Today is the 12th day of April. Welcome! Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it's always fantastic to be here with you today, especially here at the beginning. The beginning of a brand new shiny sparkly week. And so, well, we do it every shiny sparkly new week. We gather together, face out there, look at those hills, look at all those trees, look at that lake out there, look at whatever the desert out there, just look out there. That is the week to come. It is not here yet. It's gonna be written moment by moment. We're stepping into it and we have enormous control and enormous power to create. We are made in the image of God, who is a creator. We have enormous power to create this week. And we will use that power to create this week. We might not be self aware, we may be deflecting, we may be blaming everyone else for creating our week, but we are creating our week. And that's happening with our thoughts and then our words and then our choices and then our actions. There are side effects to all of these. There are repercussions to all of these. And that doesn't mean repercussion in a negative way necessarily. There are positive repercussions for the ways that we handle ourselves and then there are consequences and negative repercussions for the choices that we make and the actions that we take because of them. So better to kind of think about what shalom, what peace, what order from chaos might be like this week and stay away from things that are not safe, things that are risky, things that are inappropriate, things that are going nowhere, things that are not real and stay rooted and grounded with our feet on the ground and our eyes and ears open. That we might have a week that is meaningful and builds on the last one and sets up the foundation to build the next one. Let's live this week intentionally. Obviously one of the ways that we do that is show up here every day. Show up. Show up for ourselves and show up for each other. And take the next step forward. So let's go ahead and jump into that. Brand new week will read from the Lexham English Bible this week and continuing our journey. Just kind of getting into the book of Joshua. Today chapter 5 verse 1 through 7 verse 15. And it happened when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea heard that Yahweh dried up the waters of the Jordan in front of the Israelites until they crossed over. Their hearts melted and there was no courage left in them because of the presence of the Israelites. At that time Yahweh said to Joshua, Make for yourself knives of flint and circumcise the Israelites a second time. So Joshua made knives of flint and he circumcised the Israelites as a hill of the foreskins. This is the reason why Joshua circumcised all the people. All the males who went out from Egypt, all the warriors died in the wilderness as they went out from Egypt on the journey. For all the people who left were circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness on the journey after they left from Egypt were not circumcised. For 40 years the Israelites travelled in the wilderness until all the nation, the warriors that left Egypt, perished because they did not listen to the voice of Yahweh. To them Yahweh swore that they would not see the land that he swore to their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. And it was their children whom he raised in their place that Joshua circumcised, for they were uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the journey. And it happened. When all the nation had finished circumcising, they remained where they were in the camp until they recovered. And Yahweh said to Joshua, Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you. Therefore the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. And the Israelites camped at Gilgal and they kept the Passover on the 14th day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. On the next day, after the Passover, on that very day, they ate from the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and roasted corn. And the manna ceased the day after when they started eating the produce of the land and there was no longer manna for the Israelites. They ate from the crop of the land of Canaan in that year. And it happened. When Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up and he saw a man standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said, Are you with us or with our adversaries? And he said, Neither. I have come now as the commander of Yahweh's army. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and bowed down and said to him, What is my Lord commanding His servant? The commander of Yahweh's army said to Joshua, Take off your sandals from your feet for the place where you are standing is holy. And Joshua did so. Now Jericho was shut up inside and out because of the presence of the Israelites. No one was going out or coming in. And Yahweh said to Joshua, Look. I am giving Jericho into your hand. It's king and the soldiers of the army. You will march around the city. All the warriors circling the city once. You will do so for six days. And seven priests will bear seven trumpets of ram's horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you will march around the city seven times and the priests will blow on the trumpets. And when they blow long on the horn of the ram, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people will shout with a great war cry. And the wall of the city will fall flat. And the people will charge each one straight ahead. The Joshua, son of Nun, summoned the priests and said to them, Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests carry the trumpets of the ram's horns before the ark of Yahweh. And he said to the people, Go forward and march around the city and let the armed men pass before the ark of Yahweh. And when Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of ram's horns before the presence of Yahweh went forward and they blew the trumpets and the ark of the covenant of Yahweh followed behind them. And the armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets and the rear guard came after the ark while they were blowing the trumpets. But Joshua commanded the people saying, You will not shout and you will not let your voices be heard. A word will not go out from your mouth until the day I say to you, Shout. You will shout. And the ark of Yahweh went around the city circling once and they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp. Then Joshua got up early in the morning and the priests took up the ark of Yahweh. The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of the ram's horns before the ark of Yahweh went on continually and they blew on the trumpets. And the armed men went before them and the rear guard came after the ark of Yahweh while the trumpets blew continually and they marched around the city once on the second day and they returned to the camp. They did this for six days. Then on the seventh day they rose early at dawn and they marched around the city in this manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. And at the seventh time the priests blew on the trumpets and Joshua said to the people, Shout. For Yahweh has given you the city. The city and all that is in it will be devoted to Yahweh. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in the house will live. She hid the messengers whom we sent. As for you keep away from the things devoted to destruction so that you do not take them and bring about your own destruction making the camp of Israel an object for destruction bringing trouble upon it. But all of the silver and gold and the items of bronze and iron are wholly to Yahweh and they must go to Yahweh's treasury. So the people shouted and they blew on the trumpets and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet they raised a great shout and the wall fell flat. The people charged each one straight ahead into the city and they captured it and they utterly destroyed by the edge of the sword all who were in the city both men and women, young and old, ox, sheep and donkey. Then Joshua said to the two men who spied on the land, Go to the prostitute's house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her just as you swore to her. So the young men who were spies went and brought Rahab and her father and mother her brothers and all who were with her and they brought all her family out and set him outside the camp of Israel and they burned the city and all that was in it with fire. They put only the silver and gold and the items of copper and iron into the treasury of the house of Yahweh. But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her family and all who were with her and she has lived in the midst of Israel until this day because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. Joshua swore at that time saying, Cursed is anyone before Yahweh who gets up and builds Jericho, this city. At the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundation and at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates. So Yahweh was with Joshua and his fame was in all the land. But the Israelites broke faith concerning the devoted things. Akin, son of Karmie, son of Zabdi, son of Zira of the tribe of Judah took from the devoted things and Yahweh's anger was kindled against the Israelites. Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai which is near Beth Avon east of Bethel and he said to them, Go up and spy out Ai. And the men went up and spied out Ai and they returned to Joshua and said to him, Do not let all the people go up and attack Ai. Only two or three thousand men should go up because they are few. Do not make all the people weary up there. So about three thousand from the people went up there and they fled before the men of Ai. The men of Ai killed about 36 of them and they chased them from the gate up to Shebarim and killed them on the slope. The hearts of the people melted and became like water. In Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the ground on his face before the Ark of Yahweh until the evening he and all the elders of Israel and they put dust on their heads. Joshua said, My Lord, why did you bring these people across the Jordan to give us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content and stayed beyond the Jordan. Please my Lord, what can I say after Israel has fled from its enemies? The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of this and they will surround us and cut off our name from the land. What will you do for your great name? And Yahweh said to Joshua, Stand up. Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned and transgressed my covenant that I commanded them. They have taken from the devoted things. They have stolen and acted deceitfully and they have put them among their belongings. The Israelites were unable to stand before their enemies. They fled from their enemies because they have become a thing devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. Get up, sanctify the people and say, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow. Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel. There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You will be unable to stand before your enemies until you remove the devoted things from your midst. In the morning you will come forward tribe by tribe and the tribe that Yahweh will select by lot will come forward by clans and the clan that Yahweh selects by lot will come forward by families and the family that Yahweh selects by lot will come forward one by one. The one caught with the devoted things will be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him because he transgressed the covenants of Yahweh and because he did a disgraceful thing in Israel. Luke 15 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were drawing near to hear him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes were complaining saying, This man welcomes sinners and eats with them. So he told them this parable saying, What man of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the grassland and go after the one that was lost until he finds it. And when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders rejoicing. And when he returns to his home, he calls together his friends and neighbors saying to them, Rejoice with me because I have found my sheep that was lost. I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. Or what woman who has ten drachmas? If she loses one drachma, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it. And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors saying, Rejoice with me because I have found the drachma that I had lost. In the same way, I tell you there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. And he said, A certain man had two sons and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the share of the property that is coming to me. So he divided his assets between them. And after not many days, the younger son gathered everything and went on a journey to a distant country. And there he squandered his wealth by living wastefully. And after he had spent everything, there was a severe famine throughout that country. And he began to be in need. And he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his fields to tend pigs. He was longing to fill his stomach with the carib pods that the pigs were eating. And no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to himself, he said, How many of my father's hired workers have an abundance of food? And I am dying here from hunger. I will set out and go to my father and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers. And he set out and came to his own father. But while he was still a long way away, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And his son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But his father said to his slaves, Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet and bring the fattened calf. Kill it and let us eat and celebrate because this son of mine was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. And they began to celebrate. Now his older son was in the field. And when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing and he summoned one of the slaves and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, Your brother has come and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has gotten him back healthy. But he became angry and did not want to go in. So his father came out and began to implore him. But he answered and said to his father, Behold, so many years I have served you and have never disobeyed your command. And you never gave me a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours returned, who has consumed your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him. But he said to him, Child, you are always with me and everything I have belongs to you. But it was necessary to celebrate and to rejoice because this brother of yours was dead and is alive and was lost and is found. Psalm 81 An appeal from God to Israel for the music director on the Geteeth of Asaph. Shout out to God our strength. Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob. Lift up a song and strike the tambourine. The pleasant lyre together with the harp. Blow the horn at new moon, at full moon for our feast day because it is a statute for Israel and ordinance of the God of Jacob. He made it a statute in Joseph when he went out against the land of Egypt, where I heard a language I did not know. I removed his shoulder from a burden. His hands were freed from the baskets. In this trouble you called and I rescued you. Within the secret place of thunder I answered you. I tested you at the waters of Maribah. Here, O my people, and I will admonish you. O Israel, if you would but listen to me. There shall be no strange God among you, and you shall not bow down to a foreign God. I am Yahweh, your God who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. But my people did not listen to my voice, and Israel did not yield to me. So I let them go in the stubbornness of their heart. They walked in their councils. O that my people would listen to me, and Israel would walk in my ways. I would subdue their enemies quickly and turn my hand against their adversaries. Those who hate Yahweh would cringe before him, and their fate would be forever. But he would feed him from the choicest weeds, and I would satisfy you with honey from a rock. Proverbs 13.1 A wise child hears the discipline of a father, but a scoffer does not listen to a rebuke. Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for a brand new week, a reset, a new start, a new beginning. And we invite you into every aspect, every thought, every word, every choice, every action, everything about this week. May we be paying attention. May we be watching. May we be in tune with ourselves and with your spirit to guide us. Because the truth is there. It's always there. Wisdom is always there. We know the right thing. So often we just want the wrong one. But that leads only into turmoil. That tears down. That does not repair. That is unsafe. That is not safe. So spirit lead us into all truth. Think of our strength to make the right next choices, we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen. Hi, daily audio Bible. This is Kate from Aotearoa, New Zealand. Just have noticed a lot of people ringing in about depression. And I remembered this morning, I was musing over it. When I first came a Christian and I first asked Jesus to have my life, I went and plummeted into massive depression. And it was because he took the lid off a whole lot of unprocessed loss and grief and hurt in my life. And he showed me this morning how I was suffering from a lot of piercing, stabbing, knife thoughts constantly. And he said to me, this morning, I wore the crown of thorns and I've taken it off you. You don't have to wear it. It's not yours to wear. Maybe this will resound with someone. Maybe they'll realise they don't have to wear those thoughts. They can allow Jesus to take them off him. Thanks. Hello, my DAB family. This is Jamie in New Jersey, standing on the word of God. I humbly ask you to please pray with me. Dear Father in Heaven, we come before you with grateful hearts, acknowledging the unique path you have laid out for each of us. Grant us the wisdom to discern your will and the courage to walk steadfastly in it. Even when the way is unclear. Strengthen our resolve, Father, to remain faithful to the calling you have placed upon our lives, resisting the temptations that seek to lead us astray. As it says in your word, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him and he will make your path straight. May our lives be a testament to your guiding hand, glorifying your name in all we do. We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for praying along with me, my brothers and sisters. I love each and every one of you. Have a good night. Hello, hello, hello. Good morning. Good morning, my favourite people, dear, the DABs. Good morning. My name is Love Lene and I'm calling from France. I sincerely want to thank Brian and his wife, Phil, for this wonderful podcast. It has really, really, really been a source of great help and strength for me. Hearing what people go through, hearing how God comes through for them, hearing it tells me that we serve a God that do not stop prayer but answers prayer. This morning, a brother called in that he's thanking God for his wife's survival of cancer and it reminds me of so many people that have called in here how God healed them of cancer. And I begin to thank and praise God that if God can do it for one, He will do it for the rest of the brethren here, praying and believing God. For the miraculous and supernatural healing from cancer. That same God will come through for you. And the brother also said that we should pray for his healing. He had an accident that which has given him a pain in his back. We should also pray for his marriage. I want you to know we're praying for your healing. That the healing hands of God will continue to do that which he has started in your family, in your life and in your marriage in the name of Jesus. And one of our brother, Edisi, also called in that you're able to get a job. Now you are depressed, you're praying for a miracle of a home. Brother, I want you to know we're praying for you. This same God, they have started it. He will complete it. He will perfect every other thing, every other areas in your life, in the name of Jesus. A little child that was, that was still praying for God to heal her of leukemia. You're still in our prayer. And if you are that won't suffer from cancer, you are not forgotten. Good morning, Thavers. This is Abba's child from Southwest Florida. Today is Wednesday, April 8th, and I just heard Terry from Ohio. Not sure when she asked for prayer, but she was heading to say goodbye to her husband as he was going to pass into the arms of Jesus. And aren't we so hopeful and grateful for that peace that we can know? Terry, I just really pray that you can feel his peace because I sure do feel you. I have been through this three times now with both of my older sisters and my father-in-law in a hospice situation. And right this very minute, my brother-in-law is in his last hours or days in hospice also. Isn't it so wonderful that we know Jesus? We know the healing power of his love is never ending faithfulness to those of us who are suffering the loss of loved ones. But that hope that we will see them again, it's the only consolation I have as I'm standing here in my late sister's home that I just sold and I'm moving out of in five days. I weep every time I go in the bathroom. It takes a long time to get past things like this, Terry. I just hope that you find peace and consolation and let yourself grieve. Grief is such a process. It's such a process. I'm still not over mine. My sister passed last May. So Jesus loves you. We love you. We are praying for you. I am praying fervently for you in Jesus' name. Hi, Terry. I just wanted to pray for you. Lift you up to the heavenly throne of our Father. Your pain just really touched me. Lord, I know that this is you sending the love to your child. Lord, I pray that you're going to come for Terry. She's facing this death of her husband of so many years. Lord, I just... Whatever love that I have, I wanted to just hug this lady in my dream. We're going to be in heaven together one day. And your husband is going to be there as well. I love you. They're for you. I'm sorry. In Jesus' name. Hey, Dad family. This is Christian, aka Christ in me. Please pray for my mother-in-law, Emily. She is in the hospital. And she is in need of healing. Father God, we just lift up Emily to you right now. We just ask that you would just give her her family comfort and peace. And we just pray for healing from the crown of her head of the soles of her feet. Father God, remove the unneeded fluid around her heart. Heal her. Make her well enough so that she can come home and just continue to be with us. And a part of our lives. We love her so much. I just thank you in advance for everything that you're doing. I just pray all this in Jesus' mighty, matchless name. Amen.
