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-Day243 1 Chronicles 11-12; Proverbs 18:1-12; 1 Thessalonians 2 08/24/2025

NL-Day242 1 Chronicles 9-10; Proverbs 17:14-28; 1 Thessalonians 1 08/24/2025

NL-Day241 1 Chronicles 8; Proverbs 17:1-14; Ephesians 6 08/24/2025

NL-Day241 1 Chronicles 8; Proverbs 17:1-14; Ephesians 6 1CHRONICLES 8:Hang on! We’re almost through with the names chapters! PROVERBS 17a:I must say that it is hard to choose just one verse to highlight in today’s reading: Pro. 17:9 NLT Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,but dwelling on it separates close friends. Re-reading EPHESIANS 6:I like the way our translation of the spiritual armor portion of this chapter helps the reader understand how the various parts of the armor are actually applied or ‘picked up’ and ‘worn’. So in the podcast for today I read verses 10-17 in an English translation of our plain Indonesian translation. 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 God gives us. In that way you can reject the devil's lies. 12 For we aren't fighting against people on this earth. But we fight against evil spirits and all the powers who rule those evil spirits. They're the ones who now control this dark world from the sky above. 13 That's why you need to use all the tools of war given by God, so that when the enemy comes to attack you, you won't run, but can oppose him and keep enduring until the war is over. 14 So stand firm. Hold on to the true teaching from God, because true teaching is like a belt that makes you ready to act. Live a righteous life, because a righteous life is like a metal vest that will protect you from the enemy's attacks. 15 And keep holding on to the Good News about Christ. That news helps you to feel calm in the protection of God. Continually hold on to that news, just like a soldier always wears strong boots, so that you stand firm in war. 16 Besides that, keep believing in the Lord. For your [fully believing/faith] is like a shield that protects you from all of the flaming arrows that the devil shoots at us. 17 Keep on being certain that God has saved you, because that is like your war helmet. And hold onto all of God's words like holding a sword, because His words have the power of the Holy Spirit. NLT Translation notes:Eph. 6:10 A[s my] final word: [PET: each one of you, be strong because you keep on hoping completely in the Lord's amazing power, and also because you are joined as one with Him.//NLT Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.]21-22 [PET: Our beloved brother, Tychicus, has brought this letter to you. He serves the Lord very faithfully as our brother who is joined as one with the Lord. I also sent him so that he could give you news about my situation and ministry, so that you can know about our situation and so that he can strengthen your hearts.//NLT To bring you up to date, Tychicus will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage 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/5499502

NL-Day240 1 Chronicles 7; Proverbs 16:18-33; Ephesians 6 08/24/2025

NL-Day239 1 Chronicles 6; Proverbs 16:1-17; Ephesians 5 08/24/2025

NL-Day238 1 Chronicles 5; Proverbs 15:16-33; Ephesians 5 08/24/2025

NL-Day237 1 Chronicles 4; Proverbs 15:1-17; Ephesians 4 08/24/2025

NL-Day237 1 Chronicles 4; Proverbs 15:1-17; Ephesians 4 1CHRONICLES 4:In yesterday’s reading we started with David’s sons, then for the descendants of King Solomon, only the kings were listed. So we jumped up to the period of the exile to Babylon. PROVERBS 15a:Here is a favorite verse from today’s group of proverbs: Pro. 15 NLT 17 A bowl of vegetables with someone you loveis better than steak with someone you hate. Re-reading EPHESIANS 4:This chapter has only one instance of the words I translate as ‘joined as one with Christ’, but the chapter is all about that oneness. Let me share this translation note about the verse mentioning baptism: 5 NLT [We all worship//There is] one Lord, [we all fully believe in Christ/one faith], [we all have been baptized as his followers/one baptism], In Indonesia ‘one baptism’ has been misunderstood by people on both sides of the main baptism debate. One side say, “One baptism means you should only be baptized once (so if you were baptized as a baby, don’t get baptized again anywhere else!)” The other side says, “One baptism means there is only one way to be baptized, and that is by immersion.” Both sides miss the point, because this passage is about things that unify us, not divide us! NLT Translation notes:Eph. 4:5 [We all worship//There is] one Lord, [we all fully believe in Christ/one faith], [we all have been baptized as his followers/one baptism],[In Indonesia ‘one baptism’ has been misunderstood by people on both sides of the main baptism debate. One side say, “One baptism means you should only be baptized once (so if you were baptized as a baby, don’t get baptized again anywhere else!)” The other side says, “One baptism means there is only one way to be baptized, and that is by immersion.” Both sides miss the point, because this passage is about things that unify us, not divide us!]6 and [we all serve the same//one] God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the [non-Jewish pagans/Gentiles] do, for they are hopelessly confused. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God [has forgiven you because of your being joined to Christ./through Christ has forgiven 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/5499360

NL-Day236 1 Chronicles 3; Proverbs 14:17-35; Ephesians 4 08/17/2025

NL-Day236 1 Chronicles 3; Proverbs 14:17-35; Ephesians 4 1CHRONICLES 3:So far we have traced Jakob/Israel’s descendants into the time of David, and today’s reading picks up with David himself. PROVERBS 14b:Here is a quote from today’s group of proverbs: Pro. 3:20 NLT The poor are despised even by their neighbors,while the rich have many “friends.” EPHESIANS 4:Paul’s letters are usually divided into two parts, with the ethereal and theological part first, followed by the practical part. Yesterday we concluded the ethereal and theological part with Paul’s incredible prayer for his readers and for us at the end of chapter 3. And now we enter the practical part of his letter. NLT Translation notes:Pro. 3:5An honest witness does not lie;a false witness breathes [out] lies.====Eph. 4:5 [We all worship//There is] one Lord, [we all fully believe in Christ/one faith], [we all have been baptized as his followers/one baptism],[In Indonesia ‘one baptism’ has been misunderstood by people on both sides of the main baptism debate. One side say, “One baptism means you should only be baptized once (so if you were baptized as a baby, don’t get baptized again anywhere else!)” The other side says, “One baptism means there is only one way to be baptized, and that is by immersion.” Both sides miss the point, because this passage is about things that unify us, not divide us!]6 and [we all serve the same//one] God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the [non-Jewish pagans/Gentiles] do, for they are hopelessly confused. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God [has forgiven you because of your being joined to Christ./through Christ has forgiven 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/5499085

NL-Day235 1 Chronicles 2; Proverbs 14:1-18; Ephesians 3 08/17/2025

NL-Day235 1 Chronicles 2; Proverbs 14:1-18; Ephesians 3 1CHRONICLES 2:Yesterday we traced from Adam to Noah, and the genealogy to Abraham. Then we heard of Abraham’s two other families, those descending from Keturah and the sons and rulers descended from Esau. So now we take up Jacob’s descendants, but in this book he is frequently called by his other name, Israel. (GNT has used ‘Jacob’ instead in this chapter, as it is more understandable for modern readers.) PROVERBS 14a:This chapter has one of my all-time favorite proverbs: 4 NLT Without oxen a stable stays clean,but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.//GNT Without any oxen to pull the plow your barn will be empty,But with them it will be full of grain.] Re-reading EPHESIANS 3:There are two instances of ‘joined with Christ’ in this chapter. This brings the total to 13 so far in this letter. NLT Translation notes:Pro. 14:5 An honest witness does not lie;a false witness breathes [out] lies.====Eph. 3:5 God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed [that secret plan//it] to his holy apostles and prophets.12 [PET: Because we who fully believe in Christ are joined as one with Him, we feel confident/bold/free and no longer need to be afraid to come to God in prayer.//Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.]20-21 PET: May God— who is able to do far more than we can ask or think, always be glorified by the unity of His whole church. Let us glorify Him because of His amazing power which works in each of our lives. And because we are one with Christ Jesus, let us glorify God from age to age, forever! Amen!///NLT:20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. 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/5498766

NL-Day_234 1Chronicles 1; Proverbs 13.12-25; Ephesians 3 08/17/2025

NL-Day_234 1Chronicles 1; Proverbs 13.12-25; Ephesians 3 1 CHRONICLES 1:Jewish and Christian traditions hold that Jeremiah was the author of 1&2 Kings, which were originally one book. And that Ezra, the priest, wrote 1&2 Chronicles, which are also one book in the Hebrew. It may be that Ezra wrote these books after his return to Jerusalem. The Greek Septuagint names this book Paraleipomena, which means ‘things left over’. This book does supplement things not found in other books. Compared to the books of Samuel and Kings, Chronicles focuses more on the spiritual misdeeds of the kings and the importance of worshiping the Lord properly through the ministry of the priests and the Temple. This fits well with Ezra being the author. So we turn from the Prophets and return to the books of history. PROVERBS 13b:Here is a favorite verse from today’s reading: Pro. 13:16 NLT Wise people think before they act;fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness. EPHESIANS 3:At the first of chapter 1, Paul mentioned God’s “secret plan he had already decided to complete by means of Christ. This plan … was to bring Everything together with Christ as head.” At the end of chapter 2, we learned that specifically, through our union with Christ, all believers are made one— no matter if they are Jews or non-Jews. Paul restates God’s secret plan in a more concise and clear way in today’s chapter as he moves to this letter’s second major prayer. There are two instances of ‘joined/in union with Christ’ in this chapter. NLT Translation note:Pro. 13:23 A poor person’s farm may produce much food,but injustice [can sweep//sweeps] it all away.====Eph. 3:5 God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed [that secret plan//it] to his holy apostles and prophets.12 [PET: Because we who fully believe in Christ are joined as one with Him, we feel confident/bold/free and no longer need to be afraid to come to God in prayer.//Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.] 20-21 PET: May God— who is able to do far more than we can ask or think, always be glorified by the unity of His whole church. Let us glorify Him because of His amazing power which works in each of our lives. And because we are one with Christ Jesus, let us glorify God from age to age, forever! Amen!///NLT:20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. 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/5498756

NL-Day233 Lamentations 4-5; Proverbs 13:1-13; Ephesians 2 08/17/2025

NL-Day233 Lamentations 4-5; Proverbs 13:1-13; Ephesians 2 LAMENTATIONS 4-5: In yesterday's reading, the sun pierced the dark clouds with this glorious section: Lam. 3:22 NLT The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” 25 The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. Those are only the most frequently quoted verses. There are many other precious verses in Lamentations chapter 3. PROVERBS 13a: Here is a favorite proverb from today’s reading: Pro. 13:7 NLT Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor. Re-reading EPHESIANS 2:We have an important spiritual reality expressed in verse 6: Because we are joined as one with Christ, we are already seated with Him, reigning together with Him, in heaven. We don't wait to die to find out if we will get into heaven! We’re already there! In my speaking about this in Indonesia I often say, “We’re not sitting on plastic folding chairs in heaven.” Understanding and believing this spiritual reality should transform our prayers. Imagine how your spirit is seated with Christ right now, and pray from your heavenly position. NLT Translation notes:Eph. 2:6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are [joined as one/united] with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are [joined/united] with Christ Jesus.8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for [that/this]; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.10 For we are God’s masterpiece. [We who are joined with Christ Jesus have been like recreated,//He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,] so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who [are so/were] proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 13 But now you have been [jointed/united] with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. [PET: That means that everyone, from every people group— each of them being [joined/one] with Christ, are as if created to become a new people group, and a peaceful nation.//He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.] 21 [PET: When each of us becomes [joined as] one with Christ, the whole building is growing larger until it becomes a holy Temple for God.//We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.] 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/5498744

NL-Day232 Lamentations 3; Proverbs 12:14-28; Ephesians 2 08/17/2025

NL-Day232 Lamentations 3; Proverbs 12:14-28; Ephesians 2 LAMENTATIONS 3:A warning for the modern times is here in chapter 2: Lam. 2:14 NLT Your prophets have saidso many foolish things, false to the core.They did not save you from exileby pointing out your sins.Instead, they painted false pictures,filling you with false hope. The last so poignant line from yesterday’s reading was, 22 … “The enemy has killed all the childrenwhom I carried and raised.” Today Jeremiah again speaks in the first person. PROVERBS 12b:A favorite verse to introduce today’s proverbs: Pro. 12:23 NLT The wise don't make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their foolishness. EPHESIANS 2:The first chapter has 4 instances of ‘joined with Christ’, and this chapter has seven. In his first chapter, Paul wrote in a formal style and showed his enthusiasm for his topic by his use of long sentences in Greek. Verse 3-14 are one long sentence, with a cascade of phrases modifying other phrases. And verses 15-23 are another long sentence. Long sentences like that seem clearer to me in Greek than they do in English. Another notable place Paul does this is in Colossians. NLT Translation notes:Eph. 2:6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are [joined as one/united] with Christ Jesus.7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are [joined/united] with Christ Jesus.8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for [that/this]; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.10 For we are God’s masterpiece. [We who are joined with Christ Jesus have been like recreated,//He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,] so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who [are so/were] proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 13 But now you have been [jointed/united] with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. [PET: That means that everyone, from every people group— each of them being [joined/one] with Christ, are as if created to become a new people group, and a peaceful nation.//He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.] 21 [PET: When each of us becomes [joined as] one with Christ, the whole building is growing larger until it becomes a holy Temple for God.//We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.] 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/5483541

NL-Day231 Lamentations 1-2; Proverbs 12:1-15; Ephesians 1 08/17/2025

NL-Day231 Lamentations 1-2; Proverbs 12:1-15; Ephesians 1 LAMENTATIONS 1-2:In the early chapters of his book, Jeremiah spoke several times of his tears. Lamentations will help us to understand how this ‘weeping prophet’ felt, and how God mourned also. This book has been a comfort to many who mourn. Light breaks through in the middle— in chapter 3, with words that are used in one of our greatest hymns. The book ends with poignant questions to God. PROVERBS 12a:A favorite verse to introduce today’s proverbs: 12 NLT Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot,but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit. Rereading EPHESIANS 1:This chapter has four instances of ‘joined in union’ with Christ. I want to give a note about how Paul calls the Ephesians “God’s holy people” (in the NLT), or in the KJV and the ESV it is ‘saints’. The problem with both of these ways of translating the Greek is that most of us Christians do not see ourselves as saints or ‘holy people’. In our translation work in Indonesia we found the same problem. The solution we found is to translate that we are ‘people who have been made Holy by God’. That is the meaning! The people in Ephesus were ordinary humans, and were not holy because of their own efforts. God makes us holy when we fully believe in the Good News about Christ that is proclaimed in this letter. And again I want to highlight that believing what God says about our identity is key in being able to live appropriately in that identity. NLT Translation notes:Lam. 2:4 He bends his bow against his people,as though he were their enemy.His strength is used against [his people/them]to kill their finest youth.His fury is poured out like fireon beautiful Jerusalem.====Eph. 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are [joined/united] with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us [0>>>— joined with/in Christ] to be holy and without fault in his eyes [> through becoming joined to Christ]. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us [because we have become joined with//who belong to] his dear Son.7 [PET: Through oneness with Christ, we have been redeemed by the sacrifice of His blood as payment for the punishment for sin that we should have suffered. That means we receive forgiveness of sin because of God's amazing kindness to us.//He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.]11 Furthermore, because we are [joined/united] with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.15 Ever since I first heard of your [fully believing//strong faith] in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, 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/5482977

NL-Day230 Jeremiah 52; Proverbs 11:16-31; Ephesians 1 08/17/2025

NL-Day230 Jeremiah 52; Proverbs 11:16-31; Ephesians 1 JEREMIAH 52:We come to the addendum to Jeremiah— seemingly written by someone else, perhaps Baruch. I commented yesterday how chapter 51 foreshadows Revelation 18. Jeremiah was prophesying the downfall of the real city of Babylon.What he foretold happened around 70 years later. His prophecy includes details about the enemies being from Media, about the drunkenness of the Babylon’s leaders, and God proclaims more than once that Babylon will become a desert for all time to come. The famous hanging gardens of Babylon would never be restored, even though Sadam Hussein wanted to see that happen. Observe how all this fits with a theme that runs all the way through Scripture: We see the City of Man going all through the Bible, represented by Babel, Nineveh, Babylon, Rome (figuratively called Babylon), and finally the Babylon in Revelation. Guess which city we are all living in (figuratively) today?! PROVERBS 11b:I’m going to repeat this today: An important thing about the book of Proverbs is that it contains principles, not promises. This particularly needs to be remembered for verses that talk about prosperity. There will be times, such as what Jeremiah experienced, when no amount of Godly living will bring us wealth. EPHESIANS 1:The introduction for Ephesians that I recorded in 2014 said this: “In verse 1 of the ascription of this letter, the words ‘in Ephesus’ are missing from the best manuscripts. It is believed that this was a circular letter and every church who received it would fill in their location name.” That is, would fill in their location name in the public reading. I now believe that this is wrong. I no longer believe that the few manuscripts that lack the words ‘in Ephesus’ are the ‘best manuscripts’. 96% of ancient Greek manuscripts of the book of Ephesians contain these two words. The idea of Ephesians being a circular letter is speculation without any early verification. However, it is true that most if not all of Paul’s letters were circulated around and copied. There would be no need to leave a blank spot. H.C. Mears says of Ephesians: In this epistle, we enter the holy of holies in Paul’s writings. Paul speaks in 2Corinthians 12:2 of being “caught up to the third heaven.” Here [in Ephesians], as it were, he gives his report, and he seems to be carried away as he tells about it. It is the greatest revelation of truth that God has given to us, the revelation of a mystery that [was//has been] hidden from before the foundation of the world. An important theme in Ephesians is one I have often highlighted this year. It is the idea of being (in literal translations) ‘in Christ’. This idea is also important in John’s writings, like the chapter we heard yesterday. Remember the vine and branches metaphor in John 15. ‘In Christ’ doesn’t mean inside. It means being joined to Christ or one/in union with Christ, like a branch is with the vine. This is the letter where we hear of the Christian’s armor. I believe that a key part of the belt of truth is to believe what God says about us believers— is true. NLT Translation notes:Eph. 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are [joined/united] with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us [0>>>— joined with/in Christ] to be holy and without fault in his eyes [> through becoming joined to Christ]. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us [because we have become joined with//who belong to] his dear Son.7 [PET: Through oneness with Christ, we have been redeemed by the sacrifice of His blood as payment for the punishment for sin that we should have suffered. That means we receive forgiveness of sin because of God's amazing kindness to us.//He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.]11 Furthermore, because we are [joined/united] with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.15 Ever since I first heard of your [fully believing//strong faith] in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, 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/5482940

NL-Day229 Jeremiah 51; Proverbs 11:1-16; 1 John 4:15-5:21 08/10/2025

NL-Day229 Jeremiah 51; Proverbs 11:1-16; 1 John 4:15-5:21 JEREMIAH 51:Today the Lord continues the long prophecy against Babylon. This chapter foreshadows what will happen to the figurative Babylon in Revelation 18. PROVERBS 11a:An important thing I didn’t mention before is that these proverbs represent principles, not promises. This particularly needs to be remembered for verses that talk about prosperity. There will be times, such as what Jeremiah experienced, when no amount of Godly living will bring us wealth. However, the principles hold true. 1JOHN 4.15—5:John has been giving us important keys that will unlock assurance and victory in our spiritual lives. This also will provide confidence and power in our prayers. NLT Translation notes:1Jn. 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our [fully believing/faith]. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.[Note that keeping the word as ‘believing’ allows us to understand the cohesion here.]6 And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son [through//by his baptism in] water and [through//by shedding] his blood on the cross —not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony.[I believe that NLT takes the weaker interpretation here that John is speaking of Jesus’ baptism in water. I think it more likely that John is speaking of the blood and water that came from Jesus’ side when He was pierced with a Roman spear. I think this because of the way John highlights this in John 19:35. I believe that John saw a symbolic meaning in that event.]12 Whoever [is joined together with the//has the] Son has life; whoever [is not joined together with//does not have] God’s Son does not have life.13I have written this to you who believe in [Jesus,//the name of] the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.‘Name’ is used as a metonymy here, indicating the whole person of Christ. We don’t actually just believe in a magic name. That is not the intent here.]20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He [(Jesus)] is the [0/only] true God, and he is eternal life.21 Dear children, keep away from [idols, that is] anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. 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/5479232

NL-Day228 Jeremiah 50; Proverbs 10:16-32; 1 John 3:19-4:21 08/10/2025

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 08/10/2025

NL-Day226 Jeremiah 48; Proverbs 9; 1 John 2 08/10/2025

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 08/10/2025

NL-Day224 Jeremiah 44-45; Proverbs 8:1-21; 1 Corinthians 16 08/10/2025

219: Buckle the Belt of Truth Lesson4: Resist Satan 08/10/2025

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-Day223 Jeremiah 42-43; Proverbs 7; 1 Corinthians 15:20-58 08/10/2025

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 08/03/2025

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 08/03/2025

NL-Day220 Jeremiah 36-37; Proverbs 4:14-27; 1 Corinthians 12:27-13:31 08/03/2025

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 08/03/2025

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

NL-Day218 Jeremiah 32-33; Proverbs 3:18-35; 1 Corinthians 11 08/03/2025

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 08/03/2025

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 08/03/2025

NL-Day215 Jeremiah 26-27; Proverbs 1; 1 Corinthians 8 07/27/2025

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

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