S3E216 – Leviticus 25-27: Try Me

S3E228 – John 5-6: The Pool at Bethesda

Transcript PODCAST INTRODUCTION Today we will complete the book of John 5-6. I’ll have comments on both chapters after the reading, and I’m calling today’s episode “The Pool at Bethesda.”  S12E227Art3000-ripples on water [https://dzzggm57pi1og.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/15162453/S12E227Art3000.jpg]Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Linus Nylund on Unsplash LOOKING FOR THE CHOSEN VIDEO? Unfortunately the Video Is no longer available. COMMENTS ON JOHN 5 After Jesus healed the man who had been unable to walk for 38 years, at the pool of Bethesda, the Jewish religious leaders were indignant that Jesus told the man to carry his mat on the Sabbath. Jesus answered their “offendedness” (to coin a word) in some detail, and then said this: JOHN 5:39-40 > 39 You search the Scriptures, because you think you will find eternal life in them. The Scriptures tell about me, 40but you refuse to come to me for eternal life. (CEV) > > > 39 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! 40Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life. (NLT) > > > 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. (NASB) > > > 39‘Ye search the Writings, because ye think in them to have life age-during, and these are they that are testifying concerning me; 40and ye do not will to come unto me, that ye may have life; (Young’s Literal Translation) > > > 39 You search and keep on searching and examining the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and yet it is those [very Scriptures] that testify about Me; 40and still you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. (Amp) I show these different translations so that you could really get what Jesus was saying. Let us not be like these people, beloved. You and I study the Scriptures together, but let us remember that the goal is not to become experts in Scripture. Our goal is to know *the* Word, as in John 1:1. “1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” If we study Scripture and miss Christ, we are as lost as the so called “religious experts” Jesus was speaking to at the pool. To know Him, to love Him, to put our trust in Him, is life. Amen? Amen! TODAY’S BIBLE TRANSLATION Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 5 CEV; Ch. 6 NIV SUPPORT This a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT [/support/]. [/support/] TRANSCRIPT Download .txt file. [https://d1uphahyf7mnoz.cloudfront.net/lsfb/LSFAB_S12-E227_otter_ai.txt] Steve Webb 0:00 Can you imagine? Steve Webb 0:09 Hello, this is the Lifespring family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, podcasting since 2004. I’m your OG God caster Steve Webb, welcome. I’m so glad you’re here today. This is the daily show where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. Today, we’re going to read from the Gospel of John chapters five and six, I’m calling today’s episode, the pool of Bethesda. And I’ve got a heads up for you. This is going to be a short one today. It is of course the day before Resurrection Day, which is my preferred way to refer to Easter. And my guess is that you might have a lot on your plate. I know I do. So to respect your time, today’s show will be short as well Tomorrow’s the show notes page. And you’re gonna want to take note of this even if you’ve never been to the show notes page, but I want you to go to today’s show notes page for a very special reason, which I’ll tell you about in a few moments that we read. The show notes page for today is Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 227. You can email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com. And I think it’s about time to get started. Steve Webb 1:14 John chapter five. Later, Jesus went to Jerusalem for another Jewish festival. In the city near the sheep gate was a pool with five porches. And its name in Hebrew was Beth zeta. Many sick, blind, lame and paralyzed people were lying close to the pool. beside the pool was a man who had been sick for 38 years. When Jesus saw the man and realized that he had been crippled for a long time, he asked him, Do you want to be healed? The man answered, Sir, I don’t have anyone to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up. I tried to get in. But someone else always gets there first. Jesus told him, pick up your mat and walk. Right then the man was healed. He picked up his mat and started walking around. The day on which this happened was the Sabbath. When the Jewish leaders saw the man carrying his mat, they said to him, this is the Sabbath. No one is allowed to carry a mat on the Sabbath. But he replied, The Man Who healed me told me to pick up my mat and walk. They asked him who is this man that told you to pick up your mat and walk. But he did not know who Jesus was in Jesus had left because of the crowd. Later, Jesus met the man in the temple and told him, you are now well, but don’t sin anymore, or something worse might happen to you. The man left and told the leaders that Jesus was the one who had healed him. They started making a lot of trouble for Jesus because He did things like this on the Sabbath. But Jesus said, My father has never stopped working. And this is why I keep on working. Now the leaders wanted to kill Jesus for two reasons. First, he had broken the law of the Sabbath. But even worse, he had said God was his father, which made him equal with God. Jesus told the people, I tell you, for certain the son cannot do anything on his own. He can do only what he sees the Father doing. And he does exactly what he sees the Father do. The Father loves the Son, and has shown him everything he does. The father will show him even greater things, and you will be amazed. Just as the Father raises the dead and gives life. So the Son gives life to anyone he wants to. The father doesn’t judge anyone, but he has made his son, the judge of everyone. The father wants all people to honor the Son as much as they honor him. When anyone refuses to honor the Son, this is the same as refusing to honor the Father who sent him. I tell you for certain that every one who hears my message in has faith in the One who sent me has eternal life, and will never be condemned. They have already gone from death to life, I tell you for certain the time will come. And it is already here. When all of the debt will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who listened to it will live. The father has the power to give life and he has given that same power to the son. And he has given his son the right to judge everyone because he is the son of man. Don’t be surprised. The time will come when all of the dead will hear the voice of the Son of Man and they will come out of their graves. Everyone who has done good things will rise to life. But everyone who has done evil things will rise and be condemned. I cannot do anything on my own. The father sent me and he is the one who told me how to judge. I judge with fairness because I obey him and I don’t just try to please myself. If I speak for myself, there is no way to prove I am telling the truth. But there is someone else who speaks for Me, and I know what he says is true. You sent messengers to John, and he told them the truth. I don’t depend on what people say about me. But I tell you these things so that you may be saved. John was a lamp that gave a lot of light, and you were glad to enjoy his light for a while. But something more important than John speaks for me. I mean, the things that the Father has given me to do, all of these speak for me and prove that the Father sent Me. The Father who sent Me also speaks for me, but you have never heard his voice or seen him face to face. You have not believed his message because you refused to have faith in the one he sent. You searched the scriptures because you think you will find eternal life in them. The Scriptures tell about me, but you refuse to come to me for eternal life. I don’t care about human praise. But I do know that none of you love God. I have come with my Father’s authority, and you have not welcomed me. But you will welcome people who come on their own. How could you possibly believe you like to have your friends praise you and you don’t care about praise that the only God can give? Don’t think that I will be the one to accuse you to the Father, you have put your hope in Moses, yet he is the very one who will accuse you. Moses wrote about me. And if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me. But if you don’t believe what Moses wrote, how can you believe what I say. Steve Webb 6:28 John chapter six. Sometime after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee, that is the Sea of Tiberius, and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover festival was near. When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat? He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, it would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite. Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon, Peter’s brother spoke up. He was a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish. But how far will they go among so many? Jesus said, Have the people sit down, there was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down about 5000 men were there. Jesus then took the loaves gave thanks and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples gathered the pieces that are left over, Let nothing be wasted. So they gathered them and filled 12 baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, surely this is the prophet who was to come into the world. Jesus knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Copernican. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing, and the waters grew rough. When they had rode about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat walking on the water, and they were frightened. But he said to them, it is I don’t be afraid, then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples that that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberius landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, Rabbi, when did you get here? Jesus answered, very, truly, I tell you, you were looking for me not because you saw the signs I performed, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, for on him, God the Father has placed His seal of approval. Then they asked him, What must we do to do the works God requires? Jesus answered, the work of God is this to believe in the one he has sent? So they asked him, What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you, what will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Jesus said to them, Very truly I tell you, it is not most As who was given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world. Sir, they said, always give us this bread, then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life, Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me, and still you do not believe all those the Father gives Me will come to me. And whoever comes to me, I will never drive away, For I have come down from heaven, not to do my will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent me that I shall lose none of all those He has given me that raise them up at the last day, for my father’s will, is that everyone who looks to the sun and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. At this, the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, I am the bread that came down from heaven. They said, Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, I came down from heaven? Stop stopped grumbling among yourselves, Jesus answered, No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, they will all be taught by God. Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me, no one has seen the Father except the one who is from God, only he has seen the Father, very, Truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life, I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here’s the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, how can this man give us his flesh to eat? Jesus said to them, Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you, whoever eats my flesh and drinks, my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food. And my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks, my blood remains in me and I and then, just as the living Father sent me at I live because of the Father. So the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died. But whoever feeds on this bread will live forever. He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. On hearing it, many of His disciples said, this is a hard teaching who can accept it? Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before? The Spirit gives life? The flesh counts for nothing? The words I have spoken to you, they are full of the spirit and life. You have there are some of you who do not believe for Jesus had known from the beginning, which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, this is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled them. Steve Webb 13:37 From this time, many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed him. You do not want to leave to do you. Jesus asked the 12. Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, we have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God. Then Jesus replied, have I not chosen you the 12 yet one of you is a devil. He met Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, who the one of the 12 was later to betray him. Let’s talk a little bit about John five, after Jesus healed the man who had been unable to walk for 38 years at the pool of Bethesda, the Jewish religious leaders were indignant that Jesus told the man to carry his mat on the Sabbath. Can you imagine he healed a man who had been lame for 38 years? And they got mad at him for telling them man pick up your mat and walk? Unbelievable. Well, Jesus answered their offensiveness to coin a word in some detail. And then this is what he said. You search the Scriptures because you think you’ll find eternal life in them. The Scriptures tell about me, but you refuse to come to me for eternal life. Now, I’m going to read some other translations for you just so you can get it A real flavor for what Jesus was saying to them. The New Living Translation says, You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the scriptures point to me, yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life. And the New American Standard says, You search the Scriptures because you think that in them, you have eternal life. It is these that testify about Me and you are unwilling to come to me, so that you may have life. And then the Young’s Literal Translation reads a little bit strange, because it is a literal word for word translation. But listen to what it says, Ye search the writings, because you think in them to have life age during, in other words, eternal life. Now continuing, and these are they that are testifying concerning me, and you do not will to come unto me that ye may have life. And then one more just for good measure. The Amplified Version says that this way, you search and keep on searching and examining the scriptures, because you think that in them, you have eternal life. And yet it is those very Scriptures that testify about Me. And still you are unwilling to come to me so that you may have life. So I read these different translations, like I said, so that you could really get what Jesus was saying. Now, Beloved, let us not be like these people. You and I study the scriptures together. But let’s remember that the goal is not to become experts in Scripture. Our goal is to know the word as in John one one, in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God, all things came into being through him. And apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being In him was life, and the life was the light of men. Listen, if we study scripture, and we miss Christ, we are as lost as the so called religious experts. Jesus was speaking to at the pool, to know Him, to love Him, to put our trust in Him. That is life. Amen. Amen. Now, by now, you’ve probably heard of the movie project called the Chosun. If you haven’t, then you really must look for it and watch it. Now, here’s my homework for you. Yeah, I have homework today for you. Go to the show notes page Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 227. And watch the video I’m going to be putting up there. It’s from the Chosun. And it’s the scene we read about in chapter five where Jesus heals the man at the pool. It is such a beautiful scene, and it just touches my heart so deeply. Really, you have to watch it, do yourself a favor, even if you’ve already seen it. Go watch it again. Now, while you’re there, after you watch the video, scroll on down to the very bottom of the page. And leave me a comment on today’s show. I’d love to hear from you. Especially if you’ve never written before. Come on, leave a comment right there. bottom of the page. Can’t miss it. All right, tomorrow resurrection day, we’re going to begin the book of First Timothy will read the first three chapters. Again, it’s going to be a short show. Steve Webb 18:32 Timothy LaFontaine said into $30 donation. And Timothy, thank you so much. God bless you, my brother, I appreciate you and your support. It means a lot to me. Now tell you beloved support like Tim’s really helps to keep things running here at the Lifespring family Audio Bible. If you enjoy the show, if it’s a valuable part of your life, then please consider returning some of that value to me to keep it going. Think about and pray about how much support you should send that’s between you and the Lord, and then go to Lifespring media.com/support. There are several payment methods that I’ve set up there to make it as easy as possible for you pick one of those methods and do as the Lord leads. Thank you and God bless you. Steve Webb 19:26 On this date in church history, April 16 1922. I’ve never really mentioned on this show. I don’t think that I love to fly. I like to get on a plane and just go somewhere. And of course I like being behind the microphone too. And what happened on April 16 1922 Just kind of pushes both of those buttons for me. Belvin W Maynard was an ordained Baptist minister known as the flying parson. And on this date, he delivered the first sermon preached from an airplane by radio I think that is so cool. Steve Webb 20:10 And now let’s pray Our Father in heaven, how are we thank You for Your Word, the Bible. We love reading and studying it not for the words on the page, but for the fact that they point us to you, the whole of you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The words reveal to us your amazing love for us and the extent you went to redeem us, and when you reveal your character to us through the word, when we see Jesus for who he is, and what he did for us, and what he’s doing even now interceding for us at your right hand, when we learn how the Holy Spirit ministers to us and for us, Lord, we just can’t help but love you. Oh, Lord, thank you for loving us. Thank you for giving us life everlasting life, when we were in Jesus. Lord, as we prepare to celebrate the resurrection, tomorrow, may we be moved like never before by what Jesus accomplished that morning when he threw off the bonds of sin and death. And that not happened, we would have nothing but he is risen, and death and the grave no longer have any power over those who believe in it. Tomorrow truly is a holy day, and we praise You for it. Lord, I pray that you bless the Lifespring family today. I thank you for each one who’s listening right now. Whenever there now is, I pray this in Jesus name. Amen. If you have something you’d like us to pray with you about or if you’ve got something you’d like us to rejoice with you about, please go to prayer dot Lifespring media.com and fill that form out you find it’s quick, it’s easy. And that’s what family does. We share with one another prayer dot Lifespring media.com. Steve Webb 22:00 Please remember to share the show if you enjoy it. And if you don’t enjoy it. Why are you here? I mean, come on and comment on the show at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 227. Watch that video there. Email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com support the show please at Lifespring media.com/support. And until tomorrow may God bless you richly. Thank you for inviting me to be with you today. One more time. Remember to go to the show notes page and watch that video. You’ll be glad you did. See you next time. Bye Transcribed by https://otter.ai [https://dzzggm57pi1og.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/28152340/donate.png]https://lifespringmedia.com/support/ * * [https://dzzggm57pi1og.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/23123801/NULS_LSFB_RateTheShow.jpg]https://lovethepodcast.com/biblePlease rate or review the show by clicking the heart! The post S3E228 – John 5-6: The Pool at Bethesda [https://lifespringmedia.com/lifespring-one-year-bible-rewind/s3e228-john-5-6-the-pool-at-bethesda/] first appeared on Lifespring! 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S3E227 – Daniel 7-10: What Time Is It?

Transcript PODCAST INTRODUCTION Today we will complete the book of Daniel 7-12. I’ll have comments on both chapters after the reading, and I’m calling today’s episode “What Time Is It?” S12E226Art3000-hourglass [https://dzzggm57pi1og.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/14174050/S12E226Art3000.jpg]Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash COMMENTS ON DANIEL 7-10 It’s an interesting fact that throughout history, the focus of the church has not always been what it is today. In the first few hundred years after Jesus left the church with the Great Commission, the church focused on the doctrine of Scripture. Which makes sense, right? In the early years, the church had to define what was and what was not divinely inspired scripture. And then, through the centuries, the focus shifted to the doctrine of the Trinity, to the doctrine of who and what Jesus is, to the doctrine of who and what man is, to the doctrine of salvation, to the doctrine of the church. And it really wasn’t until the last couple hundred years that the church spent much time studying the doctrine of the end days. Yes, it is true. For most of our history the biblical books of prophecy have been looked at as being impossible to understand. Some of the prophets who wrote them under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit even said that they didn’t understand everything they wrote. But that is because it was not time yet to understand them. As we read these books today, we can begin to see glimpses that make sense. In these chapters having to do with the end times, it is going to be impossible for me to talk about all the possible interpretations or applications to the days in which we are living. Entire books have been, and probably are being written even as I speak about how the book of Daniel applies to today.  What I’m going to do in the short time we have today is look at a couple verses from today’s reading.  First let’s take a look at Daniel 8, verse 26. Someone who looked like a man spoke to Daniel about future events, at the end he said, “The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.” What did he mean when he told Daniel to seal up the vision? Many people believe that he meant that no one would be able to understand the vision until the end times. “…seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.” I disagree. I think he meant, “Safeguard the vision, put it someplace safe because it will be needed later.”  Here’s an example. My wife, the the Lovely Lady LeeAnn and I had a will written for us several years ago. We hope that it won’t be needed for many more years. Do you think we keep it on the kitchen table or the coffee table in the living room? Of course not. We have locked it, sealed it up, in our safe. It’s an important document, and we have put it in a place of safekeeping.  This is, I believe, what the one speaking to Daniel meant. Write this message down, and keep it safe for the day that it is needed. As we read this book, it certainly seems as if we are in the end times, doesn’t it? There are so many things prophesied here that it sounds like we’re reading from today’s newspapers. And reading about just the general condition of life in the end times sounds like today, too. For example, in chapter 12, at the end of verse four, the one speaking to Daniel says, “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” In the past, some thought that the “running to and fro” reference means missionaries going throughout the world preaching the Gospel. Others have thought that it means that many would search the scriptures trying to discern the meaning of the words in the prophecies. Personally, I disagree with those interpretations, and I’ll tell you why in a moment.  The second half of that sentence was, “…and knowledge will increase.” It’s been thought that this referred to the fact that as we enter the end times, we will understand the prophetic scriptures more clearly. I think that is partly right, but I think there is more. We can’t fault the notions that people in the past had about these scriptures, but how could they possibly know what it would be like to live in our age? We can hop on an airplane and fly from one coast of the United States to the other in a matter of hours. And the U.S. military has aircraft that can do it in about an hour’s time. It’s common for some business people to fly around the world multiple times a week. The point is, mobility for virtually everyone in developed countries is a fact of life. That could be the running to and fro Daniel wrote about. But it also just might refer to the fact that our lives have become so extremely hectic. These days many of us are on the go constantly. We have virtually no leisure time. Even when we are technically “on vacation”, we have our electronic devices with us. Many of us are never disconnected from the internet. Can we even imagine going back to a world where we are not constantly connected?  Which brings up the second point. “…and knowledge will increase.” Scholars of old could not anticipate the internet. When I was a boy, I had to go the library if I wanted to know something that was not in a book at my house. Today, all I have to do is get online and type in a search. Or now, all I have to do is speak to my phone. “OK Google (or Siri or Alexa). Who won the 2016 World Series?” “What was the score?” “What is the specific gravity of water?” “What is the atomic number of lead?” “Who won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1954” “What is tomorrow’s weather forecast?” You get the idea. You can find almost anything that man has learned within seconds. That capability did not exist until about 15 years ago when the first iPhone was introduced. Knowledge has increased, and it continues to increase geometrically. I think we can check that one off the list of things to look for. Are we in the end times? Perhaps. Jesus said that only the Father knows the exact time, but scripture gives us many, many things to look for. Are the end times, or last days, something to fear? If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior you might want to worry. Verses 1 and 2 of Daniel 12 say, “…And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” What side are you on? The one who will have everlasting life, or shame and everlasting contempt? TODAY’S BIBLE TRANSLATION Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 7-12 ESV SUPPORT This a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT [/support/]. [/support/] TRANSCRIPT Download .txt file. [https://d1uphahyf7mnoz.cloudfront.net/lsfb/LSFAB_S12-E226_otter_ai.txt] Steve Webb 0:00 Are the end times or last days something to fear? Steve Webb 0:11 One more time. Here we are. Again, this is the Lifespring family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, podcasting since 2004. I’m your OG God casters. Steve Webb, welcome. Good to see you again. Thanks for sharing your day with me. This is the daily show where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. Today we’re going to complete the book of Daniel will read chapters seven through 12. Of course, I’ll have some comments after the reading. The title of today’s show is what time is it? If you’d like to come in on today’s show, please do go to Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 226. You can email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com. I’d love to hear from you. Let’s get started. Steve Webb 0:53 Daniel chapter seven. In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. Daniel declared, I saw in my vision by night and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagle’s wings. Then as I looked, the wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man and the mind of a man was given to it. And behold another beast, a second one like a bear. It was raised up on one side, it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth, and it was told, Arise, devour much flesh. After this, I looked and behold another like a leopard with four wings of a bird on its back, and the beast had foreheads and a dominion was given to it. After this I saw on the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth, it devoured and broken pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had 10 horns, I considered the horns and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things. As I looked, thrones were placed in the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was white as snow and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire, a stream of fire issued and came out from before him. 1000 1000s served him and 10,000 times 10,000 stood before him, the Court said in judgment, and the books were opened. I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season at a time. I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, there came one like a Son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom, one that shall not be destroyed. As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. I approached one of those who stood there, and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. These four great beasts are the four kings who shall rise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever. Then I desire to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, which devoured in broken pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, and about the 10 horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. Thus, he said, As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth and trample it down and break it to pieces. As for the 10 horns, out of this kingdom, 10 king shall arise and another show arise after them, he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law, and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half the time. But the court shall sit in judgment and his dominion shall be taken away to be consumed and destroyed to the end. And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him. Here’s the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me. And my color changed, but I kept the matter in my heart. Daniel chapter eight. In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first and I saw in the vision, and when I saw I was in Susa, the Citadel which is in the province of Elam, and I saw in the vision, and I was at the you lie canal, I raised my eyes and saw and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last, I saw the RAM charging westward and northward and southward, no beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great. As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes, he came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him with his powerful rap. I saw him come close to the RAM, and he was enraged against him, and struck the ram and broke his two horns, and the Ram had no power to stand before him. But he cast him down to the ground and travelled upon him. And there was no one who could rescue the RAM from his power, then the goat became exceedingly great. But when he was strong, the great horn was broken. And instead of it, there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven. Out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. It grew great even to the host of heaven. And some of the hosts and some of the stars it through to the ground and traveled on them. It became great, even as great as the prints of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. And a host will be given over to it together with a regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper. Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke for how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot. And he said to me, for 2300 evenings and mornings, then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state. When I Daniel had seen the vision, I sought to understand it, and behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the ULI and it called Gabriel make this man understand the vision. So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, understand, Oh, son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end, that when He had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up. He said, Behold, I will make known to you what shall be the latter end of the indignation for it refers to the appointed time of the end. As for the RAM that you saw with two horns, these are the kings of media in Persia, and the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, for kingdom shall arise from his nation, but not with his power. And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of boldface, one who understands riddles shall arise, his power shall be great, but not by his own power, and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind, he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many, and he shall even rise up against the Prince of Princes, and he shall be broken But by no human hand, the vision of the evenings in the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision for it refers to many days from now. And I Daniel was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the Kings business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it. Steve Webb 10:20 Daniel chapter nine. In the first year of Darius, the son of a has us by descent, a Mead, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans in the first year of his reign. I, Daniel, proceed in the books, the number of years that according to the Word of the Lord to Jeremiah, the prophet must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely 70 years. Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking Him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, Oh Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments. We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly, and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants, the prophets who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, oh, Lord belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away in all the lands to which you have driven them because of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, oh, Lord belongs open shame to our kings, to our princes into our fathers because we have sinned against you, to the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness for we have rebelled against Him, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, by walking in His laws, which he set before us by His servants, the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law in turn, decide, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that were written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, had been poured out upon us because we have sinned against him. He has confirmed his words which He spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven, there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem, as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us. Yet we have not been treated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities in gaining insight, by your truth. Therefore, the Lord has kept ready the calamity, and has brought it upon us. For the Lord, our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. And now a Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly, oh Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city, Jerusalem, Your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. Now, therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his pleas for mercy. And for your own sake, oh, Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary which is desolate. Oh my god, incline your ear in here. Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our please before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. Oh, Lord here, oh, Lord, forgive all Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not for your own sake, oh my God, because your city and your people are called by your name. Steve Webb 14:06 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my god, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first came to me in Swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. He made me understand speaking with me and saying, oh, Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. At the beginning of your pleas for mercy, a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision 70 weeks or decreed about your people and your holy city to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and profit, and to anoint a most Holy Place, no therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for 62 weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the 62 weeks and anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end, there shall be war. desolations are decreed, and he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week, he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering and on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate until the decreed end is poured out on the Desolator. Steve Webb 15:51 Daniel chapter 10. In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a word was revealed to Daniel who was named belta. Shahzad, and the Word was true, and it was a great conflict, and he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. In those days, I Daniel was mourning for three weeks, I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all for the full three weeks. On the 24th day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of a great river, that is the Tigris, I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen with a belt of fine gold from youth as around his waist. His body was like barrel, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs, like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words, like the sound of a multitude. And I Daniel alone saw the vision for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. Then I heard the sound of his words. And as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground. And behold, a hand touched me and sent me trembling on my hands and knees. And he said to me, oh, Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand up right for now I have been sent to you. And when He had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, fear not Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words, the prince of the kingdom of Persia with stood me 21 days. But Michael, one of the chief princes came to help me for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what has to happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision is for the days yet to come. When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and was mute, and behold, one in the likeness of the children of man touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke, I said to him who stood before me, Oh, my Lord, by reason of the vision pains have come upon me and I retain no strength. How can my lord servant talk with my Lord, for now, no strength remains in me and no breath is left in me. Again, one having the appearance of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, Oh, man, greatly loved fear not peace, be with you, be strong and of good courage. And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, Let my Lord speak for you have strengthened me. Then he said, Do you know why I have come to you, but now I will return to fight against the Prince of Persia. And when I go out, Behold, the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is inscribed in the Book of Truth. There is none who contends by my side against these except Michael, your prince. Steve Webb 19:03 Daniel, chapter 11. And as for me, in the first year of Darius, the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him, and now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. Then a mighty king shall arise who shall rule with great dominion and do as He wills and as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, or his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule and his authority shall be a great authority. After some years they shall make an alliance and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up and her attendance he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times, and from a branch from her roots, one shall arise in his place, he shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail, he shall also carry off to Egypt, they are gods with their metal images in their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years, he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south, but shall return to his own land, his son shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. Then the king of the south move with rage shall come out and fight against the king of the north, and he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down 10s of 1000s, but he shall not prevail. For the king of the north shall again raised a multitude greater than the first, and after some years he shall come on with a great army and with abundant supplies. In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. Then the king of the north shall common throw up siege works and make a well fortified city, and the forces of the south shall not stand or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. But he who comes against him shall do as He wills, and none shall stand before him, and he shall stand in the glorious land with destruction in his hand, he shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them, he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him, then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found, then shall arise in his place, one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle, in his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom Royal Majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken even the prince of the covenant. And from the time that an alliance is made with him, he shall act deceitfully and he shall become strong with a small people. Without warning, he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his father’s nor his father’s father’s have done, scattering among them plunder spoil in goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time, and he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army, and the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand for plots shall be devised against him. Even those who eat his food shall break him, his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil, they shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail. For the end is yet to be at the time appointed, and he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant, and he shall work his will and return to his own land. At the time appointed, he shall return in come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before for ships of kingdom shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the Holy Covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant, forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering, and they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame by captivity and plunder. When they stumble, they shall receive a little help, and many shall join themselves to them with flattery, and some of the wives shall stumble so that they may be refined, purified and made white until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. And the King shall do as He wills he will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished for what is decreed shall be done. He shall pay no attention to the gods of his father’s or to the one beloved by women, he shall not pay attention to any other God, for he shall magnify himself above all, he shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these, a god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign God. Those who acknowledge Him He shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many, and shall divide the land for a price. At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships, and he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through, he shall come into the glorious land, and 10s of 1000s shall fall but the shall be delivered out of his hand, Edom and Moab in the main part of the Ammonites, he shall stretch out his hand against the country’s, and the land of Egypt shall not escape, he shall become ruler of the treasuries of gold and of silver and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the KU shites shall follow in his train, but news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain, yet he shall come to his end with none to help him. Steve Webb 26:41 Daniel chapter 12. At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people, and bear shall come a time of trouble such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time, your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book, in many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above, and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end, many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase. Then I Daniel looked, and behold, two others stood one on this bank of the stream, and one on that Bank of the stream. And someone said to the man, clothed and linen, who was above the waters of the stream, how long shall it be till the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it would be for a time, times and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end, all these things would be finished. I heard but I did not understand. Then I said, Oh, my Lord, what shall be the outcome of these things? He said, Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white, and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand. But those who are wise shall understand. And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1290 days, Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1335 days, but go your way till the end, and you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days. Steve Webb 28:51 You know, it’s an interesting fact that throughout history, the focus of the church has not always been what it is today. In the first few 100 years after Jesus left the church with a great commission, the church focused on the doctrine of Scripture, which makes sense, right? In the early years, the church had to define what was and what was not divinely inspired scripture. And then through the centuries, the focus shifted to the doctrine of the Trinity, to the doctrine of who and what Jesus is to the doctrine of who and what man is to the doctrine of salvation to the doctrine of the Church. And it really wasn’t until the last couple of 100 years that the church spent much time studying the doctrine of the end days. Yes, it’s true for most of our history, the biblical books of prophecy have been looked at as being impossible to understand. Some of the prophets who wrote them under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit even said that they didn’t understand everything they wrote. But that’s because it was not time yet to understand them. As we read these books today, we can begin to see glimpses that do make sense. In Our reading today, we read Daniel chapter seven through 12 Obviously, it’s going to be impossible for me to talk about all the possible interpretations or applications to the days in which we’re living on the show. Entire books have been and probably are being written even as I speak about how the book of Daniel applies to today. What I’m going to do in the short time we have today is look at a couple of verses from today’s reading. First, let’s take a look at Daniel eight, verse 26, someone who looked like a man spoke to Daniel about future events. And at the end, he said, the vision of the evenings in the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now. What do you suppose he meant when he told Daniel to seal up the vision? Many people believe that he meant that no one would be able to understand the vision until the end times, seal up the vision for it refers to many days from now. He said, Well, I disagree. I think he meant safeguard the vision, put it someplace safe, because it’ll be needed later. It’s kind of like this. My wife, a lovely lady Liana and I had a will written for us several years ago. We hope that it won’t be needed for many more years. Steve Webb 31:11 Do you think we keep it on the kitchen table or the coffee table in the living room? No, we’ve locked it up. We’ve sealed it up in our safe. It’s an important documents, and we’ve put it in a place of safekeeping. This, I think is what the one speaking to Daniel meant, write the message down and keep it safe for the day that it’s needed. And as we read this book, it really seems like we’re in the in times, doesn’t it? There are so many things prophesied here that sounds just like we’re reading it from today’s papers, like I said, in reading about just the general condition of life in the in time sounds like it today to, for example, in chapter 12 of the universe for the ones speaking to Daniel says, Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase. In the past some thought that the running to and fro reference means missionaries going throughout the world preaching the gospel. Others have thought that it means that many would search the Scriptures trying to discern the meaning of the words. Personally, I disagree with those interpretations. And I’ll tell you why in just a moment. Now, the second half of that verse was and all knowledge will increase. It was thought that this referred to the fact that as we enter the end times, we’ll understand the prophetic Scriptures more clearly. I think that’s partly right. But I think there’s more. Now we can’t fault the notions that people had in the past about the scriptures, but how could they possibly know what it would be like to live in our age, we can hop on an airplane and fly from one coast of the US to the other in a matter of hours. And the US military has aircraft that can do it in about an hour’s time. It’s common for some business people to fly around the world multiple times a week. The point is mobility for virtually everyone in developed countries is a fact of life. That could be the running to and fro Daniel wrote about, but it also just might refer to the fact that our lives have become so extremely hectic. These days, many of us are on the go constantly, we have virtually no leisure time. And even when we are technically on vacation, quote unquote, we have our electronic devices with us. Many of us are never disconnected from the internet. Can we even imagine going back to a world where we’re not constantly connected. Which brings up the second point from this verse, and knowledge will increase. Scholars of old could not anticipate the internet. When I was a boy, I had to go to the library. If I wanted to know something that was not in the book that was at my house. Today, all I have to do is get online and type in a search. Or I could just speak to my phone. Okay, Google, or Siri or Alexa, who won the 2016 World Series? Steve Webb 33:51 What was the score? What’s the specific gravity of water? What’s the atomic number of LED, who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1954? What is tomorrow’s weather forecast? You get the idea, you can find almost anything that man has learned within seconds. That capability did not even exist until about 15. short years ago, when the first iPhone was introduced. Knowledge has increased and it continues to increase geometrically. I think we can check that off of the list of the things that we need to look for before the end times. Are we in the End Times? Maybe. Jesus said that only the Father knows the exact time But Scripture gives us many, many things to look for, or the in times or last days something to fear? Well, if you don’t know Jesus as your savior, you might want to worry. verses one and two of Daniel 12 Say, and there shall be a time of trouble such as there never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time, your people shall be delivered. Everyone whose name shall be found written in the book, and many of those who sleep In the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Well, what side are you on? The one who will have everlasting life or shame and everlasting contempt. If you’re not sure that you’ll have everlasting life you can be. All you need to do is accept Jesus into your life right now. To accept Jesus into your life means that you put your trust in Him, it means that you accept His free gift of salvation. What does that mean? Well, the Bible tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And it says the wages of sin is death. But the Bible also tells us that God is not willing that any should perish. He’s made a way to have your sins forgiven. He sent Jesus to this earth, Jesus, His only begotten Son, the Son of God, to live a sinless life, and he was sacrificed on the cross for my sins and for yours. And then on the third day, he rose to life again, proving that He is God. And he has the ability to forgive our sins. If you believe that, and if you accept that gift that he gives to you that free gift of salvation, you can absolutely know that you’ll have everlasting life. If you believe that, and if you want that for yourself, all you have to do is pray this prayer, pray with me. Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner, and I’m sorry, I turned for my sins now. And I asked you to forgive me of my sins. I pray that you’ll come into my life, and that you’ll be my Lord, and my savior helped me to be the person you created me to be. Thank you for forgiving me. Amen. Well, if you prayed that prayer, and you meant it, congratulations, you’re now a believer in Christ. you’re a Christian, you’re a new creation. The Bible says that when we believe in Him, we become new creatures, old things have passed away. All things are new. I’d like to help you get started in this new life. And I’ve got a Bible that I’d like to send you. It’s called the new believers Bible. And it’s a New Testament, and it’s got hundreds of notes in there written just for brand new believers. I’d like to send it to you at no charge, all you have to do is send me an email Steve at Lifespring media.com. Tell me you prayed that prayer, tell me your mailing address, and we’ll send it off to you again, no charge and I’m not going to take your email address and send it to anybody sell it to anybody or anything like that. Your email addresses safe with me. I just want you to have this Bible to get the very best start you can. I’d love to hear your comments on what I’ve said today. Go to Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 226. Scroll to the bottom of the page and let me know your thoughts are reading tomorrow was John five and six. Here’s your cue to boost boost. Steve Webb 37:51 Boostagram. Got a boostagram from Sean of San Pedro this morning and he sent 1160 sats, and said No wonder people love proverbs so much. These are amazing. It’s awesome that this ancient wisdom is still so applicable today. Well, Sean, you know what the writer of Ecclesiastes said he said there’s nothing new under the sun. People really are no different today than they were when Solomon wrote the Proverbs. I’m so glad that God preserved them for us. Thanks for the boostagram Sean. Steve Webb 38:34 On this date in church history, April 15 1452. Today is the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian Renaissance artist, scientist and inventor. Of course, among his more memorable paintings are the Last Supper, which he did in 1498 and the Mona Lisa, which he did in 1503. And on this date in church history, April 15 1729, Johann Sebastian Bach conducted the first and only performance during his lifetime of the passion, according to St. Matthew, at a Good Friday Vespers service at the St. Thomas Lutheran Church of Leipzig, Germany, the St. Matthew Passion, which of course Bach composed, has been called by some the supreme cultural achievement of all Western civilization. Steve Webb 39:30 Let’s pray our Heavenly Father as we read the book of Daniel and see what appears to be signs that we are near the end of days, Lord, give us a burden to share the good news with those who don’t know Jesus. Give us opportunities, Lord, to share with the people around us. Give us the courage to speak in the words to say, prepare the hearts of those you do bring to us that they would listen and truly hear. We know Lord that you don’t want any to perish and if no one tells them How will they here? Help us to fulfill the Great Commission? Lord, I ask this in Jesus name, amen. Do you have a prayer request that you want to share with the family? Is God doing something great in your life? Let us know about it. Go to prayer dot Lifespring media.com and fill out that form there Steve Webb 40:25 I’d love it if you’d go by Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 226. And let me know what you thought about today’s show. If you’d like you can email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com And please support the show at Lifespring media.com/support. Until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. Thanks for inviting me to be with you today. My name is Steve Webb. Now let’s get to work. Bye Transcribed by https://otter.ai [https://dzzggm57pi1og.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/28152340/donate.png]https://lifespringmedia.com/support/ * * [https://dzzggm57pi1og.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/23123801/NULS_LSFB_RateTheShow.jpg]https://lovethepodcast.com/biblePlease rate or review the show by clicking the heart! The post S3E227 – Daniel 7-10: What Time Is It? [https://lifespringmedia.com/lifespring-one-year-bible-rewind/s3e227-daniel-7-10-what-time-is-it/] first appeared on Lifespring! Media [https://lifespringmedia.com].

S3E226 – Proverbs 17-18: The Best Medicine

Transcript PODCAST INTRODUCTION Today we will read Proverbs 17-18. I’ll have comments on both chapters after the reading, and I’m calling today’s episode “The Best Medicine.” S12E225Art3000-laughing young woman [https://dzzggm57pi1og.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/13225306/S12E225Art3000.jpg]Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Suad Kamardeen on Unsplash COMMENTS ON PROVERBS 17 VERSE 3 A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold, and the Lord is the tester of hearts. Silver and gold are purified in the fire. All the impurities rise to the top when these metals are heated in the crucible and the smelter. In the same way, God purifies our hearts. It is in the heat of trials that our weaknesses are exposed. It is a wise person who allows the Lord to remove the weaknesses, thus purifying the heart. I am the man I am today because of the trials that I’ve been through. Some of the trials were because of poor decisions on my part, and some were what some might call happenstance. I don’t believe in happenstance, though. I believe that we live in a fallen world, a world that is suffering because of sin. And sometimes bad things happen, to good and bad people. God allows these things to happen for various reasons. Sometimes the reason is to take us through the Refiner’s fire. Our faith grows, our reliance on Him grows, and He is glorified. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” All things. Even what appear to be tragedies. All things.  VERSE 6 Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of sons is their fathers. As a grandfather, I can certainly say a hearty “Amen!” to the first part of this proverb. When I see how my grandkids’ faces light up when they see me, my heart just melts. There are four of them now, with another due in about eight weeks as of today. (April 13, 2022) I can’t wait to meet her! The second part, “the pride of sons is their fathers”, is something that men should aspire to. I was not a perfect dad. But my deficits, I hope, were made up for by the fact that my sons knew that I loved them. All three of them are very different from one another, and each has made choices in their lives that I have not always agreed with, but I love and respect each of them, and they know it. As I have grown older and (I hope) wiser, I try to be a dad that they can be proud of. For the dads listening…and even for the moms…remember to pray for wisdom as you raise your kids. Ask the Lord for guidance. Be in the Word, read, study, meditate on it. Let your kids see you read the Bible, and let them see and hear you pray. Let them know by your actions how important having a relationship with God is. Not just at church, but at home, too.  VERSE 22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. The word “joyful” is sameach in Hebrew. It means glad, joyful, merry (Strongs Concordance). Merriam-Webster defines glad as  1a) experiencing pleasure, joy, or delight : made happy. b) very willing (glad to do it). c) made pleased, satisfied , or grateful 4 *archaic* : having a cheerful or happy disposition by nature So to have a joyful heart is to have (at least in part) a heart of gratitude. Sometimes when life gets difficult, it’s hard to remember to live with a grateful heart. But as believers, we have so very much to be thankful for. Despite the circumstances we need to remember that we are deeply loved by the God of the universe. And as Jesus said in Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Of course you are.  In Luke 12:7, Jesus said, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Yes beloved, God knows you and He loves you. So much that He gave His Son so that you would be with Him in eternity, if you have placed your faith in Him.  For that reason alone, you have cause to have a joyful heart. How’s that for good medicine?  VERSES 27-28 The intelligent person restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a man of understanding. Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent, discerning when he seals his lips. I’ll make this one short. These two verses remind me of Abraham Lincoln’s remark: “It is better to keep your mouth shut and let them think you a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” TODAY’S BIBLE TRANSLATION Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 17 HCSB; Ch. 18 ERV SUPPORT This a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT [/support/]. [/support/] TRANSCRIPT Download .txt file. [https://d1uphahyf7mnoz.cloudfront.net/lsfb/LSFAB_S12-E225_otter_ai.txt] Steve Webb 0:00 Sometimes the reason is to take us through the refiner’s fire. Steve Webb 0:11 Hi there, this is the Lifespring family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, podcasting since 2004. I’m your OG God castors. Steve Webb, welcome. I hope you’re well today and I’m thankful that you’re spending part of your day with me truly, this is the Daily Show where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. Now we’re reading today is Proverbs 17 and 18. I’ll have some comments after the reading and I’m calling today’s episode, the best medicine. Today’s Show Notes Pages at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 225. My email address is Steve at Lifespring media.com. And with that, let’s get going. Steve Webb 0:50 Proverbs chapter 17. Better a dry crust with peace than a house full of feasting with strife. A ye servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share an inheritance among brothers. A crucible for silver at his smelter for gold and the Lord is the tester of hearts. A wicked person listens to malicious talk, a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue. The one who mocks the poor insults his maker and one who rejoices over calamity will not go unpunished. grandchildren are the crown of the elderly in the pride of sons is their father’s eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips. How much worse are lies for a ruler? A bribe seems like a magic stone to its owner. Wherever he turns he succeeds. Whoever conceals an offence promotes love, but whoever gossips about it separates friends. A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person more than 100 lashes into a fool. An evil man seeks only rebellion, a cruel messenger will be sent against him. Better for a man to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his foolishness. If anyone returns evil for good evil will never depart from his house. To start a conflict is to release a flood. Stop the dispute before it breaks out. acquitting the guilty and condemning the just both are detestable to the Lord. Why does a fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom? A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time. One without sense, enters in agreement and puts up security for his friend. One who loves to offend loves strife. One who builds a high threshold invites injury. One with a twisted mind will not succeed and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin. A man father’s a fool to his own sorrow. The father of a fool has no joy. A joyful heart is good medicine. But a broken spirit dries up the bones. A wicked man secretly takes a bribe to subvert the course of justice. Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive, but a fools eyes roam to the ends of the earth. A foolish son is grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him. It is certainly not good to find an innocent person or to beat a Nobel for his honesty. The intelligent person restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a man of understanding. Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent, discerning when He seals his lips. Steve Webb 3:50 Proverbs chapter 18. Some people like to do things their own way, and they get upset when people give them advice. fools don’t want to learn from others. They only want to tell their own ideas. Do something evil and people will hate you. Do something shameful and they will have no respect for you. Words from wise people are like water bubbling up from a deep well, the well of wisdom. You must be fair in judging others. It is wrong to favor the guilty and robbed the innocent of justice. Fools say things to start arguments. They’re just asking for a beating. Fools hurt themselves when they speak their own words trap them. People love to hear gossip. It is like tasty food on its way to the stomach. Someone who does careless work is as bad as someone who destroys things. The name of the Lord is like a strong tower. Those who do what is right can run to Him for protection. The rich think their wealth will protect them. They think it is a strong fortress. A proud person will soon be ruined, but a humble person will be honored. Let people finish speaking before you try to answer them. That way you will not embarrass yourself and look foolish. A good attitude will support you when you are sick. But if you give up nothing can help. Wise is people want to learn more so they listen closely to gain knowledge. Gifts can open many doors and help you meet important people. The first person to speak always seems right, until someone comes and asks the right questions. The best way to settle an argument between two powerful people may be to use lots and insulted brother is harder to win back than a city with strong walls. Arguments separate people like the strong bars of a palace gate. Your words can be as satisfying as fruit as pleasing as the food that fills your stomach. The tongue can speak words that bring life or death. Those who love to talk must be ready to accept what it brings. If you find a wife, you have found something good, she shows that the Lord is happy with you. The poor are polite when they beg for help. The rich are rude with their answer. Some friends are fun to be with. But a true friend can be better than a brother. Steve Webb 6:27 Oh my goodness, so many great verses to talk about. But I’m just going to comment today on just a few from Proverbs 17. Verse three said, a crucible for silver and a smelter for gold in the Lord is the tester of hearts. As you probably know silver and gold are purified in the fire. All of the impurities rise to the top when silver or gold are melted in the crucible or the smelter. And in the same way God purifies our hearts. It’s in the heat of trials that our weaknesses are exposed. And it’s a wise person who allows the Lord to remove the weaknesses, thus purifying the heart. I still have a long way to go. But I am the man I am today because of the trials that I’ve been through. Some of the trials were because of poor decisions on my part. And some were what some might call happenstance. But I don’t believe in happenstance, I believe that we live in a fallen world a world that is suffering because of sin. And sometimes bad things happen to bad people and good people. God allows these things to happen for various reasons. And sometimes the reason is to take us through the refiners fire. Our faith grows, our reliance on him grows, and he is glorified. Romans 828 says, and we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, and who have been called according to His purpose, all things you hear that all things, even the things that appear to be tragedies, all things. And then verse six, grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of sons is their fathers. As the grandfather, I can certainly say a hearty amen to the first part of that proverb, grandchildren are the crown of the elderly. When I see how my grandkids faces light up, when they see me, my heart just melts. There are four of them now with another do in about eight weeks as of today, and I just can’t wait to meet her. Yes, grandchildren are the crown of the elderly. I don’t think of myself as being elderly. But who am I to argue with the Bible. The second part that says, The End the pride of sons is their fathers. Well, to me, that’s something that men should aspire to. I was not a perfect dad. But my deficits I hope were made up for by the fact that my sons knew that I loved them. All three of them are very different from one another as they’ve grown to be men, and each one has made choices in their lives that I’ve not always agreed with. But I love and I respect each one of them, and they know it. And as I’ve grown older, and I hope wiser, I try to be a dad that they can be proud of. Now for you dads that are listening, and even for the moms. Remember to pray for wisdom as you raise your kids. Ask the Lord for guidance. Be in the word, read, study, meditate on it, and let your kids see you read the Bible and let them see and hear you pray. Let them know by your actions. How important having a relationship with God is. Let them see you living it. And not just at church. But at home to verse 22 says, a joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. The word joyful there Is Samia in Hebrew, it means glad joyful merry. According to the Strong’s Concordance in Merriam Webster defines glad as experiencing pleasure, joy or delight, or to be made happy, to be very willing as in glad to do it, to be made pleased, satisfied or grateful. And an archaic meaning for the word glad is having a cheerful or happy disposition by nature. Steve Webb 10:32 So, as I as I consider all of those different things, and I kind of condense them, part of it is to have a joyful heart is to have a heart of gratitude. Sometimes when life gets difficult, it’s hard to remember to live with a grateful heart. But as believers, we have so very much to be thankful for. Despite the circumstances, we need to remember that we are deeply loved by the God of the universe. And as Jesus said, in Matthew 626, look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Well? Of course you are, aren’t you? You know that you have to know that. It’s a believe that to your very core. And if you doubt it, in Luke 12, seven, Jesus said, Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows. Yes, beloved, God knows you. And he loves you so much that He gave His own Son, so that you would be with him in eternity, if you’ve placed your faith in Him. So for that reason, alone, you have cause to have a joyful heart. How’s that for good medicine. And then verse 27, I’ll make this one short. While it’s actually going to be 27 and 28. Together, the intelligent person restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a man of understanding. Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent, discerning when He seals his lips. So to make this short, these two verses remind me of what Abraham Lincoln once said, It is better to keep your mouth shut and let them think you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. I’d love to hear your thoughts today. Go to Lifespring media.com/s 12 e 225. And leave your comment there. You’ll scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and find a place to put your comment in there. In our reading tomorrow, we’ll finish the book of Daniel will read chapters seven through 12. Steve Webb 12:57 On this date in church history, April 14 1813. In Philadelphia, the religious Society of Friends otherwise known as Quakers, opened the first privately operated hospital for insane patients. The Asylum for the relief of persons deprived of the use of their reason that was the name of the place, used no manacles, handcuffs, iron grates are bars. In 1888, the name of the hospital was changed to the friends asylum for the insane and later just to the friends hospital in 1914. That change happened. And then on this date in church history, April 14 1940, English Bible expositor, Arthur W. Pink declared in a letter, nothing is too great. And nothing is too small to commit into the hands of the Lord. How true that is. Steve Webb 13:59 Prayer requests I’d like us to pray for Del and Kathy, I was talking to Dell a little while ago. And he was telling me that the both of them are having a bit of a rough go of things right now. Because of Del’s heart condition, he’s really weak. There’s work to do around the house and some other chores. But he’s only got about 20% of his heart function. So he tires really easily. And Kathy is having a hard time regaining her strength after her surgery. So she’s getting a little bit discouraged. So let’s pray. Our Heavenly Father, we have so very much to be grateful to you for so many reasons to be joyous, that you are our God. We thank you for life now and for the life to come because of your son Jesus. And I pray for Dell and Kathy right now, Lord, that You would help them as they deal with their health issues. I pray that you would be with them. I pray for healing. I pray for strength. I pray, Lord that us simply be with them. I’m grateful for the Lifespring family today, Lord Bless each one where there are needs Lord, I pray that you would meet them in your perfect loving way. You know each person who’s listening right now and you know their heart. Bless them I ask in Jesus name, amen. If you’ve got a prayer request or a praise, go to prayer dot Lifespring media.com and fill out that forum you find there. I’ll pray for you my private prayer time and pray together on the show Steve Webb 15:29 I’d love to get your comments today please go to Lifespring media.com/s 12 e to 25 mil let me know your thoughts. You can email me at Steve at Lifespring media.com And please support the show at Lifespring media.com/support. I want to thank Sean of San Pedro for doing the chapters for the shows now and I want to thank Kirsty for her help and doing the newsletter. If you’re not signed up yet, go to news dot Lifespring media.com and sign up. Your email is safe with me. I won’t sell it I won’t share it. Your email is safe with me until tomorrow. May God bless you richly. Thank you for inviting me to be with you today. My name is Steve Webb. Bye Transcribed by https://otter.ai [https://dzzggm57pi1og.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/28152340/donate.png]https://lifespringmedia.com/support/ * * [https://dzzggm57pi1og.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/23123801/NULS_LSFB_RateTheShow.jpg]https://lovethepodcast.com/biblePlease rate or review the show by clicking the heart! The post S3E226 – Proverbs 17-18: The Best Medicine [https://lifespringmedia.com/lifespring-one-year-bible-rewind/s3e226-proverbs-17-18-the-best-medicine/] first appeared on Lifespring! Media [https://lifespringmedia.com].

S3E225 – Psalms 96-98: Praise and Worship

Transcript PODCAST INTRODUCTION Today we will complete the book of  Psalms 96-98. I’ll have comments on both chapters after the reading, and I’m calling today’s episode “Praise and Worship.” S12E224Art3000-sierra lake [https://dzzggm57pi1og.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/12162034/S12E224Art3000.jpg]Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Steve Webb COMMENTS ON PSALMS 96-98 For the most part, these chapters were psalms of worship and celebration.  Do you know Dennis Prager? I love the guy. He is a Jew, and of course I disagree with him on that point, but he is right on so many things. I pray that he will meet Yeshua, and see that He is the Messiah that the Jews have been looking for. Dennis has been on the radio since 1982, and his show has been syndicated to hundreds of radio stations for decades. And he’s had a syndicated newspaper column for even longer than his radio show, I think. He’s written several books, one of which is “Happiness Is A Serious Problem.” On his daily radio show, every week he devotes an hour to discussing happiness. He calls it “The Happiness Hour”. And he believes is that it is your responsibility, especially to the people around you, to be happy. And he says that you can become happy by acting happy. I am, of course greatly over simplifying Dennis’ thoughts, but you get the essence. Just as we have a responsibility to be happy, we as believers have a responsibility to worship and praise God. Even when you don’t feel like giving worship and praise to God, do it anyway. And when you do, I can almost guarantee that you will begin to feel God’s blessings, and you will actually feel like praising and worshipping. It’s happened this way for me many, many times.  The psalms we read today can be used as a template, or even a verbatim script to get you started. David is so good pouring out his heart in song, both his broken heart and his soaring heart. And when you are feeling like you just can’t bring yourself to rejoice in the Lord, I hope you will remember to turn to David for inspiration. That’s why God included the Psalms in Scripture, beloved. TODAY’S BIBLE TRANSLATION Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 96 NLT; Ch. 97-98 NASB SUPPORT This a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT [/support/]. [/support/] TRANSCRIPT Download .txt file. [https://d1uphahyf7mnoz.cloudfront.net/lsfb/LSFAB_S12-E224_otter_ai.txt] Steve Webb 0:00 It’s happened like this for me many many times over the years Steve Webb 0:11 Hello, this is the Lifespring family Audio Bible and it’s good to see you today, coming to you from Riverside, California at podcasting since 2004. I am your OG God caster Steve Webb, I appreciate your joining me. This is the daily show where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. Our reading today is Psalms 96 through 98. I’ll have an introduction before I read each chapter and afterward, I’ll have some comments. The title for today’s episode is praise and worship the shownotes pages at Lifespring media.com/s 12 e to 24. My email address is Steve at Lifespring media.com. Let’s begin. Steve Webb 0:52 Psalm 96 has no title and no author is mentioned either. However, in First Chronicles 16th, when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem, David sang a song of praise to the Lord. This psalm echoes much of that song, giving an indication that this might be a Psalm of David of Psalm 96. James Montgomery Boice wrote, the meaning of the Hebrew word for worship is to prostrate oneself not to praise God for His attributes, which is what the English word worship means. But here we must note that although the meaning of the Hebrew word differs from the English word, the Hebrew understanding of worship, nevertheless also involves giving God praise for his attributes. This is what is being said here. Here, the nations of the world are told to give God glory. Beloved, as we read this psalm, notice that at first it speaks to God’s people, then it speaks to the nation’s and it concludes by speaking to all of creation. Steve Webb 1:55 Psalms chapter 96. Sing a new song to the Lord. Let the whole earth sing to the Lord. Sing to the Lord, praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves, publish his glorious deeds among the nations tell everyone about the amazing things he does. Great as the Lord he is most worthy of praise. He is to be feared above all gods. The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens honor and majesty surround him. strength and beauty fill his sanctuary, oh nations of the world, recognize the Lord. Recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory He deserves. Bring your offering and come into His courts. Worship the Lord in all His holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him. Tell all the nations The Lord reigns. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. He will judge all peoples fairly. Let the heavens be glad in the earth rejoice. Let the sea and everything in it Shout His praise. Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy. Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord for He is coming. He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the earth with justice and the nations with his truth. Steve Webb 3:21 Psalm 97 also has no title nor is an author cited. Alexander McClaren wrote of this psalm, the Psalmist mind is saturated with old sayings which he finds flashed up into new meaning by recent experiences. He is not original and does not try to be so but he has drunk in the spirit of his predecessors, and words which to others were antiquated, in cold Blaze with light for him and see made for his lips. And James Montgomery Boice added Psalms 96 through 98 Each hail God’s coming as the world’s king. But Psalm 96 And Psalm 98 soar with the light at what is in store for the world when God returns while in Psalm 97. The frightening awesome side of God’s kingly rule is emphasized. Steve Webb 4:13 Psalms Chapter 97 The Lord reigns Let the earth rejoice. Let the many islands be glad. clouds and thick darkness surrounds him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries round about his lightnings lit up the world the earth saw and trembled. The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness and all the peoples have seen his glory. Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images, who boast themselves of idols, worship Him all you God’s. Zion heard this and was glad and the daughters of Judah have rejoiced because of your judgments, oh Lord, for You are the Lord Most High over all the earth. You are Exalted far above all gods hate evil you who love the Lord who preserves the soles of his godly ones, he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is sown like seed for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart. Be glad in the Lord you righteous ones, and give thanks to his holy name. Steve Webb 5:29 Unlike the last few chapters, Psalm 98 does have a title. The title is a psalm, making it unique in that no other Psalm has this simple title. Thomas Chalmers, the 18th and 19th century Scottish theologian wrote of Psalm 98, that it was a noble spirit stirring Psalm. Steve Webb 5:51 Psalms chapter 98. Oh, sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wonderful things. His right hand and his holy arm have gained the victory for him. The Lord has made known his salvation, He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his loving kindness and his faithfulness to the house of Israel, all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth, break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. Sing praises to the Lord with a liar, with the liar in the sound of melody, with trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the Lord, let the sea roar and all it contains the world in those who dwell in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth, He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity. Steve Webb 6:53 Beloved, for the most part, I think you’d agree with me when I say that these chapters were psalms of worship and celebration. Do you know Dennis Prager, I love the guy. He’s a Jew. And of course, I disagree with him on that point. But he is right on so many other things. I’ve prayed many times for dentists that he would meet Yeshua and see that he is the Messiah that the Jews have been looking for. Dennis has been on the radio since 1982 or so. And it shows been syndicated to hundreds of radio stations for decades. And he’s had a syndicated newspaper column for even longer than that. I think. He’s written several books, one of which is called happiness is a serious problem. On his daily radio show, every week, he devotes an hour to discussing happiness, and he calls it the happiness our Dennis believes that it’s our responsibility, especially to the people around us to be happy. And he says that you can become happy by acting happy. Of course, I’m greatly oversimplifying what Dennis says about the subject, but you get the essence. Well, just as we have a responsibility to be happy, we as believers have a responsibility to worship and praise God, even when you don’t feel like giving worship and praise to God, do it anyway. And guess what? When you do, I can almost guarantee that you’ll begin to feel God’s blessings. And you’ll actually feel like praising and worshiping. It’s happened like this for me many, many times over the years. The Psalms we read today can be used as a template, or even a verbatim script to get you started. David and the other writers of the psalms are so good at pouring out their hearts in song both the broken heart and the soaring heart. And when you’re feeling like you just can’t bring yourself to rejoice in the Lord. I hope you’ll remember to turn to some of these psalms for inspiration. After all, that’s why God included the Psalms in Scripture. I’d love to hear your thoughts please go to Lifespring media.com/s 12 e to 24 or write to me at Steve at Lifespring media.com. Our reading tomorrow will be proverbs 96 through 98 Steve Webb 9:05 Boost boost. Boost John sent in a 1000 sat boostagam today. He said many thanks for the excellent discussion of tithing. RJ Rushdoony has a very helpful short book on the subject called tithing and dominion that deserves a wider readership. I believe the tithe is an important tool the body of Christ has neglected for far too long. God bless. Well, John, thank you and God bless you. And I’ve ordered the book, from the reviews and on your recommendation, John, it sounds like an excellent read. I can’t wait for it to get here. Thanks again, John, for the boostagam and for the recommendation. Steve Webb 9:49 Beloved, you’ll remember that I’ve mentioned time talent or treasure in the context of value for value. Well right now I want to thank Sean of San Pedro for not only being a consistent donor In terms of SATs and dollars, but he’s now volunteered to donate time by adding chapters to the episodes, beginning with yesterday’s show on First Chronicles, one through four, Sean brother, I thank you for that you’re really going above and beyond the call of duty. I appreciate it. Thank you, Sean. Steve Webb 10:17 Now, if you’re using one of those awesome podcasting 2.0 compliant podcast apps, it should support chapters and you’ll see Sean’s contribution. Now right now, the art does not change for each chapter. But if someone steps up to help with artwork, I’d love to add that to email me at Steve at Lifespring media if you’d like to contribute your talent, and we’ll get you set up. And as always, however you decide to support the show I thank you and I think God will bless you. Steve Webb 10:54 On this date in church history, April 13 1742 George Frederick Handel’s oratorio Messiah was first performed in Dublin, Ireland as an oratorio for Lent, rather than for Advent as it is today. And on this date in church history, April 13 18/28, Joseph B. Lightfoot was born he was an Anglican prelate, Bible critic and Bishop of Durham from 1879 to 1889. He’s best remembered for his analytical work on both the New Testament and the writings of the Apostolic fathers. And many of his writings are still available today. Steve Webb 11:41 Let’s pray. Our Heavenly Father we do worship You, Lord, you are above all things. Your name is great, you are worthy, most worthy of praise. You are the creator of all things and without you, nothing was created. You are our rock, our healer, our provider, our salvation, our fortress, our shield, and you are the one to whom we run. We thank You, Lord, for calling us and for giving us the faith to believe in you. We ask Lord for your blessings. And I thank you that you blessed me with the opportunity to do this show and for the Lifespring family that you brought here. Each of us has a desire to know you more each day and we ask you to open our hearts to hear and understand your word more clearly. We ask this in Jesus name, amen. If you’ve got a prayer request or praise, you know what to do, go to prayer dot Lifespring media.com Steve Webb 12:44 I’d love to hear your comments. Please go to Lifespring media.com/s 12 v 224. Email me at Steve at lions free media.com If you have any other kinds of comments, support the show at Lifespring media.com/support. Please and share the show until tomorrow may God bless you richly thank you for being with me today. My name is Steve Webb. Check out the chapters in a podcasting 2.0 app by Transcribed by https://otter.ai [https://dzzggm57pi1og.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/28152340/donate.png]https://lifespringmedia.com/support/ * * [https://dzzggm57pi1og.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/23123801/NULS_LSFB_RateTheShow.jpg]https://lovethepodcast.com/biblePlease rate or review the show by clicking the heart! The post S3E225 – Psalms 96-98: Praise and Worship [https://lifespringmedia.com/lifespring-one-year-bible-rewind/s3e225-psalms-96-98-praise-and-worship/] first appeared on Lifespring! Media [https://lifespringmedia.com].

S3E224 – Nehemiah 5-9: Is This Okay?

Transcript PODCAST INTRODUCTION This is History Tuesday. and we’ll read Nehemiah 5-9, and  I’m calling today’s episode “Is This Okay?” S12E342Art1400-vineyard [https://dzzggm57pi1og.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/08160409/S12E342Art1400.jpg]Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Alex Gorbi on Unsplash COMMENTS ON NEHEMIAH 5 In the New Living Translation, this is how verse 19 reads: “Remember, O my God, all that I have done for these people, and bless me for it.” When I read “…and bless me for it” I raised my eyebrows just a bit. That seems a bit presumptuous, don’t you think? But then I thought of the prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10: “He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.” God granted Jabez’s request, which tells us that God did not think Jabez’s prayer was out of line. Jabez asked God to give him more, and God did it. Why? We don’t have a lot to go on, except for the verse previous to what we just read. Verse 9 says: “There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful.” So now we know that Jabez was an honorable man. And so was Nehemiah. This we know because everything we read of him here in the book that bears his name testifies to that fact. He did not take on this task of rebuilding the walls for personal gain. He did it to honor God and to help the people.  God knows our heart, beloved. You cannot fool Him. And if our heart is pure, if our motivations are right and honorable, we can come to God in confidence and humbly ask Him to bless us.  TODAY’S BIBLE TRANSLATION Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 5-6 NLT; Ch 7-8 NIRV; Ch. 9 NCV SUPPORT This a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising=censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and send it to me here: SUPPORT [/support/]. [/support/] TRANSCRIPT Download .txt file. [https://d1uphahyf7mnoz.cloudfront.net/lsfb/LSFAB_S12-E342_otter_ai-correctedV1.txt] STEVE WEBB – 0:00 I kind of raised my eyebrows just a bit. INTRO S12E342 – 0:10 Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. And podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. And today is History Tuesday. We’ll read Nehemiah 5 through 9 and I’m calling today’s episode “Is This Okay?” The show notes page for today’s episode is at lifespringmedia.com/s12e342. And my email address is st***@*************ia.com. Let’s get started. NEHEMIAH 5 (NLT) – 0:42 Nehemiah, chapter 5. (1) About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews. (2) They were saying, “We have such large families. We need more food to survive.” (3) Others said, “We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and homes to get food during the famine.” (4) And others said, “We have had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay our taxes. (5) We belong to the same family as those who are wealthy, and our children are just like theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to do anything about it, for our fields and vineyards are already mortgaged to others.” (6) When I heard their complaints, I was very angry. (7) After thinking it over, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. I told them, “You are hurting your own relatives by charging interest when they borrow money!” Then I called a public meeting to deal with the problem. (8) At the meeting I said to them, “We are doing all we can to redeem our Jewish relatives who have had to sell themselves to pagan foreigners, but you are selling them back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?” And they had nothing to say in their defense. (9) Then I pressed further, “What you are doing is not right! Should you not walk in the fear of our God in order to avoid being mocked by enemy nations? (10) I myself, as well as my brothers and my workers, have been lending the people money and grain, but now let us stop this business of charging interest. (11) You must restore their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes to them this very day. And repay the interest you charged when you lent them money, grain, new wine, and olive oil.” (12) They replied, “We will give back everything and demand nothing more from the people. We will do as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the nobles and officials swear to do what they had promised. (13) I shook out the folds of my robe and said, “If you fail to keep your promise, may God shake you like this from your homes and from your property!” The whole assembly responded, “Amen,” and they praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised. (14) For the entire twelve years that I was governor of Judah—from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes—neither I nor my officials drew on our official food allowance. (15) The former governors, in contrast, had laid heavy burdens on the people, demanding a daily ration of food and wine, besides forty pieces of silver. Even their assistants took advantage of the people. But because I feared God, I did not act that way. (16) I also devoted myself to working on the wall and refused to acquire any land. And I required all my servants to spend time working on the wall. (17) I asked for nothing, even though I regularly fed 150 Jewish officials at my table, besides all the visitors from other lands! (18) The provisions I paid for each day included one ox, six choice sheep or goats, and a large number of poultry. And every ten days we needed a large supply of all kinds of wine. Yet I refused to claim the governor’s food allowance because the people already carried a heavy burden. (19) Remember, O my God, all that I have done for these people, and bless me for it. NEHEMIAH 6 (NLT) – 3:55 Nehemiah, chapter 6. (1) Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained—though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates. (2) So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But I realized that they were plotting to harm me, (3) so I replied by sending this message to them: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?” (4) Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply. (5) The fifth time, Sanballat’s servant came with an open letter in his hand, (6) and this is what it said: “There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king. (7) He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, ‘Look! There is a king in Judah!’ “You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me.” (8) I replied, “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.” (9) They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination. (10) Later I went to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. He said, “Let us meet together inside the Temple of God and bolt the doors shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight.” (11) But I replied, “Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it!” (12) I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. (13) They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me. (14) Remember, O my God, all the evil things that Tobiah and Sanballat have done. And remember Noadiah the prophet and all the prophets like her who have tried to intimidate me. (15) So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. (16) When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God. (17) During those fifty-two days, many letters went back and forth between Tobiah and the nobles of Judah. (18) For many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him because his father-in-law was Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan was married to the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. (19) They kept telling me about Tobiah’s good deeds, and then they told him everything I said. And Tobiah kept sending threatening letters to intimidate me. NEHEMIAH 7 (NIRV) – 6:43 Nehemiah, chapter 7. (1) The wall had been rebuilt. I had put up the gates at the main entrances to the city. The people who guarded the gates were appointed to their positions. So were the musicians and the Levites. (2) I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah helped him. Hananiah was commander of the fort that was by the temple. Hanani was an honest man. He had more respect for God than most people do. (3) I said to Hanani and Hananiah, “Don’t open the gates of Jerusalem until the hottest time of the day. Tell the men who guard the gates to shut them before they go off duty. Make sure they lock them up tight. Also appoint as guards some people who live in Jerusalem. Station some of them at their appointed places. Station others near their own homes.” (4) Jerusalem was large. It had a lot of room. But only a few people lived there. The houses hadn’t been rebuilt yet. (5) So my God gave me the idea and encouraged me to gather the people together. He also encouraged me to gather the nobles and officials together with them. He wanted me to list them by families. I found the family history of those who had been the first to return. Here is what I found written on it. (6) Nebuchadnezzar had taken many Jews away from the land of Judah. He had forced them to go to Babylon as prisoners. Now they returned to Jerusalem and Judah. All of them went back to their own towns. Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. (7) The leaders of the Jews included Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah and Nahamani. They also included Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah. Here is a list of the men of Israel who returned home. (8) There were 2,172 from the family of Parosh. (9) There were 372 from Shephatiah. (10) There were 652 from Arah. (11) There were 2,818 from Pahath-Moab through the family line of Jeshua and Joab. (12) There were 1,254 from Elam. (13) There were 845 from Zattu. (14) There were 760 from Zakkai. (15) There were 648 from Binnui. (16) There were 628 from Bebai. (17) There were 2,322 from Azgad. (18) There were 667 from Adonikam. (19) There were 2,067 from Bigvai. (20) There were 655 from Adin. (21) There were 98 from Ater through the family line of Hezekiah. (22) There were 328 from Hashum. (23) There were 324 from Bezai. (24) There were 112 from Hariph. (25) There were 95 from Gibeon. (26) There were 188 from the men of Bethlehem and Netophah. (27) There were 128 from Anathoth. (28) There were 42 from Beth Azmaveth. (29) There were 743 from Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth. (30) There were 621 from Ramah and Geba. (31) There were 122 from Mikmash. (32) There were 123 from Bethel and Ai. (33) There were 52 from the other Nebo. (34) There were 1,254 from the other Elam. (35) There were 320 from Harim. (36) There were 345 from Jericho. (37) There were 721 from Lod, Hadid and Ono. (38) There were 3,930 from Senaah. (39) Here is a list of the priests. There were 973 from the family line of Jedaiah through the line of Jeshua. (40) There were 1,052 from Immer. (41) There were 1,247 from Pashhur. (42) There were 1,017 from Harim. (43) The Levites belonged to the family line of Jeshua through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah. The total number of men was 74. (44) The musicians belonged to the family line of Asaph. The total number of men was 148. (45) The men who guarded the temple gates belonged to the family lines of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai. The total number of men was 138. (46) Here is a list of the members of the family lines of the temple servants. Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, (47) Keros, Sia, Padon, (48) Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai, (49) Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, (50) Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, (51) Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, (52) Besai, Meunim, Nephusim, (53) Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, (54) Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, (55) Barkos, Sisera, Temah, (56) Neziah, Hatipha (57) Here is a list of the members of the family lines of the servants of Solomon. Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, (58) Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, (59) Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, Amon (60) The total number of the members of the family lines of the temple servants and the servants of Solomon was 392. (61) Many people came up to Judah from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer. But they weren’t able to prove that their families belonged to the people of Israel. (62) There were 642 of them from the family lines of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda. (63) Here is a list of the members of the family lines of the priests. They were Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai. Barzillai had married a daughter of Barzillai from Gilead. So he was also called Barzillai. (64) The priests looked for their family records. But they couldn’t find them. So they weren’t able to serve as priests. They weren’t “clean.” (65) The governor gave them an order. He told them not to eat any of the most sacred food. They had to wait until there was a priest who could use the Urim and Thummim. The priest would use them to get decisions from the Lord. (66) The total number of the entire group that returned was 42,360. (67) That didn’t include their 7,337 male and female slaves. There were also 245 male and female singers. (68) And there were 736 horses, 245 mules, (69) 435 camels and 6,700 donkeys. (70) Some of the family leaders helped pay for the work. The governor gave 19 pounds of gold to be added to the temple treasure. He also gave 50 bowls and 530 sets of clothes for the priests. (71) Some of the family leaders gave 375 pounds of gold for the work. They also gave one and a third tons of silver. All of that was added to the temple treasure. (72) The rest of the people gave a total of 375 pounds of gold and one and a fourth tons of silver. They also gave 67 sets of clothes for the priests. (73) The priests and Levites made their homes in their own towns. So did the musicians, the temple servants and the men who guarded the gates. The rest of the Israelites also made their homes in their own towns. The Israelites had made their homes in their towns. In the seventh month… [Narrators note: This verse continues in verse 1 of chapter 8.] NEHEMIAH 8 (NIRV) – 14:09 Nehemiah, chapter 8. [Narrators note: Verse 1 is continued from the final verse of chapter 7.] (1) …all of them gathered together. They went to the open area in front of the Water Gate. They told Ezra to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses. The Lord had given Israel that Law so they would obey him. Ezra was the teacher of the Law. (2) Ezra the high priest brought the Law out to the whole community. It was the first day of the seventh month. The group was made up of men, women, and children old enough to understand what Ezra was going to read. (3) He read the Law to them from sunrise until noon. He did it as he faced the open area in front of the Water Gate. He read it to the men, the women, and the children old enough to understand. And all the people paid careful attention as Ezra was reading the Book of the Law. (4) Ezra, the teacher of the Law, stood on a high wooden stage. It had been built for the occasion. Mattithiah, Shema and Anaiah stood at his right side. So did Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah. Pedaiah, Mishael and Malkijah stood at his left side. So did Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam. (5) Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him. That’s because he was standing above them. As he opened the book, the people stood up. (6) Ezra praised the Lord. He is the great God. All the people lifted up their hands and said, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down. They turned their faces toward the ground and worshiped the Lord. (7) The Levites taught the Law to the people. They remained standing while the Levites taught them. The Levites who were there included Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai and Hodiah. They also included Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah. (8) All these Levites read to the people parts of the Book of the Law of God. They made it clear to them. They told them what it meant. So the people understood what was being read. (9) Nehemiah was the governor. Ezra was a priest and the teacher of the Law. They spoke up. So did the Levites who were teaching the people. All these men said to the people, “This day is set apart to honor the Lord your God. So don’t weep. Don’t be sad.” All the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. (10) Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy some good food and sweet drinks. Send some of it to people who don’t have any. This day is holy to our Lord. So don’t be sad. The joy of the Lord makes you strong.” (11) The Levites calmed all the people down. They said, “Be quiet. This is a holy day. So don’t be sad.” (12) Then all the people went away to eat and drink. They shared their food with others. They celebrated with great joy. Now they understood the words they had heard. That’s because everything had been explained to them. (13) All the family leaders gathered around Ezra, the teacher. So did the priests and Levites. All of them paid attention to the words of the Law. It was the second day of the month. (14) The Lord had given the Law through Moses. He wanted the Israelites to obey it. It is written there that they were supposed to live in booths during the Feast of Booths. That feast was celebrated in the seventh month. (15) They were also supposed to spread the message all through their towns and in Jerusalem. They were supposed to announce, “Go out into the central hill country. Bring back some branches from olive and wild olive trees. Also bring some from myrtle, palm and shade trees. Use the branches to make booths.” (16) So the people went out and brought back some branches. They built themselves booths on their own roofs. They made them in their courtyards. They put them up in the courtyards of the house of God. They built them in the open area in front of the Water Gate. And they built them in the open area in front of the Gate of Ephraim. (17) All the people who had returned from the land of Babylon made booths. They lived in them during the Feast of Booths. They hadn’t celebrated the feast with so much joy for a long time. In fact, they had never celebrated it like that from the days of Joshua, the son of Nun, until that day. So their joy was very great. (18) Day after day, Ezra read parts of the Book of the Law of God to them. He read it out loud from the first day to the last. They celebrated the Feast of Booths for seven days. On the eighth day they gathered together. They followed the required rules for celebrating the feast. NEHEMIAH 9 (NCV) – 18:42 Nehemiah, chapter 9. (1) On the twenty-fourth day of that same month, the people of Israel gathered. They fasted, and they wore rough cloth and put dust on their heads to show their sadness. (2) Those people whose ancestors were from Israel had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood and confessed their sins and their ancestors’ sins. (3) For a fourth of the day they stood where they were and read from the Book of the Teachings of the Lord their God. For another fourth of the day they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God. (4) These Levites were standing on the stairs: Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani. They called out to the Lord their God with loud voices. (5) Then these Levites spoke: Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah. They said, “Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who lives forever and ever.” “Blessed be your wonderful name. It is more wonderful than all blessing and praise. (6) You are the only Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, with all the stars. You made the earth and everything on it, the seas and everything in them; you give life to everything. The heavenly army worships you. (7) “You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur in Babylonia and named him Abraham. (8) You found him faithful to you, so you made an agreement with him to give his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites. You have kept your promise, because you do what is right. (9) “You saw our ancestors suffering in Egypt and heard them cry out at the Red Sea. (10) You did signs and miracles against the king of Egypt, and against all his officers and all his people, because you knew how proud they were. You became as famous as you are today. (11) You divided the sea in front of our ancestors; they walked through on dry ground. But you threw the people chasing them into the deep water, like a stone thrown into mighty waters. (12) You led our ancestors with a pillar of cloud by day and with a pillar of fire at night. It lit the way they were supposed to go. (13) You came down to Mount Sinai and spoke from heaven to our ancestors. You gave them fair rules and true teachings, good orders and commands. (14) You told them about your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, orders, and teachings through your servant Moses. (15) When they were hungry, you gave them bread from heaven. When they were thirsty, you brought them water from the rock. You told them to enter and take over the land you had promised to give them. (16) “But our ancestors were proud and stubborn and did not obey your commands. (17) They refused to listen; they forgot the miracles you did for them. So they became stubborn and turned against you, choosing a leader to take them back to slavery. But you are a forgiving God. You are kind and full of mercy. You do not become angry quickly, and you have great love. So you did not leave them. (18) Our ancestors even made an idol of a calf for themselves. They said, ‘This is your god, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ They spoke against you. (19) “You have great mercy, so you did not leave them in the desert. The pillar of cloud guided them by day, and the pillar of fire led them at night, lighting the way they were to go. (20) You gave your good Spirit to teach them. You gave them manna to eat and water when they were thirsty. (21) You took care of them for forty years in the desert; they needed nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell. (22) “You gave them kingdoms and nations; you gave them more land. They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan. (23) You made their children as many as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into the land that you told their ancestors to enter and take over. (24) So their children went into the land and took over. The Canaanites lived there, but you defeated them for our ancestors. You handed over to them the Canaanites, their kings, and the people of the land. Our ancestors could do what they wanted with them. (25) They captured strong, walled cities and fertile land. They took over houses full of good things, wells that were already dug, vineyards, olive trees, and many fruit trees. They ate until they were full and grew fat; they enjoyed your great goodness. (26) “But they were disobedient and turned against you and ignored your teachings. Your prophets warned them to come back to you, but they killed those prophets and spoke against you. (27) So you handed them over to their enemies, and their enemies treated them badly. But in this time of trouble our ancestors cried out to you, and you heard from heaven. You had great mercy and gave them saviors who saved them from the power of their enemies. (28) But as soon as they had rest, they again did what was evil. So you left them to their enemies who ruled over them. When they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven. Because of your mercy, you saved them again and again. (29) You warned them to return to your teachings, but they were proud and did not obey your commands. If someone obeys your laws, he will live, but they sinned against your laws. They were stubborn, unwilling, and disobedient. (30) You were patient with them for many years and warned them by your Spirit through the prophets, but they did not pay attention. So you handed them over to other countries. (31) But because your mercy is great, you did not kill them all or leave them. You are a kind and merciful God. (32) “And so, our God, you are the great and mighty and wonderful God. You keep your agreement of love. Do not let all our trouble seem unimportant to you. This trouble has come to us, to our kings and our leaders, to our priests and prophets, to our ancestors and all your people from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. (33) You have been fair in everything that has happened to us; you have been loyal, but we have been wicked. (34) Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey your teachings; they did not pay attention to the commands and warnings you gave them. (35) Even when our ancestors were living in their kingdom, enjoying all the good things you had given them, enjoying the land that was fertile and full of room, they did not stop their evil ways. (36) “Look, we are slaves today in the land you gave our ancestors. They were to enjoy its fruit and its good things, but look, we are slaves here. (37) The land’s great harvest belongs to the kings you have put over us because of our sins. Those kings rule over us and our cattle as they please, so we are in much trouble. (38) “Because of all this, we are making an agreement in writing, and our leaders, Levites, and priests are putting their seals on it.” COMMENTS – 25:31 In Nehemiah chapter 5 in the New Living Translation, this is how verse 19 reads, “Remember, O God, all that I have done for these people, and bless me for it.” When I read “…and bless me for it”, I kind of raised my eyebrows just a bit. Seems a bit presumptuous, don’t you think? Is this okay? But then I remembered the prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10, which reads, “He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!’ And God granted him his request.” So God granted Jabez’ request, which tells us that God didn’t think that Jabez’ prayer was out of line. Jabez asked God to give him more and God did it. Why do you suppose that is? Well, we don’t have a lot to go on except for the verse previous to what we just read. We read verse 10. Here’s verse 9. “There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful.” So now we at least know that Jabez was an honorable man. And so getting back to Nehemiah here, we know that Nehemiah was an honorable man. We know this because everything we read of him here in the book that bears his name testifies to that fact, he did not take on this task of rebuilding the walls for personal gain. He did it to honor God, and to help the people. Beloved, God knows our heart. You cannot fool him. And if our heart is pure, if our motivations are right and honorable, we can come to God in confidence and humbly ask him to bless us. What do you think about that? Let me know. Go to lifespringmedia.com/s12e342 and leave a comment. Tomorrow is Psalms Wednesday, and our reading will be chapters 143 through 145. Boost. ON THIS DATE IN CHURCH HISTORY – 27:38 On this date in church history, August 9, 1788, Adoniram Judson was born. He was the pioneer American Baptist missionary to Burma. He translated the Bible into Burmese and he also penned the hymn, “Come Holy Spirit Dove Divine”. And on this date in church history, August 9, 1973. In Asheville, North Carolina delegates from 200 congregations voted to sever ties with the Southern Presbyterian Church, believing it had become too liberal. The new denomination, the National Presbyterian Church was formed and became the Presbyterian Church in America in 1974. PRAYER REQUESTS – 28:26 Prayer requests. As I record this, it’s a little past noon on Monday. And there’s no news yet on Steve O’Brien. He’s supposed to be transported to the other hospital where the angiogram and any subsequent procedures will take place. But he’s not been moved yet. And it’s been a few days since Kathi had her first dose of the new cancer drug, and so far, she’s only had flu like symptoms for side effects. But I guess the nurses said that, to use their words, “It will take several infusions before the storm hits.” So our prayer will be that if and when the storm hits, it’ll just be a light drizzle. CLOSING PRAYER – 29:01 Let’s pray. Our heavenly Father, we again thank you for your word and the way that you teach us about yourself through it. And we ask that you would use us to bring people to you and to bring honor to your name. I pray now for a Steve O’Brien that as the doctors and the rest of the medical team work on him today that everything would go well and that there would be no problems. And we continue to pray for Kathi. I ask Lord that you bring healing to her body. I thank you, Lord, that the storm has not hit. And I pray, Lord, that you keep the storm from hitting. Help the drug to do what it’s supposed to do. Bring healing to her body. Lord, I ask in Jesus’ name. And Lord, I ask that you bless the Lifespring family and help each of us to please you today. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com, if you’ve got a prayer request or a praise that you’d like to share with the Lifespring family. OUTRO S12E342 – 29:58 Just a reminder that I need to get plenty more emails from those of you who have not yet written in a Next Step email to me, I really do need to hear from you. I’m not joshin’. Please do write to me at st***@*************ia.com. Give some thought and prayer to the question of what you’d like to see me do once the season is over, and then put in that subject line “THE NEXT STEP”. I appreciate it. And I thank those of you who have already sent emails in. The last couple of days I’ve heard from some people that I’ve never heard from before, and I thank you for writing. It was great to hear from you. Comment on the show at lifespringmedia.com/s12e342. Thanks to the team Kirsty, Sean of San Pedro and Denise. And thank you for sharing your time with me today. Are you glad the show is here? If so, support it go to lifespringmedia.com/support. And until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb. Bye. Free delivery. Transcribed by https://otter.ai Corrected by Denise [https://dzzggm57pi1og.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/28152340/donate.png]https://lifespringmedia.com/support/ * * [https://dzzggm57pi1og.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/23123801/NULS_LSFB_RateTheShow.jpg]https://lovethepodcast.com/biblePlease rate or review the show by clicking the heart! The post S3E224 – Nehemiah 5-9: Is This Okay? [https://lifespringmedia.com/lifespring-one-year-bible-rewind/s3e224-nehemiah-5-9-is-this-okay/] first appeared on Lifespring! Media [https://lifespringmedia.com].