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Podcast Introduction Our reading today is 2 Corinthians 11-13, which completes the book. Yesterday I got ahead of myself and said we would be starting the book of Galatians today. That’s next Sunday. I’m calling today’s episode “Is It Time For An Audit?”  Comments on Chapter 13 Put yourselves through a test. See if you belong to Christ. Then you will know you belong to Christ, unless you do not pass the test.2 Corinthians 13:5 NLV The apostle Paul was having some difficulties with some of the people in the church at Corinth, so he gave them this challenge. But it is good for all of us to take stock from time to time. Are we walking with the Lord as we should, or have we drifted away? It is good to ask God if there is anything in us with which He is unhappy. And we should ask Him to reveal it to us, so that we can confess it and ask for forgiveness. This is one of those times I talked about a few days ago when it is good to be quiet before the Lord, by the way. Listen for His still, small voice.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Luke 5-6, and I’m calling the episode “Let’s Go Fishin’.” Comments on Luke 5 Jesus' first request of Simon didn't require much faith from him, did it? He got into Simon's boat, and asked Simon to put out a little way from the shore. That’s all He asked. “Take me out just a little way, Simon.” He wanted to speak to the people who had been pushing and crowding Him so they could hear the Word of God.  Picture the scene. Simon Peter (called Simon at this point in Luke's gospel) and some other fishermen were by the lake with their two boats, washing their nets, after having been out all night try unsuccessfully to make their day's catch. Jesus is being followed by a throng of people anxious to hear Him teach. And when He sees the boats, Jesus decides to get into one of the boats and speak to the crowd from a short distance away, using the water as a way to put some space between himself and the people, and also using the water as an acoustic aid so that more

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Jeremiah 42-46, and I’m calling the episode “But You Promised." Comments on Jeremiah 42 and 46 Thoughts on Jeremiah 42  Have you ever made a bargain with God? You’ve been in trouble or in some other hard place, and you said, “Lord, help me here and I will never sin again! I’ll devote my life to you!” And then the trouble passes, and you go right back to your old ways. Yeah. Most of us probably have done that, and let me say that it’s not a good thing to do. We may forget, but God doesn’t. Thankfully, God understands our foolishness and we have forgiveness in Jesus, but making a promise to God is still a serious thing. My suggestion is that you take your promises very, very seriously. In chapter 42 the people came to Jeremiah and said, “Please pray to the Lord your God for us. Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go. Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord your God to whom we are sending you with our plea. For if we o

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is  we will complete the book of Job 41-42, and I’m calling the episode “A New Beginning.” Comments on Job Alexander Maclaren wrote in his “Expositions of Holy Scripture” “The close of the book of Job must be taken in connection with its prologue in order to get the full view of its solution of the mystery of pain and suffering. Indeed the prologue is more completely the solution than the endings; for it shows the purpose of Job’s trials as being, not his punishment but his testing.” “So we have the grim thing lighted up, as it were, at the two ends. Suffering comes with the mission of trying what stuff a man is made of, and it leads to closer knowledge of God, which is blessed; to lowlier self-estimation, which is also blessed; and to renewed outward blessings, which hide the old scars and gladden the tortured heart.” I love that.  As gold is purified by fire, so a good man is tested and purified by trial.  Was it unjust for God to allow Satan to test

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Psalms 60-62, and I’m calling the episode “Be Quiet.” Comments on Psalm 62 "1 It is surely true that I find my rest in God." NIRV I believe that the NASB is a better translation: "1 My soul waits in silence for God only;" NASB Sometimes, the very best thing we can do is come before God and…just...be quiet. FB Meyer wrote, “This is why God keeps you waiting. All that is of self and nature must be silence; one voice after another cease to boast; one light after another be put out; until the soul is shut up to God alone.” Our natural inclination when we are in great need is to *do something*. We feel that "if it to be, it is up to me". But if we have that mentality, we are not putting our faith in God.  But David said, "1My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. 2He only is my rock and my salvation..." Beloved, there is no better place to go for deliverance from any circumstance, any hardship, any trouble. Throughout this ps

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is 2 Samuel 15-19, and I’m calling the episode “A House Divided." Comments on 2 Samuel 15-19 Reading chapters 15-19 is like reading an adventure novel, isn't it? There's the dysfunctional family, where the son of the king leads a national revolt, there's raw ambition, betrayal, loyalty, sex, spies, murder, revenge and heartbreak. It's all there. And it's all real. These events really happened.  Where to begin? I think we need to talk about David. There are so many characters in these five chapters that we could talk about at length, but we have limited time, and David is the central character. He is the man God called, "...a man after my own heart...". In chapter 15, after David had been told that Absalom was leading a conspiracy against him, David decided that it would be best for everyone in Jerusalem if he and his household fled the city. In this exodus, Zadok the priest and all the Levites joined David, bringing the Ark of the Covenant with them.  D

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Exodus 25-28, and I’m calling the episode “The God of Details." Comments on Exodus 25-28 The first time I read these chapters, I was struck by the detail of God’s instructions. Nothing was left out. Everything that was to go into the tabernacle was intricately laid out, from the materials to use, to the measurements, to the design, to the placement of the items.  But of course, that God thought of every detail is not at all surprising, right? He is a God of details. Think of creation itself. Think of our solar system. If it were not for the details of how our solar system is laid out, life as we know it on Earth could not exist. If we were just a little closer to the sun, or just a little further, the temperature would not support life. If the Earth was not the size it is, gravity would be too great or not great enough. The examples I could give go on and on. Think of the incredible detail of our bodies. The way the cells work, the way our nervous system w

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is  2 Corinthians 9-10, and I’m calling the episode “Take Control of Your Thoughts." Comments on 2 Corinthians 10 As we have mentioned before, there are those in the church at Corinth who did not recognize Paul's authority as an apostle. Much of this chapter has Paul defending that authority. Not for his own benefit, but for theirs. What he has to say is important. After all, as an apostle he is bringing God's message...and they should receive it as from God. In the first five verses of chapter 10, Paul is introducing this concept, and he mentions that this is a spiritual matter, a spiritual battle even.  "1By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! 2I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the wor

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Luke 3-4, and I’m calling the episode “How To Resist Temptation.” Comments on Luke 4 Jesus gave us the perfect plan for when we are being tempted. Remember this, beloved. Jesus was fully human, as well as fully God. Jesus was a real man. So the temptations that Satan put before Him were real. These were not theoretical.  Jesus had flesh. And notice the very first temptation Satan put in front of Jesus. Jesus had been in the desert for forty days and had not eaten. He was hungry. The very first temptation was for Jesus to turn the stones into bread. Satan knew that Jesus was a man, so he went after the needs of His flesh. Some people can't say NO to their flesh. I don't think I need to say that the temptations of the flesh are more than just food, do I? The desires of the flesh are some of our most basic urges. Animals are almost completely controlled by this, but humans have the ability to exert control over these urges. And God's Word is full of exhortati

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Jeremiah 37-41, and I’m calling the episode “The Cowardly Mob.”  Comments on Jeremiah 38 In chapter 38, Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal and Pashhur, who were princes of Judah, did not like the message that Jeremiah was preaching:   “The Lord says, ‘Those who stay in this city will die in battle or of starvation or disease. Those who leave the city and surrender to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives.’" 3 They had also heard him say, “The Lord says, ‘This city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon. They will capture it.’” They told king Zedekiah, “This man must be de-platformed, for he is spreading misinformation." Okay. That's a very loose translation. Actually, what they said is even worse: “This man must be put to death. For he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in the city as well as all the other people there by these things he is saying. This man is not seeking to help these people but is

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is  Job 39-40, and I’m calling the episode “The Voice of God." Comments on Job 39-40 It’s easy to think of this scene with God’s awesome, booming voice rumbling and shaking everything around for miles as He speaks out of the storm. And maybe it did happen that way. He can be a fearsome God.  But I like what the commentator F. B. Meyer wrote: “Divine power and human ignorance. When the storm had ceased and the thunder was hushed, a voice spoke out of the golden splendor of the sky. Job had challenged God to answer him and now he is taken at his word. We recall Horeb’s ancient cave, where, after wind and earthquake, there came a sound of gentle stillness. “Gird up now thy loins,” said the Eternal to Job. In later years, under similar circumstances, the Spirit entered Ezekiel to strengthen him. Surely some such strengthening was forthwith given the patriarch! “A sublime series of questions is now addressed to him, not by a God of judgement and wrath, but by a

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Psalms 57-59, and I’m calling the episode “On the Run." Comments on Psalms 57-59 Introduction to Psalm 57 The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave. Regarding "Do not Destroy", Bible commentator Derek Kidner said: “This may well be a tune-indication: cf. Isaiah 65:8, where the phrase is identified as a popular saying (perhaps a snatch of vintage song), and borrowed to become a reassuring word from God. Yet notice also David’s instructions about Saul, ‘Destroy him not’ (1 Samuel 26:9).” So "Do Not Destroy" might be merely a notation giving the tune of the psalm, or a plea to God to protect David, or a statement of David's intention to not destroy Saul. This psalm is another michtam, or golden psalm, indicating that this was a special, highly regarded psalm. But the word "michtam" literally means "an engraving, or sculpture," so it could be that David actually engr

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is  2 Samuel 10-14, and I’m calling the episode “The Runaway Train." Comments on 2 Samuel 11 In this account, we see how what we might consider a small sin begin a chain of sinful actions that, like a runaway locomotive, can cause terrible destruction and heartache. A seemingly small, insignificant sin can quickly spiral into a disastrous web of deceit and horrendous sins that affect the lives of more people than we could ever anticipate. Let's climb on board the sin train with David for a moment and see what happens. As we have seen, David usually goes to war with his armies, but as chapter 11 begins, we see that this year, for some reason he decided to send Joab and the army out, while he stayed behind in the comfort of his palace. This could be considered his first sin, if he stayed behind because of laziness or complacency.  Next, he seems unable to sleep, so he goes to the palace rooftop and sees a woman bathing.  Two questions here. Why is he unab

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is  Exodus 21-24, and I’m calling the episode “The Best Laid Plans." Comments on Exodus 21-24 In Exodus 21, the Lord had quite a lot to say about how to treat a slave. Many people over the years have misunderstood God's attitude toward slavery, especially in the light of the modern concept of slavery as it relates to United States history. I talked about this on episode 77 of the 2020-2021 season of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, and I’ll link to it on the show notes page https://lifespringmedia.com/family-bible/lsfab0077-1-corinthians-7-8/. If you haven't heard that episode, I very much recommend you listen to it. Since I did address the topic of slavery there, I am not going to discuss it today, other than to say that in Exodus 21, it is obvious that God did not allow any mistreatment of slaves. The balance of chapter 21, all of chapter 22, and the first part of chapter 23 are laws governing how the people are to deal with one another. The laws given ar

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is  2 Corinthians 6-8, and I’m calling the episode “Hop To.” Comments on 2 Corinthians 6 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says:“In an acceptable time I have heard you,And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.2 Corinthians 6:1-2 NKJV How marvelous! God calls us to work with Him! As God, He certainly does not need our help. God created the universe without us. Is there any doubt that anything He wants to do can be done without our assistance? Why does He invite us to work with Him? I think He does it for our benefit.  When my boys were young, I would sometimes ask them to "help" me do work around the house. When they were very young they would "help" mow the lawn. When I would change the oil in the cars, I would ask them to hand me tools. Today, all three of my boys have the confidence to work with their hands t

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Luke 1-2, and I’m calling the episode “The Child’s Answers.” Comments on Luke 2 We’re obviously just a couple weeks past Christmas, but it’s always good to read the account of Jesus’ birth. But in reading such familiar chapters as these first two of Luke, we run the risk of not really hearing them, don’t you think? Every Christmas season, we hear these verses read. So can we find anything new? Is it important to see something new? I think the answer to that question is probably different for each person, because each of us has a completely unique walk with God. At my age, I've probably heard or read Luke 1 and 2 many hundreds, if not thousands of times. And I love it when God shows me something I haven’t seen before. Let’s see if this gives you a new insight. When Jesus was twelve years old and stayed behind in the temple, as Mary and Joseph were returning to Nazareth, we are told in Luke 2: 46 and 47, “46Then, after three days they found Him in the temple

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is  Jeremiah 32-36, and I’m calling the episode “I Can’t Hear You.” Comments Thoughts on Jeremiah 35  The Lord had Jeremiah invite the Rechabites in for a little social activity, and He told Jeremiah to provide wine to them. When it was offered to them, they declined, saying that their ancestor Jonadab told them not to ever drink wine. In addition, they weren’t to build houses, plant crops or build houses to live in. So they had always refrained from doing any of those things. And then God told Jeremiah to tell the people of Judah and Jerusalem that they needed to learn a lesson from the Rechabites. They had no trouble following the command of Jonadab their ancestor, who was only a man. But the people of Judah and Jerusalem refused to follow the command of *GOD*! I’m sure you’ve heard the meme, “You had one job to do….” All they had to do was to not worship any other god but the one true God, and they couldn’t even do that, even when they were reminded

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is  Job 37-38, and I’m calling the episode “Somethin’ Else." Comments on Job 37 Elihu talks of how he is frightened of the awesome power of God that he sees in thunder and lightening. If you have ever been in a storm like Elihu is talking about, it is truly awe-inspiring.  I am a southern California native. I've been here almost all of my life, except for two years, when I was seven and eight years old. We rarely have thunderstorms here, and when we do, they are nothing like the ones I have seen in other parts of the country. Here, they rarely last for more than a few minutes. They don't go on and on with lightening flashes coming from all around. My son, Tim and his wife Val are living in Florida now, about 20 minutes southwest of Disney World. A couple months ago he made a video call from his phone while they were out shopping. A thunderstorm had already been going for about a half and hour, and the rain was just pouring down in buckets, with thunder and li

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Psalms 54-56, and I’m calling the episode “Say It Isn't So." Comments on Psalms 54-56 Introduction to Psalm 54 The title of this psalm is "To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Contemplation of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, 'Is David not hiding with us?'” The Ziphites betrayed David to Saul twice. We read about these betrayals in 1 Samuel 23 and 1 Samuel 26. On both occasions, David was able to escape. This psalm probably refers to the episode in 1 Samuel 23.  Very few psalms give specific musical instructions like this one, which says, "With stringed instruments." And the Hebrew word for Contemplation (maskil) might be better translated as Instruction. Introduction to Psalm 55 The title of this psalm is "To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Contemplation of David." There was a time in David's life when one of his sons, Absalom, tried to overthrow David as king. During this rebellion one of David's

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is  2 Samuel 5-9, and I’m calling the episode “Follow the Directions." Comments on 2 Samuel 5 Now that Saul is dead, God finally puts David on the throne. Remember, God first had David anointed King when he was a boy. Probably somewhere between 12 and 15 years of age. And we are told here in chapter 5 that David was 30 years old when he became king. Again, we see that God's promises are always fulfilled, but not always immediately.  Also note that David still had to fight wars. Just because God promises something does not mean that life will be easy. On the contrary. Growth always comes during times of testing or trial. That is what develops our spiritual strength. With nothing to push against, we become weak and flabby. So don't complain when life gets hard. Thank God for the trials, and ask Him to be with you and direct your steps through the difficulties. Trust His plan.  Chapter 6: This is a difficult story for some people. Why would God kill Uzzah for