NL-Day004 Genesis 7-8; Job 4; Mark 3
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Most people find out about the DBRP through the YouVersion Bible reading app on their smart device. If you are one who has found out about these podcasts through some other means (such as via Apple Podcasts), then I want to make you aware that the Bible app created by YouVersion is wonderful. You can subscribe to the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan within the app, then reading along with these daily podcasts is very easy. Just start your episode using your podcast player, then go to your day in the YouVersion Reading Plan. Please be aware that you can turn on the YouVersion app’s audio for...
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NL-Day003 Genesis 5-6; Job 3; Mark 2
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
How can you get more out of your Bible reading this year? My top advice is to SLOW DOWN! The readings in this plan take around 20 minutes if read aloud. If you read silently, you might finish in only 10 minutes. But if you skim through like that, you won’t retain very much! I suggest these two ways to slow down: 1. Read out loud to yourself. Read expressively. When you find that your first attempt didn’t quite have the right intonation, go back and read the sentence again. Take time to think about— and pray about, what you have just read. 2. Read along while listening to the Daily Bible...
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NL-Day002: Genesis 3-4; Job 2; Mark 1:29-45
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
It is possible to listen to these podcasts on YouTube or Facebook, but these ways are not optimal. The pages linked in the banner of give various ways to conveniently listen to these podcasts using any kind of smart device, including smart speakers. Use the Listen menu item of the to find this information. You will note that I read most Bible names phonetically— rather than the using normal English pronunciation. This means that the letter A will have a consistent sound ‘ah’ and the letter I will be pronounced ‘ee’. This happens to match Indonesian pronunciations and that of...
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NL-Day001: Genesis 1-2; Job 1; Mark 1:1-28
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Hey there! Welcome to this day number 1 in the NLT series for the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan. These podcasts are hosted at . Today in this episode number 1 we read Genesis 1-2, Job 1, and the first half of Mark 1. It’s great that you're starting TODAY on a life-transforming journey through the Bible! The Digging Deeper Daily plan will help you be successful in your commitment to read the whole Bible in a year. The unique order of the readings— together with the brief devotional notes, will help you see the various threads that unify the message of the Old and the New Testaments. I...
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NL-Day365 Malachi 4; Isaiah 66; Revelation 22
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
As I finish this podcast series, I am really thankful for this year-long experience. If you are one of the faithful ones who have listened through a year’s worth of daily podcasts— and no matter whether this has taken longer than a year, I say Way to go! I sincerely hope these podcasts have been a blessing for you— as they have been for me. I hope that nothing that I have said has caused you to stumble or decreased your desire to study God’s Word. I started this project in the hope that my four grandchildren would— in some future year, listen to this series of recordings. Now we...
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NL-Day364 Malachi 3; Isaiah 66; Revelation 21
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
MALACHI 3: In chapters 1-2 yesterday, we heard how skeptical and sassy the Israelites had become. This came out in the way Malachi has the people of Israel talk back to God. The first is like this: Mal. 1:2 NLT “I have always loved you,” says the LORD. But you retort, “Really? Topics for such exchanges included offering sacrifices that don’t show appropriate honor to God, breaking covenants of marriage through divorce, and not honoring God as the God of justice. Two more sassy exchanges happen in today’s reading. ISAIAH 66: I highlight verse 17 from chapter 65, as it foreshadows what...
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NL-Day363 Malachi 1-2; Isaiah 65; Revelation 20
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
MALACHI 1-2: We heard a very difficult conclusion to Zechariah yesterday. Chapter 14 started out with horrendous news for Jerusalem. But the Lord himself steps in: Zec. 14:3 NLT Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart … We will see the following from Zech 14 very soon in Revelation: Zec. 14:5c NLT “Then the LORD my God will come, and all his holy ones with him. 6 On that day the sources of light will no longer shine, 7 yet...
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NL-Day362 Zechariah 14; Isaiah 65; Revelation 19
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
ZECHARIAH 14: Unfortunately, we have not yet seen the fulfillment of this prophecy from the end of Zechariah 12: Zec. 12:10 NLT “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died. (The podcast notes for the previous episode contain a translation note on this verse.) However, this part has been fulfilled from the beginning of chapter 13: Zec. 13:1 “On that day a fountain will be...
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NL-Day361 Zechariah 12-13; Isaiah 64; Revelation 18
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
ZECHARIAH 12-13:Several times I have noted Zechariah and other prophets who use the figure of shepherding a flock— picturing God’s people. In chapter 11, there were puzzling verses where Zechariah evidently performed an outward demonstration involving two staffs. Other prophets did such demonstrations. In this one, evidently Zechariah stood in for the Messiah. The two staffs were named Favor and Union. Our Messiah, Jesus, came to restore us to God’s favor and give us unity as God’s people— no matter from what race. The 30 pieces of silver is spoken of with irony: “this magnificent...
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NL-Day360 Zechariah 10-11; Isaiah 63; Revelation 17
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
ZECHARIAH 10-11: As we have seen before, the Lord loves names and delights to give new names. In Zec. 8 He said, Zec. 8:3 NLT Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will be called the Holy Mountain. In Zec. 9 we read the verse Matthew quotes in chapter 21 about Jesus coming riding on the foal of a donkey. The verse is also alluded to in John 12:15. And we heard this verse about the New Jerusalem: Zec. 9:16 NLT On that day the LORD their God will rescue his people, just as a shepherd rescues his sheep. They will sparkle in his land...
info_outlineJONAH 3-4:
Running from God didn’t work for Jonah. When saved from the ocean, Jonah grudgingly obeys God.
For most of my life I have been fooled by Jonah's prayer in chapter 2, and I am not alone, because others have called it, “One of the great prayers in the Bible.” For most of the prayer, Jonah simply borrowed verses from the Psalms. And there is nothing wrong with that! However, if you look closer, Jonah prayed a me-centered and self-righteous prayer. The worst thing about it is there is no hint of repentance or asking forgiveness.
PSALM 137:
As a musician, I can imagine what the musician who wrote this felt. The imprecation at the end should be taken in view of God’s justice. Compare the thought here with Rev. 6:9 and following verses (the cry of the saints under the altar), and also the ending chapters of Revelation that portray the vengeful judgment against ‘Babylon’— which in that book is used as a figurative name.
Rereading JOHN 17:
Note again the importance of the organic bond of union between the Father, the Son, and we who believe in Jesus. Again note the bond of love. Note that our Savior actually prays for us. And this is because we live in a world that is not our home.
NLT Translation notes:
John 17:1 After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify [Me— ]your Son[,] so [that I//he] can give glory back to you.
2 For you have given [Me/him] authority over everyone. [I give//He gives] eternal life to each one you have given [to Me//him].
3 [Parenthesis by John:] And this is the way to have [that] eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.
11 Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, [you have given me your power. Now protect them by your power and for the sake of your reputation.//you have given me your name;b now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.]
12 During my time here, I protected them by the power you gave me.c I guarded them so that not one was lost, [0//of the name]except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.
21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are [joined together with/in] me, Father, and I am [joined with//in] you. And may they be [joined as one with/in] us so that the world will believe you sent me.
23 I am [joined together with//in] them and you are [joined together with//in] me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
25 “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I [know you//do]; and these disciples know you sent me.
26 I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be [joined together as one with//in] them.”
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.