likely a young teenager. And despite her youth,

Podcast Introduction I'm so glad you're here today! A lot of you are new listeners, and it really thrills my heart to have you aboard. There's a lot of stuff going on in the world today, and I believe with every fiber of my being that the Bible has the answers that so many people are looking for today. Specifically, I believe…no, I know from personal experience, that a personal relationship with Jesus is the way to have peace in your heart in the midst of the chaos and turmoil that is currently happening around us.  This is the daily podcast where we will read the *entire* Bible in a year. If you've never read the entire Bible, or if never read the Bible before, I hope that as we go through it, I can make this year informative and even entertaining as I talk about what we're reading each day. I'm always open to your comments, and I'll read some of them on the show. You can comment at comment.lifespringmedia.com Today, we are going to read from the book of Isaiah, chapters 1-6. I'll be reading from the NIV, after which I'll share some comments. After that, we'll have the “On This Day In Church History” segment, and then “Prayer Requests” Introduction to Isaiah This book is the first of what are considered the books of prophecy. Most people, when they hear the word “prophecy” think of telling the future. And sometimes it does, but that is only a part of prophecy. A biblical prophet is a person who speaks for God. God has actually given them a specific message, usually for a specific person or specific group of people, and he tasks the prophet to deliver the message.  By the way, the prophet Isaiah was a little bit like the Billy Graham of his time. Billy Graham counseled every president from Harry S. Truman to Barak Obama…twelve consecutive presidents. His active ministry years stretched from 1943 to 2013, seventy years. (As an aside, I had the privilege to interview Dr. Graham's longtime friend and musical director, George Beverly Shea on the Lifespring! podcast in 2006. Here's the link.) Isaiah's ministry lasted from about 740 BC to around 680 BC, roughly 60 years. And unlike some other biblical prophets, he had personal access to the kings of his day. And like Billy, Isaiah maintained an international perspective throughout his book. Of course, with a sixty year ministry, God gave Isaiah more than one message. Isaiah spoke to the people about caring for the poor and needy, following God's instructions on how to live, and pursuing social and economic justice. And he spoke of coming judgement because of Israel's failure. But, and this is important, he also spoke of God's promise to restore Israel if and when they would turn from their errant ways and return to Him. Thoughts On Isaiah I like the way chapter two ends: 22Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; For why should he be esteemed? Isaiah 2:22 NASB The NIV says is a bit more clearly: 22Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?Isaiah 2:22 NIV Beloved, I am as interested in politics as anybody else is. These days, it's hard to escape political talk. But we need to keep in mind that no politician, no supposed “leader” is going to save us. No president, no governor, no prime minister, no king will ever come up with a plan to right the wrongs or save the economy.  The sooner we recognize this, the sooner we will be able to look to the One who has the answer. That One is the King of kings. Don't misunderstand. I am not advocating for a theocracy run by religious zealots. When Jesus walked the earth, some of his followers thought He was going to establish an earthly kingdom, and when it became clear that his mission did not include that agenda, one of the twelve disciples, Judas, betrayed him into the hands of those who ultimately crucified Him. Jesus' mission was to bring the message of salvation, not of conquest.

Podcast Introduction Hello! and welcome to Season 12, episode 3 of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. It's great to have you here today, and I think we have a lot of newbees, judging by what I've seen so far. That is so awesome! Thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll stick around for our entire journey through the Bible.  This is the daily podcast where we will read the entire Bible in a year. If you're like a lot of people, you've tried to read through it before, but for one reason or another, you didn't complete it. I know that in my case I tried it several times, but never made it until I completed the first year of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible way back in December of 2007. So this is the twelfth season of the show, and do you know what? Every time I read it again, I get something new out of it. My prayer is that you'll have that experience, too. Today, we are going to read from the book of Job, chapters 1 and 2. I'll be reading from the NIV, after which I'll share some comments. Thoughts on Job As is almost always going to happen as we read this year, the chapters will be filled with a tremendous number of points that we could talk about. The format of this show is not to talk about every point that could be made. What I will do is talk about what struck me this time as I read. If there are other things that strike you, and that you would like to comment on, I encourage you to do that, by going to comment.lifespringmedia.com. I will share some of your comments on the show. So today, here are my thoughts. The Scene Notice the scene in Heaven. In chapter one, verse six we read, “One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.” This tells us three things: 1) angels exist, 2) they have access to go before the presence of God, and 3) Satan is an angelic being, albeit a fallen one. He came along with a group of angels. So what, you might say. Why is that important? Why bring that up? Here's why. Some people think of Satan as the opposite of God. Equal to, but opposite of. The dark side of the Force. An opponent of God that just might be able to win in a battle of Good vs Evil.  Nothing could be further from the truth. God In Comparison To Satan Satan is not God's equal, because Satan is a created being. Satan was created by God as a beautiful and powerful angel, but Satan became jealous of God and wanted to be like God. But he will never be like God, and his power is limited by God.  We saw how God limited Satan's power in the life of Job. But one of the attributes of God is omnipotence, which means is has all power. There are no limitations at all on what He can do, other than those He puts on Himself. He cannot be unjust, as an example.  So never believe that Satan (which I prefer to call the enemy, instead of dignifying him by calling him by name) is equal to God, or even at all closely matched. God Already Knew Another thought from today's chapters: God knew what the outcome of this challenge with the enemy would be. He knew that Job would not curse Him. He knew because another of His attributes is omniscience. He has all knowledge.  So what was the point of this exchange with the enemy? Before I answer that, I want to remind you that this exchange took place in Heaven, out of any possible knowledge of Job. God always has a purpose, and end in mind for everything He does. His purpose, as worked out with this episode in Job's life, and even in ours, is shown in Ephesians 3:10-11: 10His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 3:10-11 NIV His intent, or purpose, was that the wisdom of God would be demonstrated to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms…the angels…of which the enemy and other fallen angels,

Podcast Introduction Hello! and welcome to Season 12, episode 2 of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. This is episode 2, but it's really the first official full episode of this year's reading through the Bible. The first episode was a sort of introduction to the show, highlighting some of the new things we'll be doing this year. I'm so glad you're here today! If you've been around awhile, welcome back. How was your summer? If this is your first time here, WOW, I am glad you found us. I hope you like what you hear, and that you'll be with me for the entire journey through God's word this year. I always invite your comments, and I'll share some comments from the Lifespring family on the show. By the way, if you're new, that's what I call the “listeners” to the show…FAMILY. I don't want you to just listen to the show, I want you to participate, as a family does. YOU are very much a part of the show. And I DO rely on your contributions in many ways. We'll talk more about that as we go along. Today, we are going to read from the book of psalms, chapters 1 and 2. And because the psalms are written as poetry, and in my opinion no translation matches the King James when it comes to poetic language, I'll be reading the KJV. I will use about 13 different translations of the Bible over the course of the year. As always, after today's Bible reading, I'll share some thoughts on what we've read. Today, we will also begin the “this day in church history” segment, and I'll begin the new “Prayer Requests” segment.  Thoughts On Psalms 1-2 As you might know, most of the Psalms were written by David. He's the guy that, as a young shepherd boy, killed Goliath. And he is also who God chose to be the second King of Israel, after King Saul. And even though he had a major moral downfall with Bathsheba, David is called “a man after God's own heart” twice in the Bible, which truly shows that God is a forgiving God. As the year goes on, we will see many, many times where God demonstrates a tremendous capacity for forgiveness.  The first chapter of Psalms is really a great place to start reading the Bible. I read from the King James because it sounds so beautiful, but let's break it down a little in the New Living Translation: “1Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.” I don't know about you, but I can't think of a better way to start this season's reading. It sort of establishes the scene, don't you think? As we get into the Word of God together, beloved, as it becomes part of our daily lives, we *will* learn to find joy (or delight) in it. We will be instructed by it, we will be challenged by it, we will see ourselves in it, and we will learn more about who God is. Really, the Bible is a love letter to us. You see, Christianity is more than just a religion. It is a relationship with the One who created all that is. And how is a relationship built? By spending time together. We'll be spending time with God by reading His Word.  As an extra bonus, you and I will be spending time together. On the show, I'll be sharing what's happening in my life, and I hope you will do the same, by way of email comments, reviews (I'll talk about that in a moment), and prayer requests. Quickly, chapter two shows the futility of the world system thinking that they can ignore or scoff at God. It gives a warning to those who do that, and it gives a promise of joy to those who take refuge in Him. This is a theme that we will see all the way through the Bible.  And as we look at the political landscape in the world today, it could be very easy to be discouraged. It seems as if everything is falling apart, doesn't it. Fifteen days to stop the spread of Covid-19 has turned in to over a year and a half of masks and lockdowns. New and deadly trouble in Afghanistan.

Surrounded by books, Bibles and recording paraphernalia, coming to you from the Lifespring! Media library/study in Riverside California, this is episode S12E1 of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. Actually, it should be number 0.5, but most podcast apps won't allow a decimal point episode number. This is an episode designed to let you know what to expect in the upcoming season. I was going to do this in the actual first episode with a Bible reading, but once I got to thinking about it, I decided this was a better approach. I'm really glad you're with me today, and please, if you like what you hear, tell your friends. Humanity is facing many challenges today, and I believe that there is no better way to bring healing than helping people to know God better. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The Lifespring Family Audio Bible is all about sharing the Word of God. People need a relationship with Jesus of Nazareth. The entire Bible points to that truth. If you're doubtful, then I encourage you to stick with me and see if you don't come to believe it as we read together over the next year. What have you got to lose? If you do believe it, then I think your faith will be strengthened as we read together. Whichever group you're in, please share this podcast with your friends. If you have been with me on previous journeys through God's Word, welcome back! If this is your first time, it's great to have you join me! So who am I? My name is Steve Webb, as you know. The award winning OG Godcaster, podcasting since November 2004, author of Webb's Easy Bible Names Pronunciation Guide, grandpa of two beautiful granddaughters and two incredible grandsons at last count, dad to 3 terrific sons, father in law to three beautiful and incredibly talented daughters in law, and grateful husband of the the Lovely Lady LeeAnn. I'm not boasting when I tell you these things. I share all of that with you as a way to count my blessings. I don't deserve any of them, but God in His infinite love and unfailing grace overlooked my oh-so-many faults and blessed me anyway. And He wants to bless you. Keep listening and I'll talk more about that. One of the most common things I've heard over the more than 50 years that I have been a follower of Jesus, is some version of, “I have never read the Bible all the way through.” Or , “I wish I had the discipline to read the entire Bible. I've started it, but never stuck with it.” If that sounds like you, you're in the right place. This is the podcast that where I read through the entire Bible in one year, so if you stick with me, in a year's time, you'll have made it all the way through. On this episode I'm going to tell you how the show works. There are several moving parts, and I want you to know how they work before we get started. Even if you've been around these parts for awhile, you might not want to fast forward to the reading. There's some new stuff we're going to do this season. So let's take a look at how the show is laid out. The primary reason we're here is for the reading of God's Word. My approach to the reading will probably be new to you if you weren't here last season. As you may know, the Bible can be divided into sections. The way we divide it, and will thus read it, is this. On Sundays, we will read from the Epistles. On Mondays, we'll read from the Law. Tuesdays will be History, Wednesday will be Psalms, Thursday - Poetry, Friday - Prophecy, Saturday - Gospels. I like this schedule because every week we will have an opportunity to hear from each section of the Bible without getting bogged down in some of the, shall we say, drier parts. When you read, say, from the front of the Bible to the back (Genesis to Revelation), it's an awful long time before you get into the New Testament. As a Christian, I love reading the New Testament, and don't want to wait until I'm nine or ten months into my reading to read about Jesus.

Welcome back to In the Word With Mel Bennett, a study of scripture passages from the Word of God. This is episode number 34 of My name is Steve Webb, thank you for being with us today. It great to be back with you, and I am so thankful that our beloved Pastor Bennett back behind the microphone. Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Ronny Sison on Unsplash Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents By Rod Dreher / Sentinel Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn once noted that people often assume that their democratic government would never submit to totalitarianism---but Dreher says it's happening. Sounding the alarm about the insidious effects of identity politics, surveillance technology, psychological manipulation, and more, he equips contemporary Christian dissidents to see, judge, and act as they fight to resist the erosion of our freedoms. 304 pages, hardcover from Sentinel.

You've meant to read the entire Bible, but haven't done it yet. You might have even started it, but for one reason or another, you didn't complete it. Or maybe you have read through it before, and you want to do it again. Either way, I'm inviting you to join me on September 1st, 2021 as I begin season 12 of the Lifespring! Family Audio Bible. It's the podcast where I read the entire Bible in a year. Every day of the week for a year, we'll read the Word together and I'll share some thoughts on each day's reading. We'll pray together and I'll even share a little bit of church history with you. Subscribe (or follow) today so you don't miss an episode, at bible.lifespringmedia.com. Come on. It's time you did this. bible.lifespringmedia.com. May God bless you richly. I'm Steve Webb. Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Adam Winger on Unsplash

Hey everybody. This is Steve Webb with special announcement regarding the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. I told you I would be back today to let you know what the future holds for this humble little podcast. I did get some letters of encouragement and donations, and based on that, I will be continuing the show as long as I know you're there. Again, thank you for your encouragement. I will be taking a break, though. Both the Lovely Lady LeeAnn and I need a vacation. We do not have specific plans at this point, but I think it is safe to say that you can expect the Lifespring Family Audio Bible to start a new season in September…probably September 1st.  While I'm gone, you could do me a favor by talking the show up to your friends and family. Have them listen to some episodes from this past year, and let them know that a new season will be starting in September.  Please know, also, that the costs keep right on going, so any help you can send me in the way of donations is needed and will be very much appreciated. support.lifespringmedia.com Also, if you have any requests or suggestions for the new season, I would love to hear them. Send them to steve@lifespringmedia.com. Same thing goes for prayer requests. If you would like me to pray with you, or for you about something, email me. I promise I'll put you on my prayer list. We are family. That's why I call it the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. And family prays for family. So that's it for now. Stay subscribed, beloved.  Until September, may God bless you richly.

Thoughts Wrapping Up Let's take a quick look at the end of the the last chapter of Acts. What Paul quoted to the Jewish leaders should have sounded familiar to you if you've been with me since the beginning of our year together. He quoted from the book of Isaiah 6:9-10. When God gave that message to Isaiah, it was a message to the Jewish people. It was one of the times that God had had enough of their rejection of Him.  And now, Paul is quoting these verses to the Jewish leaders in Rome because the Lord wants them to know that the message of the Gospel which has been presented to them, and which they rejected, will be taken to the Gentiles, where it will be embraced and accepted. You see, God is patient, but there is a point at which He draws the line.  God's Patience Has A Limit Beloved, I believe we are getting very close to the time when God says, “Enough. You have rejected my Son long enough. I have offered you forgiveness through His shed blood, and you have chosen your own way. You refuse to listen to my Holy Spirit as He tries to speak to you, and your ears will not hear and your eyes will not see. Your hearts are hardened. Therefore you cannot turn to me and let me heal you.” Just as this message in Isaiah was not directed toward a specific sin, other than the rejection of God, I do not believe God's displeasure with mankind today is directed at a specific sin other than the rejection of Christ. Any sin you want to name can be traced back to man's pride and wanting to be his own master. Adam and Eve's sin was the pride of wanting to be like God. Every sin is a rejection of God. Pushing the Boundaries As our nation and our world falls deeper and deeper into sin and farther and farther away from God, we are seeing more and more outrageous behaviors being accepted by the culture. It's no wonder, because without God, man is unable to govern himself. Action Now Now is the time for each of us…you and me and every believing person on the planet…to get on our knees and pray. Pray for God's hand in the affairs of the world. Pray that people would open their eyes. Pray for your unsaved family and friends. Time may be short, beloved. Don't let them be left behind. Be bold. Don't be cowed by those who will not hear. You have the message of life. Don't be afraid to share it with those dying around you. Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 27 NIRV, Ch. 28 CEV Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Adam Winger on Unsplash Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents By Rod Dreher / Sentinel Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn once noted that people often assume that their democratic government would never submit to totalitarianism---but Dreher says it's happening. Sounding the alarm about the insidious effects of identity politics, surveillance technology, psychological manipulation, and more, he equips contemporary Christian dissidents to see, judge, and act as they fight to resist the erosion of our freedoms. 304 pages, hardcover from Sentinel.

Thoughts I'm Coming Soon! What does it mean when God repeats Himself in Scripture? It means that God wants us to pay attention…that this is important. Three times in chapter 22, Jesus says, "I'm coming soon!" Soon. What does soon mean to you? To me it means, not much time will go by before it happens. If I have an appointment at 3 o'clock, and it's 2:45, my appointment is soon. If my birthday is on June 20th and today is June 18th, my birthday is soon. By the way, my birthday is not June 20th. So was Jesus wrong when He told John to write these things? He said soon, right? It's been over 2000 years. It doesn't seem like "soon" means to Jesus what it means to me. But wait. Let's think a little deeper. Perspective A couple weeks ago I was having a conversation with a young man. I'm guessing he was between 20 and 25 years old. As we were talking, he told me that he had a young child. If I remember right, it was a toddler. As a father of three sons and grandpa to four of the cutest kids you ever saw, I told this young man to cherish every moment with his youngster, because before he knows it, that child will be grown and gone. "I remember when my first son was born almost forty years ago", I told him. "I was there at his birth. I actually delivered him! I was the first to hold him. The first to shampoo him. I laid him on his mother's chest. And I remember it like it was yesterday," I told him. It seems like almost no time has passed since my boys were small enough to sit on my lap, hold hands as we walked down the street, or kissed me goodnight. They were born, and too soon, they were grown up men. So "soon" is a matter of perspective, sometimes. Suddenly! But I looked up the word in the original language. It's the Greek word "tachu". Guess what it means. It means "quickly, speedily, without delay, soon, or suddenly". Suddenly. Maybe "soon" is not the best translation. In Matthew 24, Jesus' disciples said to him, "“Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Then Jesus went on to tell them the signs to look for. And then He said, "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Only the Father knows the day and hour. So Jesus doesn't know when. If He doesn't know when His return is, then why would He say He was coming soon? Perhaps the better translation is this: "I'm coming suddenly!" Perhaps Jesus doesn't know the when, but He does know that once the Father says, "Now!", things will happen very quickly, or suddenly. Other Instances That interpretation meshes nicely with what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 ,"51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." Also in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3, "1Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, 'Peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." And there are other scriptures that talk about events that will happen suddenly when Jesus returns, or the Day of the Lord, as some call it. Only One Knows When The point is, only the Father knows the exact time. Jesus told us the signs to look for, and I believe He told us that once the Father gives the word, there will be no delay. Get Ready! So what are we to do with this information? I think we need to be in a constant state of readiness. We need to be ready for His return at any moment. What does that look like? First, we should not assume that we will have time to "get right with God". Some people think that they will have some sort of wa...