Transcript

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Psalms Ch. 24 NIV; Psalms Ch. 25 NLT; Psalms Ch.26 ESV; Job 17 HCSB; Job 18 NASB

Podcast Introduction

This is technically Poetry Thursday. But since I was unable to bring an episode to you yesterday, I’ll also bring the Psalms to you today. So we’ll first read Psalms 24-26, and then immediately follow with today’s chapters in the book of Job …chapters 17 and 18. I’m calling this episode “Close Friends.”

Comments on Job 17

Job opens by confessing that his spirit is broken. Why? Because his so called friends have become mockers in his eyes, and he can’t get away from them. They have made him an object of scorn.

Allow me to remind you of how they initially came to him:

“Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place–Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. 12 And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. 13 So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that [his] grief was very great.” Job 2:11-13 NKJV

By all appearances, these three men loved Job. At least they regarded him highly. And now, they have become, according to Job, mockers. To mock is to tease or laugh at in a scornful or contemptuous manner. What a heartbreaking picture this is. 

I have two very close friends that I’ve known since I was a boy. I’ve told you about Del. I first met him in junior high school, and we became best friends in high school. The other one’s name is Mark. We met when I was about 9 and he was 10. We were on our city’s swim team. These are literally life-long friends. We have been through all the highs and lows of life together. Our weddings. The births of our kids. I’ve prayed for them when they had life threatening sicknesses, and they prayed with LeeAnn and me when our son, Steven almost died. And now we’re all growing old together, with everything that brings. I cannot fathom the utterly crushing heartbreak I would feel if I were in Job’s shoes, and Del and Mark turned on me as Job’s friends did. The alone-ness. The betrayal. The pain.

But Job will not do what they want him to do. They have told him that he needs to confess his sin, but Job knows that he has done nothing to deserve what has befallen him. So in verse nine, Job says that upright men will be appalled at the treatment he has received from his friends, whom he now calls godless. He goes on to say that he will continue hold on to his determination to do what is right, and that because his hands are clean from sin, he will gain strength. 

Beloved, when you are persecuted, hang on. Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

We cannot go through life without times where the world seems heavy, bleak and dark. But like Job, we must hang on. If you are in a right relationship with God, know that He is with you, and He will hold you up. He will see you through. The night may be dark, but there is the promise of the morning. He will not let you down. God is faithful and He never changes.

Link For James Cooper’s Christmas Question Answer

Right Here

Thank you, James! James’ website is here. Take a look! Anything you’ve ever wanted to know about Christmas is there.

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Transcript

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Psalms 24-26, Job 17-18: Close Friends (LSFAB S13E061)

[TEASER – 0:00
Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

[INTRO S130061 – 0:11]
This is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, and podcasting since 2004, I’m back, your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily podcast where we’ll read through the entire Bible in a year. The website is lifespringmedia.com. And we have a jam-packed show today because of yesterday’s non-show. This is technically Poetry Thursday, but since I was unable to bring an episode to you yesterday, I will also read the Psalms for you today. So we will read Psalms 24 through 26 today, and then immediately follow with today’s chapters in the book of Job, chapters 17 and 18. And I’m calling today’s episode, “Close Friends”. The comments I’ll have for you today after the reading will be on Job.

We have some prayer requests and praises today in our prayer time, which I’m bringing today since I was not able to do that yesterday. So let’s get started.

But before we read, let’s pray.

[OPENING PRAYER – 1:08]
Our gracious and loving heavenly Father, how we thank you for your goodness for your faithfulness, and for the fact, Lord, that you have patience when our bodies just give out like mine did yesterday. You are good and we love you with all of our hearts. I pray, God, that as we read today, you would bless our time together and that you would bring understanding to our hearts and to our minds. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Okay, let’s go.

[PSALM 24 (NIV) – 1:37]
Psalms, chapter 24.

(1) The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
(2) for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.

(3) Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
(4) The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.

(5) They will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God their Savior.
(6) Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.

(7) Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
(8) Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
(9) Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
(10) Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty—
he is the King of glory.

[PSALM 25 (NLT) – 2:38]
Psalm 25.

(1) O Lord, I give my life to you.
(2) I trust in you, my God!
Do not let me be disgraced,
or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.
(3) No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.

(4) Show me the right path, O Lord;
point out the road for me to follow.
(5) Lead me by your truth and teach me,
for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you.
(6) Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love,
which you have shown from long ages past.
(7) Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.
Remember me in the light of your unfailing love,
for you are merciful, O Lord.

(8) The Lord is good and does what is right;
he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
(9) He leads the humble in doing right,
teaching them his way.
(10) The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.

(11) For the honor of your name, O Lord,
forgive my many, many sins.
(12) Who are those who fear the Lord?
He will show them the path they should choose.
(13) They will live in prosperity,
and their children will inherit the land.
(14) The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.
He teaches them his covenant.
(15) My eyes are always on the Lord,
for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.

(16) Turn to me and have mercy,
for I am alone and in deep distress.
(17) My problems go from bad to worse.
Oh, save me from them all!
(18) Feel my pain and see my trouble.
Forgive all my sins.
(19) See how many enemies I have
and how viciously they hate me!
(20) Protect me! Rescue my life from them!
Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge.
(21) May integrity and honesty protect me,
for I put my hope in you.

(22) O God, ransom Israel
from all its troubles.

[PSALM 26 (ESV) – 4:41]
Psalm, chapter 26.

(1) Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
(2) Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
test my heart and my mind.
(3) For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in your faithfulness.

(4) I do not sit with men of falsehood,
nor do I consort with hypocrites.
(5) I hate the assembly of evildoers,
and I will not sit with the wicked.

(6) I wash my hands in innocence
and go around your altar, O Lord,
(7) proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
and telling all your wondrous deeds.

(8) O Lord, I love the habitation of your house
and the place where your glory dwells.
(9) Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
(10) in whose hands are evil devices,
and whose right hands are full of bribes.

(11) But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
(12) My foot stands on level ground;
in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.

[JOB 17 (HCSB) – 5:43]
Job, chapter 17.

(1) My spirit is broken.

My days are extinguished.
A graveyard awaits me.
(2) Surely mockers surround me
and my eyes must gaze at their rebellion.
(3) Make arrangements! Put up security for me.
Who else will be my sponsor?
(4) You have closed their minds to understanding,
therefore You will not honor them.
(5) If a man informs on his friends for a price,
the eyes of his children will fail.
(6) He has made me an object of scorn to the people;
I have become a man people spit at.
(7) My eyes have grown dim from grief,
and my whole body has become but a shadow.
(8) The upright are appalled at this,
and the innocent are roused against the godless.
(9) Yet the righteous man will hold to his way,
and the one whose hands are clean will grow stronger.
(10) But come back and try again, all of you.
I will not find a wise man among you.
(11) My days have slipped by;
my plans have been ruined,
even the things dear to my heart.
(12) They turned night into day
and made light seem near in the face of darkness.
(13) If I await Sheol as my home,
spread out my bed in darkness,
(14) and say to corruption: You are my father,
and to the maggot: My mother or my sister,
(15) where then is my hope?
Who can see any hope for me?
(16) Will it go down to the gates of Sheol,
or will we descend together to the dust?

[JOB 18 (NASB) – 7:10]
Job, chapter 18.

(1) Then Bildad the Shuhite responded,

(2) “How long will you hunt for words?
Show understanding, and then we can talk.
(3) “Why are we regarded as beasts,
As stupid in your eyes?
(4) “Oh you who tear yourself in your anger—
For your sake is the earth to be abandoned,
Or the rock to be moved from its place?
(5) “Indeed, the light of the wicked goes out,
And the flame from his fire gives no light.
(6) “The light in his tent is darkened,
And his lamp goes out above him.
(7) “His vigorous stride is shortened,
And his own scheme brings him down.
(8) “For he is thrown into the net by his own feet,
And he steps on the webbing.
(9) “A snare seizes him by the heel,
And a trap snaps shut on him.
(10) “A noose for him is hidden in the ground,
And a trap for him on the path.
(11) “All around terrors frighten him,
And harry him at every step.
(12) “His strength is famished,
And calamity is ready at his side.
(13) “His skin is devoured by disease,
The firstborn of death devours his limbs.
(14) “He is torn from the security of his tent,
And they march him before the king of terrors.
(15) “There dwells in his tent nothing of his;
Brimstone is scattered on his habitation.
(16) “His roots are dried below,
And his branch is cut off above.
(17) “The memory of him perishes from the earth,
And he has no name abroad.
(18) “He is driven from light into darkness,
And chased from the inhabited world.
(19) “He has no offspring or posterity among his people,
Nor any survivor where he sojourned.
(20) “Those in the west are appalled at his fate,
And those in the east are seized with horror.
(21) “Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
And this is the place of him who does not know God.”

[COMMENTARY – 8:58]
Chapter 17 begins with Job confessing that his spirit is broken. Why? Because his so-called friends have become mockers in his eyes and he can’t get away from them. They’ve made him an object of scorn.

Allow me to remind you how they initially came to him in Job chapter 2, verses 11 and 13.

“(11) Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place–Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. (12) And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. (13) So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that [his] grief was very great.” [NKJV]

By all appearances, these three men loved Job. At the very minimum, they thought very highly of him, and now they’ve become, according to Job, mockers. To mock is to tease or laugh at in a scornful or contemptuous manner. What a heartbreaking picture this is.

I have two very close friends that I’ve known since I was a boy. I’ve told you about Del. I first met him in junior high school and we became best friends in high school. The other one’s name is Mark. We met when I was about nine and he was ten. We were on our city swim team together. These are literally lifelong friends. We’ve been through all the highs and lows of life together, our weddings, the births of our kids. I prayed for them when they have life-threatening sicknesses. And they prayed with LeeAnn and me when our son Steven almost died. And now we’re all growing old together with everything that brings. I cannot begin to think about the utterly crushing heartbreak I’d feel if I were in Job’s shoes and Del and Mark turned on me as Job’s friends did to him. The aloneness, the betrayal, the pain.

But Job doesn’t do what they want him to do. They’ve told him that he needs to confess his sin. But Job knows that he’s done nothing to deserve what’s befallen him. So in verse 9, Job says that upright men will be appalled at the treatment he’s received from his friends, whom he now calls godless. He goes on to say that he will continue to hold on to his determination to do what is right. And that because his hands are clean from sin, he will gain strength.

Beloved, when you’re persecuted, hang on. Isaiah 40, verse 31, tells us “…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

You know, we cannot go through life without times where the world seems heavy, bleak, and dark. But like Job, we have to hang on. If you are in a right relationship with God, you have to know that he is with you. And he’ll hold you up. He’ll see you through. The night may be dark, but there is a promise of the morning. And God will not let you down. He’s faithful and he never changes.

[LIFESPRING FAMILY HOTLINE – 12:22]
Well, I would love to hear what you have to say. Call the Lifespring Family Hotline at +1-951-732-8511. Or type out your comments at comment.lifespringmedia.com or open up your email and send an email to me at st***@*************ia.com. I do read every comment and I’ll probably play your audio comment or read your comment on the show. I do want to hear from you. Tomorrow is Prophecy Friday and we’ll read Isaiah 45 through 50.

[CHRISTMAS QUESTIONS – 13:09]
Today is December 1, 2022. You know what that means, right? That’s right. The encore performance of the Lifespring WhyChristmas podcast begins with an episode a day from today all the way to Christmas. You can subscribe to that at LifespringWhyChristmas.show. Now if you’re already subscribed to the Lifespring Media All Shows feed, today’s episode should already be in your podcast app. Did you see it? James Cooper and I had a lot of fun recording the show back in 2009. And I think you’ll really enjoy the show. So again, go to LifespringWhyChristmas.show to follow or subscribe.

And also today is the first of the Christmas questions submitted by Lifespring family members. We’ll do one question per day all the way through to Christmas. There are still several slots open. So I encourage you to put on your thinking caps to think of questions to send in and I’m adding to the prize pot. I’m already going to give away a signed copy of my book “Webb’s Easy Bible Names Pronunciation Guide”, and today, I’m going to add something else. I have right here in my hot little hands – I’m holding them right now – that’s the tickets. There’re three tickets to a new movie that will be in theaters on December 5th, 6th, and 7th.

[MOVIE TRAILER FOR JOHNNY CASH: REDEMPTION OF AN AMERICAN ICON – 14:32]
[JOHNNY CASH]
Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.

[JOHNNY CASH’S SISTER]
Johnny told me, “I’m my happiest when I’m performing.” But sometimes Cash gets into trouble.

[SPEAKER]
You know, he’s the kind of guy, walked into a room, everybody turned around because Johnny Cash was Johnny Cash.

[ALICE COOPER]
There was not one person that didn’t respect Johnny Cash.

[TIM MCGRAW]
He sort of lived in his own atmosphere.

[JIMMIE ALLEN]
His unapologetic attitude, that’s what made Johnny Cash cool.

[MARTY STUART]
He was my hero, for all the right reasons and all the wrong reasons.

[SPEAKER]
He surely had to think back and say, was it all worth it?

[JOHNNY CASH]
We were all young and wild and crazy.

[INTERVIEWER]
How crazy were you?

[JOHNNY CASH]
I was as crazy as you can get.

[SPEAKER]
Success all the partying, all the money, all the fame, all that… something is not going to last.

[SPEAKER]
And you begin to realize there’s got to be something more.

[WYNONNA JUDD]
Past that is a guy who’s broken and knows he needs God.

[JOHN CARTER CASH]
It’s hard to put a finger on it and say this is the person that he was because there was so much to him.

[JOANNE CASH YATES]
He was darkness and light, living in the same body and one fought against the other.

[SPEAKER]
He wanted to be the biggest thing in the world. And he became the biggest thing in the world. And then he stepped back. And he said that’s not all there is.

[JOHNNY CASH]
There’s no lonelier place on earth for a man to be than separated from God.

[SHERYL CROW]
He faced himself. He faced his temptations. He faced his worldliness and came out wanting to be right with God.

[GREG LAURIE]
It’s a biblical precedent that God uses complicated people.

[JOHNNY CASH]
It’s all fleeting. As fame is fleeting, so are all the trappings of fame.

[INTERVIEWER]
Do you have any regrets about what you’ve done?

[JOHNNY CASH]
I forgave myself. When God forgave me, I figured I better do it, too.
[END OF MOVIE TRAILER]

[STEVE WEBB – 16:43
That’s the audio from the trailer that you can see at lifespringmedia.com/cash. The movie is “Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon,” and it’s a look at the man who became the number one country artist, but found that when he got to the top, there was still emptiness. And then he found that what he really needed was a relationship with God. This is a very high-quality production, Beloved. It’s produced by Lions Gate and Kingdom Story Company. And together they produced “I Can Only Imagine,” the story behind Merci Me’s beloved song written by Bart Mallard who ran from a troubled home life and broken relationship with his father and found escape in music. The movie beautifully illustrated the power of forgiveness and God’s love. And they also produced the movie, “I Still Believe,” the story of Christian artist Jeremy Camp and his remarkable journey of love and loss that proves there is always hope in the midst of tragedy, and that faith tested is the only faith worth sharing.

Now I got to see some early scenes from “Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon” a month or so ago, and I gotta tell you, it looks great, especially for fans of the Man in Black, which I am. I actually saw Johnny Cash speak at a Christian Booksellers Association event, and I sat only about 20 feet from him, which was a real thrill for me.

Now, as I said, I have these three tickets, and it’s a Fathom event, and it’s playing in theaters all over the US. And now I downloaded a list of the theaters it’s playing in and it’s 65 pages long. So chances are pretty good that it’ll be in a theater within driving distance of you. The dates again are December 5, 6, and 7. And I’ll email the winners a special code to redeem their ticket. Well, how can you grab one of these tickets? I’m glad you asked. For each Christmas question you send in, you’ll get one entry in the drawing whether or not I use your question on the show. I’ll be drawing from all the names who have sent Christmas questions in by December 4, 2022, at 4 pm Pacific Time. That’s December 4, at 4 pm Pacific time, that’s when I’ll draw the names. So here’s the message, send in your questions right away while you’re thinking about it. The more questions you send in, the more chances you have of winning a ticket.

And now here is the first question and I’m going to start with Denise Inglis. She’s the one who kind of got this whole ball rolling with her questions. And her question number one, which is the question for the day is, “Why does Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus not include the wise men’s visit?” Denise says, “I think it’s generally believed by scholars that Luke got the story of Jesus’ birth directly from Mary. Even though I think it’s understood that the visit by the wise men took place when Jesus was a toddler, it seems like an important event to include.” Well, Denise, that’s a good question. Let’s see what the Christmas expert, James Cooper, has for you for an answer.

[JAMES COOPER – 19:49]
That’s a very good question. And there’s a really interesting answer. In their narratives. Matthew and Luke wanted to tell people about different aspects of Jesus and his ministry. Matthew wanted to show that Jesus was born to be a leader and King, like the important historical Jewish figures of Moses and King David. So he tells us about the Magi visiting Jerusalem, and them explaining that they’ve seen some new signs in the sky, meaning that there’s a new king born in Israel. The wise men then find out that the baby will be born in Bethlehem, which is also known as the City of David. Matthew shows a parallel with Moses’ life, as there’s an existing king wanting to kill a vulnerable baby. And there’s also a mini Exodus with the Holy Family escaping into Egypt, and then returning to Nazareth.

Luke wanted to show that Jesus is a priest, like the figure of Samuel, so he focuses more on Jesus’s religious heritage and those parts of his birth and early life. We learned from Luke about Zachariah and Elizabeth, Mary’s priestly relatives. We hear about the amazing visits of the angels to the shepherds, and the shepherds probably sold their sheep for the sacrifices of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Luke includes the account of Joseph and Mary taking the newborn Jesus to the temple to perform their religious duties, where they meet Anna and Simeon. Luke also includes when Jesus visited the temple at 12 years of age, whereas Matthew goes straight from the story of the Magi to the ministry of John the Baptist, the baptism of Jesus, and the start of Jesus’s adult ministry. So both narratives tell us about different aspects of Jesus through different parts of his birth and early life, explaining that Jesus is both a king and a priest. There’s a link in the show notes to an excellent blog post explaining the differences between the accounts of Matthew and Luke in more detail.

[STEVE WEBB – 21:26]
Well, Denise, how’s that? Does that answer your question? I think James did a great job. Thank you, Denise. And thank you, James Cooper, from Whychristmas.com.

[SUPPORT THE SHOW – 21:35]
I have someone to thank today for his support of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. Howie sent in $50. Thank you so much, Howie. God bless you. I appreciate you so much, Brother.

Beloved, many of you know, but the new Lifespring family members may not know, that I don’t take any corporate money. No advertisers, no contributions from anyone that might try to influence me to dilute the message of the Gospel. I’ve said on the show several times that advertising equals censorship. And what I mean by that is advertisers are very aware of what is now being called “brand safety”. They don’t want to be identified with any controversial opinions or teachings. And some of what the Bible says is, sad to say, controversial in today’s culture. Well, I don’t dilute the message of the Gospel. I read the entire Bible, and I teach about what it says. And when it says something that today’s culture deems controversial or hateful, or whatever, I don’t back away from explaining what the Bible means. I answer to God and God alone. Now, if you agree with that approach, if you want to help me continue to teach the truth of God’s word if you believe that this show is salt and light to a dark world that needs to hear that God loves them and that Jesus is the only way to have peace with their Creator, please go to lifespringmedia.com/support. Look at the information on that page. Then pray and ask the Lord what he would have you do. Then all I ask you to do is follow his leading. Again, that website is lifespringmedia.com/support.

[PRAYER REQUESTS AND PRAISE REPORTS – 23:16]
Prayer requests and praises. Well, I’ve got a couple of praises today and some prayer requests. I had a short conversation with Adam Curry yesterday morning, and you’ll recall that he had oral surgery on Tuesday. I asked him how he was feeling, and if he had gotten any sleep that first night after the surgery, and he said, “I’m swollen but happy. All is going well. And recovery definitely requires rest and no talking. I slept quite well, considering they had me out for six hours. All the prayers had me confident and completely at ease when we went in. It was so cool. Tina went in with me and asked if she could pray with a doctor and staff before starting and they said absolutely. We already prayed together this morning and more is always welcome. How about that?” Adam said.

Well, I said, “Wow! How awesome that the Lord took you to that doctor. He is so good. He cares about the little things and the big things in our life and seeing his hand at work is such a joy. He truly is our loving Heavenly Father.”

And Adam said, “Amen to that! He truly put the best people around me for this. He loves us so much.”

So how’s that for a praise? Let’s all continue praying for Adam’s recovery and thank the Lord for doing a very real work in Adam’s life. Amen? Amen.

And then Seth sent in this prayer request. He said, “My brother Ben is going through terrible divorce proceedings where, without God’s intervention, he will lose custody and lose half his salary, strangling his entire future. So he would never rebuild. His ex-wife is into witchcraft and feigning disability. Since you don’t know them and will probably pray once…”

No, Seth, you’re wrong about that. LeeAnn and I have already prayed several times, and we’ll continue to pray for Ben on this one.

But he said, “Since you don’t know them, and will probably pray once, here’s my prayer request. Pray that God assigns hundreds of thousands of powerful spirit-filled prayer warriors to pray over this night and day with fasting, who have wisdom, understanding, and spiritual insight into this situation. Pray that his children, David and Charlotte, and Ben, will be grafted into Christian spiritual heritage, loved and cared for, and stay within the larger family, so their family doesn’t become property of the state.” And he said, “Thank you.”

Well, Seth, that’s a heartbreaking situation. And as I said, we have already been praying and we’ll continue to pray. And we’ll pray today, of course.

And then Cleo Bradshaw emailed this in. “Pray to heal Magdalena Lovejoy, emotional trauma, fibromyalgia, grief and loneliness and loss, center of consciousness and nasal cavity, and pray to heal the corneas in her eyeballs and pray she can have a good night’s sleep.”

Well, Cleo, it sounds like Magdalena truly does need the Lord. And we have prayed and will continue to pray. And we’ll pray today.

And then Del said, Kathi has had a couple of good days and then a couple of bad days. She gets frustrated. And, Beloved, I’m sure we can all understand that. So again, we’ll lift up Kathi in prayer, as we always do, and will continue to do.

And then I also have a personal praise. It’s now been over six months since the ablation procedure on my heart. And for those of you who are new to the show this season, I had a condition called atrial fibrillation, or afib, which caused my heart to beat erratically. It wasn’t all the time, but enough that it was truly affecting my ability to live a normal life. When it would happen, it would just really wipe me out. I’d get very weak, and then I’d be forced to sit or lie down for several hours or an entire day. Whenever I would be under stress, or whenever I did anything strenuous, my heart would just go into this arrhythmia, and I’d be done. If we left it untreated, I could have had a stroke or worse. So I had the ablation procedure on May 22, 2022. And now that the six months have passed, and I’ve had no more episodes, we can safely say that the procedure was a resounding success. So I’m praising the Lord for that. It has truly made a difference in my life. I’m able now to start to get back into walking regularly and getting some fitness back. So far, I’ve lost 10 pounds, and my goal is to lose another 30. And with the Lord’s help, I have no doubt that I’ll be able to do that. So again, praise the Lord.

Okay, let’s pray.

Our loving Heavenly Father, Lord, we praise you for who you are. And as we enter this Christmas season, I pray that your message will be effectively proclaimed around the world. We thank you for the most precious Christmas gift of your Son leaving the glories of heaven to be born into this world. You truly are love, Lord. Thank you for all of your blessings.

We thank you and praise you for the good report from Adam Curry and we praise you for the work that you’re doing in his life, Lord. We ask that the healing and recovery will continue to go well and that the upcoming follow-up procedures will be free of any complications.

And now Lord, we lift up Ben, Seth’s brother. What a heartbreaking situation Ben’s in. We pray that your hand would be in this whole divorce proceeding. We pray that you would bring his wife out of this lie of witchcraft and that she would see that you are truly the one and the only Way. We pray that you would raise up an army of prayer warriors, not only in the Lifespring family but others around the world, for Ben and for his kids, that you would truly be glorified in all of this tragedy. We pray that Ben would come to know you and place his faith and his life in your loving, powerful hands. There’s nothing that you can’t do. And we know that you love every person that’s in this picture. Make yourself known in a powerful way, Lord, to each of them. This can be a new beginning for them, Lord, and I pray that you would touch their hearts and bring hope and life.

We lift up Magdalena Lovejoy to you now, Father. Her friend, Cleo, said that she has several needs: emotional trauma, fibromyalgia, grief, loneliness, loss, center of consciousness, and nasal cavity. I don’t know what the center of consciousness part is, but you know, Lord. And I pray, Lord, that you would heal her corneas. And I pray, Lord, that she can begin to have a good night’s sleep. Lord, bring healing to Magdalena. Bring physical relief and believing friends to fill the loneliness and loss. Bring rest and wholeness in you, Lord, in Jesus’ name. You are the Great Physician, Lord, You are our Rock and our Provider. I pray that Magdalena would find all those things in you, Lord. Touch her heart. Touch her mind. Touch her spirit.

I thank you, Lord, for the work you’ve done and are doing in Kathi. I ask that you would strengthen her and bring healing to her body. Continue Lord, to strengthen and uphold her faith, which has been tested like that of Job’s. And as you restored Job, Lord, I pray that you would do the same thing for Kathi.

Father, I thank you and I praise You for the physical healing that you brought to my physical heart. You brought life to my spiritual heart over 50 years ago, and if that had been all you ever did for me, Lord, it would have been enough. But you’ve done so much more in the intervening years. I thank you, Lord, for everything you’ve done for me, and I praise you and I worship you. And I’m so very glad to know that I will be doing that for all of eternity. I owe you everything, and I’m so happy to be yours.

Father, I thank you now for each person in the Lifespring family. They’re here because you called them. Bless each one, Lord. I know that these prayer requests we’ve heard today and that we’ve brought to you are only the tip of the iceberg. There are many, many needs in the Lifespring family, and you know, each one because you know every detail about every one of us. Where there are emotional hurts in the Lifespring family, Lord, or physical pain or financial needs, whatever the situation might be, I ask you to show yourself as the God who is there, who loves, who does miracles. We are yours, Lord, and we love you. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Beloved, our next time of prayer will be this coming Sunday. So send in your prayer requests and praises at prayer.lifespringmedia.com or send me an email at st***@*************ia.com.

[OUTRO S13E061 – 31:52]
I’m thankful for Sister Kirsty who does the newsletter. I’m thankful for Brother Sean of San Pedro who does the chapters and I’m thankful for Sister Denise who corrects the transcripts. Thank you, guys. God bless you.

Comment on the show by calling the Lifespring Family Hotline at +1-951-732-8511 or by going to comment.lifespringmedia.com or by sending me a good old-fashioned email at st***@*************ia.com. I do want to hear from you. And if you believe in the ministry of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, if it’s an important part of your day, won’t you ask the Lord how he wants you to support it. Go to lifespringmedia.com\support.

Until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. Thank you so much for inviting me into your day. My name is Steve Webb. See you next time. Bye.

[JAMES COOPER – 32:45]
All the programs in the Lifespring media family are made possible by the generous gifts of people like you.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Transcript corrected by Denise