Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields

Join us in reading through the whole NLT Bible in 365 20-minute-long podcasts! This podcast was previously named Daily Bible Reading.

NL-Day228 Jeremiah 50; Proverbs 10:16-32; 1 John 3:19-4:21 08/09/2026

NL-Day228 Jeremiah 50; Proverbs 10:16-32; 1 John 3:19-4:21 JEREMIAH 50:Finally after hearing messages prophesying against so many nations, always telling or implying that the Babylonians would be God’s instrument to punish them, now this long chapter tells how Babylon will finally be judged as well, and God will return to take pity on Israel. PROVERBS 10b:Here is an example of Hebrew parallelism from today’s 2nd half of Proverbs 10: Pro. 10:23 NLT Doing wrong is fun for a fool,but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible. ‘Fool’ and ‘the sensible’ oppose each other. “Doing wrong is fun for a fool,” and it seems like ‘fun’ would only be temporary. Whereas the sensible who live wisely receive ‘pleasure’, which is much longer lasting than the ‘fun’ the fools get. 1JOHN 3:19—4:Chapter 3 of 1John circles around the theme of being children of God. There are important verses at the end of chapter 3 which can provide assurance and power when we pray. If our consciences do not condemn us— which is strongly related to living the way John has urged us in this chapter, then we can boldly come to God in prayer and have courage to ask for ‘whatever’. I have met people with overactive consciences. If you are the kind of person who always feels guilty even though you have just finished asking God for forgiveness, this passage helps you too! Verse 20 says “God is greater than our conscience and he knows everything.” He knows if you are having trouble believing that Jesus would forgive you, or if evil spirits are whispering false guilt messages to you. Read the chapter again and see how you are doing in the areas John mentions. Pray asking the Holy Spirit to remove false guilt, or to reveal any reason you keep feeling guilty. Here is just one of many: If there are people you have harmed, make restitution. THEN, when you have done this homework, pray with boldness, because you have done everything needed to have a clear conscience. NLT Translation notes:1Jn. 4:13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live [joined together with//in] him and he [joined together with//in] us. 15 All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live [joined together with//in] God.16 We [have come to] know how much God loves us, and we have [believed fully//put our trust] in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5479208

NL-Day227 Jeremiah 49; Proverbs 10:1-17; 1 John 2:28-3:24 08/09/2026

NL-Day226 Jeremiah 48; Proverbs 9; 1 John 2 08/09/2026

NL-Day226 Jeremiah 48; Proverbs 9; 1 John 2 JEREMIAH 48:In yesterday’s reading, the Lord began giving oracles about different nations, with one chapter concerning Egypt and the next one about Philistia. Today we’ll hear about Moab. PROVERBS 9:Today’s chapter is the last of the thematic chapters at the beginning of this book. Lady Wisdom speaks, and we find that she is opposed by Lady [Folly/Stupidity]. 1JOHN 2:John continues to address us as his dear children, and tells us things that we must know in order to be on guard and remain in fellowship with the Father and the Son. NLT Translation notes:Pro. 9:7 Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return.Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt.[I think we might as well let Lady Wisdom speak all the way through here.]11 [I,] Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life.12 If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit.If you scorn [me,] wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.====1Jn. 2:6 Those who say they live in [unity, joined with] God should live their lives as Jesus did.9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates [his/a] Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone who loves [his/another] brother[s and/or] sister[s] is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.11 But anyone who hates [his/another] brother[s and/or] sister[s] is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.12 I am writing to you who are [my dear//God’s] childrenbecause your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.14I have written to you who are [my/God’s] childrenbecause you know the Father.I have written to you who are mature in the faithbecause you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.I have written to you who are young in the faithbecause you are strong.God’s word lives in your hearts,and you have won your battle with the evil one.20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit,and [that is why] all of you know the truth. 21 So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you [already] know the difference between truth and lies. 22 And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is [a follower of the/an] antichrist. 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5478010

NL-Day225 Jeremiah 46-47; Proverbs 8:17-36; 1 John 1 08/09/2026

NL-Day224 Jeremiah 44-45; Proverbs 8:1-21; 1 Corinthians 16 08/09/2026

NL-Day223 Jeremiah 42-43; Proverbs 7; 1 Corinthians 15:20-58 08/09/2026

NL-Day223 Jeremiah 42-43; Proverbs 7; 1 Corinthians 15:20-58 JEREMIAH 42-43:I have always found it fascinating what Jeremiah experienced in the aftermath of the fall of Judah's kingdom to the king of Babylon. It is interesting to me that he was led away in chains along with everyone else captured. But the king of Babylon had heard of him and left instructions about him. And it is a shame what happened to Gedaliah. Evidently Jeremiah was not around at that point to warn him. PROVERBS 7:The father instructing his son continues from yesterday’s reading. This is one of the most colorful chapters in God’s Word. If you haven’t read this before, prepare yourself to be shocked! 1CORINTHIANS 15b:Yesterday we read the first part of this famous Resurrection Chapter. The first part displays Paul's rigorous logic about the fact of Christ’s resurrection. The second part deals with the kind of body we will have after the Resurrection. All of this chapter holds wonderful promises for us. Let’s consider a few verses we will reread today dealing with being baptized for deceased people: We do not find evidence that the practice was widespread or that it continued. Constable’s Notes for this section (lumina.bible.org) cites information that there was a pre-Christian mystery religion in the area of Corinth that practiced proxy baptism on behalf of dead relatives. Some early Corinthian Christians may have carried this practice over into their new faith, or Paul may simply have been using this local pagan religious practice as an example in order to say, “What is the point of doing that if the dead will not be raised to life?” Paul does not mention this practice in order to encourage it, but to strengthen his point: The resurrection of all believers is a promise that follows logically from Christ’s resurrection. NLT Translation notes:1Cor. 15:2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you[. Otherwise, it was useless that you became believers in the first place! //—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.///unless you never believed it in the first place.][This is a difficult place to interpret what Paul meant, and I think at least 3 possibilities deserve consideration, and all seem to me to be equally possible.]29 If the dead will not be raised, what point is there in people being baptized for those who are dead? Why [have some people done that//do it] unless the dead will someday rise again? 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5474897

NL-Day222 Jeremiah 40-41; Proverbs 6; 1 Corinthians 15:1-34 08/09/2026

NL-Day222 Jeremiah 40-41; Proverbs 6; 1 Corinthians 15:1-34 JEREMIAH 40-41:Yesterday we heard of Jeremiah being put in a dry but muddy well, and being rescued by the faithful official, Ebed-melech. And we heard the terrible and painful result of Zedekiah's cowardly failure to do as repeatedly instructed by the Lord. Ezekiel— who was about 20 years younger than Jeremiah, prophesied about Zedekiah: Ezek 12:12 NLT “Even Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at night through a hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him. He will cover his face, and his eyes will not see the land he is leaving.13 Then I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, though he will never see it, and he will die there. PROVERBS 6:In yesterday’s chapter we heard a clear theme: Prov. 5:15 NLT Drink water from your own well—share your love only with your wife. The teaching in today’s passage is insistent: Prov. 6:20 NLT My son, obey your father’s commands,and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. 1CORINTHIANS 15a:In yesterday’s reading of chapter 14 Paul wrapped up the theme about spiritual gifts that he started in chapter 12. Note that at the end he became vehement and insistent, signalling that he knew there would be people who would argue with him. I want to underline: Paul was the apostle of the Lord who wrote 13 books of our New Testament. Every church and Christian fellowship should take these instructions seriously. If we don't, we fall into the trap of thinking we are wiser than Paul (and we can even say, the Holy Spirit). However, those who seek spiritual gifts in a way that is not self-glorifying will find that the Spirit of the Lord still gives authentic gifts. NLT Translation notes:1Cor. 15:2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you[. Otherwise, it was useless that you became believers in the first place! //—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.///unless you never believed it in the first place.][This is a difficult place to interpret what Paul meant, and I think at least 3 possibilities deserve consideration, and all seem to me to be equally possible.]29 If the dead will not be raised, what point is there in people being baptized for those who are dead? Why [have some people done that//do it] unless the dead will someday rise again? 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5474840

NL-Day221 Jeremiah 38-39; Proverbs 5; 1 Corinthians 14 08/02/2026

NL-Day220 Jeremiah 36-37; Proverbs 4:14-27; 1 Corinthians 12:27-13:31 08/02/2026

NL-Day220 Jeremiah 36-37; Proverbs 4:14-27; 1 Corinthians 12:27-13:31 JEREMIAH 36-37:In yesterday's reading in Jeremiah, he gave more specific warnings to King Zedekiah. And then we heard of the inspiring example of the Recabites. PROVERBS 4b:Yesterday in the first half of chapter 4, we heard again about Lady Wisdom. I highlight these important words: Prov. 4:7 GNT Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do. Whatever else you get, get insight.10 Listen to me, my child. Take seriously what I am telling you, and you will live a long life. 11 I have taught you wisdom and the right way to live. 12 Nothing will stand in your way if you walk wisely, and you will not stumble when you run. Solomon introduces some of these words saying that he was taught them by his father, which would be, of course, King David. It is interesting to consider that we could be hearing some of David's wisdom in those verses. 1CORINTHIANS 13:Spiritual gifts are important! They are sovereignly given by the Holy Spirit. We will be happiest and the most productive in our ministries when we function in accordance with our gifting from God. Every believer is given a gift, and chapter 12 portrays with clear analogies how the gifts are to used in the context of the body. So don’t assume that you can go off anywhere outside your local body and use your gift. My experience is that gifting can change a bit based on what local body you are participating in. The Holy Spirit can loan a gift to you at any time. The gifts are to help us function as a unified body, NOT to divide us— as so sadly has happened again and again. Selfishness is diametrically opposed to spiritual gifts. So, as important as spiritual gifts are, there is something more important, as we will hear today. 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5471695

NL-Day219 Jeremiah 34-35; Proverbs 4:1-14; 1 Corinthians 12 08/02/2026

NL-Day219 Jeremiah 34-35; Proverbs 4:1-14; 1 Corinthians 12 JEREMIAH 34-35:In yesterday’s reading, Jeremiah bought a field according to the Lord’s instructions. Under the circumstances, that seemed a futile thing to do. He prayed, and the Lord used the situation as a backdrop for wonderful promises to the nation of Israel. In chapter 33:3 we heard a frequently quoted verse which says, Jer. 33:3 NLT Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come. Please do NOT rip a verse like this out of context and then boast that you have become a prophet like Jeremiah. There are some wonderful verses in God’s Word that we should be very careful about ‘claiming’ as applying to us. See what the ‘remarkable secrets’ ‘about things to come’ are by re-reading that chapter! I highlighted a verse earlier in Jeremiah where the coming Righteous King was named, ‘The Lord Our Salvation.’ In yesterday’s reading it was the city of Jerusalem that is so named. Jer. 33:16 NLT In that day Judah will be savedand Jerusalem will live in safety.And this will be [Jerusalem’s/its] name:‘The LORD is Our Righteousness.’ There is no conflict in this. The Lord is emphasizing something! Keep it in mind. PROVERBS 4a:Proverbs 3 extolled the virtues of Lady Wisdom and ended with various nuggets of wisdom. Here are verses that stood out to me from that chapter: NLT Prov. 3:21 My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment.Hang on to them,…24 You can go to bed without fear;you will lie down and sleep soundly.25 You need not be afraid of sudden disasteror the destruction that comes upon the wicked,26 for the LORD is your security. … 1CORINTHIANS 12:Yesterday’s chapter has two clear parts. NLT has given this helpful section heading for the first section of chapter 11, verses 2-16: Instructions for Public Worship. The section includes Paul’s instruction about head coverings for women in worship services. I think it behooves us to pay attention any time an apostle becomes emphatic or vehement in his language. Verse 16 is a case in point: 1Cor. 11:16 NLT But if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other custom than this, and neither do God’s other churches. I therefore feel that we cannot just write off what Paul was saying as no longer relevant because it seems not to fit in our culture. Yes, this section certainly is discordant with our modern culture. But I maintain that this should make us pay closer attention to it. God’s Word consistently shows that our Creator wants men and women to have different roles, not just in worship services, but in marriage and in life itself. Beside the God-designed role-differences between men and women, note that Paul gives another reason for his instructions: Angels are present and watching our public services. What angels think about the roles of men and women has probably not shifted to fit our modern culture. For anyone who thinks that verse 15 means that long hair can substitute for the ‘covering’ Paul intends in the previous verses, please see the footnote found for that verse in the NET. The second section is the often-quoted teaching about the Lord’s supper. My opinion is that ‘honoring/discerning the body of Christ’ in 11:29 is about recognizing the symbolism of the Lord’s body in the communion elements, not about the united and universal church as the ‘body of Christ’. The Lord’s Supper should never be allowed to become a routine event. I have visited a church where communion was taken without explanation, like serving oneself coffee and doughnuts at a buffet while everyone else is singing. Instead, the Lord’s supper should be a solemn, dignified, and thought-provoking time. Beware that failure to give proper respect to the Lord’s body and blood can cause the church to come under the Lord’s discipline, which according to verse 30 can result in physical weakness, sickness, and even death. NLT Translation note:1Cor. 12:29 Are we all apostles? [No.] Are we all prophets? [No.] Are we all teachers? [No.] Do we all have the power to do miracles? [No.] 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5471592

219: Buckle the Belt of Truth Lesson4: Resist Satan 08/02/2026

219: Buckle the Belt of Truth Lesson4: Resist Satan Day 4 THEME: Buckle up the belt of truth about RESISTING SATAN. All of the Buckling the belt episodes are scattered throughout the Bible reading calendar. This episode will be folded in at episode 219. You can find this and all the other Buckling the belt episodes by searching for the word ‘buckling’ at dailybiblereading.info. Searching for that word might also work in your podcast app. After searching for answers in the Bible and reading a few books that talked about the topics we read about in days 1-3, I found myself still bothered and worried because I couldn’t seem to experience the level of victory that others talked about. I will tell the story today about how the Lord gave me the answer to my problem by showing me how to resist Satan. Satan is alive and well. Yes, there are demons. No, Satan himself probably doesn’t have time to bother you or me directly. But he leads an army of evil spirits. They will not want you to listen to this podcast. Please try to push through their opposition. The more you feel interference and oppression, the greater your need is for the information I will share. Because I am concerned that we get a good start on this topic, and with the hope that you will be able to listen to this podcast to the end, I would like to pray this prayer based on Ephesians 6: How to pray to make sure you are wearing your spiritual armor: Lord God, give me strength to stand firm. Help me to wear all of the spiritual armor You have given to me, so that I can stand against Satan and his forces: Please remind me that I am always wearing the breastplate of righteousness, because Jesus died and was raised to life, and He has given me right standing in your sight. Help me to keep on the boots of the Gospel, being ready to share the good news about Christ whether people are eager to hear it or not. May I always wear the belt of truth, realizing who I am in unity with You, and therefore never letting go of my shield, which is fully believing in You. May I always have the helmet of salvation, because I know You have saved me. Help me to know the Word of God and use it as my sword, not to hurt people, but to tell the truth in a spirit of love. And help me to never forget that my instant connection to You is prayer. Make my love grow for my fellow believers, and may Jesus find me among those who are blameless and holy when He comes. The existence of Satan and his dark forces is something that those same forces normally seek to suppress. That’s why many in today’s Western culture can read the whole Bible and never notice that we have a living and dangerously powerful enemy. Satan first appears in Genesis 3, then his work is visible in the OT in the kingdoms of man opposed to God and his people, and in the persistent, seeming unconquerable desire of humans to worship idols, which actually represent demons. Take a close look at the things demon worshippers did in the OT, and you will see the same evil things in our culture today, including such things as male and female prostitution, and the killing of babies. Then in the NT, Satan is more personally revealed, starting with Jesus being tempted by him and with Jesus directly teaching about him. If you were to cross out every page in the NT that mentions Satan, evil spirits, or believers somehow struggling against the dark forces, you wouldn’t have very many pages left. The book of Revelation would be totally missing. So, we have an enemy, and he’s not nice. As I have said in my podcast, demon possession in the Bible is not what we now refer to as mental disease. I do not discount that there is real mental disease. But I believe that we are unwise to think that there is no spiritual component in such things as depression, suicidal ideation, gender disphoria, schitsophrenia, and all the rest. I suggest that if we don’t deal with the root causes of such things, we will only be able to medicate ourselves in an attempt to deal with the symptoms. My topic today comes with a big caution label, which I will read to you now: Many followers of Christ will be able to use the Scriptures and books I will suggest without outside help and see increasing victory over evil desires and sinful habits of thinking. I suggest you start with my recommended resources, especially the seven Steps for Freedom in Christ by Neil T. Anderson. But if you encounter stiff spiritual opposition, please seek the help of a professional Christian counselor or a loving group of believers who will encourage you, pray with you, and help you stay accountable. One basic problem for me was that I thought Christians should not verbally rebuke the Devil, because the archangel Michael did not do so in the story Jude relates (Jude 1:9). (He told Satan, “May the Lord rebuke you.”) But there are several key ways my hesitancy was wrong. 1) We are commanded at least three times in the NT to resist Satan. (1Peter 5:8-9; James 4:7; Eph. 6) 1 Peter 5:8‭-‬9 NLT Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. James 4:7 NLT So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 2) Resisting the Devil and forbidding his minions speaking to you is not the same as the prideful ‘insulting’ of spiritual powers that Jude was speaking against. 3) As we have seen in previous readings, we are now adopted as children of God. We are now unified with Jesus. This means that we have quite a different and better position than angels. Footnote: There is some kind of legal permission that has been granted when a demon has established a stronghold in someone. Because of that, (unless the person being harrassed is your own young child) it will not be appropriate for you to command a demon to leave another person. (Yes, I know that the apostle Paul did that in Acts 16:16-18, and Jesus certainly had that authority in Luke 8:29.) Please don’t try to cast out someone else’s demons. (The response could get ugly.) However YOU do have the legal authority to resist and forbid demonic influences harassing you. Because of your unity with Christ, you can rescind permission that was somehow previously given (by a reaction to some event or word, perhaps long ago and forgotten by you). Our authority over Satanic forces operating in our lives comes directly from who we are in Christ. It’s so important to know who you are! If you see yourself as a weak and sinful person who is continually not able to control sinful thoughts, then that is who you will be. But if you have done your previous homework to buckle the belt of truth— believing that you are forgiven, loved by Christ, and joined as one with him— then you are on the road to finding victory. Who we believe ourselves to be will be shown in our lives. Don’t believe Satan’s lies! Let me tell you how that worked out for me. We had been working among the Orya people for 9 years, and I was in the village of Gwae leading the men working with me in translating Philippians. Two Orya boys were staying with me at night, since Gale was not with me. It was at Pentecost time and there were several extra church meetings. In one of them the pastor (Yakub) led a hymn in the national language, too high, too slow, and sounding like a dirge. I said to him, “There’s no joy in these hymns.” And in rare candor he replied, “Yeah, you’re right. There is no joy in these hymns.” So I suggested, “How about if I write several songs in the Orya language to sing at the Sunday service?” And he agreed. Starting that night, the boys and I put together three catchy little songs with melodies you could clap hands with. On Sunday, I cajoled the congregation to clap their hands while singing them. (It wasn’t easy to get them to do it, because clapping was never done in that church.) But they finally got into it, and I have pictures of the smiles that resulted. Being a musician, I had tried introducing Orya worship songs before, but this was my first success. The boys and I created 8 more songs over the next 10 days. Then one Monday morning, when the translation team came to work, they told me, “Lëberina had a dream and you were in it. She’s gonna come this afternoon at five to tell you about it.” That day I could hardly wait for 5 o’clock to finally come! But I want to admit (and I want you to remember) that there was a tinge of worry in my waiting. I was thinking, “Oh no. What if her dream reveals something sinful in me.” Lëberina was the oldest widow in the village. She was also respected for her knowledge of traditional Orya songs. She came right on time and told me, “It was evening in my dream. It was dark and people were cooking in their kitchens. Then all of a sudden there was a bright light in the direction of the sunrise. The light was so bright that it put out all the cooking fires and lanterns. We all went outside to see what was happening. You were there too, so we asked you, ‘What’s that?’ And you said, ‘That’s got to be Jesus coming again.’ And then you taught us a song, and here it is: Bian, enho enkam kië gwë’an. Bian, enho enkam kië gwë’an. Kwasang, kwasang enkam.” I didn’t waste any time in writing down the melody and words of the song that I had sung in her dream. Later, the boys and I added two more verses, and it became one of our worship songs. Then I did a stupid and prideful thing: I said to the Lord, “Hey, I’m the missionary here. How about giving me a dream?” Bad idea! I don’t recommend being flippant with the Lord, especially if your prayer is laced with pride. I think it was that same night that the Lord gave me the dream I will never forget. I was in bed at night. Laying on my side, I could see out of the window with a lacy curtain that was directly across from me, and the moon was full. I could see an Orya man with an Afro haircut walking across the yard coming toward my house. He turned his flashlight on sparingly. His batteries were almost spent and it gave a very orange glow. I wondered if any of the ladies in the village were due to give birth. Maybe he was going to call me to some medical emergency. He stepped up on my porch, and because the house was built on stilts, the floor shook. There was an exercise bike on the porch in front of the window, and he got on and peddled a few turns. Turning the wheel activated a light on the front of the bike that shone in my window. As he lazily turned the wheel a few times more, I was beginning to not like this guy. He dismounted and came right up to the window, pointed his flashlight inside and turned it on. At that distance I knew that he could see me through the curtain. I was overcome with irrational fear and with great effort yanked my pillow from under my head and covered my face. I was drenched in sweat. And only then did I realize, “Hey, I don’t have a glass window in my bedroom! There is no lace curtain, and there definitely is no exercise bike with a generator light on the front anywhere in the province!” Now, I often have unmemorable nightmares. If I am about to be eaten by a large cat or crocodile, the interpretation is that I need to get up and go to the bathroom. Recently I was even threatened by three turkeys. The nightmare I just related held two important lessons for me. I will tell only the first one in this lesson, and save the second one for the next Buckling the Belt episode. I somehow knew that the man with the flashlight was evil. Could he represent an evil spirit? That same night, before going back to sleep, I humbly asked the Lord if He would show me if my dream indicated that there was an evil spirit somehow involved with me. The Lord did not keep me waiting very long for his answer. Right away He allowed me to hear my tempter’s voice. The demon only needed to whisper two words, and my mind went off on an evil trip, one that I had traveled thousands of times before. It is too shameful for me to tell you what that trip led to. Just imagine that it is like your own worst sinful lusts. Only a couple of weeks later, while that experience was still fresh in my mind, I was back with our family in the provincial capital of Jayapura. At the English-speaking worship service (attended by most missionaries with children in the school there), the sermon was given by a retired missionary who had come back for a visit (Jim Sunda). Jim told how the Lord had unexpectedly given a ministry of deliverance to him and his wife in their home church in the States. He told stories of people being freed from demonic oppression, and ended by saying that on Monday he would have time for anyone who wanted to talk with him. I was the first one to approach him at the end of the service. On Monday morning when I met with Jim, we sat across a small dining room table, and he asked several questions. I told him exactly why I thought I was being tempted by a demon. We gave the demon a title, ‘Demon of X’. (I’ll probably tell you the actual title we gave that demon in the next lesson. Footnote: Never ask a demon to speak or to tell you his name.) Jim explained the legal situation I explained above. He would not rebuke the demon directly, but he would suggest the words for me to pray to God, and then to speak directly to ‘Demon of X’, to forbid the evil spirit from doing anything with me. The prayer of confession and repentance that Jim led me through was relatively easy, but when we got to the step of forbidding the demon, he told me to look him directly in the eyes. With some effort, I focussed my eyes on his, but then quickly looked away. I objected that the archangel Michael didn’t rebuke the devil. He answered me like what I said above: Scripture explicitly commands us to resist Satan. OK, I had to admit that he was right, so we proceeded through that next step. Looking in Jim’s eyes I followed his suggestions, forbidding Demon X to come to me to harass, tempt, whisper, or bother me in any way. We also forbid him from bothering other members of our families. And we commanded him, “You go where Jesus sends you.” Immediately afterward, I didn’t feel like anything had happened to me. But when I got into my jeep to go home, a voice whispered, “That was a real good thing you just did.” Here’s the tricky thing: It was a good thing for me to do, but I recognized this message as a temptation to pride. “Oh no,” I thought, “now another voice is tempting me.” Jim already had a couple with him. So, using the rearview mirror, I looked myself in the eyes and resisted that demon of pride. For the next three days, I made repeated trips to the bathroom, in order to use the mirror there to look myself in the eyes. It seemed that the old demon was gone, but that he left his folder on me in the hands of others. Once or twice I had to smile, because the new ones knew the right words to tempt me, but their timing was terrible. (By the way, rebuke and resist demons verbally. They can’t hear silent rebukes, as far as anyone knows.) I was rejoicing because at last I felt free. Of course I immediately confessed everything to Gale. On the third day, she came to me. My total honesty moved her to confess things that she had held back from ever telling me before. We at last were truly unified in our marriage and in forgiveness toward each other. For years I had been praying that our work among the Orya people would not just be a wasted effort. There were lots of ways the Orya people were clearly enslaved to demons, including miracle-working shamans and a perverted cult that did shameful things. Now that I was free, the Lord allowed me to help set others free among the Orya people, doing the same steps I will recommend to you. One of the things Jim encouraged me to do daily was to pray through putting on the armor of God in Ephesians 6. I followed his advice for a few weeks. It may have helped. But I began to realize that putting the armor on had just become one of my morning rituals. Christians are not given magic words to repeat. Somewhere after that I saw that the pieces of armor are actually pillars of our belief in God. These pieces of armor reveal who we are in Christ, and therefore a Christian can never take off his/her armor. I also began searching for how we actually put on our spiritual armor. I like the way our Indonesian translation helps readers to understand how the various parts of the armor are actually applied or ‘picked up’ and ‘worn’. An English translation that shows how our Plain Indonesian Translation conveys those concepts is found at the bottom of the episode notes. And, it is basically the same way I led us in prayer at the start of this episode. Resources: Now I want to give resources to help you in resisting Satan and his dark forces. I recommend two books by Neil T. Anderson. The foundational best-sellers are Victory Over the Darkness and The Bondage Breaker. Get your hands on the newest revised versions. They are also available as ebooks. The subtitle for Victory Over the Darkness is Realizing the power of your identity in Christ. I would characterize this book as way better and more complete than the things I have shared in my first three lessons for buckling the belt of truth. The Bondage Breaker has the subtitle of Overcoming negative thoughts, irrational feelings, and habitual sins. If you are new to the whole topic I am sharing today, and if you agree that you are struggling against sinful thoughts or irrational feelings, if you are ashamed of habitual sins (as I was), or if you know that some sudden impulses seem to come from someone other than you, in the pages of this book you will find that you are not alone, and you are not crazy. Somewhere in the twelve chapters of The Bondage Breaker you’ll find someone like you that was set free from spiritual bondage. The seven Steps to Freedom in Christ I have mentioned are found in the appendix of The Bondage Breaker. They are also easily found on the Internet, and I am placing a link to them here in the episode notes. Each step will ask targeted questions and will lead you through some written prayers. It took me a little over an hour the other day to pray through all seven steps. If you don’t have time to read either of the two books suggested above, I urge you to work through the Steps to Freedom in Christ. After looking over the download options, I feel that the very best copy is the which is 80 pages and costs $4.49. As I prepared for this podcast (in the summer of 2023), I read a followup book: The Bondage Breaker, the Next Step, copyright 1991/2011. This book shares research findings about the success of Anderson’s counseling method, plus each chapter shares the testimony of someone who has been released from spiritual bondage. The end of the book gives information about the international scope of Freedom in Christ Ministries. There is a wealth of teaching materials available, training seminars, and many other books available at their website, . If you want to contact me, please use the contact button in the top menu bar of dailybiblereading.info or dailygntbiblereading.info. I will be praying for you, dear listener! May the Lord bless you ‘real good’. > Suggested reading for this episode are: 1PE.5.8-9 JAS.4.7 JAS.1.5-6 EPH.6.10-18 1JN.4.4 ROM.8.31-39 Plain English Translation of the Plain Indonesian Translation (TSI): PET: 10 As final instructions, you should each become strong because you keep on hoping completely in the Lord's amazing power, and also because you have become one with Him. 11 Just like a soldier wears his equipment for war, you must wear all the battle equipment that... /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/27654888

NL-Day218 Jeremiah 32-33; Proverbs 3:18-35; 1 Corinthians 11 08/02/2026

NL-Day218 Jeremiah 32-33; Proverbs 3:18-35; 1 Corinthians 11 JEREMIAH 32-33:In yesterday’s reading we heard some of Jeremiah’s most important words: Jer. 31:33-34 NLT … this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the LORD.“I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. … I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” When you think about it, what God has always wanted is rather simple: He would like to be our God, and He would like us to be— and act like, His people. PROVERBS 3b:Let’s read verses 5-8 as a reminder, because these represent the core of Proverbs. Proverbs 3:5‭-‬8 NLT 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. 7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 8 Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. 1CORINTHIANS 11:In chapter 10 Paul wrapped up his discussion about food offered to idols. And an important part is to learn from what happened to Israel. Finally he summarized: 1Cor. 10:31 NLT “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God.” NLT Translation notes:Prov. 3:14 For [she,] wisdom[,] is more profitable than silver,and her wages are better than gold.15 Wisdom is more precious than rubies;nothing you desire can compare with [Lady Wisdom//her].====1Cor. 11:3 But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is [the] man [(her husband or her father)], and the head of Christ is God.5 But a woman dishonors her head if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this [would be//is] the same as shaving her head. 6 Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair! But since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut [short] or her head shaved, she should wear a covering.8 For the first man didn’t come from woman, but the first woman came from man. 9 And [the first] man was not made for [the first] woman, but [the first] woman was made for [the first] man. 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5469581

NL-Day217 Jeremiah 30-31; Proverbs 3:1-18; 1 Corinthians 10:1-11:1 08/02/2026

NL-Day217 Jeremiah 30-31; Proverbs 3:1-18; 1 Corinthians 10:1-11:1 JEREMIAH 30-31:Yesterday we heard more of Jeremiah’s struggle against false prophets. And now so many centuries later, in our day, the false message is what people desire to hear, even though the truth is actually better for us and much better for our preparation. There is an often quoted verse from yesterday’s reading. I think it is good to bear in mind that this was NOT spoken to the Jews left behind in Israel's land, but was part of the letter to the exiles in Babylon. Jer. 29:11 NLT For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. I think it is great to pray to the Lord and ask that He would treat you the same way as the exiles in Babylon. I don’t think it is good to rip this verse out of context and claim it as applying directly to you. However, regarding our future and hope, and how God listens to us when we pray, there are many other verses, especially in the New Testament, that we can claim. PROVERBS 3a:In yesterday’s reading we heard that following the path of wisdom is the way of common sense, and that leads one to avoid reckless sin of all kinds. It is best to follow the example of godly people. Lady Wisdom appears again in today’s chapter in verses 13-18. Look for the pronouns ‘her’ and ‘she’ in most translations. 1CORINTHIANS 10:In chapter 8, we heard that Christians who have ‘superior wisdom’ sometimes need to give up their ‘rights’ for the sake of not causing their brothers and sisters to fall or be tempted. (Often not really ‘rights’, but privileges we get too possessive about.) And that led Paul in chapter 9 to talk of the rights he and Barnabas had given up for the Gospel. NLT Translation notes:Jer. 31:17 There is hope for your future,” says the LORD.“Your children will come [back] again to their own land.====Prov. 3:13 Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,the one who gains understanding.14 For [she,] wisdom[,] is more profitable than silver,and her wages are better than gold.15 Wisdom is more precious than rubies;nothing you desire can compare with [Lady Wisdom//her].18 Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her;happy are those who hold [on to] her tightly.====1Cor. 10:4 and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and [by that, I mean that] that rock was Christ.20 No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are [actually] offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons.24 Don’t [just] be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.28 (But suppose someone tells you, “This meat was offered to an idol.” [Then] Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. 29 It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.) [So now, someone is sure to ask, “[:/For] why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? 30 If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it?[”] 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5468723

NL-Day216 Jeremiah 28-29; Proverbs 2; 1 Corinthians 9 08/02/2026

NL-Day215 Jeremiah 26-27; Proverbs 1; 1 Corinthians 8 08/02/2026

NL-Day215 Jeremiah 26-27; Proverbs 1; 1 Corinthians 8 JEREMIAH 26-27:In yesterday’s reading, some important points were revealed: The people the Lord was about to send into exile to the North would return to Him wholeheartedly and God would bring them back to their land. God would put it into their hearts to return to him! Those remaining in the land at the point of exile and their king would be scattered, cursed, and vanish. The exiles would come back after 70 years, and afterward Babylon would have its turn to be punished and would remain a ruin forever— as in fact it is! That 70 year time was important to the prophet Daniel when he discovered it when reading this book! PROVERBS 1:In our poetry readings this year, we started with Job, then Psalms, and now we enter the wisdom literature with Proverbs. Solomon wrote and compiled these proverbs around the year 950 BC, in the height of Israel’s golden age. We will hear the theme statement of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes today in verse 7 (NLT), “Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge.” There is a clear division in the organization of this book. The first 9 chapters are highly thematic and are especially directed to giving wisdom to Solomon’s sons. Then there are proverbs giving every-day advice to everyone, followed by advice to rulers. The very last chapter is the one that extols the blessedness of having a wise wife. I thank Kayla Gray for reading the parts of Lady Widsom throughout the first part of Proverbs. Kayla and Austin Gray, with their five children, are members of our church, and (currently in 2024) are preparing for roles with Pioneer Bible Translators in Dallas. 1CORINTHIANS 8:Summarizing important points about our position that we have heard in 1 Corinthians 6-7: Remember that we are joined as one with Christ— as in the vine and branch metaphors. We are ‘of one spirit with the Lord’. (6:17) We each have become the ‘temple of God's Spirit’. (6:19) We are in the humble yet honored position of being ‘slaves’ of the Lord, the King of Kings. (7:22) We are not our own. We have been bought with a high price. (6:20 and 7:23) NLT Translation note:1Cor.8:13 So if what I eat [would cause/causes] another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble. 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5468616

NL-Day214 Jeremiah 24-25; Psalm 150; 1 Corinthians 6:17-7:40 07/26/2026

NL-Day214 Jeremiah 24-25; Psalm 150; 1 Corinthians 6:17-7:40 JEREMIAH 24-25:A stunning prophecy was given in yesterday's reading: Jer. 23:5-6 NLT “For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant* from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. 6 And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’* In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. How amazing it is that this identity of ‘The Lord Our Salvation/Righteousness’ is specifically linked with the Righteous Descendant— whom we now know is Jesus! Yesterday's reading, from chapter 23, verse 33 contains an interesting command about not calling the Lord's message a ‘burden’. Note that in the Hebrew this is a play on words using the word ‘burden’ which can also mean ‘message’. In other words, the people ask, “What is the Lord’s message(meaning 2)” and Jeremiah is told to reply, “You are the burden(meaning 1).” Some Christian leaders today would do well to note God’s angry statements about the prophets who pan off prophecies that just come from their own imaginations as coming from the Lord. I would not like to be in their shoes on Judgment Day! PSALM 150:The exuberant finale to the psalms! 1CORINTHIANS 6:17—7:Yesterday's reading in 1 Corinthians started out with Paul rebuking the Corinthian Christians for taking their fellow believers to court before secular judges. Paul returned briefly the theme of sexual sin. Then, in supporting his points, Paul gave some of the most amazing verses in all Scripture about our position in unity with Christ. Let’s review the last four verses of chapter 6 to make the connection with chapter 7. NLT Translation notes:1Cor. 7:1 Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain [totally] from sexual relations.22 And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in [because you are joined with] the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5464992

NL-Day213 Jeremiah 23; Psalm 149; 1 Corinthians 6 07/26/2026

NL-Day213 Jeremiah 23; Psalm 149; 1 Corinthians 6 JEREMIAH 23:In yesterday's reading, we heard how king Zedekiah sent two men to Jeremiah to ask him for help to pray for a miracle. And God made it ever so clear that no miracle of deliverance would be given. Jeremiah repeatedly tells the king what he needs to do, but Zedekiah just couldn’t bring himself to do it. The area of giving justice was especially prominent in yesterday's readings. PSALM 149:We old saints should not despise all of the new songs of the young saints. Yet I totally understand the desire to avoid change. Here we see that Scripture commands that we sing new songs. And this whole psalm can be taken as a prelude to what we will see in the book of Revelation. 1CORINTHIANS 6:A few days ago I challenged you to find out what was special about the quote in John 19 about none of Jesus’ bones being broken. In yesterday’s reading in 1Corinthians 5, we heard several metaphors relating to that based on Jesus being our Passover Lamb. And now as we start chapter 6, we have a chapter break at the right place, as Paul starts a new topic. NLT Translation notes:Jer. 23:33 The Lord said to me, “Jeremiah, when one of these people, or a prophet, or a priest asks you, ‘What [burden/burdensome message] do you have from the Lord?’ [(meaning a message from me,)] Tell them, ‘You are the burden, and I will cast you away. I, the Lord, affirm it! [There is a play on words here that is really hard to translate, and NLT doesn’t show that in a way that makes sense to me. So I am basing the reading more on the NET.]34 I will punish any prophet, priest, or other person who [refers to a message from me as a burden//says “The Lord’s message is burdensome].” I will punish both that person and his whole family.’”35 So I, Jeremiah, tell you, “Each of you people should say to his friend or his relative, ‘How did the Lord answer? Or what did the Lord say?’ 36 You must no longer [refer to a message from the Lord as a “burden”.//say that the Lord’s message is burdensome.] [NLT 1996 version: For people are using it to give authority to their own ideas, turning upside down the words of our God, the living God, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.//For what is ‘burdensome’ really pertains to what a person himself says. You are misrepresenting the words of our God, the living God, the Lord who rules over all.] 37 Each of you should merely ask the prophet, ‘What answer did the Lord give you? Or what did the Lord say?’ 38 But just suppose you continue to [call the Lord’s message “a burden”.//say, ‘The message of the Lord is burdensome.’] Here is what the Lord says will happen: ‘I sent word to you that you must not [call my message a ‘burden’.//say, “The Lord’s message is burdensome.”] But you [continued to say that anyway.//used the words “The Lord’s message is burdensome” anyway.] 39 So I will carry you far off and throw you away. I will send both you and the city I gave to you and to your ancestors out of my sight.40 I will bring on you lasting shame and lasting disgrace which will never be forgotten!’”====1Cor. 6:11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on [0//the name of] the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.[This is a figure of speech called metonymy. ‘The name’ stands for the whole person. First of all, even though it sounds natural to us who have been around Bibles all our lives, it really is not natural English. One never would say, “Call on the name of Obama.” We would simply call Obama, or call to Obama. Secondly, calling on a name sounds as if we are given magic words. It would be idolatry to worship a thing (even a name) rather than the Person himself.] 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5461293

NL-Day212 Jeremiah 21-22; Psalm 148; 1 Corinthians 4:14-5:13 07/26/2026

NL-Day212 Jeremiah 21-22; Psalm 148; 1 Corinthians 4:14-5:13 JEREMIAH 21-22:These verses from Jeremiah 20 have been often quoted as a reason for memorizing Scripture: Jer. 20:9 NLT But if I say I’ll never mention the LORDor speak in his name,his word burns in my heart like a fire.It’s like a fire in my bones!I am worn out trying to hold it in!I can’t do it! Remember the priest Pashur who put Jeremiah in stocks. The Passhur that time was the son of Immer. Today it is evidently a different Passhur who visits Jeremiah, the son of Malchiah. PSALM 148:The ending psalms just keep getting more and more exuberant in praise 1CORINTHIANS 4:14—5:13Paul is about to drop a bombshell in chapter 5, and it is good to see the transition from chapter 4. NLT Translation notes:1Cor. 5:2 You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove [that/this] man from your fellowship.3 Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on [that/this] man 5 Then you must throw [that/this] man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.6 [Given that situation] Your boasting [0//about this] is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?[There is no “about this” in the Greek, and this is a place where one would not want to claim this as added implicit information. They were boasting about other things and sweeping this under the rug. And I find it very silly to use ‘person’ instead of ‘man’ a little further on. Gender sensitivity has become a bit too sensitive.]7 Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing [that wicked man//this wicked person] from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid [everyone/people] like that.12 It isn’t [our/my] responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. [Paul uses a rhetorical question here, “What have I to do with judging outsiders?” It is a good idea to translate this as a statement. I think that Paul’s intent is not just about himself judging, and the change of pronouns in the next sentence seems jarring to me as I read the NLT.] 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5451827

NL-Day211 Jeremiah 19-20; Psalm 147; 1 Corinthians 3:10-4:21 07/26/2026

NL-Day211 Jeremiah 19-20; Psalm 147; 1 Corinthians 3:10-4:21 JEREMIAH 19-20:In yesterday’s reading, we again heard some often-quoted verses. These verses come just after verses in chapter 17 where the Lord himself beautifully paraphrased Psalm 1: Jer. 17:9 NLT “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? 10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” Then in chapter 18, we also heard the famous passage about the Lord being like a potter, which Paul refers to in Romans 9. PSALM 147:Again this is quite a contrast with Jeremiah’s feelings which we just read! This is our second Hallelujah psalm. And hallelujah has been translated according to its meaning here as “Praise the LORD.” This psalm has incredible depth. 1CORINTHIANS 3:10—4:21Paul is still ‘going on about’ the same thing. He is going to return to the subject of himself and Apollos in chapter 4— which summarizes the division in the Corinthian church. To give the connection, let’s start reading at chapter 3 verse 10. NLT Translation notes:1Cor. 4:7 For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t [just] given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?10 Our dedication to Christ [paradoxically] makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed.13 We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. [0/Yet] we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash—right up to the present moment. 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5451804

NL-Day210 Jeremiah 17-18; Psalm 146; 1 Corinthians 3 07/26/2026

NL-Day210 Jeremiah 17-18; Psalm 146; 1 Corinthians 3 JEREMIAH 17-18:One catches so clearly how trapped Jeremiah was in the time of God’s judgment, and how hot God’s anger was against Judah. Jeremiah’s audience would not have appreciated him telling them where the Lord said they could ‘go’! No wonder he so often weeps and cries out in despair. God’s verdict in 15:2, which shows his sovereign choices, is repeated in Revelation: Jer. 15:1 Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel were standing here pleading with me, I would not show these people any mercy. Make them go away; make them get out of my sight. 2 When they ask you where they should go, tell them that I have said:Some are doomed to die by disease—that's where they will go!Others are doomed to die in war—that's where they will go!Some are doomed to die of starvation—that's where they will go!Others are doomed to be taken away as prisoners—that's where they will go! PSALM 146:This is the first of five Hallelujah psalms. In the GNT, ‘hallelujah’ is translated, “Praise the Lord.” 1CORINTHIANS 3:The topic of this chapter is still related to that verse from Jeremiah that Paul quoted about boasting, but only boasting about knowing the Lord. And this chapter builds on what Paul has just said about wisdom, as he moves into discussing how to think about different Christian leaders. NLT Translation notes:1Cor. 3:17 God will destroy anyone who destroys [his/this] temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you [(as a group)] are that temple.22 [(Implicit info) because of your unity with Christ, that includes/whether] Paul [and/or] Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. [Yes, in unity with Christ,] Everything belongs to you, 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5451346

NL-Day209 Jeremiah 15-16; Psalm 145; 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16 07/26/2026

NL-Day208 Jeremiah 13-14; Psalm 144; 1 Corinthians 1 07/26/2026

NL-Day208 Jeremiah 13-14; Psalm 144; 1 Corinthians 1 JEREMIAH 13-14:In yesterday’s reading, Jeremiah complained to the Lord, 12:1 “Lord, if I argued my case with you,you would [be shown//prove] to be right.Yet I must question you about matters of justice.Why are the wicked so prosperous?Why do dishonest people succeed? And the Lord replied in an answer that bears reading in context and needs some thinking about, “Jeremiah, if you get tired racing against people,how can you race against horses?If you can't even stand up in open country,how will you manage in the jungle by the Jordan? PSALM 144:This poem is quite a contrast with what we have just heard in Jeremiah. This is the joyful prayer of a king who is leading his people according to the will of God. 1Corinthians 1:In Paul’s day, Corinth was a metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea with a population of between one hundred and fifty thousand and three hundred thousand Roman citizens and about 460,000 slaves. There was evidently a healthy criminal population, and the city was a center of banking, so there were incredibly wealthy people there. The city was full of idol shrines of deities from Egypt, Greece, and Rome, and there was cult prostitution. Some commentators claim that 1 Corinthians contains parts of two letters from Paul, so that 2nd Corinthians might actually be a third or fourth letter. I don’t buy that. Key topics of the letter include the divisions in the church, the obstacles to sharing the Gospel, God’s wisdom as it appears to Greeks and Jews, partnership among apostles of Christ, vice in the church, various instructions about marriage, the Lord’s supper, food sacrificed to idols, Paul not cashing in on his rights as an apostle, spiritual gifts and the spiritual fruit of love, and the resurrection of Christ. NLT Translation notes:1Cor. 1:12 Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or [even] “I follow only Christ.”17 For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, [so//for fear] that the cross of Christ would lose its power.22 It is [foolishness/foolish] to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is [foolishness/foolish] to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.27 Instead, God chose things [and people] the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.30 God has [joined you as one//united you] with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5451156

NL-Day207 Jeremiah 11-12; Psalm 143; John 21 07/19/2026

NL-Day207 Jeremiah 11-12; Psalm 143; John 21 JEREMIAH 11-12:Yesterday we heard important verses in chapter 9:23-24, verses that Paul quotes more than once: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,or the powerful boast in their power,or the rich boast in their riches.But those who wish to boastshould boast in this alone:that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD … PSALM 143:It seems that prayer is very neglected these days. Oh yes, we might hear something vague about praying for victims right after some tragedy strikes. But it seems that every church has trouble keeping a prayer meeting going. I myself have trouble keeping my prayer life going. David shows in this psalm that he has learned secrets of effective prayer. Note how his prayer is very like how Jeremiah felt in the two chapters we just read. JOHN 21:This is one of my favorite chapters. John again tells us important information not given in the other gospels. Note that there is a famous exegetical fallacy here. John does use two different words for ‘love’ in the dialog between Jesus and Peter. But this should NOT be taken— as has been so frequently taught, as showing a play on words, or that John was intending different shades of meaning. Instead the use of synonyms is just a feature of John’s style in writing. John does this for poetic variation, like the parallelism in Hebrew poetry. Another example of this in this same passage is the variation of ‘little lambs’ and ‘sheep’. NLT Translation notes:John 21:7 Then [I—//0] the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. [Although John has thinly concealed his identity since chapter 1, it becomes clear in this chapter that he wants to make it clear that the eyewitness he has referred to as ‘the disciple Jesus loved’ was himself. (John did not want to boast of having been a disciple of Jesus, yet at the same time he wanted to show that this book is an eyewitness account.) Using this literary device is odd enough in English. In some languages of the world, translating this device literally would be so confusing that it is better to rephrase these passages so that John speaks in the first person. Translators who do this will add a footnote explaining why John used the third person instead of the first person. In my opinion, for a podcast like this, it will be much clearer for listeners to use the same technique, and this is my footnote explaining my changes to the NLT text.] 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5451131

NL-Day206 Jeremiah 9-10; Psalm 142; John 20 07/19/2026

NL-Day206 Jeremiah 9-10; Psalm 142; John 20 JEREMIAH 9-10:Being a prophet is not exactly an easy job. In 7:27 God told him, “Tell them all this, but do not expect them to listen. Shout out your warnings, but do not expect them to respond.” We’ll find that God told the same thing to more than one prophet around this same time. PSALM 142:When you are discouraged, here is a psalm to pray! JOHN 20:There are so many fulfillments of Scripture that happen in the crucifixion chapters in the Gospels that many times the authors didn’t take the time to highlight each one of them. The Jewish readers would have picked up on them without the need for an explanation. In verse 36, John highlighted one fulfillment, saying, “This was done to make the scripture come true: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken.’” I hope you remember what that was about! See Ps. 34:20, Ex. 12:46, Num. 9:12. If you don’t know, I hope this teaser will encourage you, because this is a golden gem. And Jesus’ death did not mean that he stopped fulfilling Scriptures. NLT Translation note:Jer. 9:10 But [YOU/the] LORD [are/is] the only true God.[You are//He is] the living God and the everlasting King!The whole earth trembles at [your/his] anger.The nations cannot stand up to [your/his] wrath.====Ps. 142:1 I cry out to [You, O/the] LORD;I plead for [your/the LORD’s] mercy.2 I pour out my complaints before [You/him]and tell [You/him] all my troubles.====John 20:1 Early on Sunday morning,a while it was still dark, Mary [— the woman from the village of Magdalene//Magdalene] came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 Peter and [I, John,//the other disciple] started out for the tomb. [This is so strange in many languages that it is translated in the first person. It is clear that John wanted that people know that this is an eye-witness account. This change I am making goes through this paragraph.]27 Then he said to Thomas, “[Thomas,] Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. [Instead] Believe!”31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in [Jesus/him] you will have life [through His power//by the power of his name]. 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5451028

NL-Day205 Jeremiah 7-8; Psalm 141; John 19:14-42 07/19/2026

NL-Day205 Jeremiah 7-8; Psalm 141; John 19:14-42 JEREMIAH 7-8:In this and several other prophetic books, it is important to observe where quotes begin and end, and who is speaking. The section headings are also very helpful to our understanding. Modern translators and editors use the heading to help modern readers understand such things as ancient poetic imagery. Yesterday's reading had this ironic statement spoken by the Lord: 5:19 When they ask why I did all these things, tell them, Jeremiah, that just as they turned away from me and served foreign gods in their own land, so they will serve strangers in a land that is not theirs.” PSALM 141:David received the answer to his prayer in verse 5, if this was written before his affair with Bathsheba. Nathan did what David prayed for here. This psalm contains gems that are well worth digging for and meditating on. JOHN 19b:I believe that John saw, and wanted us to feel, the extreme irony in many events that we have read. The ironic events and statements also didn’t happen by accident. It was not an accident that the mob who came to arrest Jesus stumbled back and fell when he said, “I am He.” That was— and still is, a sign from God. All of the statements of Pilate and the chief priests drip with irony which they could not see, but which we can. “I find no fault with this man!” “Behold your king!” “We have no king but Caesar!” “What is truth?” “Don’t release him, we want Barabbas!” NLT Translation notes:Jer. 7:8 “‘Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. [That’s/It’s] a lie! 11 Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves? Surely I see all the evil going on [here/there]. I, the LORD, have spoken!====John 19:3“Hail[ to you,!] King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face.12 Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of [the high king] Caesar.’ Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.”24 So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did [(without knowing they were fulfilling Scripture)].26 When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, [there/here] is your son.”[Here and in verse 27, the literal Greek is “See-imperative.” It is a matter of interpretation whether in the first instance Jesus could be saying, “See what I have become,” or, “Look at that guy next to you. He is your son.” The difference would be a nod of the head or a motion of Jesus’ eyes. I think that Jesus’ intention was correctly interpreted by John in 27b.]27 And he said to this disciple, “[That/Here] is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.31 It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was the Passover). So they asked Pilate to hasten [the deaths of the crucified men//their deaths] by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down.35 ([John writes a parenthetical comment:] This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. [I speak/He speaks] the truth so that you also can believe.) 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5449895

NL-Day204 Jeremiah 5-6; Psalm 140; John 18:28-19:27 07/19/2026

NL-Day204 Jeremiah 5-6; Psalm 140; John 18:28-19:27 JEREMIAH 5-6:God, speaking through the prophets, frequently says how he feels about idolatry. He considers it just like the faithlessness of a wayward wife. It is moving that Jeremiah could so clearly see what would happen— the anguish of the people when his prophecies are fulfilled and they will be attacked by armies from the north. PSALM 140:This is a prayer for anyone who fears the imminent attack of wicked enemies. JOHN 19a:The chapter break here interrupts the story of Jesus’ trial before Pilate. Jesus has already told Pilate that he is a king, but his kingdom is not of this world. Then when Jesus said, “I was born and came into the world for this one purpose, to speak about the truth. Whoever belongs to the truth listens to me.”— Pilate asked his famous rhetorical question, 38“And what is truth?” Then Pilate went back outside to the people and said to them, “I cannot find any reason to condemn him. 39 But according to the custom you have, I always set free a prisoner for you during the Passover. Do you want me to set free for you the king of the Jews?”40 They answered him with a shout, “No, not him! We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a bandit.) NLT Translation notes:Jer. 5:6 I said to [You/the] LORD, “You are my God!”Listen, O LORD, to my cries for mercy!11 Don’t let [these] liars prosper here in our land.Cause great disasters to fall on [those violent men//the violent].12 But I know [that You, Lord//the LORD] will help those they persecute;[You/he] will give justice to the poor.====John 19:3 “Hail[ to you,!] King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face.12 Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of [the high king] Caesar.’ Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.”24 So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did [(without knowing they were fulfilling Scripture)].26 When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, [there/here] is your son.” [Here and in verse 27, the literal Greek is “See-imperative.” It is a matter of interpretation whether in the first instance Jesus could be saying, “See what I have become,” or, “Look at that guy next to you. He is your son.” The difference would be a nod of the head or a motion of Jesus’ eyes. I think that Jesus’ intention was correctly interpreted by John in 27b.]27 And he said to this disciple, “[That/Here] is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.31 It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was the Passover). So they asked Pilate to hasten [the deaths of the crucified men//their deaths] by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down.35 ([John writes a parenthetical comment:] This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. [I speak/He speaks] the truth so that you also can believe.) 37 and “They will look on the one they [have] pierced.” 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5449856

NL-Day203 Jeremiah 3-4; Psalm 139; John 18:19-40 07/19/2026

NL-Day203 Jeremiah 3-4; Psalm 139; John 18:19-40 JEREMIAH 3-4:In yesterday’s reading there was a play on words in Jer. 1:11-12, where the Hebrew word for ‘almond tree’ sounds like the word for ‘watching’: 11 Then the Lord said to me, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?” And I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.” 12 And the Lord said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching,* and I will certainly carry out all my plans.” *footnote: The Hebrew word for “watching” (shoqed) sounds like the word for “almond tree” (shaqed). Yesterday we also read Jeremiah 2:13, which is one of the most frequently quoted verses from this book. Look at it in context starting at verse 11: Jer. 2:11 NLT Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols! 12 The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay,” says the Lord. 13 “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all! PSALM 139:What a contrast with what we just read! Our God searches us out and knows all about us. This psalm has been a great comfort to many. JOHN 18b:Jesus knew he was walking inexorably to the cross. To me it is interesting that in Jesus’ short time with the governor of the land, he brought the focus to the concept of ‘truth’. NLT Translation notes:Jer. 4:2 Then when you swear by my name, saying,‘As surely as the LORD lives,’you could do sowith truth, justice, and righteousness.Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world,and all people would come and praise [Me//my name].”====John 18:22 Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. [He snapped,] “Is that the way to answer the high priest?” [/he demanded.]24 Then (retired high priest) Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the (current) high priest.28 Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and [they would not be able//they wouldn’t be allowed to] celebrate the Passover. 30 [The Jewish leaders replied,] “We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” [/they retorted].35 [Pilato snapped back,] “Am I a Jew?” [/Pilate retorted.] “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?” 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5449368

NL-Day202 Jeremiah 1-2; Psalm 138; John 18:1-27 07/19/2026

NL-Day202 Jeremiah 1-2; Psalm 138; John 18:1-27 JEREMIAH 1-2:The book of Jeremiah was written between 627 and 580 BC. Counting the number of verses, Jeremiah is longer than all other books of the Old Testament except Genesis and Psalms. Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet, and his other book is Lamentations. It is possible that he is the son of the high priest Hilkiah who brought the book of the Law to the attention of king Josiah. Having just heard in 2 Kings an overview of what happened during the last days of the kingdom of Judah, we now will hear the poems and sermons of a sensitive man living through it all. Mears says, “No other prophet bares his soul to his readers as does Jeremiah. Although Jeremiah announced the coming destruction of Judah, he looked beyond this judgment to a day when everyone would know the Lord personally through the forgiveness of his or her sins (Jer. 31-34). This new kind of relationship with the Lord would be part of the “new covenant” the Lord would establish with his people (Jer. 31:31).” PSALM 138:This is the first of a series of eight psalms where the psalmist speaks in the first person singular. This psalm includes an important declaration in verse two, which ESV translates like this: Ps. 138:2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. NLT and CEV have done a good job translating the meaning, and I particularly like the second phrase in NLT. JOHN 18a:As John said in chapter 13, “Jesus, having always loved his disciples, he loved them to the end.” NLT Translation notes:John 18:22 Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. [He snapped,]“Is that the way to answer the high priest?” [/he demanded.]28 Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and [they would not be able//they wouldn’t be allowed to] celebrate the Passover. 30 [The Jewish leaders replied,] “We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” [/they retorted].35 [Pilatos snapped back,] “Am I a Jew?” [/Pilate retorted.] “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?” 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5449185

NL-Day201 Jonah 3-4; Psalm 137; John 17 07/19/2026

NL-Day201 Jonah 3-4; Psalm 137; John 17 JONAH 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; 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. 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5449161

NL-Day200 Jonah 1-2; Psalm 136; John 17 07/12/2026

NL-Day200 Jonah 1-2; Psalm 136; John 17 JONAH 1-2:For quite a few years when I was just reading the Bible without a set reading plan, I enjoyed a break from reading the books of history after Second Kings, moving to the prophets. And our first is Jonah, who was mentioned back in 2 Kings 14. Note that the little story of Jonah is masterfully written. Little details poke out everywhere. Jonah has a downward journey. He goes down from Jerusalem to Joppa, then down again into the hold of the boat, and then down into the underworld of the ocean. He wasn't just being disobedient. He was saying, “I'm turning in my prophet's mantle.” Bob Deffinbaugh: “Let’s face it, don’t you find that our text has reversed the heroes and the villains? … we would have expected Jonah to be the hero, while the heathen sailors would certainly have been expected to be the villains. This was certainly the perspective of Jonah, and of the Israelites, whom he typified. Yet in our text it is the sailors who pray, while Jonah does not. The sailors sought to deal with sin on the ship, not Jonah. The sailors end up worshiping God, [Jonah grumbled against God//not Jonah]. The sailors have compassion on Jonah, while he seems to have little concern for the danger in which he has put them. Clearly this chapter turns our expectations inside-out.” Even the fish comes out better than Jonah. He obeyed. The pagans of Nineveh and their king also come out looking better than Jonah. They repent. PSALM 136:This is the most famous antiphonal psalm. If it won’t bother anyone around you while you are listening, I invite you to join me on the antiphonal response: His love is eternal. JOHN 17:Jesus’ high priestly prayer is considered the pinnacle of the upper room discourse. NLT Translation notes:Ps. 136:6Give thanks to him who placed the earth [upon/?in between/among] the waters.His faithful love endures forever.====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; 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. 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5449124

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